Alchemy

i had a situation a while back where I had a build-​up finances and I just got fed up with waking up late and making myself hot cereal for my first meal of the day. I resolved myself to run out and find something worth treating myself to and scarfing down for the day’s meal (think it was a sunny winter Saturday after 11a.) in a quiet place to unwind from the idiots I was living with at the time.
I ended up running to the Co-​op and found nothing I wanted. Then after quite a jog, I wanted to see what Monty’s Blue Plate was about, but they seem to have a perpetual line going out the door (man, are they really that good?). So, by now, my blood sugar is taking a dive. I went into Green Owl and wrinkled my nose. Any other time, yes, but I wanted something thick and hearty.
Seeing this place I had doubts. I didn’t like the name, and I was afraid it would be deep-​fried «bar food». I got the weirdest apprehensive vibe from the waitress, but I just studied the menu for a long time. I felt odd paying that much for the Bella Burger (which was cheaper, I think, back in 2012), but I now find the places back in Corktown are way through the roof on prices catering to well-​off white hipsters slumming it in Detroit.
When I got it, I was surprised. It tasted good and was filling (along with all the little things that came with it). So, that impressed me. Yeah, good food for that price, definitely.
Can’t say too much for the atmosphere. Yeah, it was warm and earthy, which I like, but a bit forced on the «pub effect». The staff there seemed a bit to subdued and wrapped up in their own reserved huddles. Personally, I don’t see how folks try to compare it to Weary Traveler. I remember the music kind of sucking there, but this was after 12p., so, who could expect much?
I often wondered if I’d go back and have a night session of drinks there if I re-​visit there and am with the right crowd. Can’t guarantee if the prices for drinks won’t hurt me.
Oh, by the way, beware of the ATM they got situated right smack center of the place (which does look like a sore cybernetic thumb sticking out in this wood grain ambiance). It is from a company in an area that will gouge you silly for fees if you have a debit card.

Fantastic staff and service. Amazing food and stellar drinks at a fair price. The place looks really cool and stylish! Favorite bar in Madison. Get the beef brisket!!!

The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the food is wonderful, the cocktails well crafted and the beer selection is well chosen. What else do you need?

Yes, it is a hipster hangout, which can be a good or bad thing (depending on who you are). However, the drinks (old fashioned, especially) and food are phenomenal. They buy local and step outside the box on dishes… two things both my husband and I appreciate. Also, the prices are not bad for the size of plates and quality.

Not in Madison often and just took a stab at a new place. Good beer & good food before theater at the Barrymore. Had a cram cake appetizers, Veggie Curry and Perch Tacos. Delish!

The alchemy was an adorable hippie-​ish restaurant with huge success. Met a friend there for supper.
Ordered the vegetarian grilled cheese with chips and a salad and a lemonade.
The sandwich was magical with flavors marching together in perfect step… red onion, avocado, tomato, kale, mushrooms, and smoked Gouda cheese. Salad came dressed in a sweet spicy vinaigrette dressing. Chips were thick and crisp and perfectly salted.
The only bad thing was they don’t take plastic so hot up the ATM beforehand or you’ll be sweeping floors or doing dishes to work off your meal haha.
Will definitely come again.

Really very good food. I liked that the menu offered lots of healthy options not your average bar food. Everything seemed fresh and tastes wonderful. The wait staff was great. We did some waiting since it was a bit small and very busy. The staff did well and we didn’t mind the wait. They do not accept credit cards but do have an ATM.

I was excited to try out Alchemy for all the vegetarian and vegan options. Unfortunately, due to some temporary dairy and soy allergies, (I am nursing my newborn that can’t have those things come through my milk) I was unable to get what I really wanted from the menu. This review is less about the food and more about the service.
Felicia (sp?) was the best waitress I have come across in a really long time. I appreciated her true concern for my allergies. Most people in the restaurant industry won’t take the time to go back and double check things in the kitchen. More often than not, when I ask questions about ingredients, they say– «I think it’s fine» or «I don’t think there’s blah blah in there»…
Ummm, how about don’t think… KNOW. Be knowledgable about your menu, and if you can’t know everything– go ask. Please don’t make me ask you to go and double check. I didn’t need to ask Felicia, and it was so refreshing. The chefs in the back also erred on the side of caution for me. Thank you so much! We’ll be back when I can eat whatever I want!

Alchemy stands out in a sea of generic bars. The food is inventive, locally inspired, and well prepared. I’ve never had a bad meal here. All sandwiches are tasty, including the vegetarian options, and I love that I can pair them with the always high quality/​fresh/​more-​than-​your-​average-​side-​salad «salad of the day.» Over the years I’ve tried a few of the specials (pulled pork nachos and tilapia dinner come to mind) and they have not disappointed! Oh yeah, I should forget to mention the Midwest-​centric craft beer on tap.
Be prepared to wait on a weekend evening and bring cash. It’ll be worth it.

Haven’t had a bad experience at Alchemy. What I like the most is for the price of what your paying to what you get. The quality of there food is so good and everything is delicious. I can’t believe I only pay $ 14 for their hanger steak entrée. They could easily charge more and other restaurants probably do.
Besides their hanger steak they have excellent burgers and sandwiches. Last time we were there my husband and I shared a salad. I forget the name but it had a ton of veggies and garbanzo beans with sweet and tangy dressing. They also have a good selection of beers and cocktails.
They also have nightly specials but come early because they often sell out. Its a smaller space so sometimes there is a wait but definitely worth it. You can sit at the bar and kinda see into the kitchen which is fun to watch too.

Finally at the famous Alchemy, which is recommended by every friend who have been here before.
They have GREAT burgers. The ingredients are all so fresh and wonderfully mixed together in flavor and texture.

We were there initially for an event, than decided to stay for dinner. All the staff that was around that evening were helpful and seemed to have good camaraderie — making for a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
We had the flank steak, rare (yum!), and they allowed us to substitute the seasonal veggies for their awesome green beans.

We were treated by our friends who live in the area. They recommended this place after we decided on getting some burgers.
I ordered the Delux burger with habenero aioli, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. It came with a side, which were fries, orzo salad, potato salad, or a side salad. I went with the couscous. I thought the choice of sides were a welcoming touch, not many places offers sides beyond the standard variation of a potato.
The first remarkable thing about the burger was the crunchy pickles! Yes, I noticed the pickles first because they were unlike any other ordinary pickles I’ve encountered. The cucumber was not quite as ‘fresh’ as the Dotty Dumpling Dowry ones, a little sweeter and crunchier. The burger was very juicy, I believe they said the beef is grass fed. It folded nicely between the toffy-​colored buns and singed with the aioli. The orzo salad was good, lightly dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette with small chunks of onions and red peppers. It was a bit bland, I think I’ll try another one of their many interesting sides next time.
There was a healthy tap beer list of 10 rotating beers, which is surprising for a smaller place like this.
There was a stage near the bay windows for live music on the weekends. I can’t wait to come back and try the fish fry and catch a show!

The perfect spot for late night, quality food. Others have said it — elevated pub fare, great selection of beer/​cocktails, and a cozy neighborhood bar atmosphere.
What blew me out of the water was the grilled cheese (the fries were exceptional as well). The waitress recommended adding bacon so of course I did that. I will tell you, since eating more paleo I rarely eat sandwiches, and mostly tear off as much bread as I can. This was one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve ever had and I would not be afraid to order this as my «cheat meal» every Saturday night. So. Damn. Good.

The house old fashion ed’s ROCK! I always tell all my friends to go here for the Friday fish fry. Awesome drink selection, dark and trendy atmosphere, great location, and live music some nights.

So have wanted to try The Alchemy for a while. Tonite, by chance, we found our way there. We were early, but were welcomed in by, we assume, the Owner/​Manager. Cocktails were excellent. The bartender was busy, but friendly. And the food… OMG…I tried the special, pan fried Walleye with wild rice with Cherries and Almonds plus grilled asparagus. What can I say? Excellent blend of flavors and textures. The Mrs, had the fish fry — cod — with house fries and slaw. Huge portion, well prepared, full of flavor.
The menu here has lots of options that we want to try. We will be back.

By most measures, I should love Alchemy. The food is very nicely done pub fare and the taps are second to none. The space is cozy with hardwood floors and an elevated bar, and they often feature local music.
However, Alchemy doesn’t appear to care about their customers very much. The main reason for this is that they are cash-​only. To add insult to injury, they have installed a high-​surcharge ATM inside the building. This tells me two things: their business practices may be unethical (I was told all their logs are «hand-​written») and they care more about customers’ money than their happiness. They deflect inquiries about cards by claiming that cash-​only «keeps it local». No, what it actually means is that they are deliberately not leaving a tax trail. Unless you like carrying large bundles of cash around, this also makes Alchemy a poor choice for groups, which is too bad — shouldn’t they want our business? This is 2015. If you can’t afford to take cards (ever hear of Square?), or an alternate payment method than cash, you can’t afford to be in business.

I visited Alchemy based on the recommendation of a good friend local to Madison. Based on my friend’s advice most of our table ordered the skirt steak, and needless to say none of us were disappointed. The steak was perfectly cooked and the variety of beer options on tap made the experience exceptional. What put our time over the top was the fabulous waitress who provided not only great service but also lots of recommendations for things to see and do in Madison.

I went to Alchemy after a family wedding. I was impressed. If I still lived in Madison, it would certainly be on of my regular haunts.
A live bluegrass band was playing, so the atmosphere was upbeat. We had a large group and the staff was able to put together tables for us.
The beer list was great. The food was even better. I love it when a neighborhood bar takes the effort to elevate their food. We had a wide assortment of appetizers to share, and everything was much better than your average bar fare.

Thoughtful drinks, and great sandwiches at refreshingly affordable prices. They could probably charge nearly twice as much if they wanted to. House boat and stuffed grilled cheese are personal favorites.
Cash only.

Whenever I come to Alchemy I hope to get something new, because all the food looks so good, but I like the sweet potato fries and corn salad so much I always stick to those. If you like sweet potato in any form, the sweet potato fries here are on point. These are some of the best sweet potato fries in town; they’re crispy, well-​seasoned, and come with a spicy jam that makes my mouth so happy. The corn salad has a tangy, super unique tasting dressing that I love. It’s large enough for a full dinner and has tons of protein for vegetarians or those avoiding meat.
Overall, Alchemy is a great place for a quick dinner, especially with a few people. There are usually at least a few tables free and I never wait more than a few minutes even with a slightly larger group. The food is varied enough for a picky group and everything is pretty good (sandwiches, burgers, salads, larger entrees). The beer menu is pretty sizable and desserts are delicious. They have music a few nights a month too in the evening, which makes it a fun evening hangout.
The only thing I don’t love is the space and layout. Some of the tables are pretty close to one another and, for some reason, the space always feels kind of loud and a little difficult to hear people.

What keeps me coming back? Hmm, perhaps the fresh food? The simple yet delicious specials? Or maybe the friendly staff and quick service?
Yup, yup, yup. I have nothing but amazing things to say about the Alchemy. This is not a place for the finicky eaters. I am impressed by the seasonal fare. The veggie of choice on your special is usually the seasonal vegetable.
The fresh food is apparent and is in an incredible value. For $ 15, I ordered a braised short rib with shiitake Parmesan risotto and mustard glazed Brussels sprouts. I have never so willingly eaten Brussels sprouts in my life.
They serve Honeybee bakery desserts. I had the vanilla raspberry cheesecake. My only complaint? That I did not get two slices. Parking is doable in the area. They do not have an official lot but I have never had a problem getting a spot within a block of the area. You will probably need a little walk after eating all of their delicious food.
On another visit I ordered a burger with greens. Their seasonal dressing was a tangerine vinaigrette. I found myself eating the greens instead of the burger. Alchemy’s motto should be: Getting everyone to eat their veggies.
I will go back. Again and again.

This is such a warm friendly place with character located in a great neighborhood.
You must come see for yourself! I had the burger special of the day which was great,
the fries are amazing! Highly recommend!

I can’t believe I’m just now visiting this place! This place is great. The location is very centrally located to a lot of other eateries in the areas and if you are lucky you can find decent parking.
Upon walking I noticed that the place had a very laid back vibe. There isn’t a hostess waiting to greet you but I was quickly greeted and offered the open table. Next I took a look at their drink menu and found a couple of unique drinks there that I mentally bookmarked for a future visit.
I ordered the steak which came with fries and a half a corn cob. I really enjoyed the steak but was blown away by the corn. It was so flavorful with seasoned butter and other flavors.
All in all, I really like this place. I can’t remember what my husband ordered but I know that he really enjoyed his meal.. There are lots of sandwiches and burgers on the menu that I cannot wait to try on my next visit.

Unilocal, Unilocal,yelp. Sometimes you really need to have a half star option, because this place is really 3.5 stars in my book. Three seems too little, four too much.
I’ve been hearing good things about Alchemy for years, and finally made it out there for a business lunch last week. Service was a little slow and disorganized. We sat for a while before anyone came around with waters, and then almost simultaneously two waitresses showed up to greet us and with glasses of water. Neither asked if we were ready to order, and both disappeared just as quickly. It was a while longer before our server returned to take our order.
This being my first time, I asked the server for a recommendation out of a couple of items and she wholeheartedly recommended the BLFT. There are a lot of things to like about the sandwich. The fried tomato lends a nice warmth to the traditional BLT, but tasted more like oil than tomato. The aoli, which I was concerned would be overpowering, was much more subtle and blended into the overall taste quite well. The fries were something special.
No one came by to refill our waters, and when I asked for more it took long enough for someone to return with a pitcher that we had finished our meals by then. We were brought the wrong bill, but our server noticed (I didn’t), and fixed it for us — it then took a long time for our server to pick up our payment and bring change.
Alchemy seems like a great fit for the neighborhood, and I’d definitely go back, but so far it’s not top of my list.

I usually think the Unilocal consensus on places is correct, but it was totally wrong here. I had the Applerum Burger Deluxe, and they forgot to put red onions on it. The habenero aioli was also oppressive and clouded out the flavors from the rest of the burger. Worst part, though, was that the medium basically felt like well-​done, and there was no juice left. You get medium to avoid blood all over the place but to avoid eating rubber like well-​done. Good test of a good burger joint is if they can pull off a medium while retaining some juices. Didn’t happen here.
Also: no credit cards, even though it’s 2015 and there’s virtually no overhead cost to having equipment.