Fitzgerald’s

Average at best. Nice décor, but our server was unattentive and lacked personality. We were expecting the salad bar to be included with our entrees, but nope, 2.99 extra! Really? That was for a subpar salad bar at best. And get this, the Saturday night prime rib «special» is the same cost as any other night. To be fair, the meat was tasty, but seemed small for $ 24.00 with no included salad bar. For $ 18.99, the salad bar certainly should have been included with five pieces of shrimp and a baked potato. Can’t justify going back…

My husband and I always hit up fitzgeralds for drive thru prime rib. Tonight we each got a ¹⁄₁₂ cm thick charred piece of meat. I would be embarrassed to serve this!
We gave our beloved drive thru prime rib another shot and you totally redeemed yourselves! Thanks!

We arrived here early on a Friday evening for a fish fry. Since the dining room wasn’t yet open for seating, we sat at the bar and had a couple drinks. Drinks were good and service was prompt because there was really nobody else there at that time. My companion and I both like that Fitzgerald’s is one of the few supper clubs in Madison where you can get a full salad bar, a well-​crafted Old Fashioned, and a loaf of bread comes standard with every meal. The salad bar is pretty decent and one can make a meal out of that alone as it includes two soup options. We enjoyed nice conversation and delicious food in the warm ambiance of this restaurant. Although the prices are not cheap, you do get quite a bit of food for the price and it’s a large enough place that you can relax and not feel rushed

Nice Sunday brunch. Good variety of selections. Pleasant atmosphere and attentive wait staff!

Great brunch!!! The service was great, even on a day as busy as Easter, and food was great. We will definitely go back again!

Here’s a seasonal review:
My fiancée’s uncle treats us to the Thanksgiving buffet each year, and this makes the third year running. I guess I’m thankful for that. Hopefully, we get to do it for several years running, too because it’s always a nice time.
I’ve gotta be honest, the idea of going out to eat for Thanksgiving was really foreign to me the first time I tagged along as my fiancée’s plus one. I thought it might be a really awkward time full of old bitties whose families don’t visit them anymore or something.
Nothing so sad, though.
The food is always pretty decent. A skilled cook could spend the whole day preparing a meal and come away with more flavorful turkey and heartier potatoes, sure. For those of us who can do without the mess in our own kitchen, though – and can spare the cost – this is a suitable substitute, for sure.
Also, in an attempt to make this review have some utility for the other 364 days of the year, their bartenders know their way around a brandy old fashioned…

We’ve been to Fitzgerald’s three times since my son started at UW. We were looking for a place to get a good steak that was more of a homey, comfortable place rather than the upscale/​glitz offered at a number of other steakhouses in the Madison area. We were happy with our choice. If you are looking for upscale/​glitz or culinary innovation, this isn’t the place for you. The look is a little dated, but clean and well cared for. I’m a little old fashioned I guess, when I go to a restaurant it is for the meal and not the «experience.»
Between myself and my family over the three visits we had a number of entrees, including prime rib, filet mignon, broasted chicken, barbeque ribs and fettuccini alfredo. My daughter reported the fettuccini as mediocre, but each of the other entrees was tasty, cooked to specifications and well portioned. We tried most of the side dishes and the only one we would not order again was the rice. We had several appetizers including cheese curds and onion rings; all were very good. Fresh, warm bread was served (and more offered when it was finished) and the soup/​salad bar, while not extensive, was very good. Prices weren’t cheap, but were reasonable for what we got. Service was very good without the pretentiousness we’ve encountered at more upscale places.
Not the place for everyone, I’m sure, but we were very happy with it and I’m sure we will go again the next time we are in town. The Sunday brunch looks very interesting, I’d like to try that.

We moved back to WI about 11 years ago and ate at Fitzgeralds shortly after that. We were not impressed back then and it took us over a decade to return.
Last month our party of 6 ate there for Easter. It was fantastic.
We were seated promptly at the time of our reservation and the entire staff was very pleasant and attentive.
The entire place has been remodeled and it no longer strikes us as a dingy old-​style Supper Club. Everything seemed fresh and very clean.
Despite the fact Fitzgeralds was serving only a Buffet for the Easter service, everything was very, very good. The salad bar is outstanding and provides great variety, and the chicken, ribs, dressing, potatoes, etc. was all fresh, hot, and extremely tasty.
The soft custard was a big hit with our kids, and the huge desert table was a big hit with the rest of us.
We’ll definitely be back. Well done Fitzgeralds!

After posting my first review of Fitzgerald’s, I was contacted by the restaurant and politely asked to give them another try. I really appreciated this — it showed to me that they care about what people are saying and trying to improve.
So we went to Fitzgerald’s again last Sunday for dinner. Upon entering we noticed some changes. Looks like the remodeled some and I liked the changes. Some things were still a bit old, so maybe this is still in progress (but heading in the right direction).
We were greeted right away and sat at a nice table away from the door. Our waitress was excellent, very nice and did a great job. 4 or 5 stars for service which is always good.
Our group ordered steak and ribs for dinner. I got a Filet Mignon — the petite size for $ 24.99. It was good and cooked properly. Came with a cup of Au Jus for some reason which I’m not used to getting with a filet. (and later spilt everywhere). To be honest the steak was a bit small for the price. It did come with salad bar and a side, both of which were quite good. My wife got a Ribeye (I think) and she wasn’t as happy. Better size for the price, but she said it was kind of tough. My mom got the ribs and although a bit lathered in sauce for me, she loved it.
I did enjoy the salad bar, for a day that was probably not so busy — it was well kept and everything seemed very fresh. The waitress also brought out a loaf of hot fresh baked (or at least warmed) bread. Call me old fashioned, but I loved this. Very good bread and a nice touch to a meal.
Overall, everything was decent even if the portions were a bit small for the price. I was wavering between 3 and 4 stars because the server did such an excellent job. I’m happy to revise my review and trust that Fitzgerald’s is a nice neighborhood place that is doing its best to improve each day.

Wish I would have consulted Unilocal before dining here…
I’m new to the area, and drive past this place quite often, and thought I’d give their Sunday brunch a try. Big mistake. The food was awful. With the exception of the salad bar and fresh fruit, everything tasted and looked like it had been previously frozen or canned.
Simply put — I’ve had continental breakfasts at the Holiday Inn that were better.
Our waiter was a nice guy. Very pleasant. Too bad the food wasn’t.

I’ve always wanted to try Fitzgerald’s, I’d been living in Middleton for about 17 months now and have driven past dozens of times. Finally I rounded up my crew (6 people) and we went out for an old fashioned Friday night fish fry. Before we enjoyed the dining experience we spent about an hour at the bar enjoying martini’s and Spotted Cows.
I made reservations for 6:30 and went back to the host desk around 6:25 just to advise them we are at the bar and that I would bring the group back at 6:30. A younger girl accompanied and older woman and both of them ran the hostess station. The younger girl said «okay» and the older woman said, «no!» I thought who treats a customer like that? She said you can take this buzzer and wait up front. I the advised her that I made reservations for 630 and my group was ready. Finally at 640 when we had waited at the bar our buzzer goes off and we head back, one small problem, she advised me that they are two servers short. She says you may wait at your table. (I will say the bartender overheard me complain to my guests about the rude older host and he said she can be mean sometimes, wow).
So we head back and sit down and waited about 10 minutes before anyone finally acknowledged us. Our waitress stopped by and took drink orders and took our dinner orders. She brought the drinks out shortly after and about 15 – 20 minutes we had our fish.
The fish was good, you can get 2 piece baked or fried haddock for $ 12.00 or 3 piece baked or fried for $ 14.00. Two of my guests had the baked and they said it was delicious. The remaining four of us had fried and it was «pretty good.» It was flaky and had a good batter, the pieces were pretty good sized and the tartar sauce was, meh…
I was hoping for a stellar experience here, I really was. The place is schnazzy inside, I wished the service matched the décor.

A solid three star experience. We did the Sunday Brunch. I liked the salad bar and some of the selections but many of what I put on my plate was dull and spice less. For the price I think the value was good and the service was better than average for a buffet. We’ll go back someday but we won’t be in a hurry to do so.

This is a great place to eat prime rib! The prime rib was very flavorful and melted in our mouths. It comes with a wonderful soup and salad bar, a large selection of various potatoes (to choose one from) and a warm loaf of bread. Heather waited on our table and did a great job. We opted to order off the menu, but for about the same price we had the option for a prime rib buffet which included shrimp, chicken and a whole lot more. This is a definite yes for prime rib! We will definitely be back!

We were looking for a Sunday brunch buffet a while ago and found this place on google. Very excited to try a new place in Middleton.
When we got there, the place was half empty but it was almost full with my second plate.
The price was ok compared to that of Great Dane for Sunday brunch buffet.
They definitely need some seafood or better meat choices. The salad bar was good enough and I liked the omelet too.
I give 3 star for this restaurant since I kinda enjoyed eating there.

Boy, this place is bad.
For one thing, service is very weak. The hostesses and servers are negligent and, while not rude, certainly not well trained. They try to remember things, but it seems they can’t.
Second, the food is very, very bland, fatty, and contains egregious amounts of cornstarch as a thickening agent.
The salad bar is somewhat unclean-​looking.
The prices are sky-​high. We paid $ 80 (including tip) for two people, and it’s not like we went overboard.
You can get a LOT more for the same or less money (and spare your arteries) almost anywhere in town. Look elsewhere for vittles.

Quick review: classic supper club with a decent bar area and a large seating area. Skip the buffet fish — definitely subpar. Perhaps «menu» options are better?
Detailed review: Went here for Friday night fish fry, as we’d heard their cod and haddock were some of the best around.
Wandered in to the bar area, which is actually quite nice and very large. Found two seats at the bar, ordered a Rocky’s Revenge (on tap) and a Whiskey Old Fashioned Sour. The bartender seemed confused by the old fashioned request — she didn’t know if she should muddle it with oranges or cherries or both… we coached her and she got it done, but I’m sad to report the Old Fashioned was average at best.
The bar features bowls of free snacks — Gardetto’s and freshly popped corn. Drink prices were reasonable, and the other folks sitting around us were friendly and personable.
Our table became ready at around 6pm, and after browsing the menu options we decided to go with the buffet. In hindsight, this was probably a mistake.
The buffet features broasted chicken, two types of baked haddock (seasoned/​buttered and plain), deep fried cod, several casseroles, some veggies, and several potato options (baked, broasted, or steak fries). There’s also a salad bar, although it costs $ 2.99 extra.
The baked plain haddock was firm and largely flavorless. It didn’t have a light, flaky texture, or a good mouth feel. It was really quite lifeless and unexciting.
The fried cod reminded me of a frozen Vande Kemps fish fillet. Really crispy, but lacking in flavor. Truly a disappointment.
The broasted potatoes were good, as were the casseroles. My baked potato was still quite firm in places — I wonder if it wasn’t fully cooked? Finally, the veggies seemed like frozen veggies that had been steamed to serve.
Fitzgerald’s buffet fish fry = FAIL
Service = 2 stars (rarely saw our waitress)
Food = 1.5 stars (really uninspiring and tasteless)
Value = 2 stars ($ 13 + $ 2.99 for salad bar)
MISC = 3 stars (nice bar area; I’d go back here for drinks with the family)
Summary — there are many better options available, and who knows — the menu fish may be better than the buffet, but I don’t feel like trying it again to see.

The best time to go to Fitzgeralds is on Sunday for their Brunch. It is great. They have a large selection of food for everyone. I would definitely recommend this place for Sunday brunch. We’ve been going their for years, and it never disappoints.

I went to have their buffet with my family on a Saturday. The selection looked appetizing, but tasted HORRIBLE. A salt lick was disguised as dinner (fortunately, I probably will not need embalming fluid once I pass — considering the incidental preservation). Since i picked it out, I was trying to trick my wife into thinking I liked it, but I could not make it through a 2^nd plate.
The waitress was poor. Her shrill manner and punch-​drunk words almost equaled the disgusting taste of the food.
Sadly, EVEN Old Country Buffet’s service and food far exceed that of this sh*thole at a ¹⁄₃ of the cost.