Grumpy Troll Brew Pub, Mount Horeb

In a word: "Grumpy, you can do magic things!"

The specs: #0210
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Dane101; official web site; old geocities site,

Latest Grumpy Troll news and reviews

JM ate the Grumpy Troll burger with beer fries and a lemonade.
Nichole ate the aloha burger with coleslaw and a red-eyed troll.
We split a fried Snickers.
The bill was $25, or $12.50/person, plus tip ($17 with coupon - thanks, Bucky Book!)
JM gave Grumpy Troll an A-; Nichole gave Grumpy Troll a B+ (see our grading rubric).

Grumpy Troll is a popular spot with bikers on the Military Ridge trail.  We found it just fine, though construction in and around Mount Horeb is no fun.

Nichole's "aloha burger" was the best execution of pineapple on a burger that she's had in a restaurant (Sean and Beth's grill can't be topped).

• Bun: toasted white kaiser, firm and flour-y
• Meat: high-quality, well-seasoned, done to order
• Toppings: cheese detectable, pineapple fresh and thinly sliced
• Overall: 8 out of 10

The side of coleslaw had a light dressing with a twinge of black pepper. The red-eyed troll was just okay. A peek at other beer aficionados' reviews turned up similar opinions of the actual beer here.

JM found his burger to be as good as any he's had in Madison, as well. The cheddar, bacon and BBQ sauce combo was perfect.  Tender but not too greasy.

We should have stopped while we were ahead, though. The Snickers bar didn't hold up well when deep-fried. The outer batter (whatever it was) was hard and tasted slightly burned, while the nougaty insides had collapsed and gone too gooey.  Seemed like a state fair idea gone wrong in practical practice.

Still, while not spectacular the meal was great overall.

Comments

[Joy]

Hey Nichole, I love the MST3K reference. :-)

[EiMAtZ]

Now that I've been one of those bikers on the Military Ridge Trail, I know why Grumpy Troll is so popular. Nothing motivates on that sneaky slow grade like the promise of a stop there, not least because John (?) the bartender fills up water bottles without even being asked.

[Kyle]

So, is the list Angelo's and Grumpy Troll? (A to Z reviews with city names conspicuously in the title)

[EiMAtZ]

Hm, "Grumpy Troll Brew Pub, Mount Horeb" is how it appears on TDP, yet they have "Angelo's-Monona Drive" and we used "Angelo's (Monona)". Guess I should eat my own dog food re: authority control.

[Gingko Girl]

Ordered the Grumpy Troll Burger to be cooked medium-well, which turned out to be a little dry. Next time, try medium. But still, there are better burgers out there. The Grump Chips with Gorgonzola dipping sauce were a delicious surprise. And the coleslaw was very good.