Star Bar

This place is always a great hangout. The staff is very friendly and on point. The drinks are great too.

If you are looking for a place that serves beer, wine, and cocktails, but does nothing special, then this is your spot.
After driving past the location for many months, I was very excited to give it a try. It took about 10 minutes to be acknowledged by the bartender (only one bartender on a Friday night). The drinks were reasonably priced, the atmosphere was mediocre, but the décor/​couches were a nice surprise.
If you just want a beverage, stop in, but don’t expect much more.

Went for drinks with some girlfriends before having a fish fry at the Avenue. It has a nice lounge area at the front of the bar and a good atmosphere. The prices are reasonable and the overall vibe is good.
If the bartender would have got our order and served us I would have given it 4 stars. Since we had to get up and get our own drinks it gets a 3.

I’ve been here twice and both times I could only handle staying for one drink.
I live a couple blocks away, so when they opened, my roommate and I decided to check it out.
The two ladies behind the bar were so drunk they didn’t see me standing there trying to get a drink. There were maybe 3 other people at the bar, no where near me. They seemed clueless and acted as though they were only there for the free booze.
I was confused. I thought since it was under a nice, new apartment complex, that it would be a little higher class, with craft cocktails and good ambiance.
What I got was a glorified «bro bar».
The second time I went confirmed this. It was loud, with obnoxious pretentious people who I assume live in the expensive apartments above.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a loud, crowded bar, but in this case, I won’t be returning.

Not a ton of character but it’s a brand new place in a brand new building so I think it deserves to be cut a bit of slack. Here’s why we like it:
1. The tap list shines with great brews from Karben4, one barrel brewing, and others.
2. We’ve always gotten quick friendly service.
3. Seating is generally available and they have tables outside.
4. They’ve got a dart board and a lot of board games.
5. It’s very clean.
So it’s got a lot of promise and definitely fills a niche if you’re in the area.

I like the Star Bar!
I’ve been here a lot and I meet cool people here and had nice drinks for a good price here.
I like the rotation of craft beers and I have played Cards Against Humanity with folks on a number of occasions. I’ve always had professional service there and I have a friend who works there, for what it’s worth, but of all the bars they work at, this one is my favorite by far.
The atmosphere is neutral and I like that. No gimmicks are necessary if you can serve good drinks, be polite and warm, and do so affordably. Star Bar does that, and it’s one of my favorite places to go to if I want to go to a bar.

Bartender was nice, had some speciality drinks that were a bit expensive, but to be expected I guess for a new place that seems to be looking for a ‘trendy’ crowd. Laid back atmosphere when we’ve been there (usually weeknights after 8), will be back again.

Most generic and uninviting bar in town even before you encounter the apathetic rude bartender. Must have been counting on a captive resident population? Do not go here. The High Noon, Caribou, Old Sugar all worth a short walk. This place deserves to die.

It’s aaaight.
Stopped in for a beer during happy hour on a Wednesday night around 5:30. All drinks $ 1 off. I looked around and saw about 20 men in the place, and me. I smiled and said to the female bartender, «Wow, I think I’m the only female in here.»
No smile in return, but a factual dry reply, «No. There’s one other female in here».
I stood corrected. Edward Scissorhands was playing on the TV, which switched to Pretty Woman as I sipped my beer. Average noise level.
My beer was good. After other attempts to converse with the bartender also fell flat, I became bored, paid my tab, and left.
It’s a bar. It has drinks. That’s about it. So there you go.

Oh, the bar that tries way too hard. On the first floor of the Constellation Apartments, I am sure the owners thought they would be pulling in the residents that live above but during the times I have been there, this wasn’t the case. The décor is a mismatch of reclaimed lumber, industrial lights, ikea shelves and random pez dispensers. Trying to be hip? Trying to be ironic? Trying to be urban? No clue. The last visit, there were several wines that were not available yet were printed on the menu. The same goes with one beer tap. When asked, the bartender simply replied, «They don’t tell me these things».
I guess if you lived above and there was a monsoon, tornado, or other severe weather event, it would be ok to come here. Otherwise, go to any number of places in Madison that are truly authentic and deliver a great experience.

Our group of 4 went to Star Bar for cocktails while waiting for a table next door as Sujeo. We had one of the most inexplicable experiences at a bar in our adult lives.
The bartender was a total space cadet. We ordered a drink off the menu that she said wasn’t on the menu, but then looked it up in a recipe book and was able to produce it. Another member of our party ordered two different beverages off the menu — both which the bar didn’t have — then finally settled on a glass of wine which took more than 10 minutes to produce given that the bartender was having what looked to be a personal conversation with a man at the bar.
When it came time to settle our tab, that was a whole other fiasco. The bartender couldn’t remember what we had ordered so I had to walk her through each drink — each of which she proceeded to have to look up the price of on the menu. Then the credit card machine ran out of paper, so that was another delay in being able to pay and leave for dinner.
We were there for about 30 minutes and the bar averaged about 3 other customers during our time there. It was not busy and it should not have been this difficult to serve and charge 4 customers. I don’t know if this bartender was new or what, but her demeanor was a mix of cluelessness and carelessness. We would walk across to Old Sugar Distillery before we’d ever come back to the Star Bar.

A decent place for an early evening cocktail. Much less vibe than it’s sister bar the Jade Monkey. This said Ricky will hook you up with a properly made cocktail.

Ive been here twice. My rating is more or less the average of both experiences.
The first was in early spring. I remember we both ordered cocktails (and not beer) and had to place an ID down for the Moscow mule. I guess I get it, but are 2 late 20’s somethings who are 2 of like 6 people in the entire bar on a slow night going to make a break for it with the copper mugs? Likely not. Both bartenders working that first night were seemingly more interested in each other than the bar patrons, and this theme rang true again last night.
The man friend and I walked in, were never greeted, took two seats at the short edge of the bar. Now, mind you, this is at 8 pm on a Saturday night. There were 6 other guys around the bar, a group at one table inside, and a few tables snagged outside. At this point, there was only one bartender. Ive seen paint dry faster than Ive seen her move and Ive also encountered cactus plans who were more friendly than her. There was glasswear all over the bar and all over the tables outside. A guy walked into the bar waiting to order for his party outside. He gave up, went back out, and their entire party of 6 went with. We were finally waited on, I ordered a beer, and sig other a cocktail. I can understand that this bartender was likely filling in, but if you don’t know the cocktail menu somewhat, why are you running the entire bar on your own? The drink the man friend got tasted nothing like it should have. The bartender never checked back in with us, and never came back around to our end of the bar. She was too interested in showing her sleeve tattoo off to some fellows at the far end of the bar.
An additional bartender showed up at 830. Things finally got moving. This bartender came in and started cleaning glasswear and –gasp– moved like she was working. The first bartender left when a third bartender showed up but the third bartender was as useless as the first; she was twirling around her hair, looking at some sort of binder, playing with the jukebox, and playing on her iPhone. Again. Glasswear everywhere and a huge party in a limo had showed up.
I guess I just don’t get it. Learn how to run a bar. What I don’t understand is that how can something this dismal work, especially when I had the exact opposite experience next door.
Its a shame that ive witnessed this service twice. The cocktail list is solid without being boring, and both time the tap lists were creative and varied in the offerings.
I wont be back.

Star Bar is an acceptable place to end up if you:
A. Live in the Constellation
B. Aren’t too high on your horse to be happy with a simple watering hole
When you can get to a bar without leaving your building, it makes it a no-​brainer to hit this place up. I’ll admit, they are earning one of their stars on convenience alone.
Otherwise, their prices are reasonable, they have ample seating, and overall the place is decorated with modern flare.
Pro tip: if you REALLY don’t care where you’re going to post op for a cold one, Cargo Coffee has cheaper prices on beer (and also has outdoor seating). But you didn’t hear it from me.

Star Bar is hyped up for no damn reason. I met my cousin here to have a drink and conversation at 9pm on a Saturday and the music was ridiculously loud. We weren’t able to sit across from each other or we wouldn’t have heard anything the other was saying, so we sat against the wall and literally spoke into each other’s ears. If the bench against the wall would have been full with people we would have been shit out of luck.
The pricey cocktails were either too strong, literally like taking a shot instead of sipping a drink, or too syrupy sweet. The bartender was a bitch. There’s really no kind way of saying it. If I’m nice to you and you treat me like shit we have a problem. She still got a ridiculously large tip from me, also.
Let’s recap… Loud with blaring music although not a dance club, shitty drinks that are overpriced, t.v.‘s although not a sports bar… acoustics that make the place an echo tunnel, and one shitty bartender that ruined any hope of a redeeming quality for the place.
Star Bar, you are all that is ridiculously defunct about Madison. This place isn’t hip, it is pretentious with no reasoning, it’s not suave, it’s not a good look. This place wants to be a cool bar with a big city feel… and all it has achieved is wanting-​to-​be. It fails on all levels.
Check this place out if you want shitty drinks, shitty attitudes, and ringing ears.

The Constellation is evolving into a terrific near East Side gathering spot. Cargo Coffee East supplies the caffeine and the wi-​fi, Tory Miller’s Sujeo will offer an exciting new dining option when it opens in June and Star Bar is great place to grab some craft beers and cocktails with your crew.
Things I like:
* After the unwanted, extended stay of the Polar Vortex this winter, I’ve come to greatly appreciate the free, covered parking for Star Bar patrons on the Constellation Building’s first floor parking garage.
* A great nice selection of tap beers and almost 100 bottled beer options.
* Due to the lingering effects of the aforementioned Polar Vortex, I have not been able to enjoy the outdoor seating area yet, but I do greatly look forward to enjoying adult beverages on their patio this summer. I also will soon appreciate the bike racks in front of the bar now that winter is receding.
* While they have limited food options, the flip side is they are totally cool about food carry-​ins. I’ve hosted a chili potluck and a pizza tasting at Star Bar and the staff was super accommodating to our group.
* The bartenders are super-​friendly, knowledgeable about the beer options and attentive.
* Freakishly clean restrooms for those of you out there that wonder about this sort of thing.
Other thoughts and observations:
* The vibe is a bit sterile early in the establishment’s existence. As Peter Y mentioned in his review, the bar is still attempting to find its identity. It’s an intimate setting and the relatively low noise level allows for casual conversation, so the dual flat screens are a bit of a distraction.
* Happy hour runs from open to 6PM, but the deals are pedestrian

I like it! It’s a 4-​Star Bar for me.
As others have mentioned, it’s needed in the E. Wash area. What would the Constellation dwellers do if they had to leave the building for a drink? ;)
The interior is basic, which makes it feel simultaneously casual and hip. The space belongs mainly to the bar, which is long and has about a dozen taps. They have all of their bottle beers lined up, which is both decorative and helpful for people like me who prefer the «point method» of choosing drinks.
They have a HUGE TV right next to the bar. A good place to watch a game, I should think!

I’m a little biased because I live so close to Star Bar, but I love the location. In downtown Madison, North of Washington and east of the capitol, it’s difficult to find many good bars, and Star Bar is bringing something that I think the area needs.
I came here on the first day it was open (the soft opening), and I was excited to see what all the fuss was about. The beer selection is pretty good. I like that they offer a lot of the local brews on tap. The prices for local beers are very reasonable, but PBR for 4.50, really? I really liked the One Barrel selection (I think they own the bar?) as well as the nice micro-​brews.
I really liked the atmosphere of Star Bar, but it’s a little small. This (grand opening) weekend it was packed, but I don’t know if it will always be like that. I would recommend coming on an off-​weekend night to fully appreciate what the bar has to offer.
The seating is pretty sparse, but I like how the arrangement. A few couches towards the front allow for intimate gatherings. Seating on the side also lets you sit away from the hustle and bustle of the bar.
The happy hour isn’t that great of a deal, but if you can make it with your friends, it’s a great place to destress.
I will probably come here because it’s so close to where I live, and the prices aren’t ridiculous.

I came here on Wednesday for the opening. A few of my friends live in the Constellation, and we’ve been excited to see what this bar would be like.
It’s a little small, but it makes it cozy. The place smelled new and sort of like wood (one wall is all wood) and had a sort of modern vibe. My only complaint was that it was sort of humid. But I think that’s just because there were a lot of people and it was pretty warm. I’m sure that won’t be a problem in the future.
I agree with everyone elses reviews, they have a good selection of beers. I didn’t try a cocktail so I’m not sure how those are. The prices were pretty average for Madison.
I think this will be a good spot on days when you don’t feel like walking far. I don’t think I’d walk from near the Capitol to come here, though. It’s a great place for people living on the near east side (especially those in the Constellation).

I went to Star Bar on Tuesday, during their «soft» opening, and then again Thursday, during their grand opening.
As a bar, the potential is definitely there. It’s got a great list of beers on tap (various stouts, IPAs, etc…), a decent selection of cocktails (they mostly tend towards the sugary and sweet side), friendly, gregarious bartenders and a very modern atmosphere.
It also helps that it’s in my building, so I can literally roll out of bed (after a late-​afternoon nap obviously), step out in my PJs and get some brewskis.
My only issue with this place is that it needs to find its identity. Who is your clientele? Obviously folks at the Constellation, but which crowd? I dig the high end, fancy drinks. But if you were going for a more loungey theme, include more wrap around couches and seating in general.
It was absolutely crowded the two days I went, and most people had to cram into the middle. More chairs would have been awesome.
Also, I dig the dim lighting, but the two TVs really distract from the overall atmosphere. The atmosphere doesn’t really lend itself as a sports bar, so having sports game on (while good in most scenarios) will only detract from the conversation people are looking to have.
Other than those small issues, I can safely say that a new star has been born on the east side of Madison!