August 22, 2009
A great place to visit, even though it’s sort of a chain. The ambiance is great - live polka music, German decorations and stuff all over the wall, and an overall great time to be had with the boots and everything else. The service was quick and friendly and our waiter knew enough about the beers. The selection is pretty good for a restaurant - but hey, it’s German! The food was good, not the best German fare I’ve had, but still good. The value was about average, and overall, I’ll definitely be hitting this place again when I visit my friends and family in Madison!

May 13, 2008
Hmmm....fun place with some good german beers...good german food. Fun...lots of attractive girls on the right night. Hmmm...still not my favorite.

March 17, 2008 [ Updated March 15, 2009 ]
The beer is merely OK by Madison standards, and I thought the food was pretty bad. Crowded and noisy and the washrooms are kind of filthy. Anti Jane Fonda propaganda is a turn off, too. There’s too many other places in Madison that are far better.

February 6, 2008
Visited on a very busy Saturday night. Did not eat food. Very loud and very crowded. The music was excellent and the dancing was superb, but the place is really great for the people watching. On the negative side, our service was very slow, even considering how busy it was, because she took, literally, a half hour to get us our beers, but was lickety-split with the bill and the payment collection. Whatever. It’s a great place, and I can’t wait to go back.

January 8, 2008
This was a fun, rather traditional German beer hall.. and when I was there, it was really rockin’! They’ve got a solid selection of German beers, one of which I drank about a boot of. The music and dance floor were fun. Service was a bit rough, but they were very busy, so that’s understandable. It felt like more of a college, let’s get drunk kind of place, which turned me off a bit.

September 14, 2006
Generally good-looking bar girls in traditional German garb, comfortable atmosphere and teriffic food make this a must stop for any beer lover visiting the Madison, WI area. The beer selection is not exactly what one would expect from a German-styled pub, but you can simply walk through a door to the adjacent and co-owned Come Back Inn to peruse their selection and return. The ceiling is adorned with numbered wooden and ceramic mugs which are reserved for dedicated patrons who pay a small fee to have them. If you get too far "into your cups" so to speak, you can always take advantage of the .25 soft pretzels for a good beer sponge. If you’re in town, avoid the Great Dane and JT Whitney "brew pubs" and go to the Essen House for a truly memorable experience.

June 4, 2006
I just popped my head in this past Friday night and it was hopping. Live music, I believe, and girls dancing on the dance floor to German music. From what I could tell from the bar, their German tap selection wasn’t anywhere near as extensive as the list on their website. Perhaps there’s another bar I didn’t see (is there an upstairs or downstairs?) I’d like to go there again for the experience, and if they truly have all the beers their website says they do, then that will be a bonus.

January 23, 2006
Fun German Beer House...very diverse crowd of college students, families, and others. Decent German beer selection...fun place with a big group.

December 18, 2005
Not a follower of German style, but I’d call this a good German beer house. Good to go with a lot of people. Drank German beer out of a boot which wasn’t really my thing, but made the evening memorable none-the-less. Fun place.

June 13, 2005
Went here with a big group of friends on a day after a football game in Madison. The place was a major party. Lots of drunk college kids getting into the Umpa band. I had wienerschnitzel and some good German beer in a 2L boot. Overall a really fun and festive place, but the food is a bit pricey. Expect to drop $15+ just on food.