Tip Top Tavern

Absolutely amazing food and the best craft brew selection. Great atmosphere and service. The Texas Brisket tacos were over the top. Stopped in on a Monday and enjoyed live music in a cozy beer garden. Well done Al!

I came here for the first time on a Thursday night, and this will definitely be on the list of places I drive all the way out to the North side for. It was awesome. I split the cheese curds with a friend, and ordered their green chili mac and cheese with broccoli. The mac and cheese was melty with a crisp bread crumbs on top. It needed a touch more salt, but still, creamy and cheesy deliciousness. It was called green chile mac and cheese and while I found a couple of slices of what seemed to be green peppers in the mac and cheese, I didn’t taste any spice. The cheese curds were well fried and yummy.
I also ordered their Jarrett cocktail, which with fernet as an ingredient was delicious. Fresh, herbaceous and well balanced. I also had a sip of my friend’s Beecher Sour and the egg whites were the perfect touch. It added a level of creaminess and brought out the sweetness of a drink that otherwise might have been too tart.
The atmosphere was great. Warm wood throughout the space and it seemed like there might be a patio, but we didn’t get a chance to check that out. I also appreciated that their bar had coat hooks.
The only downside is that their cash only, but well, the best bars seem to be.

Went there for brunch because friends recommended it. Place was clean and friendly. Ordered the eggs Benedict. Food looked amazing, however our entire plate (excluding the poached eggs) was cold. If you’re making fresh potatoes in the morning, they should not be cold. We were so excited about brunch… Too bad we won’t be going back.

Went again at the behest of a friend. Again: SLOW, rude service. It took almost 45 minutes to even order. The manager (?) not only stared at us while we were eating, but imitated my friend’s laugh – we both heard him do it and were, «WTF?” – and just hovered at the end of the bar being creepy. The cheeseburger I had was overpriced and not worth what I paid at all. The bartender’s ego was put on display prominently. What a sight. With all that glad-​handing and posturing it’s a wonder any drinks were made at all. There was so much smug in there we could barely breathe. Buncha smarmy d00dz dressed like lumberjacks and some local drunks. Nah. Done.

Favorite place for Sunday brunch! Great coffee and Bloody Mary’s, fantastic food especially the Eggs Benedict! Wait staff is super, attentive and friendly! Highly recommend!

I tried the walnut burger and my friend had the Friday fish fry, both were great. They offered a wide variety of sides. Service was fast and the vibe was lively. A great addition to the East side and a wonderful community establishment. If you’re nearby check it out. Everyone there seemed to be really enjoying themselves and the food. Fun drink menu!
–cash only

What a experience! We met the owner and friends and it was on from there! Great food drink atmosphere man if you want a good time with people who have the same thinking as you this is the place! Will definitely come back!

Cash only good service not a sports bar people with class mix crowd come here words cant explain very exquisite place to stop by good beer collection on tap felt like home with little culture to it from Washington, D.C.

My husband and I came back here for burgers on a Sunday night. Here’s my rundown:
–Service-​5 stars, our server was friendly, attentive and prompt.
–Atmosphere-​4 stars, cozy bar atmosphere
–Food-​3 stars, Good but not great by my Madison burger standards
–Price-​3 stars, A little over the top for what it is (pretty sure the meat is just conventional), everything is a la carte so a burger with fries can put you over $ 12 – 14.
–Payment-​1 star, They only accept cash and check, the ATM charges a $ 2 fee. Honestly this really annoys me because it is the servers who end up paying for it. We left a good tip but I know a lot of people are not going to want to after being charged $ 2 plus whatever their bank charges just to get $$ to pay for dinner. Honestly I think it is a greedy policy and they should change it (or do what Jennifer street market does and refund the ATM fee for those who need to use the ATM). Their servers deserve better.

Just went here for lunch with a friend before the snow storm hits.
I ordered the Tip Top Burger w/​a side of cheese curds-​it was excellent, and served quickly.
Bar tender was friendly, tap selection was small but had some great options.
Definitely will be going back!
Cash only.

Really great drinks, love that they do their own infusions. This bar has a funky, homey vibe, and I will definitely be back — especially to try the breakfast.

We came for brunch; this is what I wanted the new Avenu to be, fresh food at a decent price.
I got the scramble, it was excellent. The toast tasted home made, and I’m quite confidant the cheesy potatoes came into the restaurant as whole potatoes that had to be prepared, as opposed to potatoes pre cut and pre cooked as a heat and eat dump out of the bag thing. I’ll be back for more.

This is, quite frankly, often the happiest place in the World. People are really friggen nice. If you have a shitty attitude, leave it at the door, and order up a stiff drink and some good food. The servers act like family, work well together, and want you to be taken care of. The food wait is sometimes a little too long, but worth it. The specials usually nail it.
I almost gave it one star so it doesn’t become too crowded. Almost.

Had great expectations when stopping in for fish fry on Friday night. Found a seat at the bar and ordered walleye with a baked potato. Started to go through my emails and just a few minutes later my food shows up. Seeing the befuddled look on my face, the bartender explains that for some reason they had a cancelled or screwed up order sitting there that matched my order, so I’m in luck! The meal was adequate, for the most part. Single piece of fish was a bit overdone (not sure how long it was sitting around, or if it was reheated), potato was unremarkable, and I am personally not a fan of the slaw, bit too tart for my taste. Staff was friendly, and I can live with the cash only policy.
All of this was acceptable, until I got the bill. I’m not sure if the fish fry is all you can eat, but I think I paid all you can eat prices. I assume this was because I ordered the walleye without looking at the menu, but I just didn’t expect to pay so much for a single piece of fish and a potato.
Hoping to stop by for brunch and looking forward to what I hope will be a much better experience. And next time I will get the cod, and look at the menu first!

What a great little menu for a reinvented local pub. Wonderful sandwiches and great beer menu. The outdoor are converted from the old parking lot is perfect.
I hope to see a more extensive menu but the size of the kitchen makes a small menu understandable.

Came for an outing here for the first time with friends who live in the neighborhood. The bar inside is nice. It is everything I picture for a local neighborhood spot. There is a great outdoor patio space with lots of room for groups. We had the patio almost to ourselves at 6 pm on a Tuesday in July but it filled up as we were leaving.
My friends has the special (Tacos with Mole sauce). They liked it very much. I had The Rooster egg sandwich. It was so good. I love that a side salad comes with the sandwich, also with a side of chips or upgrade to fries, onion rings, cheese curds, pickles, or soup of the day. My friends ended the meal with the cake of the day. It was a Salted Caramel Cake. I did take a bite and liked it. I was trying to be good so I avoided more than a few bites.
I will want to come here again to try more things off the menu and to try the brunch too. I have heard good things about that brunch.
To note: Parking lot is for three or four cars. But there was ample street parking on the Tuesday evening. Weekend may be busier but worth a walk/​bike in.

Amazing. Such a delish fish fry. The cod is beyond perfect. The atmosphere is unique and cute; an amazing outdoor area. You can’t go wrong coming here for drinks and dinner! Very reasonably priced as well!

Super friendly bartender, nice selection of beers and while not the best Reuben in town, certainly deserves to be in the conversation. Plus, the sweet potato waffle fries with the Tip Top jam was fun.
After my last two very disappointing meals at the bar down the street, I have found my new North St. hangout.

Came in for a fish fry last Friday night. The place was busy, there seemed to be a short wait for tables. Luckily two people had just gotten up from the bar so we were able to snag 2 bar seats without waiting. And boy, were we lucky, because the bartenders here are FANTASTIC. Incredibly knowledgeable and engaging, they make great traditional Brandy Old Fashioneds. They also have some of their own infusions that they do, like a honey chai infused bourbon (also great as the base of an old fashioned).
The food came out relatively quickly. It is a pretty standard fish fry menu. You can have either Cod or Walleye, breaded or fried. I had the fried cod, and it was definitely worth the trip to the near east side. Light, not overpowering batter, and thick pieces of cod. Fries were pretty standard, but the house-​made cole slaw was a nice touch as well.
All in all, classic Wisconsin Fish Fry experience. Really cool little place, great staff, good food, and great drinks. They also told me they are opening a Speakeasy right next door, which is really exciting. They do a lot of their own infusions so I can’t wait to see what drinks they come up with for this new venture.
Not quite sure it was good enough to unseat Quivey’s Grove at the «Tip Top» of my fish fry list, but it came darn close (horrible joke free of charge).

Tip Top Food.
Tip Top Drink.
Tip Top Tavern!
While the cash only thing is sort of a drag, their beer line-​up is not. Easily one of the best pumpkin beers I’ve had, spicy, with notes of nutmeg and cinnamon, not sweet. I’ll head back and grab the name then update this, as it escapes me.
The build your own burger is super solid, a la Five Guys in that it’s one set price and you can add a bajillion toppings. Premium items like avocado are a little extra, but totally worth it when you consider the burger itself loaded with standards comes in at around 8 bucks.
I agree with a few others who say the noise level can be hard to tolerate, but two people sitting at the bar or a table will be a-​ok. Perhaps a larger group might have trouble hearing each other, but the space is quaint and intimate, I’m not sure you’d want to give it a go if your party is larger than 4.