There’s just something different about a restaurant located inside a strip mall. Like a strip mall restaurant, there’s just no way to get too high-falutin’ when your patio looks out onto the parking lot, or when it’s located next door to the place where you get your taxes done.
Earlier this year, the owners of Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge on the north side and the Muskellounge & Sporting Club on the east side got into a good-natured online beef about which is Madison’s preeminent strip mall bar. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, Lola’s co-owner Matt Gerding and Musky co-owner Chad Vogel make their cases to host Bianca Martin, and talk about how they’ll settle their dispute at a Strip Mall Carnival this weekend to raise money for the Clean Lakes Alliance.
Here are some other strip mall bars in Madison worth raising a glass to. Check out all of them on Overlook Maps!
The king of the jungle for Madison strip mall bars is not a lion, but a tiger. For over 60 years, the kitschy charmer on Midvale Boulevard. has poured traditional cocktails amid tiger-themed decor. I’d say it’s the best damn bar in town, but that might get me kicked out – the old-school white-shirt-and-tie bartenders at Le Tigre don’t allow swearing.
For every tiger at Le Tigre, there seems to be a fish at the Musky. Located in a strip mall on Monona Drive, the Musky has the feel of a Northwoods bar that anglers would stop into after a day of fishing. But the spacious bar has much broader appeal, with a friendly staff, some fun games to play and, above all, well-made classic cocktails.
Patterned after Japanese listening bars, this Sherman Avenue favorite mixes an eclectic DJ rotation and vinyl listening parties with top-notch cocktails and a full menu of pizzas, dumplings, and desserts. The Passion Star Martini is simply unmissable.
Chad Vogel (left) and Matt Gerding (right) briefly buried the hatchet in their strip mall bar feud to talk to City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin (center) and producer Jade Iseri-Ramos (far right). (Hayley Sperling / City Cast Madison)
While the Far West Side location for this restaurant lacks the stunning views of the downtown location, it has a large, gorgeous bar with over 200 wines and a full menu of hand-crafted cocktails both traditional and adventurous.
When we compiled our list of favorite strip mall restaurants, this Italian and Mediterranean spot located near the Alicia Ashman Public Library on High Point Boulevard got a couple of shoutouts. But they’ve also got a strong wine list, although fans of beer or cocktails might be advised to look elsewhere.
Okay, technically this Mexican restaurant is not physically connected to the Cambridge Court Center on Mineral Point Road. But it’s so close, and we’re going to throw it in because of its large selection of fun tropical drinks and extensive tequila menu.
Located in the Northside Town Center across the street from Warner Park, this restaurant is known for its namesake savory pies. But they’ve got a small bar area with 24 tap lines of craft beer going. It’s also the place to order a “Crabby,” a cocktail former Packer Tom Crabtree created for Bierock that features Bulleit Bourbon, an IPA and grapefruit juice.
