Michael's Frozen Custard

In a word: A good place to catch up with custard.

The specs: #0382
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Yelp, Culinary Adventures in Madison, MuchAdoAboutMadison, Foodie; official web site;

Latest Michael's news and reviews

Elizabeth ate the grilled cheese sandwich with cheese curds.
JM ate the cheeseburger with fries and a small sundae.
Kristine ate the plain burger with fries.
Kyle ate the cheeseburger with Swiss.
Kyle and Kristine split a small turtle sundae.
Nichole ate the veggie sandwich and a pumpkin malt.
Todd ate the bacon burger with cheese curds.
Betty, Emma and Monty all had some K9 Custard.
JM gave Michael's Frozen Custard a B+; Nichole gave Michael's Frozen Custard an A- (see our grading rubric).

Thank goodness for Michael's. It's a fun place to get the standard root beer stand fare plus a bit of custard.  You order outside, which in Wisconsin means you have to be committed to your dairy selections to brave the elements all year long.  Fortunately, you can also bring a few four-legged friends too.

Our dog guests really dug the K9 custard and the crabapples on the ground too. Betty in particular would like to emphasize that she appreciates a restaurant that caters to the canine crowd. Overall the human, non-dessert fare at Michael's is only so-so, and the further you get from burgers and curds the sketchier it gets.

Nichole's grilled vegetable and cheese sandwich just wasn't very good - it wasn't heated all the way through. Based on previous trips, we can say the Chicago dog is pretty tasty. Elizabeth opted for one of the only vegetarian items on the menu, the grilled cheese, which was average. It was OK but she'd asked for a soda without ice and it came with ice anyway. 

JM's cheeseburger was acceptable but not fantastic. He was please with the meat but the conidments were just about average. Todd's bacon burger was nothing too special. Kristine found her burger tasty, but it's worth noting that "plain" at Michael's seems to include ketchup and pickles. Kyle found his burger well-charred, but light on the Swiss cheese. The fries were decent but a little dark and shrively, while on the other hand Todd and Elizabeth both found the cheese curds above average.

The desserts are obviously where the action is at Michael's. Their custard quality rivals the best in town. The small turtle sundae's heavy on pecans, light on chocolate and caramel. In this match-up, Culver's iteration beats Michael's. JM was really happy with the dish of peanut butter on Oreo custard. Not only was it a really good combination, but the peanut butter was actual heated PB from a jar, not Reesesque topping or something syrupy. In the pumpkin shake, while the cinnamon-y spices implied pumpkin, there was not much pumpkin flavor. Which isn't a complaint, more an observation of flavor metonymy.

The waning days of warm weather may keep your from your custardy treats eaten under an umbrella and a setting sun, but Michael's is a Madison fixture for a reason and we'll all be back in the spring.

Comments

[Timmy]

yeah i'm glad to see someone out there agrees with me about michael's. probably the best cheese curds, onion rings, and custards i've had anywhere, and some of the most consistently mediocre sandwiches. definitely worth a visit, but why don't they improve the quality of the meat?

[Heather]

If you're craving Michaels yumminess mid-winter you can hit the one on Atwood right before it becomes Monona Drive. It's got a nice dining area and a drive thru (if you're just on your way by and need a custardy treat.)

[Kyle]

Or, Heather, if you're me, you can go there when you were supposed to meet JM and Nichole at the Monroe St. location and sit and wait like an idiot for 15 minutes.

[brandon_w]

I like the burgers at Michael's. No they are not the best in the world, but I think they are a good classic style burger. Not trying to overwhelm you with a pound of beef or a bunch of fancy toppings, just a classic burger. I'd take a Michael's burger over any fast food spot (not that, that says a ton).

I'm a big fan of the pumpkin shakes. I like the hint of pumpkin with a bit more of the "spice" flavors. They are one of my favorite seasonal treats around.

I've only ever eaten at the Atwood location, and my fries have always been nicely done, if not a little short on salt.

[Jasmine]

I just went to Micheal's the other night. My husband got the pumpkin shake, I got a pumpkin sundae with hot fudge. It was perfect. We always go to the one on Monroe street. And our dog is a huge fan of the K-9 custard. We have timed him finishing it in 3-4 minutes.