Murphy’s Bar and Restaurant

This is one of the most consistent bars I’ve been to in terms of food and service. The menu has a lot to offer. Nothing overly creative, but I’d still say it’s on the upper end of bar food. The Friday night fish fry is good and has quite a few options (perch, cod, blue gill, and walleye). I’d recommend this bar for a casual night out or a good place to grab a beer and sports game. We go back often.

It is too bad that I didn’t get a picture of the dining room (or restaurant part), as I could show you, the reader, how nice it is. Comfortable booths line the walls and assorted tables, with the room in muted colors, not a beer sign in sight. Very nice, clean space. The waitress who waited on us couldn’t have been nicer or more attentive. We had the Supreme pizza (nice thin crust, freshly made, just the way we wanted it) and one of the burgers with the waffle side fries instead of the default chips that come with all the sandwiches. Nice selection of beers on tap and picnic tables outside by the sand volleyball court. I’m a little disappointed that the view of the lake isn’t better, but maybe when the sun is out. Be aware however, that you are in suburban country, so expect that a large group of noisy kids with their handlers may make it tough for you to enjoy a nice beer after your meal. We will definitely be back during the week when the «kiddos» are in school.

Above average food and always clean with mostly friendly staff. The only reason we stopped going is the shorter male bartender (Bret or Brad??) who always acts like it’s a bother to wait on you. I think 5 chances is enough.

We’ve been back twice and both times food was delicious especially the shrimp! Service is friendly and prompt. Friday nights are busy and you may have to wait a short while to be seated.

Nice bartenders, good strong drinks, reasonable prices. Get the Pizza. Awesome sports bar with 8 tvs.

It absolutely kills me when businesses are criticized for being unable to be all things to all customers.
Yes.The menu is mostly your standard bar fare of burgers and fried food. Thats the point! They’re a local bar and grille. They have great pizza and do a nice job. preparing all the usual suspects. (Clubhouse/​BLT/​wraps/​melts etc.) Suggestion: Order extra crispy fries and a mushroom Swiss burger and give the inner critic a rest. The owner is a great guy, the atmosphere is always friendly, and I always have fun when I’m there. Translation: I’m sold. 5 stars.

Great service, varied choices for Friday night fish and shrimp options, deep fried shrimp too heavily battered. Great coleslaw and baked potato, soft fresh rolls, tasty lake perch. Nice atmosphere. family friendly.

Stumble into Murphies any given day or night and you’ll be overwhelmed by how fun this little joint on a swamp can be. Locals everywhere tell stories about their experiences on the lake or catfishing in the bay. Murphies has cheap drinks and satisfying bar food to soak up the booze. The ambiance is a little too bright for me, I like it dark so I look better, but who cares? Pull tabs Yay! Flat screen TV’s Yay! Juke box yay! Super clean modern bathrooms YAY! Volleyball hip hip hooray! This is a nice bar to visit for any occasion… Watch games on TV, volleyball, drinks with friends, drinks with friends, drinks with friends. Did I mention drinks with friends? Oh yeah. Murphies you have my heart

This is a fun neighborhood bar. The view of the Cherokee Marsh on a sunny day is worth coming for. The food is very good. I like their chicken roll up and the chili. The menu is interesting and so is the place. At night it’s a mix of young and old people having fun. It is a welcome addition on the north side, especially since there is no smoking here anymore. Check it out if in the area.

«I really like this place! That was her quote after just a few minutes inside this spot. We are northside Madison residents and watched the transformation to Murphy’s but just couldn’t get out this way. We finally did at the end of November. Great neighborhood bar without a neighborhood. Might have helped that we were between a Badger football and basketball game, so plenty of fun in the bar. Great dining are if with kids, but the bar was happening so we found a table. Nice selection of taps. i went with the Yedi burger. Outstanding. Another fine burger with an egg. Really enjoying these around Madison. She had the reuben with sweet potato fries. great, but too much food. :). Already planning a return.

Friday night fish fry, baked walleye. So overcooked I couldn’t cut it. Hash brow potatoes, swimming in oil, Cole slaw, delicious! Dinner roll, ho hum!

Nice bar food. The sweet potato fries are really good! I had a cheesesteak sandwich, and the beef was tender and lean. So good! Much love to bartenders as well. We ate at the bar, and they took great care of us.

I am glad my family and I stopped at Murphy’s for lunch. The owners were a pleasure to talk to, and the food was wonderful. The wait staff forgot to ask how I wanted my burger cooked, so the Kitchen Manager came out and asked. I was being a smart A@& and told her I would like it cooked good. She said okay and The Exploding Pig was just that – very good. Next time I eat at Murphy’s, I am going to try the Yedi burger. Nice clean fun bar with delicious food.

We have been to Murphy’s a number of times. Service is excellent, prices are reasonable, food is great. Their burgers are huge and delicious; the buns are especially good. The sweet potato fries are to die for. I’ve had the pan-​fried walleye several times and it never disappoints. We do prefer to eat in the bar, as the dining room, while quieter than the bar, is overly bright and does not have much atmosphere. However, the great food and outstanding service are well worth a visit to Murphy’s.

We’ve eaten here twice. The first time my partner and I went in for fish on a Friday and it was PACKED! We decided to order our food to go and have a drink while we waited. One of the owners was there and ended up chatting with us. He was very appreciative of our business and we had a nice conversation. While we were talking a table in the bar opened. He offered to seat us at it and then changed our «to go» order so we could eat there. It came out right away. The hashbrowns were delicious! The second time we were feeding 6 people so we ordered fish fry (again) for takeout. We called ahead and everything was ready right on time. Great service and the food was great again. I am looking forward to trying other items from the menu next time we go there.

We were in town for a family event and my children do not live far away from this spot.
We had driven up north, returning hungry.
I ordered a Veggie burger which indicated it was black bean burger and I added avocado. The sandwich was amazing: most veggie burgers are aligned with cardboard texture or without any kind of flavor either. This black bean burger was hot, had some great spices going on and the bun was more of a delicate cross between a croissant and a bun, so very light and tasty. Avocado was perfect, and chips came along side it.
My sis had the BLT which was ok. We brought home a chili which I will enjoy at lunch today and let you know very soon!
The staff were welcoming and friendly. We got to see a bit of the Series on TV, being the Boston girls we are. The crowd was a nice mix of age ranges and the open design of the place made it nice, not dark and dreary.
p. s. we are from a Murphy clan back east so we stopped by because of the name but will return because of the food and the service. Thankfully we are anticipating a new baby in the family this December/​January so plenty of chances to come on by.
p. p. s. I had the second half of the veggie burger heated up this morning for breakfast… yes I know… and it was just as great this morning…
Go Murphy’s!

Needed a place for the Badger Game aired on the BTN. Murphy’s fit the bill. Only open a month or so it’s got potential. They cleaned up the place pretty nice. Plenty of TVs 7 in the bar area. We had burgers which I thought were pretty good. Plate presentation was the best but who cares. Pretty good tap selection and the staff was friendly.

They just opened on ⁷⁄₁₅ and we stopped in on Friday the 19^th for lunch. It looks really nice inside. I got the fish sandwich which was the Friday special. It was good, but it came out with no Cole slaw which the sign said it came with. It was also missing tartar. My wife got a burger that she ordered medium well that was bloody when she got it, but she said it was still good.

Meh… this place used to be JJ’s Top of the Swamp and has since been recently remodeled. My sister and I thought we would check it out for lunch.
Atmosphere… typical bar… nothing really noteworthy. Seems like maybe they are still in midst of the remodel… sister noticed the floor near the ladies restroom seemed a bit suspect and in need of some repair. The food prices seemed reasonable, However once again… nothing really too noticeable about the menu; typical deep fry bar fare. My sister got the blackened chicken melt… which she said was pretty good. I ordered the Yeti burger… yes that is correct… Yeti. It could be pretty good. The waitress asked how I would like it prepared. I am at a loss as to why she asked when the burger came out over well done and dry. It also comes with a fried egg… well… a solid fried egg. Our waitress was nice and seemed amiable. Maybe they are still working stuff out with the menu or the cook was having an off day…
Honestly, I probably won’t go back as there really wasn’t anything to make this place a destination. I hope your experience is a bit better than ours.