August 18, 2011
I was here for the Beer Spot pre GTMW party so I’m sure I don’t have an accurate read on the place as I didn’t have food and the bartenders were working as fast as they could but there were just too many people there. The entire tap list was temporarily taken over by Shorts, Central Waters and Nebraska brewing and they brought many solid beers. I’d been right next to this place so many times at Rileys but never knew this was next store. I’ll have to stop back when it’s not so crowded.

September 13, 2010
Maybe it is because Madison lacks a truly great BBQ restaurant that this place scores so highly but the beer selection is nothing to sneeze at. My visit with the Friday before the Great Tate of the Midwest. Because the servers were so swamped I’m willing to cut them a little slack. If the same quality is present all the time then downgrade the score at least 15 points.

The food is nothing special but for the area a good addition. Locationwise being downtown next to Riley’s Wine of the World does not hurt business. Helping matters the most is the tap list. Rather than just compete on food alone Brickhouse sets itself apart with offerings that include limited release Central Waters beers. It is hard to judge what the regular rotation looks like but I get a sense they try to keep a nice mixture of local and national craft beers.

Overall this is worth a stop if you are in the neighborhood. My biggest warning would be parking which is extremely limited.

March 26, 2010
Wow, best new bar in Madison. They’ve had Peruvian morning, unplugged cherry stout, bell’s 900, GI Imp Brown and BCS, Ballistic, Hop Slam and NB Lips of Faith on tap so far and they’ve only been open a month. This place is awesome for downtown madison. Food was really good had the chicken wings and the ribs so far and no complaints. Bartenders seem to know what they are doing and are pretty knowledgeable. Third floor outdoor patio seems like it will be a great beergaten in the summer as it overlooks the capital. Only knock was there was no wi-fi as I tried to review beers during my visit... :( Bring your iPhone!!!