The Curve

Returned to the Curve after more than 13 years on a trip to Madison. I’m so glad this small, neighborhood diner still exists. The breakfast — Denver omelette with cheese — was excellent and the service incredibly friendly. Kathy, who has worked at the Curve for 20+ years, still recognized my friend and me and greeted us with a warm hug. This quaint little diner is often overlooked, which really is a shame. Highly recommended if you like old-​fashioned American diners.

Being a frequent traveler I am always looking for good breakfast restaurants. I love the old diner feel because it reminds me of when I was young and visiting many Chicago diners. The best place to go for breakfast if you demand food that tastes good, friendly atmosphere and reasonable food expense, this is the place to eat.

You know you are in Madison when the person next to you orders a double cheeseburger with bacon at 9:30 am. I’m not that bold. Breakfast has been solid here since my first visit 25 years ago. Got to love the pancakes and French toast. Corned beef hash is fantastic. Don’t miss this place. Great to stop by before a heavy dose of tailgating. On Wisconsin !

One of my favorite diners I have ever been to.
The food is fantastic — try the Denver omelette with cheese. I always got the potatoes well done and they were perfect. I left with a full stomach at a reasonable price.
Yes, it’s cash only, but it’s clearly marked on the door, walls, and menu, so if you can’t read any of these signs before you try to pay I’m not sure what to say…

The best diner in town. No frills, shitty décor that has not been updated since the 80’s.
Fast service, great food, giant portions, very inexpensive. The waitress (there is only one, she’s been there since the beginning) is very friendly. The daily specials are almost always the best choice. The pancakes are huge, the french toast is amazing, they do steak and eggs just right. Perfect diner coffee, hot, bitter and endless.
They have the best Ruben in town, but it is a special only available every two weeks or so.
Don’t order ala carte items. Order whole dishes, the ala carte items are significantly more expensive than whole dishes.
They close at 1. CASH ONLY!

The curve is a inexpensive greasy spoon. The food is good. You should not come here for fancy food.
The fried eggs are perfectly cooked and the breakfast potatoes are crispy on the outside. The tables are crooked, the plastic cups are questionable at best. Exactly how a local diner should be.
As everyone has mentioned, it is cash only.

I’m so glad I got here at Noon. I didn’t realize they closed at 1pm. I just moved to Madison today.
Smaller place than I expected. Someone should post pictures. I don’t want to be that person to take a wide angle pic.
Menu is simple. Will def post pics of that. I got the 2 eggs, sausage, and American fries with toast. I really wanted a biscuit with gravy instead of toast but the server said it would cost me an extra $ 6.50. I decided to not get it even though it’s my favorite thing for breakfast.
Quick meal and very filling. I’m definitely going to be a regular.

Yummy local diner
Local and home spun
Kathy the waitress was wonderful!
Eggs and bacon yummy.
Conversation was terrific

This quaint little breakfast dive is conveniently nestled next to a tattoo parlor and across the street from the hospital. While I was here I did overhear a woman asking when the tattoo shop opened so maybe it really is convenient. And I’m sure the food wasn’t great for my arteries so the hospital could come in handy, but all in all I loved it here.
It’s a cash place, people can whine about it all they want but walking past the place no one should be surprised. My counterpart got the pancakes and each one was bigger than his head. I had the namesake omelette which came with home fries and toast. I’ll be getting the same when I return.
But let’s be honest people we all go to these divey diners because the coffee is great and the people work there are down to earth or so perfectly sassy. And let me tell you, the coffee was hot, tasty, and never ending. And our server Kate was a real sweetheart with just a little attitude to keep us on your toes.

Menu has a good selection of breakfast and lunch items. Coffee is hot and they keep it coming. My eggs were scrambled nicely and they grated cheddar on top as I requested. The ham steak was tasty, the toast buttered and my home fries expertly cooked. Good, divey little diner.

Uhhh… the surprise of a cash-​only restaurant always catches me off guard and the fact that there was no ATM annoyed me even more (drove to a nearby gas station). BUT, it was marked clearly on the menu, so I was able to handle it before I got the bill.
A ‘greasy spoon’ sort of spot — I had an omelet with mushrooms, cheese (of course — it IS Wisconsin) and bacon with a side of hashbrowns. For the record, I could do without the hashbrowns next time around. BUT the amount of cheese in the omelet will have me coming back for another round (though, that may be the only reason).
The place was a little cramped, with stools that seemed unusually low to the ground. I did have the misfortune of needing to use the bathroom, I really didn’t want to touch anything and feared someone coming in (I don’t remember being able to securely lock the door).
I think there are better diner-​esque locations to go to in Madison, but I haven’t completely written this spot off.

Chill, full but laid back, very small town feel which I like because Im from a small town, their food was good I was just sad they didnt have biscuits and gravy! That’s the whole reason I went there cuz people were raving about it but I guess its only a special?

I’ve had one good experience and three bad ones at The Curve. Why they deserve a 2^nd star: The hash browns are home made and the best in town. Why they lose 3 stars: Every surface is covered in grease, and so I’m afraid to have my bag touch the ground. The owner is a serious grouch and yells at the super nice waitress. Today it took 20 minutes to get a cup of coffee. I eventually gave up on getting served breakfast, paid and left. I will not return to The Curve.

I’ve been here twice so far and it was mediocre at best both times.
Service is absolutely terrible. They take forever to take your order, and the woman is incredibly rude. She never gave us menus and when we asked for them she told us to just tell her what we want. The dishes we got were really gross and looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in a while.
The actual food itself is mediocre. For a little more money, you could go somewhere else and get something that is 20 times better. I ordered the eggs and corned beef hash — the egg (because it was only one) was a tiny portion, and the corn beef hash tasted like what I imagine dog food tastes like.
The only thing I like about this place is that it’s relatively cheap and their pancakes are huge. One pancake is definitely enough for a person.
I can’t even say you get what you pay for because even though its cheap, it’s pretty bad.

I have been partaking in this quaint establishment since I was knee high to a deer (is that Wisconsiny enough for ya?)! It is a small joint with big flavor. I am always a fan of the old school diner feel, and they stay true to it through and through. I love me some breakfast potatoes, and they make the best in Madison. If you are looking for a pancake, they will make them the size of your plate, and don’t bother going if you are on a diet because this is downright diner food! We are talking about HUGE portions on your plate and plenty of hometown talkin’ in the air! No apologies about it. PS: Bring cash because they don’t accept credit or debit.

This is the only genuine small-​town diner in town (Monty’s comes close) and one of my favorite places to grab breakfast.
It’s a little dirty and the food’s only good enough. Why 5 stars?
Friendly staff and a total lack of pretentiousness. They don’t ask you for a preference on coffee blend or toast variety — and I like that. The vibe is casual and relaxed. Other patrons aren’t hip but they’re plenty friendly.
Bring cash, tip well. Long live the local diner.

Quote spoken upon grabbing a seat at the bar; «Uhhhh…when I go out to a greasy spoon place for breakfast, I don’t actually want to SEE grease on my spoon!»
This place is filthy. Dirty, dirty, dirty!
Couldn’t even finish half of my breakfast for fear of what kind of dirt and grime,(bugs!) were lurking in the areas of the kitchen that I couldn’t see. I am by no means a germo-​phobe but, I could not get over the filth of the dining area, what I saw behind the counter, and the kitchen sight lines. A little elbow grease combined with soap, water and sanitizer could go a long way! I just can’t understand how this place wins Madison best of polls, routinely. Too bad, I was hoping this could be my neighborhood breakfast place, it will not be!

The Curve is a no-​frills kind of place. I was waiting on my wife who was at St. Mary’s Outpatient Center just across Park Street and figured I needed some fresh air and lunch. I arrived right around 1230. I had the chicken tenders dinner with french fries and homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. The best part was the soup, it was nice and hearty. The chicken strips were actually pretty good. A few of he patrons sitting around me had the breakfast and it looked delicious as well. I’d maybe go back if was in that part of town and needed lunch.
Remember, it’s a no frills kind of place.

had a great breakfast there yesterday (1/​07/​13) – both ordered the biscuit/​gravy special that comes with 2 eggs and hashbrowns. Sunny side eggs were cooked perfectly, hashbrowns were crispy homemade shreds of tasty potatoes, the biscuits/​gravy were kinda different with a brown gravy filled with sausage and biscuits were unique and all was great
Its just a casual diner with a waitress and cook that both are good at what they do – will stop again next time n Madtown

Is this a Dive? Disclaimer: I don’t care for breakfast.
I will admit, I’ve only been once but can’t wait to go back.
The décor is old school and unapologetically simple.
They give you a napkin on the table from the dispenser on the table (like…WAFFLE HOUSE), LOL.
Cooking is akin to my Uncle Sylvester (Seal). what do I mean: Big hunk of fresh baked bread. No one cares about a calorie/​heart disease/​belly fat/​digestive issues. Just order, honey!
I got the breakfast steak and the waitress (a real adult meaning she’s more than 40+) and I worked it out to just order the Lunch steak offering. Those potatoes were as chalked full of flavor & butter that I looked around for my Uncle Seal. It tasted like he was cooking.
Didn’t want my bread plain with cold butter smothering it. So she took it back on a napkin from my table and had ‘em grill it. Umm ummm good!
Normally, I’d be irked about cleanliness or proper manners but it’s an unassuming place and you get down to earth folks — so it was ok with me. had to leave to go get cash from the UW machine @ the BP but no worries with them. get back when you can. Then she tells me, «he makes his own bread.» I could have proposed to him then. Instead, I’ll patronize again and my sorority sister was as impressed. The Unilocalers got it right all over again! Thank y’all =^) Oh~ I didn’t think they were dirty or ill-​kept. But in her defense she did come back with the bread on a small platter instead of returning with it on the same napkin.