Amy's Cafe

Update: Amy's Cafe is closed.

In a word: Extensive sandwich and salad menu, but be prepared for inconsistent results and don't expect it to be a quick or quiet meal out.

The specs: #0005
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at WiSJ, Ultimate Madison Bar Tour, Dane101, Yelp, Madison 420, 77 Square, QSC, official web site ;

Latest Amy's Cafe news and reviews

JM ate a classic burger with the works and fries with a Sprite and worked the April 1981 Atlantic Monthly cryptic crossword.
Nichole ate the tuna melt with fries and a Coke in a hurry.
The bill was $13, or $6.50/person, plus tip.
JM gave Amy's Cafe a B-; N gave Amy's Cafe a C+ (see our grading rubric).

Amy's is a downtown institution that we'd been to before and we set out with high expectations. This time, though, we were in a hurry to get to a 6pm meeting across town, and it was annoying to wait fifteen minutes after placing our orders at the counter. It was especially sad that when Nichole's tuna melt arrived, the bread was burned on both sides and so rigid that the tuna squished out when she took a bite. JM's burger was fine.

The tunes were good: lots of Flaming Lips, which you don't hear in just any restaurant, but they were a little loud, as was the speaker that announced our names when the food was ready.

Comments

[Emily]

I like Amy's but you're right--the wait can be prohibitively long sometimes...especially if you're getting chicken.

Other things, however, are fast and cheap and quite delicious--my highest recommendation is for chili or soup in their bread bowl. It's under $3.50 (last time I checked) and you get it right away, and it's certainly very filling. Good quality comfort food. :-)

[michael dailey]

I wish to ask a favor. I'm from Madison and my Mom hangs out in the bar. She's a short Italian woman who goes by the name of Debbie [Dailey]. I'm a short mulatto guy by
the name of Mike [Dailey]. She's been an anthropolgy student at the UW for years, and I'm sure you've seen her there. I have no way of getting a hold of her, but I know if I came back to Madison I could find her in that bar. If you see her please give her my e-mail address, [email protected]. Just ask her if her name is "Debbie" and let her know that her son wants to talk to her. Here's the bonus queation so she knows it's me; Tom Baker's Scarf has fourteen colors in it. That also goes for a woman named Elizabeth Martin (ex-girlfriend), or a man called Bob Wilson (Dr. Bob?).

Thanks, the Mulatto

P.S. I've eaten there a lot and there's none better, but Plaza Burgers are the best as well. I love the French Dips (at Amy's).

[Crystal]

I went there a couple of months ago for the first time for an early lunch. Since we got there around 11:30, the restaurant was pretty empty. I ordered that day's special, which was a gyro with a greek salad. It was fantastic! I can't remember how quickly our food came, but then again, we were in no hurry. I really enjoyed my experience there.

[Smith]

the food here is average to decent, except for the gyros, which by my take is actually the best in madison. at least three steps above the soggy, fatty gyros you get at parthenon. very much worth picking up to go. everything else is overpriced and the ambiance borderlines on pitiful.

[BT]

Yeah, Amy's is pretty bad ... as a restaurant, as a bar, as a place to be.

Ugh.

[Kyle]

signed a disgruntled very recently ex employee.

You're kidding.

[Colonel Count]

I was once a regular at Amy's. While I dont doubt the slaves wages; and sewage is certianly not an impossiblity (in the basement, not the kitchen). Amy's does have the best (cheap) food and cheapest drink specials near state street ( even after tom jacked up all the prices). The gyros, and 'King of Clubs' are worth a try.

[B]

I know several employees/ex employees and several quit after the owner started shorting them on their hours on their paychecks. I have heard a lot of other stuff so I would not doubt the owner isn't exactly straight up.

Nonetheless most days you can get $2 rails from 10-12. Food is slow, medium priced.

[J]

They are under new ownership now, so I think you can disregard the comment from B.

[Elizabeth]

We went to the recently remodeled Amy's Cafe. We were so disappointed that they got rid of the homemade potato chips. They had the best chips in the city; they knew not to overcook them to the point of tasting like bagged chips.

His gyro was OK, but he likes the ones at Opa better. My falafel was underseasoned but edible. The fries were good but no substitute for the chips. I doubt we will be back. There are just too many other good restaurants in the area.