The University Club

Popcorn crusted perch was a new surprise. Wished the potato pancakes were thinner & less oily. Ginger limeade is always refreshing. The lunch ambiance was more elegant with a guest guitarist strumming. Brian was attentive with smiles. It’s always a treat to dine at the University Club.

Interesting place, both from a location standpoint to food. The building is a historic building on the University of Wisconsin campus and used to be a club style building for university professors. It reminded me of an old fashioned hotel dining room. The décor is intentionally vintage, but the food offerings were a bit more eclectic than standard supper club fare. I enjoyed a Mediterranean hummus plate with olives and tabbouleh. The portion was huge and I couldn’t finish it all. The location of the University Club would likely not be stumbled upon by someone not on campus, it did seem.

I finally had lunch today at the University Club, vowing to come back after having a scrumptious dinner at a big event earlier this year. (If you have a big event coming up such as a conference or an annual meeting, you’d be wise to check this place out.) Anyway, my lunch started out very nicely with a friendly waitress and a basket of bread w/​butter (Graft, take note!!) I ordered the crab cake sandwich w/​sweet potato fries and while it was getting crowded (when I left, every table was full) my food arrived in just the right time, hot and very appealing. Tasty, too! Many of the other diners were having the signature club sandwich which looked really good as well. The check arrived with an after dinner mint, nice touch.
The near perfect lunch lost a star however, on two points: the bread in the basket, had a slightly anomalous taste to it, like it had been sitting in the back of the freezer for a couple years. And my waitress, sweet as she was, did not check to make sure everything was OK at the table. (I could’ve used some more water…)
If you’re ever down at the end of State Street and don’t want to jostle in line at the food carts, give the U Club a try — I think you’ll be glad you did!

Univeristy Club was that elusive building on campus I never got to go in as an undergraduate. After my friends’ recent wedding reception here, that all changed.
The building itself is gorgeous. The brick on the outside becomes white walls with exposed wood paneling on the inside. It was a beautiful venue to celebrate the love of my beautiful friend and her wonderful now-​husband.
However, it was horribly hot inside. The bridal party was sweating uncomfortably, as were the guests. Granted, it’s an older building, so I don’t know if it has central air or not, but it was blistering hot. The food, however, was only lukewarm when it was served. The staff, however, seemed wonderful, and overall, I thought it was a lovely location for a wedding reception.

RIPPED OFF!
Beware of the difference between what the U-​Club shows you in their slick on-​line advertisements vs. what you actually get on your plate. My wife and I and another couple decided to dine there on Feb 13, 2015. The advertisement offered a champagne toast, roasted rack of lamb (4 chops were shown in the picture) an appetizer and a lucious looking dessert. What we got was NO champagne (our server said she would bring some for a charge), 2 tiny pieces of lamb, (not 4) and a sliver of dessert. All of this for $ 40 per person plus tax and tip. THIS IS THE MOST DISSAPOINTING MEAL AND MOST EXPENSIVE MEAL I’VE EVER HAD.

Although I ended up choosing a wedding venue that was out of town, University Club was awesome during the first phases of my wedding planning! The club was one of many downtown Madison places I looked at, and it was, by far, the most affordable option without skimping. The place has lots of character, and the staff was super friendly, organized, and prompt when responding to calls/​emails (I worked with Kyle). Had I chose to forgo my hometown wedding and stick with University Club, I’m sure I would’ve been able to give it 5 stars. I definitely recommend checking it out!