Stadium Sports Bar & Eatery

Update 4/28/13: Stadium Bar is closed.

In a word: Best for the sixth through ninth quarters.

The specs: #0608  
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Yelp, Taylor Takes a Taste, Madison Fish Fry, collected at del.icio.us; listing at Eat Drink Madison; official web site,

Latest Stadium Sports Bar & Eatery news and reviews

JM ate the brat with a lemonade.
Nichole ate the hot dog with a bloody.
Ross ate the cheseburger with a diet Coke.
Samantha ate the Italian with a bloody.
The bill was $44, or $11/person.
JM and Nichole gave Stadium Sports Bar a C+; Ross and Samantha gave Stadium Sports Bar a C (see our grading rubric).

When it comes to Badger tailgating and bar parties, we really don't know what we're talking about. Stadium is only our second game day experience in a decade in Madison. This time, at least, nobody got shoved. This might have been due in part to the ample security. The large, fenced-in party lot was patroled by several Dane County deputies. The crowd was also older and mellower than we'd expected.

Several video screens were set up for watching the game. Beverages and grilled food were available from kiosks outside, while bar apps and more drinks could be had inside. We decided to bask in some sun and eat standing up.

Samantha and Nichole got bloodies, which were just OK. Efficiency is important with crowds, but the quality's going to suffer a little, and that's what happened here. Behind the bar, cups of mix had been set out; upon getting an order, the server topped each with ice, cold vodka, and impressive salad: a skewer of pre-cubed cheddar, a pickle slice, a pickled mushroom, a huge green olive, and a mini beef stick, with a dash of hot sauce on request. The lemonade had also sat out and was warm except where the ice had had time to cool it. Ross's bottle of soda came right from the cooler.

Lunch was not bad. The burger was probably 1/3 pound with a nice bun and American cheese. The brat was grilled and paired well with the DIY kraut and diced onions. The hot dog was plump, on a soft white roll. The best value was probably the Italian sausage. Instead of a link, it was a substantial, rectangular patty topped with pepper jack cheese and banana peppers.

Another thing we chalked up to game day was the odd way the server kept Ross's change without asking. He's normally a generous tipper, and the change plus some would have made it into the Bud bucket on the counter otherwise.

For what it's worth, on the way back down the street we passed the Kiwanis tailgate at the fire station, and it looked like a better time at a lower price.  Which is to say, we didn't go on an idle Tuesday night with nothin' on but base/basketball game at a distant event.  It's possible there their [oh dear, thanks, courteous corrector -eds.] table service is top notch and the game day experience is the wrong metric. But it gave us a good flavor for what seems to be a run-of-the-mill sports bar with a GREAT location. As for us, we prefer the Luedtke's Wonder Bar.