The Knuckle Down Saloon

Five Star Dive Bar :) this place is great. I’ve been in several times with co-​workers but tonight was the best! Tate’s Blues Jam! If you’re free on a Thursday you have to come in and meet this fantastic man. Fun Fact — the bar has a Tate drinking game that you can play while he’s on stage.
Tate and his band were setting up for their set tonight and he stopped what he was doing to come to the bar and introduce himself to us. Not only was Tate telling us about his passion for blues and his mission to keep blues alive, he really just came over to invite us to enjoy some of the wonderful food he’d brought in to share with his audience. Let me tell you — Tate makes a mean batch of grilled chicken (SO GOOD) and his girlfriend made a great pound cake with and amazing rhubarb sauce to go with.
You just don’t find places and people like this everyday :)
The bar staff was great, too! They were running a pretty cool «suicide king» game tonight. My buddy won a $ 10 bar credit FOR LOOSING ha!
It’s dark as hell in there at first but don’t be scared! Get off your high horse and go hang out. I’m sure you’ll have a story to tell the next day ;)

This review is about the food. I work not too far away and am a frequent lunch customer. They have a $ 6 lunch special that is a burger, fries and soda that is a great value, the burger is big and tastes excellent. Fries are better than fast food quality and service is friendly and generally fast. I hesitate to publish this because I don’t want to fight a hundred people to eat lunch there, but this place is a hidden treasure in southeast Madison and deserves to be recognized.

Knuckle Down Trivia: The wifi password is johnlsullivan. There’s a large picture of him on the wall, which the bartender drew my attention to. My friends Google and Wikipedia informed me that he was the last heavyweight bare knuckle boxing champion, way back in the day. Hence, Knuckle Down. So now you know.
I met some friends out to hear the Cash Box Kings perform last night, and they were uh maze ing. But this review isn’t about them. Although there is a large stage that showcases bands really nicely, and a great dance floor which surprisingly could stand to be a bit larger. So many of us danced the whole night, and it was a standing room only crowd. What a great time, with fantastic music!
Limited tap beers, limited bottled beers, but most people should find something acceptable to wet their whistles here. Bartenders are fast and friendly, in a low key way. There’s a cute, tiny little grill right behind the L-​shaped bar, where you can watch all the food being prepared. I haven’t tried the food yet, but I know I’ll be back for more music soon, and I’ll plan to eat next time.
It’s a cozy place with a really nice, friendly vibe. Blues is one of my favorite genres of live music, and I think that’s mostly if not exclusively what they book to perform here. If that’s your thing too, you need to check it out. Tucked away just off the highway. If you blink, you’ll miss the turn, like I did :-)

Madison’s Best Blues Bar! Regional, National and international Blues and Soul acts regularly play at the Knuckle Down Saloon including Spider John Koerner. There’s a great story as to why this Internatioal Bluesman regularly plays the Knuckle Down… Ask Chris behind the bar. If he’s in the mood he might tell you. Also don’t miss local legend Harpo John and the All Night Pounders.

A hidden gem.
Friends invited me to catch a band a few nights ago. I’d heard of the place before, but had no idea where it was located; so glad I decided to venture over.
+ Huge parking lot behind the venue
+ Great stage for bands
+ Massive wrap-​around bar
+ Primarily a blues-​type place
+ Fun mix of people; made for good people watching
+ Feels like a great neighborhood bar, where everyone knows one another
+/​-​Very limited tap selection (perhaps 6?)
+/​-​Taps were $ 4.50
— Guy bartender was a bit slow and aloof
+ Female bartender was prompt and friendly
Yep, it’s a little off the beaten path, but I liked this place. It’s bookmarked.

Best blues for a 100 miles in any direction on Thurs, Fri, Sat.

The KDS is really trying to do something here with the Blues, and they are doing a great job. They bring in blues talent from Chicago every week, and charge about $ 5 at the door. What more could you ask for?
I first learned about the KDS when Dave Watts on WORT’s Blues Cruise interviewed Mike Wheeler, who was scheduled to play later that night. On a whim, we decided to go… and have been hooked ever since.
If you like Chicago blues in a laid-​back environment, check this place out!

I’m really disappointed to see the previous review about the Knuckle Down. I just don’t think it’s warranted. I was there last night, and from the looks of it, everyone was having a great time. On a Thursday, the crowd is a little light early on, so if there’s karaōke that night, you just get to sing a little more often :) I’ve probably been there 30+ times, and have never had a bad experience. And, as a proper update, karaōke is now regularly on Tuesdays, and occasionally on Thursdays, not Wednesday as I’d previously stated.

Went last night for the hell of it. There was karaōke going on… I sang one song, and the «host», a fat, disgusting pig of a man calling himself «Doc» made rude comments to me. As my friend and I were leaving, he tried to convince me to sing another. Huh? Dude, you just acted like a total asshole to me and you didn’t think we would leave? Secondly, why do you feel the need to cover your soundboard with magnets of disembodied breasts and asses? Disgusting, creepy and pathetic.
We also eagerly await seeing your «medical license». Have you considered giving yourself a Lap-​Band to lose that nightmarish gut of yours? Asshole.
Chris, the bartender, was alright, but the dead look in his eyes chilled me to the bone… there were never more than 10 to 15 people in the bar the whole time and it was quite the freak show.
Don’t think I’ll be returning to this dark corner of Madison’s bar scene.

Karaōke has moved to Tuesday. Everything else is true & correct!

This has become my favorite place to hang out. Great atmosphere, great taps, great staff, great happy hour deals. They’ve been attracting some quality live entertainment too. The food is hit or miss, but honestly, who goes to a place like this for the food? It’s a bit out of the way, but definitely worth finding.

A quaint tavern, situated on the outskirts of Madison Wisconsin, the Knuckledown Saloon is a step back into finer times. Complete wide wood paneled walls, lantern-​style lighting, and appealing décor, a seat at the uniquely shaped bar not only gets you fantastic service but also a sense of belonging.