Brocach

Host seated us at our table and we were then ignored for 20 minutes, so we left. Several servers kept walking by us helping the tables around us, but we never received any acknowledgment. Ironically, the bartender did thank us as we were leaving. Will not be back.

Had the bangers and mash, which were stunningly delicious. The crispy outside of the sausages contrasted beautifully with the smooth potatoes. The apple shallot sauce and the crispy kale brought it all together amazingly. And, oh, I know it’s trendy, but I could have scarfed a bunch more of that kale. A great way to add veggies to a traditionally starch heavy dish.
Our waitress was friendly and helpful, making useful recommendations and there when we needed her. We went on a Saturday morning, so no crowds. I will definitely be back.

Went to this «irish pub» for irish breakfast. Was informed they they «use to have irish breakfast, but no longer do.» This place an Irish pub as much as a processed cheese is a diary product.

We stopped in for lunch mid-​week in mid-​December. I don’t know much about Irish food, but thought it might be fun to try a couple of Irish brews. The décor was interesting. Plush seats on one side of a table and wooden chairs on the other side. Or wooden benches on one side of a table and plush chairs on the other. Everything seemed a little dark and heavy with lots of reds.
Our waitress was attentive and quick. I ordered a couple of beers from the beer list, unfortunately they were out of both of them. Our waitress recommended a substitution. It was fine, but not Irish.
For lunch I tried the poutine. It came with thick cut fries, cheese curds, and Shepherd’s Pie filling. The fries were as-​described — very thick cut. There were a lot of them and definitely tasted of potato. They really could have used more salt, pepper, or the Shepherd’s Pie filling to give them some flavor. The cheese curds were a little jarring. I expected them to be warm and molten but they were cold bites surrounded by lots of potatoes. The Shepherd’s Pie filling was delicious. Chunks of tasty root vegetables and a thick warm sauce. I really wish there had been more of this to truly cover all of those thick-​cut fries.
I’m not going to rush back, but I’d give it another try and definitely order something different, maybe the regular Shepard’s Pie?

Nothing to complain about at Brocach’s 2 for 1 burger night! The special burger, called the Dublin City Burger was great. It had bacon, onion straws, mushrooms, and a guiness and cheddar sauce. So good! The service was also excellent and the food came out promptly, though it probably helped that they were dead tonight. The atmosphere was cozy and their playlist somehow included all my favorite songs, so that was a bonus.

Came here for a friend’s bachelorette party a few weeks ago. Love that they have small areas for groups to have their own space, so we were able to play some bachelorette games without disturbing other guests. We were also able to bring in our own cake.
Moscow mule here was well made and well worth the price.
I ordered the fish and chips and was super happy with my choice. Fish was cooked right and the tartar sauce was fabulous. Just wish I had more to go with the fish! I asked for more, and by the time the waiter remembered I had asked, I was finished eating.
Because of the party, we had a limited menu, so I’d love to come back and be able to choose from the full menu.

Food: delicious, stellar flavors, perfect portions, speedy delivery to table.
Wait staff: inattentive and juvenile
Customers: mixed group of arrogant hipster millennials and genuine good people who are just out to have a good time.
Asked my waiter about a specific drink he didn’t know. Had to ask him to ask the bartender if she was familiar with it. He came back and said I could go ask the bartender myself.. I can, but why wouldn’t I believe you when you said you asked? Ended up asking for what I thought was in the drink, and the waiter snarkily asked whether it was what I was looking for. Then ordered jameson, which my waiter referred to as «jamo» every time he mentioned it.
Service was slow and disordered. We received our food before our drinks. Not sure if they were understaffed or just didn’t care.

I grew up in an Irish neighborhood in Chicago, and I went to a university with a very good Irish pub in walking distance of campus so maybe I am being harsh with this two star rating with high standards. Regardless, I know good Irish food when I have it, and Brocach does not deliver for me.
The beer list is about what I would expect from a Madison pub. Now that I am writing this review, I regret not getting a pint of Guinness. You can tell a lot about the quality of an Irish pub by their Guinness pour. I will return later with an update for everyone.
The décor is spot on and service seems to be attentive.
Something that worried me is that my food arrived in less than 5 minutes after ordering. Food has either been made in large batches or is being prepared with the use of a microwave.
I ordered both an order of cheese curds and an order of Shepherd’s Pie, an Irish cuisine staple. The cheese curds were heavily breaded and came with something that resembled a tarter sauce. I was greatly disappointed by both the curds and the sauce it was served with. The breading was way too heavy to appreciate the cheese inside. Also why are you serving tarter with the cheese curds? This isn’t a fish fry. I recommend putting an Irish spin on the dish. Make a Guinness or a whiskey sauce; do something creative.
The Shepherd’s Pie was disappointing. Many of the vegetables in it were diced too large and the pieces were inconsistent. The cooks in the back need to work on their finesse with a knife. I bit into several pieces of carrot that were at least an inch in diameter and completely raw. The ground beef in the pie tasted like it was prepared to be part of a sloppy Joe, not a Shepherd’s Pie. The taste of ketchup and bbq sauce was overpowering. Usually Shepherd’s Pie will have beer or whiskey incorporated into the sauce. The potatoes on top were prepared well enough. My favorite part of the dish was the crunchy, fried potato slices on top.
I want to like Brocach because I love good Irish food, but I can’t give it more than two stars because the Shepherd’s pie was so far off the mark for me between the seasoning and raw vegetables.

Athe atmosphere is very homey. I felt like pounding steins on the tables like the hobbits in lord of the rings. Staff was great.
I had the braised lamb which I did not enjoy. It comes with a sweet grapes sauce and quinoa bed and kale salad. The sweetness was off putting. The salty savory flavors are far more migh style with meats.
Also got to try lobster bisque, the reuben (overly salty), the burger, pub fries, and curds. Everything was not bad but not great.
The food here is unpretentious though and seems to have soul behind it. I would not hesitate to visit again and would not be surprised if a different dish might push my opinion a little higher.

One of my favorite bars/​restaurants in Madison for sure. The food is not light, which is to be expected of Irish fair, so leave the light attitude at home. Happily large portions with reasonable prices!
The beer cheese over grilled bread was fantastic, so long as they grill it to be crispy. I have encountered soggy grilled bread on one occasion, but still tasty, so I forgive them!
I loved the pairing of corned beef with the horseradish cream sauce which added a really velvety texture and tied the entire plate of meat and veggies together. The bangers and mash are the best I have ever had, granted I’m a wisconsinite not of Irish heritage. My favorite dish at Brocach is the fish and chips. Eight ounces of fresh Atlantic cod in a beer batter with tarter sauce sure makes me happy. The fish was flaky, moist and perfectly fried. Although I can see why not everyone enjoys their chips/​fries, I’m a fan. They are sliced and quartered potatoes that are fried pretty dark, so there is a great crisp to them. You will leave happy, content and full!
Great beer and booze selection! If you’re looking for a nice refreshing cocktail, I personally enjoy French 75’s, and Brocach makes a great one!
I am a total fan of this place and will always come back when I have the chance.

I have been here a few times now. This place is great! It has an Irish theme and is perfectly located downtown by a lot of other great bars and restauarants. The bar here is really good. The man likes the their options of Irish beers and I really like the pineapple infused vodka that they keep atop the bar.
This place can get pretty busy. I don’t think I have been here when it hasn’t been packed. Witht that said however, the service is always great! The bartenders and the servers are very polite.
I was here once on St. Patty’s Day and of course there was a bit of a wait. The wait was not that bad because they had a band playing. When we finally got seated our server was very prompt and pleasant. We ordered and were surpised by how quickly our food came. They seemed to be very prepared for the rush of customers that they would receive on that day. The food was good, no major complaints though I would have liked a bit more heat.
All in all, I would certainly come to this location again. It is a great place to grab a drink or to have dinner.

I seriously love the atmosphere here. My favorite place to watch a hockey game. The staff are great, the drinks are very tasty. A nice selection of Irish whiskey (of course, you’d hope so!).
I feel extremely comfortable here, and fellow customers are always a good time, too.
There are many choices for sitting – bar, bar tables, sit-​down tables, and a comfier part upstairs. Bathrooms have been nice and clean every time I’ve been in.
I’ve never eaten here, but I’d like to try it soon.

I was sad to see the Milwaukee version of this place close down… So when I saw there was still a location open in Madison I got excited and suggested we go here for a work dinner.
However, the interior of the restaurant felt a bit dirty, and the food was average.
That is with exception to the cheese curds. We were impressed with how lightly breaded they were and not heavy at all.
I had salmon for my meal and it tasted a bit too fishy for me. The others were not super impressed with their meal either.
I do remember us being impressed with the beer selection so thats good! I am a sucker for a Smithwicks on tap :)

Fairly generic food in a somewhat «Irish-​themed» restaurant.
This is basically the place you come when you just want a decent drink halfway between where you are and your final destination to warm up or if every other place is full for dinner.

Just an ok experience
It was a frigid Saturday in November, noonish, so we came in and ordered hot toddies. After a bit of a wait they only brought 1. Rather than order another we split it. Ordered bloody marys spiked with Guinness and a beer back. We got both this time but they weren’t anything special. They may deserve a higher rank on a normal day but our visit fell on 2.5 stars unfortunately.

Decent enough spot for afternoon drinks and apps. Grabbed a spot at the bar easily enough on a Saturday afternoon. Decent draft beer selection, as well as craft cocktails. Tried a Bloody while we were there… one of the better made Mary’s I’ve had. Partook in a scotch egg as well… Decent flavor but a tad dry. Presentation was solid, and the pickled onions and greens salad paired very well. Might not be our first stop during a Madison visit, but will most likely be on the itinerary. Not many places like it downtown, and the food menu begs for subsequent visits. PS solid bar service!

When I think of Irish food I think of bangers and mash, corned beef and all sorts of okay-​tasting, stick to your bones fare. Brocach’s delivered that home style goodness but had some great flavor too!
I tried the potato and leek cream soup to start and it was very simple but good. There are no extra vegetables and the soup itself is on the thin side for a potato base, which I thought was just right with some crackers. There’s nothing Irish about their cheese curds, but they are classic Wisconsin delicious. Get them. For dinner I had the Salmon with sriracha maple glaze and for $ 12 this was a steal. Yum. The plate came out more like a salad than I was expecting, but honestly the greens were great. I also got to sneak a few bites of the corned beef my sister ordered and it was very hearty but so good. And as a bonus the corned beef doesn’t have gluten because her stomach gets upset at that, it’s always nice to have options for everyone!
If I lived in Wisconsin I would definitely come here somewhat regularly, it’s got good food, a fun vibe and Guinness-​Cider mixers, what else could you ask for?

I’ve always had an great experience at Brocach, be it stopping in for drinks, grabbing a meal, meeting for a book club, or throwing a private event.
I’ve had four private parties now at Brocach and they’ve all gone off more or less without a hitch. Both rooms upstairs are available for private parties for the amazingly low, low price of zero dollars. They are extremely flexible in terms of catering — you can choose to buy party trays and/​or drinks, or let everyone just order for themselves and pay for their own tabs.
Over the years we’ve had everything from DIY photo booths to karaōke and the staff has always taken everything in stride. The biggest issue was the WiFi failing last year (the photo booth had a wireless printer), but a friend was able to grab a cable from home to directly connect things.
Special shout-​out to current manager Marcos — he was especially attentive in planning my most recent event and helped make for a great night out!

Good Irish pub right across the street from the capital building. I went there with my friend to grab a quick lunch. I was not expecting much just because it look like more of a rundown Irish bar. I was happily surprised by the quality of food and service.
They were even okay with me making some substitutions which I always appreciate.
The salad was small but fresh. My main dish was a steak and poached eggs. I was impressed a the dish was very good. The prices weren’t too bad either.
I went on a Saturday afternoon and there was a good mix of young and old and everything in between. There were lots of families too.
I look forward to returning here in the future.

You know, I came in totally telling myself to order the Guinness braised beef and rate that because at this point the bangers and mash must just be so overrated and it could never live up to my expectations if greatness. So I sat down, got ready to order my braised beef with mash, but when the very nice waiter came and asked what I wanted, my mouth, by some will if its own, said bangers and mash. And man. My mouth is one smart cookie. I’ve been to Ireland twice but THIS. THIS stuff is good.
Now I’m not going to lie to you. It’s 13 $ for three sausages and mash. But yum. And filling enough, for a normal person at least, I’ve been told I eat like a baby dinosaur.
Warning, get too much apple and sauce in one bite and it can get a little overwhelmingly sweet.
Also, it’s a little dark for lunch.