Mid Town Pub

Don't understand all the positive reviews for this place.  Employees were friendly, but the food was so-so at best and the owner was shouting at another customer about politics while I was trying to eat.  Go elsewhere.

If you see Mid Town Pub from the street it's probably not something you'd be overly attracted to or think about attending.  But inside is a unique restaurant that actually does a fairly admirable job at winning people over and providing a good down-to-earth experience.

The staff is very friendly, and they use a system of rotating servers which means *usually* you're attended to in prompt fashion.  I say usually because on occasion when they are busy they can forget about you a bit, but any kind of delay is met with a great deal of politeness on their part and it's never been anything too hard to handle.  I really need to give them credit for service here, they've never put me off and always have a warm heart about everything which is pretty rare these days so kudos to the manager for making sure the business is and stays this way.  Speaking of which, the manager (owner) is a bit of a quirky fellow but he's got a good spirit too and is probably the glue to what makes Midtown so unique.  And he puts in his time helping with tables or little things to make sure the service is consistent.  Bottom line, Midtown has good service down cold.

The atmosphere reminds me a lot of the comfort of being at home and having a meal with your family.  A lot of wood booths, couches with TVs and video games, various bar games, older-style bar lighting, and the appropriate sports games on along with regular TV programming.  They make you feel cosy and I like that a lot about Midtown.  My only gripe really is that if I'm in the mood for something fancier this isn't really the spot, but otherwise apart from that this is the spot the vast majority of the time.

The food is good if not better than most "pub food".  I give credit to them for a wide variety on the menu, just about anything you'd see at a bar is here.  I've tried a lot, and I'd say you can't go wrong with any of their chicken sandwhiches or burgers (teriyaki chicken and provoslaw burger being my favorites).  Their Walleye sandwhich is great, it's a gigantic portion and makes me want to come back everytime for more.  The chili is always worth a cup.  They even have gyros and off the map items that you wouldn't expect at most bars.  My favorite parts about the food though have to be the free popcorn that's already on the table when you get there, the huge selection of hot sauces behind the bar, and the bloody mary bar that they have once a week (I think Sundays) which has an absurdly awesome mix of goodies.  Oh, and I can't forget to mention the bowl of candy at the front when you walk in that I usually snag a guilty pleasure or two out of on every trip.

Prices are incredibly reasonable, most entrees fall in the $6-12 range, so you can easily have a dinner for two there for $25 or less.  They also have specials every weekday and a good Friday Fish Fry, so make sure you get down there for it.

If you haven't been, Mid Town will probably soon be a favorite of yours too

Two years later and I'm still a huge fan of this place.

Joel and his crew are simply stellar.  This is the epitome of what a neighborhood bar is all about.  They're friendly, welcoming, and helpful.  Even when it's packed, the service never suffers.  

The food continues to be excellent, and they keep the menu fresh by introducing new items every so often - the smokehouse burger is unbelievable.

The jukebox is superb, there are tons of televisions for keeping up with the game, seating is comfy and abundant, and there's even an outdoor patio that's quite nice.  And don't worry about service suffering if you sit outside - they'll take superb care of you whether you're inside or outside.

Go.  Go now.  Go daily.  It's still my favorite place in all of Madison.