Dotty Dumpling's Dowry

dirtylou

Washington

3.85/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

dotty's is a pretty short walk from my apartment and is a pretty solid choice for food and beer selection

the tap list is roughly 20-25 strong...I was happy to see Bell's two hearted on there, also had a three floyds alpha king and a lake louie porter. Theres plenty of other beers worth drinking but nothing but nothing really high in abv if thats your thing. The bottle list was mabye 50 in total ( rough guess) and expanded on the breweries represented in the draft selection

the food is solid...great burgers, my favorite of madison thus far...we had the sampler basket too which had some fried mushrooms, french fries, cheese curds, and macarroni and cheese wedges...pretty good starter basket

atmosphere is pretty good. its definately in the state/university bar district but it sits on the perimeter and gets a noticably different draw...larger mix of non-students here than in a lot of places but still pretty upper-classmen heavy. pretty small, decent service, for some reason seems like a great place to be in the winter...its quite cozy

11-12-2005 01:07:34 | More by dirtylou

beveragecaptain

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

I stopped by Dotty's Dumpling Dowry for lunch, having heard about them on BA. The restaurant was very dark for lunch time. Bar on the left, tables on the right. The beer list has about 23 quality taps, and a couple crappy ones. I went with a Capital Wild Rice. Other good choices include Bells, Three Floyds, and Sprecher. There are some German and English imports. The bottle list has about 40 selections, half crap. My beer was in good condition, but much too cold. It was actually partially frozen. No big deal, just let it sit for a minute. The food is pretty good, but I would recommend staying with the simple stuff. Food prices are pretty good, beer prices average.

07-03-2005 02:04:47 | More by beveragecaptain

BoitSansSoif

France

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Went here for the first time after passing by it at least twice a week. My wife was here last week with friends and liked it, but didn't get to try a burger. She got a burger, and I got an ostrich burger. Both were pretty damn good, but it sure wasn't the best I've had. The rolls are just white sesame rolls you'd pick up at the corner store, although they cook the meat perfectly to order, and it's good. Ordered a New Glarus Fat Squirrel. The service was good, and there was a nice long set of taps behind the bar across from where we were sitting. I had just woken up and met my wife for lunch, so I wasn't in drinking mode yet where I felt like sampling the entire row. The lunch crowd was in, so it was pretty bustling and loud. The menu was expansive, and the prices were reasonable. You have to order fries separately, but one order is probably enough for two people as a side. I'll most surely be hitting this place again later in the afternoon when it's quieter and I'm thirstier.

04-21-2008 13:09:01 | More by BoitSansSoif

cwcolby74

Indiana

4/5  rDev +9.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

This is definitely another one of my favorite Madison haunts. The place is reknowned for its out-of-this-world hamburgers, and it never disappoints. I'd add that the cheese curds are ridiculous. The food really is very very good.

The beer selection is just so-so. A few Wisconsin types, a few national brands, and some imported stuff. I did enjoy having Hacker-Pschorr on tap the last time I was there, but I usually stick with Spotted Cow.

Service is usually just so-so. The waitresses are always cute and fairly attentive but aren't always the most talkative. That may be more as a result of me and my buddy who I drink with acting like drunken cretins. But we're just being friendly, I swear.

I like this place a lot and couldn't recommend it more. I also like the ambiance - it's dark, everything is wooden, and there's plenty of seating. It does tend to get a bit of an older crowd and families, probably because the hamburgers are outrageously good and fairly priced.

03-28-2011 22:25:30 | More by cwcolby74

manitouman84

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +11.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 5 | $

I love this place. The atmosphere is very british pup esque, just off the main drag of busy university, you walk into a cozy pub with comfy low key lighting and nice woodwork throughout, and yes, crazy crap on the walls, but tastefully so. Seems to always be busy, especially before a game, my favorite place to go before a hockey game, the atmosphere is great. The beer selection is fairly big, although by local standards its nothing impressive. You will no doubt still be able to find a good beer, and it will definitely wash down an excellent burger. All specialty burgers, they are not obnoxious half pound burgers; carefully prepared to house standards (slight pink, medium rare), these burgers are succulent and delicious. You can even get an ostrich, lamb, or bison burger if that suits your fancy. Have not had a burger yet that I havent loved. Check this local standard out, some may not agree, but I do believe they stand by their burgers, and they are some of the best in town.

09-03-2011 03:37:29 | More by manitouman84

drseamus

New York

4.18/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Classic nice resturant with tons of crap on the wall. Fortunately, I'm not the type of person that would hold that against a place.

Advertises the best burger in Madison. I'm not sure if it's the best, but they're pretty damn good. Their cheese curds and fries are excellent as well. Their selection is pretty good, I had a pretty hard time deciding on what to go with. The servers are extremely friendly and the food came pretty quickly. All in all a great burger joint and somewhere I'd go often if I lived here.

02-22-2008 23:22:35 | More by drseamus

Skidz

Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev +15.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

EDIT (6/10/05):

Dotty's has jumped up a few notches in my book for having a near unbeatable tap line-up, at least for this area.

Lake Louie, Tyranena, Bell's (2), New Glarus (2), Capital (2), Three Floyds, Gray's, Sprecher....this list goes on down their line of 25 taps. Subtract 2 for High Life and MGD, and then cancel that out for a good selection of German imports and a few other Euro brands.

This is by far the best selection of taps in the downtown Madison area, put that on top of a killer atmosphere and you've got yourself a kick-ass bar.

----

I wasn't around for the Dotty's of ol', but this place has become a favorite. It's a fairly quiet little place, until it picks up on the weekends and before/after games. New building, and they keep it looking as such.

Besides the occasional new bartender, the service is good. Prices are not out of range, nor dirt cheap. Three Floyds Alpha King, Bell's Two Hearted and Tyranena are all on tap, YIPPEE! Only two domestics on tap out of 25 taps. Sure, the rest are major Euro brands or the usual American craft beers, but that's better than nothing.

Dislike their use of chilled glasses, but like the selection overall. Food is wonderful. The burgers are tasty, though the buns are weak IMO.

Try it out if you're hungry, thirsty and in the area.

11-28-2004 04:17:47 | More by Skidz