Essen Haus   

The food is very good - especially the saurbraten mit rotkraut und spatzel - and the beer, locally craft-brewed, is first class. I've got news for GKWMAC above. In a downtown area such as Madison's, THERE WILL BE rats and roaches - AND their droppings. I've never heard of anyone made sick by the food at Essenhaus. The building is a little dilapidated but that whole area near the Capitol Square is in the process of renewal. I just hope they don't change it too much. Definitely a "must visit" to any tourist of Madison.

A real dissapointment.The food is grey and tasteless. took a while just to get condiments for baked potato, Veal cutlet was hard to chew. On the PLUS side: The Rib-Eye was excellent, saurkraut was good (better than most). Tried it and did not like it. Good luck.

This place is nasty, the building is almost falling apart, the bathrooms smell of urine, and there was dried vomit everywhere, totally disgusting. I wonder what the kitchen is like! A cockroaches paradise, I was afraid to wear my shoes into my house after going here! I would never go to the Essen Haus ever again. TAKE YOUR CHANCES WITH THIS PLACE!

Highly recomended resturant when we moved here, proves my point that the rubes in this overgrown Mayberry don't know food. Food is bland and tasteless. Menu is mostly comfort food. My steak was terrible. Poor childrens menu. Resturant was filthy and falling apart and we would have never ordered if we had seen the restrooms first. Health inspector needs to visit this place.