The Plazaburger. It's their thing.
No, the patties aren't grass-fed massaged Kobe beef hand formed or anything like that... it's all about the sauce with this here monster.
That sauce is the stuff I'm sure lots of Madison legend is made of.
It's some sort of aioli ranch dill-onaise hybrid, and this sauce? The biz nasty, folks.
The Plaza Tavern boasts a bar food menu replete with items for you to dunk in that storied sauce.
Cheap drinks, a dive-y feel, Big Buck Hunter/other assorted video games, one of the most random genre-spanning playlists I've encountered in awhile, and really friendly bartenders. Giant-ass paintings of landscapes adorn wood-paneled walls. A back room with a pool table, beer neons, and well... you get the idea.
Were this spot in MKE I'd definitely hit it up for some curds and a few beers every now and again!
Cash only; there's ATM on site, however.
Stop by American Apparel, pop on your high-waisted short shorts and let's get our hip groove on to a jukebox playlist. Now, our chosen jukebox dollar ditties probably won't play until tomorrow's bar crowd comes through but no biggie, this "Wonderwall" request will do. Limbo under the pool stick as that guy goes to break and your next long island's on me, girl.
The place isn't fancy by any means but it's a college kid favorite, which means people-watching is prime on a Thursday when the long islands are only $2. Education is expensive, amiright? And when you're trying to keep up with the youngsters as they down their drinks, treat yourself to a Plazaburger and be thankful you did. This cheesy, greasy goodness, as truthfully described on The Plaza's homepage, "is sopped with secret sauce and delicious." S-o-p-p-e-d. Ain't nothin' wrong with that.
This place is everything I want in a local Tavern. Cheap stiff drinks, ice cold Budweiser, awesome bartenders (Erica is really cool) who know what you drink, solid jukebox, games, and surprisingly good bar food. It seems like everyone is a regular here and they are really friendly, even to new people. Plus, it's a Madison classic and a must try. Plaza sauce should go on everything! Dean the owner is a bad ass, FYI. Great spot to watch a Badger game if you can't get tickets.
Review Source:My dad used to take me here as a kid when I did good on my report card or something for a Plaza burger. He used to drink here in the early 80s when he lived in Madison.
Things haven't changed much, and the Plaza burger is still just as amazing now that I grew up. Not too big so as to make you feel disgusting afterwards (like Five Guys). The sauce is incredible. I wish I could buy it in bulk. Get the fries too. Simple, but an excellent addition.
Got to love the hockey arcade game (Wisconsin vs. Minnesota) and the awesome murals. The legend is that a patron ran up a bar tab he couldn't pay and painted the murals to settle up.
All in all the Plaza is an institution and the $2 long islands on Thursday are just an added bonus. If you want real Madison, this is it.
This is the most underrated bar in Madison.
Not for the average bar hopper, but incredibly fun. You will see every type of person in The Plaza, for better or for worse.
The food is extraodinary for how simple it is. Get the Plaza sauce with everything. It is the best condiment I have ever tried, and I will never know what it is. I love the cheese curds with a Cheese Plaza burger.
Thursdays are the best for $2 long island nights. It gets very busy, so be sure to get there around 10-11.
Some of my favorite servers no longer work here, but they always have the most interesting people working.
Don't buy a song on the jukebox. You will never hear it. Luckily the staff and customers have an enjoyable taste in music, so you won't be dissapointed.
The first bar I had the luck and fricking pleasure to work at! Â From hot dogs in the microwave for my good paul's club buds:) To throwing a party every night w the man that taught me everything DEAN! Â Lucky to have the bond i feel for that tavern still w me everyday i walk into the Attic-Thanks to the family that gave me a chance there-Ian you're the best. Â Best Bar Ever!
Review Source:Drink when you're thirsty. Eat when you're hungry. Sleep when you're tired. And when you want to walk - stroll. These are the primary tenets of mountain time. It should not be confused with Mountain Time - the time zone 2 hours behind New York  - that guides residents of the Rocky Mountains. No, no, this is something far different.
This version of mountain time isn't kept track of on your iPhone. It exists in your soul. Ticking away each second until you're ready to meet your maker. There are no heroes in mountain time. No clocks. No capes. Extremes thrive here. Your ascent begins at daybreak and ends at nightfall.
I once climbed the mountain at the Plaza. With a local buddy who goes by Bart - son of JR, father of Cock - we had a few pitchers ate burgers and sang late into the darkness. I'm not from Wisconsin. But I could be. We all could be. If you don't believe me, try the Plaza.
About as close to a 'real Wisconsin' joint as one may find downtown. Mostly full of locals after a long day of work.
Beer is a little on the pricey side, $4.50 in a dive bar feels like a buck too much, but it was a nice draft of Spotted Cow. Their big attraction, the 'Plaza Burger' is a fairly priced frozen patty cooked--but unfortunately not seared--and dowsed in a strange concoction of sour cream and mayo. If you ask me it's just a package of French Onion dip with some extra seasoning. I wouldn't say I loved it but I can say that I ate everything on my plate. There are better burgers abounding within a 10 minute walk.
Worth a stop through for out of town-ers, and those looking for a chill place to avoid undergrads downtown while unwinding with a burger and a draft.
To those fellow reviewers who mentioned the Plaza Tavern feels like a bar out of a movie where they know your name and drink, you are spot on. I left this place feeling like a character from the movie "Going The Distance." It just has the nostalgic feel to it. The Plaza Burger is good, the This place feels like a small town bar where everybody knows everybody. One thing that disappointed me was they are not open on Sundays. Overall I would recommend going there for the Plaza Burger and cheese curds.
Review Source:A no frills Wisconsin establishment at its finest. Â I'm a fan... the booze is cheap and the food is good. Â
The place really gets kickin' later at night on the weekends with a fairly diverse mix of people. Â They've got a jukebox that I somehow always manage to pump with some 1970s Rod Stewart gems...SOMEBODY'S got to get that crowd MOVIN
I've been here more than a handful of times and have never left unfulfilled.
This place is actually pretty cool. it is kind of off of state street so it is kind of a hidden gem. It has a really cool atmosphere with a jukebox, some video games, dart boards, and a pool table. They have a really nice front area an a pretty big bar. It has great accent lighting along the walls right next to the booths and such. Yeah it has a little bit of the dive-y feel to it but this place makes it work somehow. I generally don't like dive bars but this one has a great feel to it that makes ya feel like a regular right away. The bartenders are really nice and extremely attentive! They also have cheap drinks and great specials!
Review Source:Historic, classic, Madison staple - the Plaza is great. The inside is from another time, but that's how we like it. Have been going here for years but recently went twice after a few years away. The people working here are so nice and offer really good service. Love the atmosphere and how it really makes you feel like you went back in time. But mostly we went for a Plaza Burger. I remembered them being good - but WOW they are so yummy. I really could eat two easily so get it with fries or plan to fill up on drinks. So unique though and so tasty. The bar can get busy depending on when you go - but its worth it and always fun.
Review Source:The Plaza is a great, dimly lit dive bar that hasn't changed its decor since the 1970s, and that is part of the reason it is so wonderful.
All of the food is extremely reasonably priced, and you get exactly what you order, no frills; straight up bar food.
The Plaza Burger is great, a simple burger with their awesome Plaza sauce.
The atmosphere at the Plaza is ideal, from its employees to the crowds who hang out there both day and night.
In all, its retro charm and simplicity make this dive bar a winner.
Personally, my favorite place in Madison to go for a burger.
I absolutely love the Plaza Burgers. Â They are thin. Â I don't like a piece of meat I can't get my mouth around. Â The plaza sauce is really good. Â I think their fries are exceptional as well.
The bar itself is great. Â Totally low key. Â I have gone there alone many times and eaten and don't feel like a freak.
Love the interior and the old school paintings.
The staff is totally laid back and great.
It is a nice mix of customers. Â Students, professionals, all ages and etc.
One of the best bars I have ever been to.
They serve late night food as well which is a big plus.
For my 100th yelp review I want to take a nostalgic stroll into my past. Â I haven't been back to Madison in 20 years since I graduated, and my parents moved away. Â I spent ages 5-22 living in Madison, and it's a lovely town. Â I sometimes wonder how I can get back there, except I'll probably end up elsewhere, like Santa Fe or Newmarket New Hampshire or somewhere in Europe or India.
Anywho, I started going here when I was 16. Â I was carded on my 19 birthday, which was ironically the first time I was legal. Â
Do they still have the cool landscape paintings? Â Do they still have the Lucky Strike pinball games? Â Do they still have Plaza Burgers, which I tried when I was in Rochester MN, and realized that the Plaza served burgers. Â Does the same family still run the place?
Fond memories of a gentleman going around smashing bottles into a trash can and yelling, "get the F#$! OUT! Â Plaza time was of course 15 minutes fast to build in buffer time. Â They used to have a really early closing time, when they moved it back, that took some of the wind out of that sail. Â Used to go here to find the cool after-bar parties. Â
I now see those endless pitchers of bud as misspent youth, but I have a zillion fond memories of the place, so can it be that bad? Â I hope it hasn't changed much. Â I might have to go back to Madison to check the place out. Â So many fond memories.
I will never forget this place because it was here, at the Plaza, that I took my first conscious bite of a fried cheese curd.
A dive for sure. I don't remember this bar having the most character but it's nice because you can drop by in the late afternoon, perhaps in jeans and a wife beater with no makeup, and eat greasy food and cheap alcohol and not have to worry about a darn anything . . . except the calories you are consuming.
Because I lived about a block away, I'd stop here out of convenience. I had a great time playing pool here on a few random occasions.
The Plaza doesn't have the best fries ever. Â It doesn't have the best food ever. Â Plaza sauce is great on my burger, but it's not the most amazing burger ever. Â You can find similar drink specials anywhere in Madison. Â Sometimes there's a stupid line that you have to wait in. Â
So what is so great about The Plaza?
Two words: Â Bubble Hockey.
Flash back to 1983. Â The Cold War ended but there's still tension and resentment between USA and USSR. Â What better way to settle things than on the ice? Â We all know how the 1980 Olympic game turned out...
(I'll sound really stupid if the teams aren't USA v. USSR and are UW v. someone else instead. Â I just can't remember. Â Too many beers...)
Always good times and good memories at The Plaza.
Look. Contrary to every hipster in Madison's opinion, the Plaza isn't actually the best fucking bar on the face of the earth. It isn't even the best bar in Madison. I've drank here on many different occasions, and I don't honestly think there's much that sets this apart from any other good bar. That being said, it is a good bar.
Downtown Madison is swarming with obnoxious frat boys and wasted 19-year-olds on any given Friday or Saturday night. Almost all the campus bars are so loud you have to scream to have a conversation, and are so dark you can't see two feet in front of you. Perfect if you're looking to get felt up by weird and desperate strangers, not so much if you're not into that. Â But if you come here, you get a lot less of that.
It's not a dive bar by any means. Not even close. You still run into large crowds and you may have to wait in a line, though it will move a lot faster than the line outside the Church Key or the KK. There's several pool tables, and surprisingly, you can actually get one on a busy night in a reasonable amount of time, and even have the elbow room to move your cue around.
The drink specials are nothing to brag about. Cheap, but just as cheap as anywhere else in town. But the food really steps it up for bar food. Not only does it taste great, but it's also unbelievably cheap. Burgers and other sandwiches are around only $4 each, side dishes average about $2.
The burgers kind of remind me of the burgers you'd get at McDonald's, but hey, McDonald's didn't get rich off of selling burgers that don't taste good. Like McDonald's, the burger is a thin, greasy patty inside a sweet-tasting bun. My guess is that it's honey wheat, and it goes well with the burger. I highly recommend the plazaburger. It's covered in a signature sauce that strongly resembles tzatziki sauce. They'll also put any toppings you want for free.
The Plaza also serves some of the best french fries you'll ever get at a bar. But the "large" order of fries was literally just enough to fill a small saucer. Their coleslaw is good stuff too. Really sweet, though it's unfortunately a little soggy because they don't bother to make it to order.
So if you come in to the Plaza believing all the hype (and there's a ton), you're probably going to be disappointed. This isn't the best bar ever. But the food alone makes it worth coming back. Not a bad place to come drink if you want the comfort of a big college bar without all the headache of your typical loud, overcrowded campus watering hole.
Greatest bar in Madison.
Great drink specials. Great drinks. Great food. Cheese curds and the Plaza burger are so good. The long islands will do the trick (especially on Thursdays when they're $2.00). The juke box is awesome and the bar  draws a great crowd. Only con is it's cash only.
Love the Plaza.
If you know what it and set your expectations accordingly you will enjoy yourself. This is a dive bar, with a concrete floor from the 70's. It looks like a bar you would more likely find in Northern Wisconsin than Madison. A healthy mix of good natured college students and locals.
Generally everyone there is without attitude and is there to have a good time. Wont impress you with its aesthetics, but low priced drinks add to the allure. A good place to drink without worries.
I agree with the fellow Yelpers, The Plaza is an excellent drink venue. I loved the service as well. As soon as I sat down at a table with my friends in the "back end" section, the waitress came to take order. 1 min later, my delicious rum&coke came, 3 more min later, hot, right-out-of-fryer onion ring came. Both my stomach and I appreciated the quickness so much.
The pretty spacious back room has 2 darts machines. My friends and I had good time chatting, drinking, and playing darts. Â
This place will be on my "to go back" list.
This is a great example of what a dive bar should be. It is a little worn out and aged without being gross or unclean. This bar has fun little things to play with like, a phone booth, bubble hockey, and a pool table. It has very cozy seating that make for great conversation.
Most importantly, you can get Spaten Optimator on tap. This is a rarity indeed.
Spaten Optimator is basically a substitute for dinner incase you didn't feel like eating earlier in the night.
This bar also has a really funky crowd. You could bring the frat guys, the hipsters, and the overachievers all at the Plaza. As a dive bar it appeals to all.
Hittin' that haiku...
Plaza, I love you.
Friends come to meet, drink, and flirt.
Optimator, Yes.
Talent Level: Beer Drinkers.
Gotta love the 'Za. Â It's like an up north dive bar in the heart of Madison. Â :) Â It has ugly old paintings on the wood-paneled walls, uncomfortable non-matching chairs, cracked floor tiling, horrendous bathrooms, and a deer hunting arcade game. Â And it's fabulous.
They have cheap pitchers, good drink specials and great cheese curds (the Plaza Burger is also supposed to be delicious, but I've never tried it--blasphemy, I know). Â This place introduced me to Catdaddy Moonshine, which the waitress described as tasting "like Christmas." Â She meant that it tastes like eggnog, and boy, was she ever right. Â If I remember the Plaza for anything, it will be for introducing me to this amazing, highly-alcoholic and wonderfully tasty liquor!
Anecdotally, one time a group of us were sitting at one of the booths, drinking our weight in liquor. Â The group of bartenders toasted our deep pockets by heralding us from the bar and doing a shot with us in our honor. Â Nice.
I don't like this place later at night. Â By 11 or 12 Thursday-Saturday, it randomly becomes filled with douchebags. Â Where did they come from?! Â Before then, though, it's excellent.
The Plaza is a dive but it's a crowded old dive on weekends after 1 a.m. there are douchebags a plenty, but hey it's Madison and it's a city ordinance that douchebags have to be out and drunk and... well, douchey at 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
I digress. The Plaza has cheap pitchers, pretty kick ass drink specials, and some interesting clientele. Â (yes, yes I'm thinking of the couple I saw dry humping in the back of the Plaza about 2 months ago...) Â It's also centrally located and a fantastic place to end up after you've blown some serious cash at other more expensive bars.
Everyone wants a bar like you see on tv. Â
Where everyone knows your name and your drink.
This was what The Plaza was to me and my friends back in college. Â Sure it was a dive bar but it was THE dive bar. Â We sunk all of our extra money into this place (which translates to selling your books back to the University Bookstore for beer money). It was worth every penny.
Home of the Plaza burger.
Air hockey.
Real phone booth.
Plastic darts.
Best jukebox.
Pool tables with actual pool sharks that brought their own schticks. Â
Plaza burger with special sauce and FRIED CHEESECURDS!
Best bartenders in town. Â
Holy macaroni I miss this place. Â
They used to have drink specials every night of the week. Â I remember my friends and I would each get a pitcher of Red Hook. Â That would set each of us back only about $3. Â My all time favorite drink back in the day was the Long Island Iced Tea. Â Tuesdays they had two for one $2 Long Islands. Â When you're a girl and with a plan of action jackson these were the answer.
Thank you Plaza for nearly getting me kicked out of college.
Thank you Plaza for putting me into the major leagues of drinking.
Ahmen.
A dive is great except when it is overrun by douchebags..which happens to this bar on the weekends. Otherwise it's great to hang out with friends at during the week to play pool, have a burger and shoot the shit. There is waiter service on these nights as well. On Thursdays, skip those $3 Long Islands unless you have a tongue that no longer tastes.
Review Source:Best bar in madison. Â Sort of divey, but I might be a divey-sort of girl.
Somehow, I always end up in random bar-conversations here more so than anywhere else... (go ahead, blame it on the alcohol)
The mixed crowd allows for some pretty good people watching.
Also, while other bars may be packed to the gills on a Friday or Saturday, the bouncers do a reasonably good job at limiting the number of people inside at any one time. Â You can actually breath.
The Plaza isn't just my favorite bar in Madison, it's my favorite bar ever. It was the first bar I went to legally, and since leaving Madison, I've struggled to find a bar that can compete with the Plaza in terms of amazingness. It's been a really tough struggle, no joke. The Plaza is pretty big, which is always good, especially since the Plaza tends to be pretty popular. The jukebox is pretty sweet, although they changed it between when I lived in Madison and when I went back to visit. The drinks are pretty reasonably priced, and sometimes they're really shitty (the Long Islands are, frankly, awful, but when they're $2 who cares?), but not always. They will, however, ALWAYS get you drunk. And isn't that the point?
Everyone comments on the decor. It's old. It's bad. The only place that can out Sconnie it is the Caribou. It looks like your uncle's finished basement circa 1973, but without the pea soup colored shag carpeting. And that's all the charm. Combined with the fact that literally every type of person hangs out there, the Plaza has an ambience unlike anywhere else in Madison. If I could only go to one bar for the rest of my life, I would absolutely choose it to be the Plaza
Plaza is synonymous with Dive.
That said, this is a place where everyone is welcome. Â There's no pretentiousness. Â Come dressed up. Â Come in pajamas. Â It doesn't matter. Â The clientele is so diverse you're never bored crowd watching here. Â The decor is back-woods garish with dark paneled walls and giant pictures of deer in the woods. Â The vinyl booths are ripped and the tables in the back belong in the dump. Â I don't think anything in this place has changed in the last 30 years.
Despite the fact that every time you leave here you feel incredibly dirty (and incredibly inebriated), you have to love the Plaza. Â Why? Â Because everyone needs a favorite dive bar.
Okay, its an institution...the burgers are okay, the clientele more authentic, but what the hell, you got someplace better to go? Â Didn't think so, have a Miller and shut up. Â Oh, sorry, fell into character there, just go and have a burger and beer, you'll be happy. Â If not, its no skin off my... Â Oops, there I go again, see what this place does to you?!
Review Source:"Ahhhh, the memories. When I think of Madison, one of the first images that comes to mind is this rustic, downhome, northwoods bar which was THE favorite Madison hangout for a very large social network that included a great many of my friends and acquaintences. From the vinyl booths lining the walls, to the backroom pool table and dart game machines, to the bartenders in full white traditional barkeep shmatas behind the counter, there was no pretention here. This old haunt was the essence of my Madison experience. They also served up the best bar food I've had, especially the classic Plazaburger dressed with the famous Plaza Sauce. And you couldn't beat it for the price either: burger, $2.80, fries 65 cents, grilled cheese, $1.75. Even the prices are from another time and place...."
Review Source:Can be a hit or miss. Â Decent drinks and bar food (the Plaza burger is a bit over-rated but still worth checking out). Â Pool and some darts. Â At one point, they had a Time Crisis arcade cabinet.
Gets an extra star for having the fastest cocktail waitress I've ever seen. Â Seriously, she was like a ninja serving us whiskey.
The original hip bar that never tries to be hip. This place has cool decor (it looks like a '70s bowling alley in there) but the crowd can range from really cool to downright obnoxious. If you get a chance, go try their signature Plaza Burger that's steeped in legend. Not all that special, but then you have bragging rights to it once you try it.
Review Source:
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
