Cant really call it divey since they remodled but it's retained the same neighborhood feel as before only with more tvs and  better lighting . food is good - lunch specials and the basics with a few tweaks are always just right . service is on point and prices  don't hurt - only neg  can be parking but hey, it's downtown.
Review Source:Late night eating session!! Woo! (grr at Fried and Fabulous for being closed)
Our friend was telling us how the calzones were the size of a keyboard and how great they were. I am in fact  a fan of  Calzones but this friend also recommended Curry In The Box and that place was awful.
We ordered a buffalo chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries and a calzone. The sandwich was pretty basic, the fries were great, and the calzone was huge. The calzone's size is made up mostly crust and it isn't flavorful. The chicken was pale, ugly, white cubes.
Dear Echo,
From the first time we met, you pleased me as only few others have ever done. Â Our first night left me in awe of your style of delivery. Â Although you were clear across town, you arrived at my door at the exact moment you told me you would and even brought me candy. Â What a sweet gesture! Â You were quick, but not 'too' quick, and by the end of the night I was more than pleased and completely satiated.
The next night, some of my friends came over and I just couldn't help myself. Â I told them all about you and they were intrigued. Â They 'all' wanted to meet you, men and women alike, so I called and invited you to come to my home again. Â I have to admit that I was concerned that, when you arrived, you wouldn't be as awesome and hot as you were the night before. Â However, you arrived on time and were just as hot and yummy and left every one of my friends pleased and satisfied.
It wasn't too long before I learned that many of them were seeing you on the side and I wasn't one bit jealous. Â I was pleased that you were able to deliver to so many others and leave them as happy as you made me. Â I often found myself yearning for your special delivery and, as much as I enjoyed our first experience, I wanted to try new things. Â You were exceptional every time.
Tonight, I find myself in an unpleasant situation. I must be honest with you. I invited someone else over tonight. The experience was not nearly as good and I have learned my lesson. I deeply apologize and pray that you will forgive me and continue to deliver. Thank you for all that you have done for me. Â I hope to see you again in the future.
  Sincerely, one very pleased woman.
Ok, for all of you who had nerve to read my personal letter to Echo, here are the background details. Â We've never had to wait more than 40 minutes for them to arrive, even though we've placed some pretty large orders and they're driving from Main Street to Fitchburg. Â Yes, I agree that they're a little more pricey than other places, but this is one of those "you get what you pay for" things.
Cheese curds: Soft, gooey, and with just the right amount of batter.
Onion rings: Crispy and delicious. I like the onion thin and it is.
Jalepeno poppers: Â They're HUGE and STUFFED with cream cheese.
Fries (regular or sweet): Crispy outside, soft inside, great potato flavor.
Cheese sticks: Soft, a little more chewy than gooey, but still good.
Breaded Mushrooms: Crisp outside, right amount of batter, yummy mushrooms.
Echo Burger: My husband 'loves' it and says it's great.
Double Cheeseburger: Juicy and yummy. Bun is toasted.
Crispy Chicken Sandwich: (Buffalo sauce) Heaven on a toasted bun.
Fish Sandwich: Crispy, perfect, batter. Juicy, not dry. So yummy.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza: Toppings were generous and oh so good.
Cinnamon Sugar Sticks: A little too dry and chewy. They were "just ok".
Echo Donut Bites: A little too dry and chewy. Again, they were "just ok".
Love this place and 'highly' recommend them!
When I was in college, Echo was where all my hip student radio station friends would go in search of stories that would make you cringe come Sunday morning. It was dingy enough to satisfy dive bar needs but sketchy enough to make you seem edgy in comparison to all your Plaza-going friends. White girl from the suburbs of Minnesota needs all the edge she can get.
Echo has since been revamped as of last summer or so and while I miss some of the "edge", I usually get by just fine as I'm conquering one of their delicious, giant calzones. Also, after [an attempt at] playing tennis last week, my friend introduced me to the fact that Echo dishes out 5 tacos for $4 on Thursdays. Nothing compliments tennis quite like tacos so we nabbed a table inside, grabbed a beer and placed our orders with the friendly waiter. He looked at us with an eyebrow raised (probably having confused us with Maria Sharapova and Anna Kournikova) and asked whether we were planning to share the 5 tacos. Ha - silly, rabbit. "That'll be 5 tacos each please."
Nothing crazy unique going on here but it's a comfortable venue with an adequate beer selection, enjoyable bar food and saucy-ish tennis players.
We hit the Echo for a little bar food goodness this past Friday. Seats were secured in the covered outdoor section; ceiling-mounted radiant heaters kept us toasty and warm, despite the micro-blizzard that was taking place outside (in April!).
Our server was decent; not the fastest, but he was on top of things.
Tap selections were decent; a few unique ones, but fairly ordinary otherwise. We ordered an appetizer and decided to share a pizza.
The 'za was fantastic - I'd definitely order it in the future. Great crust, fresh toppings and very tasty.
Meal was a tad pricey; our total came-in at just over $70 for a few rounds of drinks and the food.
I like the place and will be back for sure.
Echo  = WIN
Food = 3.5 stars (good bar food)
Service = 3.5 stars
Value = 3 stars
MISC = 4 stars (love the outdoor area; heaters were a nice/welcomed touch)
This place probably has the best bar food in the city. Â With their recent expansion, adding a HUGE new kitchen and updating the interior, some might say that the Echo has lost it's feel. Â Not true. Â The food is as good as it has been in the past, and with the addition of some pizza ovens, there are a lot of great offerings. Â
Start with the echo burger (a great appetizer for two if you cut it in half), then once your friends come, order a calzone for a second small plate. Â Just cut it in to 8 pieces because it is very large. ($9)
Once your appetite is going, up the ante with a round of Jagermeisters to really get the juices flowing. Â If you're lucky it's Thursday. Â Five tacos for $4. Â Get a few rounds of those crispy little devils and finish up with another round of Jagermeisters. Â
The Echo Tap has a lot going on, and for those of you who try to deny it's greatness, think again.
Echo tap and grill is a loud bar with a lot of televisions playing sports games on the walls. All in all it's fairly ordinary, very loud, and  has a poor layout on the interior. However, they have food and the prices for liquor and beer are quite fair.
This place is a drinker's tavern, similar to what you would find on the south side of Chicago but brighter and cleaner inside. There may be some yuppies and college kids around, but note those old horses at the bar -- they're the real ones who have likely been occupying that stool longer than you've been alive.
Recommended if you're ducking your AA meeting. Otherwise, you may wish to drink at your own risk.
The Echo has since been remodeled and I believe under new management, so the divey feel is more a thing of the past, but you still have your regulars who stuck around.
If Trey is your bartender, (he's probably sporting a goatee, a bowling shirt, and a baseball hat) treat him right and buy him a shot of jagermeister. He remembers the good ole days
I really like Echo Tap. Â There are lots of great beers on tap. Â They have amazing bar food. Â (I highly recommend the cheese curds.) There is a good view of a TV no matter where you are.
This is a good place to go before or after going to the Kohl Center for an event.
Thursday night trivia is always fun too.
So my family got together for dinner and the Echo Tap was the place of choice for my sister (birthday girl). Â None of us have never been there before with the exception of my wife who had been there way back in the day. Â So dinner is on our minds and we had a good time!
First off we had a decent size group with kids so we sat upstairs and the music was very loud but they turned that down. Â I like bars that feel like bars and the Echo tap did for sure feel like a bar and PBR on tap...perfect!
Cheese Curds = Always awesome especially since they were lightly breaded!
Now for my meal I wanted to go for what I hear they were known for and that is the Cheeseburger. Â I got it and was surprised on how small it was but the taste totally outweighed the small size of the burger because it was an excellent burger. Â Not your typical pre-made burger slapped on a grill..these burgers were handmade for sure and awesome!
My wife got the pizza and much to my surprise, it was very good. Â Now, being good does not make it a place I would go to just to get pizza but much better than other bars who just toss in a frozen pizza.
Overall a good night and a good place to eat of have drinks.
Stopped here before Badger BB game and during a Badger FB game,cuz it was in Mad City cocktail book. Place was of course busy but found a comfortable table upstairs..Burgers and fries well above average. Service was VERY good considering size of crowd.A good overall experience all things considered.
Review Source:Used to be a 2, Now it's a 4.
This place USED to be dingy, sticky floored, and smelly. The taps always tasted dirty too.
NOT THE CASE NOW! Now its pretty damn good!
They've completely redone the interior and added a nice little patio outside. Many more TVs than there used to be too, and they are nice new ones. Also, they pipe the game audio over the PA for all the big games.
The beer selection leaves something to be desired, but they almost always have a solid seasonal microbrew, and some Capital on tap. All the lines taste clean now too, which is awesome. They could definitely use some more Wisconsin craft taps though. They have all the staples for you macro lovers though.
Pretty friendly townie staff that will give you shit on occasion, so don't come if you have no personality or are easily offended.
Food is pretty decent for bar food, and cheap. The cheese curds are definitely passable, but not the best in town at all. Their pizzas are pretty good too.
Some random notes:
- The bar stools are pretty uncomfortable, but you forget about it after a few beers.
- Clientele can be quite interesting sometimes, from stumble drunks to college sorority girls. It's a pretty interesting mix.
- They don't charge extra if you forget to close out your tab at the end of the night.
- Good drink specials
- The reviews on here from 2010 and earlier don't really apply anymore, since they remodeled the entire place.
- Awesome spot to watch sports.
Fin.
If you read any of my other reviews, you'll note that I don't give bad ones lightly. I just don't feel the "OMG, the ECHO!" feeling for this place that some do. I never frequented this place when I lived in Madison, but I went to the Echo on Saturday with some friends who did.
The Echo Tap smelled like butt cheeks. It really and truly did. I thank my lucky stars that I had forgotten to close my tab at the last bar so I had an excuse to dip out and meet up with them at the next stop.
If this dive didn't smell, it would have been a perfectly acceptable Wisconsin townie bar, but it did and I just can't recommend it (unless you have a cold).
Went here specifically to get cheese curds as they reported the 'best cheese curds in town'.
Very disappointed. Caught the summer lunch crowd. They beer selection was sophomoric, the cheese curds were pre-packaged and over-fried, and the food was cheap (both in expense and taste).
If you want the best cheese curds in Madison... don't go here.
I lived in Madison for a year, and whenever I think about missing Wisconsin, my mind goes immediately to the Echo Tap. As people have said, this is a quintessential Wisconsin bar, from the High Life on tap to the darts to the crowd.
I used to go here with a friend every Monday, order a pitcher of High Life (on special, for $4.50 I think) and two shot glasses, and do a power hour at the bar. One time, another patron gave me advice on getting a tattoo and hooked my friend up with a discount for a piercing. Another time, a patron told us how he knew the woman in the moon on the High Life packaging.
There are darts and pool on the second floor, of course, and the drinks are super-cheap even before their insanely priced specials. The bartender chats with the regulars, and it's an especially fun place to watch Packers games (or depressing, depending on the outcome, but I lived there in 2007 so it was great).
It's the perfect bar, basically.
The Echo Tap is the most genuine Wisconsin bar in Madison. They not only have the coldest beer and Jäger in town, but the food is excellent as well. The Echo burger is a must try; with 1beef patty, 1brat patty, one slice of Swiss cheese and one slice of cheddar all topped with sautéd onions. I am a very happy visitor.
Review Source:Who would have thought you could find a dive townie bar in downtown Madison surrounded by the UW Campus? But that is exactly what the Echo Tap is. If you are sick of the college bars and want to go to a place with a lot of character I suggest the Echo. This place has it's share of fun regulars that are certain to keep you entertained. The upstairs has 3 dart boards and a pool table. You can also get food like burgers, fries, chicken tenders, and the usual bar food. The echo also sells cigarettes and small bottles of liquor. Anytime is the best time to go but expect crowds while activities are going on at the Kohl Center.
Also ask if you can join the "PBR Priority Club"
I almost laughed at the "& Grill" stuck on the end of this listing. Â I guess they have food...right? Â I know you can order out and bring it in...Well now that I think of it, having food sounds about right.
After avoiding it like the plague for several months, I found myself at Echo for the first time during an excruciating Madison winter. Â It was literally the closest bar to our apartment (as in, half a block away). Â As most of my husband's UW friends lived in our building, that's where we ended up going.
I should preface this by saying that Echo is right across the street from the Greyhound bus depot. Â Thus, there are dozens of homeless, drunken, scruffy vagabonds that traipse up and down this street at any given point, including right in front of -- and sometimes inside -- the bar. Â Do not pay them any mind. Â They're more like the Echo Tap bodyguards than a threat. Â They, like you, just want to get drunk and forget about their problems.
Now, onto the bar itself. Â From the outside, it looks like a trailer. Â Inside, as expected, was a horde of local winos and UW grads from the class of '69, but also TWICE THE SPACE that anyone would have thought. Â Are you kidding me? Â Two floors? Â Darts AND a pool table? Â And, the most thrilling discovery of all, an AWESOME digital jukebox?
Also, they ask you "single or double?" when you ask for a drink that any other place would just water down and give you less than a single. Â I had two large vodka crans here and was fiiiiiiine without that $5 pitcher of Spotted Cow. Â But of course I had the Cow anyway.
A great place to hang out with friends! Â It's stuck in a moment, in the best way. Â In the dead of winter, when I wish I could just hop out for a night out, I'll miss this place a lot.
It took me a while to figure out the Echo. Â I never even bothered with it for the first few years, but I was wasting time on Lower State Street and wouldn't have known a quality neighborhood bar anyway. Â When you're 21 you figure a place like the Echo is for the Old People. Â And that's not completely untrue, because this place is rarely full of young college kids. Â And that's maybe why I've started to like the Echo more and more. Â I started meeting friends down there for an after-class burger and a beer during my last year of college. Â It quickly became a regular destination and a favorite place to kick back, relax and bully the jukebox.
I last dropped by the Echo after a hockey game at the Kohl Center, which is quickly becoming a habit. Â Sometimes the place gets a bit too busy after a game but this wasn't one of those times. Â The Echo has one of the better tap selections in Madison but for me it almost always comes down to the Sprecher Black Bavarian. Â This is one of my all-time favorite beers and to find it on tap is a special treat. Â Seriously - four stars just for having Black Bavarian on tap. Â I'm told that the mix drinks are quite good but nothing's going to pry me away from my Black Bavarian. Â The bartenders are quick and friendly unless the place is very crowded. Â The bar area becomes a bit of a bottleneck and it can be difficult to get a beer. Â
I don't get food at the Echo all that often anymore but it is quite good. Â They do a truncated menu on game days that leaves off my favorites, so I don't usually go here to eat on these days. Â Other nights it's a relaxing place to grab a table and have a good time. Â I especially like the cajun porkchop sandwich and the BLT. Â It's served on French bread and is evidence of how something simple can be great. Â But for the most part I stick to having a pre or post-game drink at the Echo. Â I still run into a lot of old friends and acquaintances at this bar as well, which always makes for a good time. Â Maybe I'm becoming an Old Person now, but the Echo is one of my favorite downtown destinations these days.
I want to give the Echo Tap a 4, but I'm just not quite there.
When it's not completely overloaded with obnoxious ticket holders for Kohl Center sporting events, it's a 4-4.5 star bar. Â Unfortunately, it's teeming with the aforementioned too frequently for my liking. Â It's not just the typical d-bags, either--there are older, holier-than-thou types who are especially rude.
Anyway. Â When the Echo Tap is not crowded, it's so great. Â There are lots of tables, a *kickass* jukebox, friendly bar staff, non-frightening bathrooms, an upstairs and downstairs, a great selection of beers on tap, and delicious food. Â I've yet to try the Echo Burger (a beef patty AND brat patty), but I hear you can go into congestive heart failure by just looking at it. Â Also, if you drink there often enough, you can get a "PBR Priority Card" in which you're always entitled to PBR drink specials. Â Now that's just plain spectacular.
I have passed this neighborhood bar down the street from me many a times and dubbed it the "old people" hang out. However, during a Wisconsin game, you can bet the crowd will be young, vibrant, and different and dressed to the nines in red. Â Although it looks small inside, it has surprisingly high ceilings and a second floor loft. Which made it easy for a group of 4 of us to all get a place to sit around a table. The beer in the pitchers starts flowing and a few bags of cool ranch Doritos are opened up. Okay, so I'll give this place an extra star for the pure convenience of going (since it's literally a hop, skip, and jump away).
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