Highest-rated restaurants in Madison by diners
Highest-rated restaurants in Madison by diners
Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans say they rarely or never try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, according to a 2024 survey of more than 1,500 diners from TouchBistro.
But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—67% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on social media or online restaurant reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google. The TouchBistro survey found that 52% of Gen Zers have opted to try a new restaurant due to positive feedback on social media, and 67% of millennials have gone to a new dining spot solely because of favorable reviews online.
New restaurants in particular tend to garner a lot of online attention. About 50,000 new restaurants open each year in the U.S., and that number continues to rise. An analysis by Yelp published in June 2024 found that new restaurant openings were up 6% from May 2023 to April 2024. But some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established eateries that customers have been visiting for decades.
To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Madison, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2025. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews and a 3.0 rating were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.
#30. Novanta
- Rating: 4.6/5 (74 reviews)
- Address: 2903 University Ave. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Mishqui Peruvian Cuisine
- Rating: 4.6/5 (57 reviews)
- Address: 4604 Monona Drive Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Peruvian
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Los Atlantes
- Rating: 4.6/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5706 Raymond Road Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Silk Road
- Rating: 4.6/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 1920 South Park St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Halal, Salad, Kebab
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Estacion Inka
- Rating: 4.6/5 (195 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 616 University Ave. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Peruvian
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Ogden's North Street Diner
- Rating: 4.6/5 (177 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 560 North St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Zavala's Market & Taqueria
- Rating: 4.6/5 (24 reviews)
- Address: 805 South Gammon Road Ste A Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Lallande
- Rating: 4.6/5 (42 reviews)
- Address: 1859 Monroe St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: French, Modern European, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Zippy Lube
- Rating: 4.7/5 (58 reviews)
- Address: 2013 North Sherman Ave. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Donuts, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp
#21. La Pollera Colombiana
- Rating: 4.7/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 3579 East Washington Ave. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Colombian, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#20. DelecTable
- Rating: 4.7/5 (29 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 3248 University Ave. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: New American, Cooking Classes, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp
#19. La Taguara
- Rating: 4.7/5 (494 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3502 East Washington Ave. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Venezuelan, Caribbean, Colombian
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Saigon Sandwich Madison
- Rating: 4.7/5 (47 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 273 North Charter St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Food Trucks, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Mad Rabbit Cafe
- Rating: 4.7/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 805 Williamson St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Vegan
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Hot Lunch
- Rating: 4.7/5 (49 reviews)
- Address: 708 1/4 East Johnson St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Sandwiches, Soup, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Madison Chocolate Company
- Rating: 4.7/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 729 Glenway St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Chocolatiers & Shops, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Arod's Tex Mex & American Grill
- Rating: 4.7/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 2161 Zeier Road Unit 4 Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Tex-Mex
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Kettle Black Kitchen
- Rating: 4.7/5 (62 reviews)
- Address: 1835 Monroe St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: French, Breakfast & Brunch, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Touch of Ukraine
- Rating: 4.7/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 2438 Winnebago St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Ukrainian, Comfort Food, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Little Tibet Madison
- Rating: 4.7/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 827 East Johnson St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Himalayan/Nepalese
- Read more on Yelp
#10. The Globe
- Rating: 4.7/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 309 North Henry St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Soup, Tapas Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Marie's Soul Food
- Rating: 4.8/5 (73 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1637 Monroe St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Fairchild
- Rating: 4.8/5 (142 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2611 Monroe St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Seafood, Wine Bars, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Roll Play
- Rating: 4.8/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3241 Garver Green Ste 115 Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Cafes, Tabletop Games, Pan Asian
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Les delices de Awa
- Rating: 4.8/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 2045 Atwood Ave. Ste 109 Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: African, Caterers, Specialty Food
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Common Pasta
- Rating: 4.9/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 East Main St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Italian, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#4. El Grito Taqueria
- Rating: 4.9/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 50 State St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Stadium Take Out
- Rating: 4.9/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 1517 Monroe St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Hot Dogs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Nook
- Rating: 4.9/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 2138 Atwood Ave. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Fresh Cool Drinks
- Rating: 4.9/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 704-712 State St. University of Wisconsin Madison Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Thai, Food Stands, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 318 metros.
