Everyone in Madison knows and loves the classics (Daily Scoop, Ians Pizza?)…here are the best underrated places in Madison.
I love Madison! It’s a great place with so much to do! However, over the summer I was worried there weren’t as many things to do, see or explore compared to bigger cities. So, I started making a list of things I wanted to do in Madison. I would say I’ve made some progress. I also made a deal with myself that I would start going to different areas, trying new food places and doing things that would make me happy! And through this, I have found quite a few cool, random things!
So here is the top of the top, the best of what I have found.
- Mediterranean Joint
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Med Cafe as well as the Gyros place on State street are the Mediterranean food places that people tend to go for as students of UW Madison. But I think that Mediterranean Joint is the way to go. Located a bit below the Capital but a bit above Willy street, their food is some of the best I have ever tasted. It is so yummy, relatively affordable and the vibes are so good. It’s a really chill place to go, there’s music playing, the employees are so nice, there’s really no reason not to go! It’s slowly become my favorite place to eat in Madison, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Willy Street
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I love to go on walks. I find it super fun and peaceful. Walking around State Street and the Capital is always a good time, but after a while it gets repetitive. So, this year I have ended up walking around Willy Street quite a bit, and the vibe is superior. I love that I don’t know the street as well as other streets like State Street or Regent State. It also has a bit of a hippie vibe to it, which is always fun. There’s colorful houses and cute shops to pop into, so it’s always a fun time! If you’re looking for a cute place to roam, Willy Street would be the one for you.
- Batch Bakehouse
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Batch Bakehouse is definitely my favorite place to get baked goods in Madison. It’s located on Willy Street (currently my favorite street in Madison!). It’s cheap (mostly), delicious, has a beautiful interior and some of the best baked goods I have ever tasted. I feel like my standards for baked goods are super high, since I’ve had quite a few really, really good ones, but the ones at Batch win in everything.
- ha long bay
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Even though this is also a place on Willy Street, crazily enough, I actually haven’t tried as many food places in Willy Street as I would have liked. But Ha Long Bay is one that I have tried, and it is one of my favorites. It’s an Asian restaurant that has a few mixes of cuisines (there’s some Thai and Chinese). But it’s so good! The food is relatively affordable and the portions are huge. There is without a doubt so much to choose from and a fan favorite! It was super busy on a Monday night when I went for context. If you’re looking for good Asian food in Madison, this is the spot.
- PIANO BAR
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Recently, I had my sorority’s date party at Piano Bar, and it was amazing. I think the Madison nightlife scene is fun, but I sometimes want something that I can dress up for and just vibe along to. Piano Bar is the perfect place for this. It’s a bar with two guys who just play songs on the piano. What makes it so cool is that the songs that they play are super common and popular songs, so everyone is just singing along to them. It’s different from your classic bar but in the best possible way, making it super fun.
- wEDNESDAY MARKET
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Earlier this year, I accidentally figured out that Madison has a Wednesday Market. It starts in the morning every Wednesday in the warmer months (it’s over now, but will come back again next year!) and goes till the early afternoon. This market is like the farmers market over the weekend, but a few of the stalls are different and overall it has much less people. Most of the popular items are still there as well as fresh and affordable produce. It’s such a fun market to visit since the vibe is totally different, but it’s still a great place to get all your necessities.
- UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN ARBORETUM
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Last year I visited the UW Madison Arboretum for the very first time. Some of my friends and I just drove through it which was super fun. I loved it so much that I decided to go back to walk around the very next day. A few weeks later, I returned again. There’s hiking trails as well as other things, but my goal is to take the bus to the nearest stop (Nakoma at Seminole), and then just walk alongside the main road that goes through the Arboretum. Cars are obviously allowed there and they do drive around, but overall it’s nothing too crazy. Plus, I feel like this area is the prettiest, so it makes it worth it.
Now, these are just some of the underhyped things in Madison (in my own opinion). Obviously, there are so, so many more. But if you are looking to go out and explore more of the Madison area and find some different and fun things to do, this is the perfect starting point.