Old Town Pub

In a word: Not stellar, but better than it looks.

The specs: #0442  
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Yelp, Decider, .

JM ate the burger with a lemonade.
Nichole ate the Reuben.
The bill was $13, or $6.50/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole both gave Old Town Pub a B+ (see our grading rubric).

Old Town Pub doesn't overserve vowels - we were so pleased it's not Olde Towne anything. Likewise, the sandwiches we got were not huge or overstuffed. We can't speak to the drinks, however.

Swivel factor was at a minimum, and the bartender/cook was fast and friendly. The menu included bar favorites (fried everything) as well as surprises like prime rib, chili dogs, and salads. Some items had a twist, such as the beany chili nachos, which offended JM's anti-bean sensibilities. So we settled on a couple sandwiches.

The marble rye of the Reuben was very light, the corned beef cut medium thick and not especially "corny," as it were. The Swiss cheese had melted completely, and the sum of the parts had the effect of a cloud - truly, a light, fluffy Reuben cloud, and very good. (Some regulars call it the best Reuben in Madison, according to the cook.) That said, had it been a carryout sandwich, it might not have fared as well.

JM's burger:

• Bun: decent and not too bready
• Meat: good on the Sysco quality scale
• Bun/meat ratio: average
• Cheese: not noteworthy
• Misc.: crispy veg, clean finish, not greasy, good snap in each bite. About a 6.5 of 10 overall.

We'd add Old Town Pub to our short list of "places to snack cheap before grocery shopping at Woodmans West," where they're in good company with La Bamba.