Mader's Restaurant

10/28/08

If it weren't for the tradition and history, you wouldn't come here again.

by trewjm at Citysearch

I'm a transplant to Milwaukee, a city I like. Had an early dinner here on a weekday with parents and wife after our wedding at city hall...really. It was good. Went there again recently, and the food was average. The staff was average, the decor is a nice experience, and you should go at least once. But given the high price for this food (the cheapest dinner entre is about 23$ for food that tastes about 12$) I'd say you probably won't become a regular.

• Pros: the history and tradition
• Cons: high price of food

06/05/09

A great German restaurant

by diner21 at Citysearch

I lived in Germany and Switzerland for six years while with IBM and dined at numerous fine restaurants entertaining guests throughout Europe. Mader's cuisine is authentic, marvelous and consistent. I currently live in Mequon, WI and dine at Mader's perhaps 15-20 times per year. I've probably dined there over 100 times. I'd say in 100+ visits I've had 2-3 slightly below average experiences. I know Mader's management. I know they added a head chef and a new sous chef in early 2008 and now the consistency and food are better than ever. When hosting a business dinner consistency is very, very important. It's a downtown restaurant with 50 beers (very German), a great wine list and free parking next door. Free parking is very unusual for a downtown restaurant. Mader's is over 100 years old and as Mader's says "Mader's is Milwaukee's most celebrated restaurant." I also enjoy walking through Mader's "hall of fame", photographs of famous people that Mader's has served: JFK, Robert Kennedy, Gerald Ford, President Ronald Reagan, Frank SInatra, Paul Newman, Hitchcock, Hepburn, John Wayne, the Three Stooges, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Alicia Keys and a lot more. I enjoy showing my business guests these photos. Mary, at the door, remembers my name and I like the waitress Katie best. My favorite dinners are County Esterhazy Schnitzel, wiener schnitzel and roast pork shank. Last Tuesday I had the Esterhazy.

I've taken a lot of effort writing all this about Mader's because I know that those few who complain often expect so, so much simply because Mader's is so famous. Take it from someone who has dined at thousands of restaurants all over the world and at Mader's over 100 times, not once, this is a great restaurant. How could it be anything else, it's 107 years old, older than any other Wisconsin restaurant? I dine out ten times every week and have for 45 years. I feel I know quality and consistency.

• Pros: Atmosphere, superb German food, outstanding bakery
• Cons: Busy

12/08/08

Best German Food and Service

by LuAnnLach at Citysearch

My family ate at Mader's Restaurant on Thanksgiving this year and despite it being one of their busiest days of the year the service and food could not be surpassed. We were delighted with the exceptional staff and their attentiveness and discretion at clearing empty plates, filling empty water glasses and assisting with any concern that came up. They were awesome in watching the patrons and making sure everyone's needs were taken care of. All were smiles and politeness and kept the flow going. The buffet line just flowed with exceptional food. The entrees and desserts were all fresh and tender and juicy. Nothing tasted like it was under the lights too long or overcooked. We couldn't have been happier or fuller that day. Also kudos to the valet who kept a smile on his face and a kind word to everyone. We will return.

• Pros: Service, Parking, Food, Friendliness, Convenient access

12/05/08

Historically disappointing

by JoannL at Citysearch

Tonight wasn't our first visit to Mader's - we had been for lunch previously and been generally pleased. Friday evening dinner was most disappointing. The waitress treated us as if we were an inconvenience. The chichken schnitzel was like the sole of a shoe and the whole experience was at best, boring. The beer offering is phenonmenal, but hardly redemptive. We won't go back.

• Pros: Geat beer selection. Awesome German ambiance
• Cons: Boring food - overcooked entres and less than attentive service.

11/30/08

One word....WOW!

by chico234 at Citysearch

This was my first trip to Maders and it blew me out of the water. We went for the Thanksgiving buffet and the service was nothing but spectacular. The buffet was not picked over, everything was delicious from the waffles to the Sauerbraten to the array of desserts. Our glasses were never empty, and the plates never piled on the table. It was a very enjoyable brunch for my family and I and I would definitely recommend this to any of my family and friends.

• Pros: Wonderful food and ambience, and the service was out of this world.
• Cons: NONE

08/04/08

Pretty disgusted . . .

by govisit at Citysearch

. . . that?s what we were with our food at Mader?s! The sauerbraten was tough and dry as cardboard and the goulash was cold and full of chunks of fat. The atmosphere was dark and dirty, and the prices are inflated. I eat pretty much anything, but this was just plain nasty. The only decent item in the restaurant was the beer. So, we would not recommend this restaurant for the food.

Two very disappointed customers

• Pros: nothing

07/21/08

Good, bad and pretty hot...

by Godzuki24 at Citysearch

The good is that you get pretty much what you expect at Mader's, a decent german meal with some pretty good beer. The bad is that considering they have been around for 106 years, you would think they could make AMAZING german food. It's just decent. The hot is the staff, they are either VERY attractive young ladies or Helga the Waitress from 106 years ago. If you can't enjoy the kitchy nature of the place with a good beer and some nice food, they this place is definitely not for you. Enjoy the history of the spot, enjoy the food and if you can't do that, have another boot of bier.

08/20/07

Extremely Disappointing - Expensive, Slow Service, Poor Quality, Rude Staff, Dirty Dining

by dintoday1 at Citysearch

Extremely Disappointing. Upon entering, everyone in our dinner party commented on the musty smell in the lobby. Kitchen pans were collecting a steady stream of water from the ceiling in the coat-check room. Mader's is over-priced with poor service. It took nearly 1.5 hours after ordering to prepare food for a party of 6. All steaks were ordered Medium - one was raw, another was well-done, and side dishes were forgotten. Water & beverages were never refilled. We had reservations on a Sunday evening and it did not appear to be a very busy night. When we expressed our dissatisfaction the hostess blamed us for not allowing more time. She was very rude and offered no apology. I will never go back. When I mentioned our troubles to some friends the next day, I was told that the local news has recently investigated Mader's for their unsanitary practices. Not something anyone likes to hear, but I do not find this surprising given the staff's obvious disinterest in providing a quality dining experience. Please do yourself a favor and go somewhere else the next time you dine out in Milwaukee. (Also see TMJ4's Dirty Dining Exposed)

• Pros: None
• Cons: Slow Service, Rude Staff, Poor Quality Food, Expensive, Funky Smell

08/20/07

Pay for Rudeness

by kmiles29 at Citysearch

Our family recently visited Mader's German Restaurant for the first time for a special meal before a play. When we were making the reservations for the meal, we had informed the person on the phone that we would need to be at our play at 6:30. They made our reservation for 5:00, saying that this would leave us with plenty of time to have our meal. We arrived at Maders slightly before 5:00 that night and ordered our food shortly after. We had a round of drinks and salads. And then we waited.... and waited for our meal to come out. After waiting until 5:50, we asked our waitress about our food and were told it would be out shortly. At 5:10 we went to pay our drink and salad tab and tell our hostess to cancel our order as we would not have enough time to eat. She was very rude and never once apologized for the time delay or for telling us to come only 1 1/2 hours before our play. She told us in a condescending voice that "this is fine dining" and that we should have at least expected to have 2 hours to eat. She blamed us for not having enough time to eat our meal and refused to cancel our order.

At this time our food had arrived, we had no choice but to sit down and wolf our $32 steaks down in 5 minutes so we could run to our play that was beginning in 10 minutes. Our waitress was very nice and apologized several times but it was the most horrific dining experience that we had ever had. Out of a party of 6, one steak was completely raw, 2 were overcooked, and one didn't even come with the side that was supposed to accompany it. This is unexceptable for any restaurant, much less one that considers themselves to be "fine dining". We are not strangers to the fine dining experience and have never been treated so poorly by a hostess. It makes me sick to think of how much money we wasted in this restaurant.

So if you are looking for "Fine Dining" with poorly done steaks and and a side order of condescending attitude, by all means try out Mader's German Restaurant.

• Pros: Short walk to the theatre district
• Cons: Rude Hostess

06/13/06

Highly overrated

by astroview at Citysearch

I was visiting town from Chicago and was guided here by the hotel staff. The service at the restaurant was horrible. We came in for Sunday brunch, waited for 10 minutes because there was no hostess.

When we were finally seated, it had to be at the bar. In addition, no one explained to us the buffet was a brunch. The waits for the food were horrible, how can you have only one person making all the omelettes and waffles? In addition the food was very overpriced, $20 per person. While I understand the restaurant might struggle to make a profit on a buffet, for the food we obtained it was overpriced.

If you're used to good food for brunch, then avoid this place. If you like typical greasy diner food then you'd be happy here. This place is just relying on tradition and a well known reputation to thrive, not its food or service

• Pros: All you can eat
• Cons: Service, price, taste