Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Madison by diners

The average person spends over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?

Consumers agree. The National Restaurant Association states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.

People choose restaurants to scope out the latest food trends, including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.

Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.

When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least 2 in 5 diners like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Madison area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Madison were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.

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North and South Seafood & Smokehouse

1 / 30

#30. North and South Seafood & Smokehouse

- Rating: 4.5/5 (425 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6604 Mineral Pt Road Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Seafood, Smokehouse
- Read more on Yelp

ALT Brew

2 / 30

#29. ALT Brew

- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1808 Wright St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Breweries, Gluten-Free, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp

Tapatios

3 / 30

#28. Tapatios

- Rating: 4.5/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2990 Cahill Main Ste 100 Fitchburg, Wisconsin
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Squirrel's Nest

4 / 30

#27. Squirrel's Nest

- Rating: 4.5/5 (47 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2655 State Road 51 McFarland, Wisconsin
- Categories: Sports Bars, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

The Mediterranean Joint

5 / 30

#26. The Mediterranean Joint

- Rating: 4.5/5 (91 reviews)
- Address: 600 Williamson St. Ste K3 Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Mediterranean, Turkish, Halal
- Read more on Yelp

Prost

6 / 30

#25. Prost

- Rating: 4.5/5 (101 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 401 East Washington Ave. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Beer Bar, German
- Read more on Yelp

Hutong

7 / 30

#24. Hutong

- Rating: 4.5/5 (42 reviews)
- Address: 410 East Wilson St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

Monona Bakery & Eatery

8 / 30

#23. Monona Bakery & Eatery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (149 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4544 Monona Drive Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Bakeries, Latin American
- Read more on Yelp

Los Atlantes

9 / 30

#22. Los Atlantes

- Rating: 4.5/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5706 Raymond Road Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Fraboni's Italian Specialties & Delicatessen

10 / 30

#21. Fraboni's Italian Specialties & Delicatessen

- Rating: 4.5/5 (74 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 108 Owen Road Monona, Wisconsin
- Categories: Italian, Delis, Specialty Food
- Read more on Yelp

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Fin Sushi

11 / 30

#20. Fin Sushi

- Rating: 4.5/5 (92 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 610 Junction Road Ste 113 Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

La Taguara Bar & Grill

12 / 30

#19. La Taguara Bar & Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3010 Crossroads Drive Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Venezuelan, Bars, Karaoke
- Read more on Yelp

Good News Ice Cream & Cafe

13 / 30

#18. Good News Ice Cream & Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 117 King St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

AzTec Taqueria

14 / 30

#17. AzTec Taqueria

- Rating: 4.5/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 160 Keenan Court Ste 5 Verona, Wisconsin
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Babcock Hall Dairy Store

15 / 30

#16. Babcock Hall Dairy Store

- Rating: 4.5/5 (111 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1605 Linden Drive Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Cheese Shops, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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PA'PA'S BBQ

16 / 30

#15. PA'PA'S BBQ

- Rating: 4.6/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 900 East Broadway Monona, Wisconsin
- Categories: Food Trucks, Barbecue, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

Camp Cantina

17 / 30

#14. Camp Cantina

- Rating: 4.6/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 1503 Monroe St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Mexican, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Novanta

18 / 30

#13. Novanta

- Rating: 4.6/5 (378 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8452 Old Sauk Road Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Zippy Lube

19 / 30

#12. Zippy Lube

- Rating: 4.6/5 (60 reviews)
- Address: 2013 North Sherman Ave. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Donuts, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp

Luang Prabang

20 / 30

#11. Luang Prabang

- Rating: 4.6/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 728 State St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Thai, Food Stands
- Read more on Yelp

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Silk Road

21 / 30

#10. Silk Road

- Rating: 4.6/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 1920 South Park St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Halal, Salad, Kebab
- Read more on Yelp

Casetta Kitchen and Counter

22 / 30

#9. Casetta Kitchen and Counter

- Rating: 4.6/5 (166 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 222 West Washington Ave. Ste 30 Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Ogden's North Street Diner

23 / 30

#8. Ogden's North Street Diner

- Rating: 4.6/5 (186 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 560 North St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Pikkito

24 / 30

#7. Pikkito

- Rating: 4.6/5 (87 reviews)
- Address: 3301 Parmenter St. Middleton, Wisconsin
- Categories: Peruvian, Latin American, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Madison Chocolate Company

25 / 30

#6. Madison Chocolate Company

- Rating: 4.7/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 729 Glenway St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Chocolatiers & Shops, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Little Tibet Madison

26 / 30

#5. Little Tibet Madison

- Rating: 4.7/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 827 East Johnson St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Himalayan/Nepalese
- Read more on Yelp

The Globe

27 / 30

#4. The Globe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (196 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 309 North Henry St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Soup, Tapas Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Fairchild

28 / 30

#3. Fairchild

- Rating: 4.8/5 (145 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2611 Monroe St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Seafood, Wine Bars, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Common Pasta

29 / 30

#2. Common Pasta

- Rating: 4.9/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 East Main St. Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Italian, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Amar Peru

30 / 30

#1. Amar Peru

- Rating: 4.9/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 610 Junction Road Unit 107 Madison, Wisconsin
- Categories: Peruvian, Cocktail Bars, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 327 metros.

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