Tony Frank’s Tavern

Unfortunately, it is my understanding that Tony franks is closed. It is a shame because it was a great bar with very good food. The service and amenities have gone downhill the last year however. Hopefully someone will buy the business and bring it back to its former glory. It is a Wisconsin classic and deserves to be resurrected!

Dive bar tour took us here for the covered out door searing. The place seemed nice and not divvy at all, it was a last minute decision to stop here.
The food must be ok here because family’s were filling the out door seating. They have a good selection of tap beers and something for everyone. It’s a nice place to hang out and have some drinks.
The men’s room was a bit strange because it has unusual art on the walls, see my pictures.

Wanted to try something new, and we’ve noticed this place during trips to the Arboretum. Was really disappointed.
Four of us ordered beers and burgers. There were 2 menus sitting on our table, which made ordering confusing. Which menu should we use, this old looking one with more options, or this newer one?! Waitress came back and said that the beer I wanted wasn’t available. Okay, I’ll try this one on the menu. Nope, don’t have that one either. Okay, wow. After ordering our burgers, the waitress comes back and informs us of several other things they have run out of. No Swiss Cheese and no Pepperjack. Okay, well the Pepperjack Burger I just ordered is now just a cheeseburger. Awesome. One of us ordered double bacon on a burger and got two tiny pieces. Where’s my double bacon? Oh, we ran out of bacon. Ugh. Also, where was the side of coleslaw that was supposed to come with my basket? Nevermind, I’ll assume you ran out of coleslaw too.
Also, the burgers are kind of expensive for this hole-​in-​the-​wall place. Add $ 3 for a basket?! Paying $ 13 – 14 for a mediocre burger basket is not a good value in Madison, WI. Outrageous.
And the burgers were just okay. I hated the bun that my burger was served on. Tasted like corny syrup. The burgers aren’t terribly big or meaty. While the burger was cooked well, overall just meh. I wouldn’t drive across town to eat this particular burger. The onion rings we ordered were fine, perhaps a little overcooked. And for a full order of onion rings, it was a pretty small amount. Not a good value.
The place was pretty busy on Sunday. Lots of Badgers fans. Tony Frank’s is quite a bit more of a dive bar than I expected. Our food took forever to arrive.
Despite being ignored initially by our waitress, she ended up being pretty good.
If you live a couple blocks away, I’d say give it a shot. But otherwise, no, not that great.

WARNING: Tony Frank’s no longer has peanuts in the shell :(
I love a place with free peanuts in the shell. My favorite is when I can throw the shells on the floor, but I am happy to put them in a separate basket if that’s what the establishment prefers. Peanuts in the shell is pretty much the reason I went to Tony Frank’s (and the location works good for me).
However, upon arriving last night, I found out that they recently discontinued offering free peanuts in the shell. I was given a small bowl of dry roasted peanuts, but what fun is that.
Further, our kind bar tender who was on her second shift has, I believe, not received enough training. I had to point out 20 minutes after ordering my burger and fries that nothing was being cooked. Apparently a printer error… It also took 4 requests to get the Badger basketball game put on…
I do not plan on returning to Tony Franks until they bring back peanuts in the shell. Someone please message me when they do.

Used to stop in here all the time for a decent burger. After a long hiatus and reading some favorable reviews, I went in again last week. Big disappointment… asked for medium rare, got a grey, dry well done. They advertise Knoche’s meat, but this thing was pre-​formed and skinny. I don’t think so. Half order of frozen overcooked onion rings, yuck. Lousy service as well. Should have gone down to the Village, Blue Moon, or Plaza where I’m never disappointed. Off my list for good.

I made the mistake of stopping by on a weekend afternoon during the middle of a game… Not an available seat in the place. Placed my order at the bar and sat down on the window sill (yes that is correct) and chomped down on a double bacon cheeseburger.
The people and place were great but the food was average. I don’t have any desires to return. Perhaps a bar chaser would enjoy the atmosphere more as they definitely cater to spirit chaser given the large bar area. If you are looking for some insight in that regard, I’m sure my fellow Unilocalers have posted several divining reviews on that subject.

This was my neighborhood bar for a while. Nothing beats a group of friends and some pitchers of capital Amber with some football on. Always good service and good burgers; nothing fancy, nothing trendy, just a good working man’s neighborhood bar, clean and with some character.

Good burgers. Black and blue burger is the bomb… Strong drinks. Fun atmosphere. Gets busy during lunch but worth the wait.

Definitely the best burgers in the city of Madison! Don’t pass up this gem, been coming here since the fifties, nicely remodeled bar area. YOU HAVE GOT TO GO TO TONY FRANKS!

Nice, local bar. Good prices. Met the current owner, nice guy. Had a bunch of shots & beer. Can’t beat an $ 8 pitcher of Hamm’s!

I ate here a couple of weeks ago. It was small but cute inside. Burgers were decent and the waitstaff was pleasant and efficient. I read Unilocal reviews before I try a place and was surprised at some of the negative comments. Overall it was a good experience and I would go back.

I have been a frequent diner here year round. Up until today enjoying the patio was always a pleasant experience. Having the owners (or managers) 2 dogs running around among patio tables, begging for scraps or begging to get into the restaurant, was really irritating. They may be cute dogs but their being among patrons was not. Couple that with staff cleaning patio walls, floor, and signs right next to our table while we were eating was inexcusable. Add to that the lawn mowing and leaf blowing during lunch, which could have been called off by management, dining, such as it was, was a bad experience trifecta. Food was just o.k. and portion size considerably reduced. In no hurry to return despite years of patronizing this place!

I refrained from giving a review the first two times. After all some waitresses have a bad day. But three times? All three times it was the same. Service was slow, and I agree with some folks giving reviews, waitress was rude and gave the best service. …to her friends. All three times. Our service was slow and the waitress seemed bothered by having to explain the menu and beer selection. Burgers were mediocre. Certainty not worth the price. This is a great place if you are a regular. Terrible if you are a casual diner. I DO NOT PLAN ON RETURNING. Such a shame too for a long time Madison business.

We went to Tony Frank’s today for dinner after a round of golf with the dads for Father’s Day. It was a pretty awful experience; we’ve been to Tony Frank’s before, but not in a while, and things have definitely gone downhill. We asked for waters three times, and never got anything. Twice we had to remind our waitress of an appetizer order. She was rude when asked a question about the menu, and she dropped dishes when clearing our table, and didn’t bother to clean up the broken shards. The food is overpriced — at least $ 8 for a burger, not including fries or any side. It’s nothing special and you can do a lot better in the immediate area in terms of price, food, ambience, and above all, service. We are not going back.

I’m still a fan of the food, but the service on our last visit was atrocious and I decided that TF’s is just too expensive and I’m not going again. $ 8 to $ 10 for most sandwiches and they don’t even come with fries. That pricing is out of line with TF’s ambiance.

Absolutely best place for a burger in madison! I’ve been here numerous times and they never let us down. It’s a small place with an old tavern feel. The bar seats maybe 20, there’s also limited table seating… either option gets busy for dinner. Bar selection is average nothing really stands out here, the burgers are definitely the highlight. Give this place a try if you haven’t yet… its our go to for burgers!

We stopped here for a few drinks after dinner on Friday night. I’d driven past this place thousands of times but never stopped until 11÷15÷13.
+ Love the «homey» feel — very quaint
+ Friendly server
+ Was clean and well maintained
+ Felt very comfortable inside
+ Free peanuts, with bowls to catch the shells
— Mediocre tap list — primarily your usual suspects (PBR, Bud Light, Lite, a few Capitals, a few New Glarus, Fat Tire, Stella)
— Pint glasses were delivered hot; fresh out of the dishwasher hot
— No wine glasses; glasses of wine were served in cocktail glass/​tumbler
— Pricey; three pitchers of beer and 3 glasses of house cabernet were $ 59
— Small parking lot
— Small bar area; hard to navigate your way through
I’d like to return to try some of the bar food — it looks interesting

Classic roadhouse tavern that’s been around since 1929. Bartenders are friendly, the food solid (one of the more underrated bar burgers in Madison), and if I imbibe too much, close enough to walk home (or take shelter in the Arboretum if I am feeling like a character from a Jack London novel).

Wisconsin Pub Institution.
I can’t wait to see this place in a couple more decades or two. I hope it never changes. Yes, its a house, its a pub, its got beer and burgers.
There’s ambiance, as in old wood floors, beers on tap, old regulars who have had the same drink in twenty years and this is what it smells of.
Come for the burgers, onion rings, fries or rubin specials. This is what they are good at. Sit at the cozy table or belly up to the bar that has been worn down from decades of beer bellies. You’ll never know who you are sitting next to.
Lunch or dinner is just as good.

This place is a lot of fun. Typical Wisconsin bar with added feature of ample tables for chow. All food is prepared behind the bar and it’s fun to watch the activity. Give it a try for your next pub food outing.