The Rigby Pub And Grill

Poor service, food is average, but they don’t do requests. Been here 3 times because tables were open… now I know why. Asked to keep jalapeños out of a 16 dollar plate of nachos, but not so lucky. Won’t be back.

I totally happened upon this place by coincidence and ended up grabbing a bite to eat while waiting for some folks on a busy Friday night. I have to say I was quite impressed. The Cuban sandwich was a real treat, and I was so happy to see Purple Haze on tap. I have already visited again and brought a few people with me. Another recommendation would be their house breaded chicken wings, bone-​in and boneless were both REALLY good — and if you go during there «hippy hour» I think from 3 – 5 they are only 25 cents a pop! Not sure why this place seems to be pretty quiet while the rest of the establishments on the street are packed. This really is a gem worth checking out!

I’ve been to The Rigby many times for lunch and several times for happy hour. My boss loves their Cuban sandwich and their burger. Also, the French fries are the best. I’ve had many different items off their menu or their daily specials; some are great and some are meh. They have a nice beer selection as well.

The only thing I can complain about is the pretzel bits, don’t get those. Otherwise, this bar is perfect. It is comfortable, it is welcoming and it is fun. Other places in the area are packed but this place it seems there is always a place at the bar, and not because the place is bad, but because it is a place for the local people to come and escape only for a moment. Escape the rush and responsibility of the day and have a drink with good people and not be judged for it. Cheers.

The Rigby gets a star just for ditching the menu names referencing the Beatles. I know I am in the minority but not a fan of the Fab 5 nor noshing on something referencing a yellow submarine. Beyond the names, I feel they also overhauled their menu options and the kitchen is up to the task. I give them credit with making all of their burgers using grass fed beef and the burger I went with (The California) was excellent. The tomato jam featured on the burger was sweet if tried by itself abut paired with the argula, pepperjack, and avocado and the tasty sandwich was a winner.
Beyond the food, they have a friendly staff and a sold beer list. Much props for featuring MKE Brewing Co. and Lakefront as I feel they get overlooked in the Madison market.

I was getting things done at the GEF building, needed a snack and a drink, I can’t believe how many restaurants are with in walking distance. Herd about the Rigby and decided to stop in. A very relaxing small place. They had Led Zep and Jimi Hendrix playing, not some kind of weird stuff! With all of the cheese curds in the Madison area to rate these were some of the best! With a tasty dipping sauce and half price Unilocal check in for apps. As arnold would say I’ll be back.

This place is just fine. They have a decent tap line-​up and some okay food options. It’s kinda of fun because it’s rock’n’roll themed, but they don’t incorporate the Beatles any further than the name and some wall paintings. (Where is the ‘Yellow Submarine Sandwich’? What about the ‘Lovely Rita Wrap’?) I’d go here with a few people to drink and maybe get a snack, but not with a big group and not for a meal.

We’ve been here twice in the past few months, both times sitting outside in the afternoon.
The beer and drinks have been above average. Beer selection great, and drink menu good enough to satisfy any taste.
The food s really good. We got the chicken and waffle fries appetizer twice — the seasoned chicken is awesome and the «waffle fries» are more like hand-​cut slices of potato cooked to perfection… really good.
We also had the Shrimp Po Boy and a buffalo chicken wrap. Both excellent, far better than expected.
Service both times was good also. Can’t wait to continue to explore the menu, with an order of the chicken ansd waffle fries of course! :-)

The Rigby is a pub I have always passed by on my way to either the Argus or the Tipsy Cow, but since both were packed on Friday, we wandered into The Rigby. And what a happy discovery that was… from 4−7pm on Mon-​Fri, they have $ 3 taps and rails, $ 1 hippie sangria (as far as I could tell it was just normal sangria), $ 1 PBR, and $ 0.25 CENT WINGS. After 3 glasses of the hippie sangria, I was ready to eat some wings, but unfortunately we had made other food plans beforehand. I had a good look at their menu before the sangria, and would definitely like to go back and try the jalepeno or mac and cheese poppers. Also, food and drinks are ½ off from 2−4pm Mon-​Fri, so give it a try during that time if you’re not sure!

Walked in with pretty low expectations given the size of the place and amount of people in it (one other), but left extremely satisfied. The food was delicious (had chicken tenders and waffle fries– tenders had awesome seasoning), bartenders were friendly and took my order quickly, and the atmosphere was kinda neat. I’m no Beatles or classic rock fan, but the place has an interesting vibe to it.
Will be back sometime soon!

I came to The Rigby late night on a Friday and was greeted to an empty bar. Honestly, I was kind of pumped — my companion and I wanted to talk and we could actually hear each other /​have free run of the jukebox. In talking to the super friendly and attentive (but not invasive) bartender it sounds like it’s not uncommon for the crowd to wax and wane there over the course of the evening; we’d just missed a large group leaving and were later greeted by a large crew shortly before bar time.
Generally I’d say The Rigby is a pretty average bar with an above-​average bartender. He made me feel welcome and not just like someone he’d be handing a check to in an hour.

I’ve read in previous posts that the service and food were subpar. That is NOT the case. Our service was impeccable, and our waitress extremely attentive. The food is pretty top notch pub/​bar food, and the music is even better. Give this place a shot!

Good prices and good service. The music is crazy loud tho. My ears hurt. With so many other bars around I would check them out before subjecting my ear drums to the punishment. It was very difficult to hold conversations. This place is 2.5 stars and would be 3.5 stars if not for the music.

Good bloody’s but the food quality is very low and pricey for what you get. I ordered grilled shrimp salad and the shrimp were bits and pieces of shrimp and not a lot of them. The Mother Nature sandwich was delivered incorrect and was missing the main ingredient — the portobello mushroom. Disappointing experience.

I love the staff! I have only been here a few times and they remember my order! Wednesday nights, Tyler is in charge and he is great! Good happy hour specials too

They have a good beer selection although as it warms up it is good to see some of those heavier winter beers go. They had a lot of porters and stouts which is fine with me because that is my bread and butter. They were in the process of transitioning into the lighter spring beers as a lot of places are.
I am usually pretty leery of fish fry because often they are over breaded. The Rigby had nice thick pieces of cod that were lightly breaded. The fries were ok but they had surprisingly great coleslaw. I usually set that aside but ate all of it.
The bartender and waitstaff were are really attentive and fun to BS with. Wish I would have been going here longer.
The menu and food is simple mostly bar food but the do it really well from what I saw.

This was the first restaurant/​pub I visited when I moved to Madison last October, and it quickly became a favorite. Most of the food is great — I’d highly recommend the burgers (I like the Here Comes the Sun burger with the fried egg on top), the turkey club wrap and ANY of the soups. The chefs are talented and creative; try one of their daily specials some time. The mac and cheese is a favorite. They also have fabulous fresh-​baked goods (best strawberry scones I’ve ever had.)
OK, I started with the food, but the real draw here is the atmosphere, which is a great blend of two elements; the tasteful Beatles décor and the friendly staff. My particular favorite is the giant retro album mosaic, including both classics (eponymous Led Zeppelin) and rarities (yeah, my mind just drew a blank). Don’t expect All Beatles All The Time; I doubt anyone can survive that narrow niche — but the music is fun and eclectic.
There is a large upstairs which frequently hosts talent; some of my favorites over the last year have been The Dirty Pigeons, Colorphase, Misery Jackals and Under the Willow.
Tuesday night trivia is a must; Kim is a character; a latter-​day Betty Boop with attitude.
Tap beers are limited, but they are switched up frequently, so there’s always something new to try. Someone said the Gummy Bears were no joke — I would have to second that.
I should mention I’m 50. The weekend late-​night crowd makes me feel like a relic, but any other time there is a wide variety of ages in both regulars (like me) and newcomers. But whoever you are, I guarantee you will feel welcome.

Team Trivia here on Tuesday nights, but there are better options in Madison.
There are two floors, and there is a basement that wasn’t open (cave-​themed, a relic of its previous tenant, the Casbah). We opted for second floor seating.
I immediately noticed that the it’s the «Rigby Pub & Grill» but there’s no drink menu! A server just had the beers on tap written on the back of a receipt but that’s it. In some areas of the restaurant, some beverage options were written on a chalkboard, but there was no way to see that from my table. There were about 7 taps.
Appetizer: Cheese curds, tempura style, served with buffalo dip. Curds were good, although I prefer a sauce other than buffalo.
Magical Mushroom Burger: A disappointment. Normal sides include pub chips, coleslaw, and potato salad. I ordered fries for an additional surcharge. The fries were oily. As for the burger, the menu said that it came with «caramelized mushrooms and onions.» To me, this implies that the onions are caramelized. They were sauteed, not caramelized.
Team Trivia was fine. A forewarning; if you are on the 2^nd floor, you have to run down to the 1^st floor to drop off your entry, so if your team is the type to procrastinate, sit on the 1^st floor.
Overall, «eh.» I would not go back.

Thank baby Jezus: Food till 2am.
Is it the best food you’re going to eat this year?
Mmmmmmmmm, no. BUT, remember, it’s 2am, does it matter?

Stopped into the Rigby (in the former Casbah location) earlier today with some friends, and I think it has some potential. It just opened and it’s a rock (mostly Beatles) themed bar.
It’s a big space (3 floors) and they did a nice job decorating. The upstairs has a pub feel with a pool table and restaurant seating up front. They are currently converting the basement into a venue, which could be awesome with a dark, cave-​like feel.
I tried some of the food — the philly cheese steak and the pork sliders — both items were overly bland and tasted like something I just microwaved. Sandwiches come with ripple chips. Unless they start serving french onion dip (yum), that’s not going to fly in Madison. It was 2-​for-​1 sandwiches and apps, which is a great deal.
Service is good, staff was very nice. I think it’s a good addition to the block (if they work on their food).