Tornado Steak House

Came back here with my fiancé! The rib eye steak is still my favorite and the scallops! So yummy! I wish they would make one in Southern California!

Great place! I’m from out of town so I may not be the best source on prices, but I felt like they were very reasonable as well given the quality of the food.
I got the fillet au poivre with steak fries as well as the oysters rockefeller for an appetizer. The oysters were well flavored, and surpassed my expecations, especially given the fact that I was eating oysters in Madison, WI. The steak was fantastic. I ordered rare and I have learned never to take it for granted when you order a rare steak and it actually comes out as such. In my many years of steak eating, I have learned that I should only ever order steak at a restaurant that specializes in steak for this very reason. Tornado did not let me down.
I didn’t order any drinks, but a number of my friends got various highballs, and from what I could see and gather, the drinks here are also high quality & well prepared.
Great food, drink, & atmosphere. Definitely in the recommendation category!

This is Madison. This is where you take your parents who love steak, frog legs, and escargot. The vibe is a throwback with an eclectic client-​base.
To be honest, it was the best steak I’d ever had. I’ve lived downtown Chicago with some of the «best» steakhouses, but Tornado Room’s filet melts in your mouth. The cocktails, frog legs, and escargot were great, as was the service.
Best steakhouse in Madison. No question.

Talk about a midnight snack!
I came to Tornado with a couple friends a few days ago on a seasonably cold night. Walking in, I was greeted by a classy setup and the smell of steak. We sat down in a small booth across the bar and proceeded to order from the late night menu. I ordered a steak sandwich.
For a college student, this is a heaven send! The stake was beautiful and at a more than reasonable price for the quality I was getting ($ 9.99 for good steak? That’s something that can’t be beat). It was worth the chilly walk.
So set your alarm to go off at midnight, take a stroll around the capital, and enjoy a great steak session at the Tornado Steak House

We came to Tornado on a Friday night on a whim with no reservation so didn’t have very high hopes of being seated– but why not try?! There was room at the bar and from there one of the small bar booths opened up quickly– perfect!
We ordered a shrimp cocktail to start and it was fine– no frills and 5 jumbo shrimp. We then got a bread basket and while the large breadstick was delicious, the small loaf was impractical and challenging to eat.
I ordered the sautéed perch special and my husband had a steak. For sides we had yellow beets and hash browns. I didn’t try his steak but my dinner was delicious… especially from a place specializing in steak. I was really impressed with how light the coating/​breading was and the yellow beets were delicious!
We will try our seating tactic again soon as it super fun to people watch in the bar! Thanks Tornado!

I’ve eaten here twice. Once for a Friday night fish fry. Another for a late night dining experience.
Both times it was lights out. Great service, great food, and respectable prices. Will definitely stop back here again!

This is one of my favorite spots in Madison. Great food (I’ve had almost everything on the menu). Relaxed, professional service.
The late night menu is a super good bargain if you get the chance.

This, by a wide margin, is my very favorite place to eat and drink in Madison.
The food is always fantastic. I’ve been to dinner many times over the years and also to have their late night menu options and they’ve not failed me once. The atmosphere is always comfortable and the servers are always professional and personable.
For dinner, I recommend the filet in your choice of size, and get hash browns or Brussels sprouts to go along with it.
For late night, get the bacon bleu cheese burger and cheese curds.
Oh, and get the classic brandy old fashioned, sweet. You won’t be sorry.

Well if you are in Madison, Wisconsin and want a steak, this would be the place to come. The ambiance gives you a high end vibe. Service was great. Definitely more of a date spot or a business meeting place.
The Menu is kind of what you’d expect of a steakhouse?? Yea they got Steak, and its pretty good, I didn’t Unilocal the first time I came here so no pics of my first trip here. So this being my second time coming here, I decided to venture out away from ordering the steak. This time around the food took a while to come out, maybe they were just super busy but on to the food!
I ordered
Movie star (drink) — to watered down, felt like a cheap mix drink.(could have ordered the wrong ones)
Cream of mushroom soup– this lacked a kick in the flavor that I prefer but it wasn’t bad
Braised Fennel — this was great, quite unique taste to it. Never had braised fennel before.
Broiled Jumbo Shrimp– Well worth the wait, Imagine if red lobsters Garlic shrimp scampi but with real shrimp and real flavor? lol joking .This was awesome, the Shrimp tasted fresh even though we were here in the middle of Wisconsin. The flavor was on point.
Desert– Chocolate Caramel Cashew Tart– Flavor was good but too many nuts in this lol, it kind of overpowered the flavor of chocolate.
Still I would come back not the best restaurant in Madison, but it definitely has a distinct vibe separating it from the rest of restaurants in Madison. The Entrees are always phenomenal here. Could have been 5 stars but for the price, bad drinks, mediocre dessert, I will keep it at 3.

Great place to explore new food or drinks, but also offers incredibly comforting food. In all honesty, it’s far too romantic not to take a date.
Try the escargot. Don’t be scared

Clearly, you go here as much for the atmosphere as the food. The Tornado Room is classic 1950s – you kind of expect to see Dean Martin sitting in a booth near the bar. Our server was very good and efficient, although she was hampered by a slow bar throughout the night.
The food, while generally good, did have a couple of mis-​steps. When one goes to a classic steakhouse, it is almost mandatory that you either order the wedge Caesar or the French onion soup. I ordered the soup, and it was served at a temperature that would be generously described as a lukewarm. The flavor was fine, but the temperature clearly left something to be desired. I’m not sure if it was simply under heated to begin with, or if it ended up sitting in the window for too long, but whichever was the case, it was a bit of a disappointment.
Whenever I go to a steakhouse, I tend to avoid the obvious menu choices. I am a firm believer that any competent kitchen can throw a high — quality steak on a high temperature grill and produce solid results. For me, the test of a good steakhouse is how they deal with less commonly prepared cuts. The beef menu at the Tornado Room does not offer much beyond the standard filet/​strip/​porterhouse mix, but they did have a marinated flank steak on the menu, so I decided to see what they could do with this. The steak was cooked perfectly, but whatever it was marinated in had no discernible flavor whatsoever. I never add salt or pepper to a steak until I have tasted it, as I prefer to trust that the kitchen knows how they want the steak to taste. In this particular case, the steak had clearly not been seasoned beyond what was in the marinade, and the flank steak required some seasoning help to reach optimal flavor.
All this said, I did find a Tornado Room to be an enjoyable experience. Next time, I’ll make sure to try one of the more standard steak offerings and see what they do with it.

Best steak in Madison. Crab bisque soup and wedge salad was fantastic! I liked the New York strip cut vs the special cut I got (can’t remember what it’s called but has the mushroom cream sauce). Overall, if your looking for some red meat/​steak, check out Tornado.

This place never fails!!! Perfect date night place, or place to bring your parents to prove you’ve «made it» Best steaks in town, great service, plenty of wine to choose from, huge portions! Pricey? Maybe. Worth it? Yes!!!

Tornado Stake House is my favorite place in Madison! It is obviously the best stake house by far! Let’s start of with a great cozy and comfortable atmosphere! The service is really good they explain the dishes very well and give us recommendations!!! The food is the best, the Venison is so well prepared a seasoned also the Scallops dish is to die for it is one of my favorite dishes! We also can’t forget the desserts! The desserts are really good they are so fresh and tasty I love the Chocolate Layer cake so rich and delicious and I also love the Upside down pineapple cake so good!!!
I really recommend for you to go to the best stake house in town the Tornado stake house!!!

Gods greatest gift to the world has got to be the late night steak sandwich from Tornado Room. I’m not sure if it’s the horseradish, the jus, the tender steak, or the pillowy roll that does it, but it could be the greatest sandwich in the Madison area. It could also be that it just tastes delicious after a few drinks with friends.
I’ve been known to order a second, to go, so I can enjoy it again as leftovers for breakfast. Seriously, that sandwich is delicious cold too.
Service can be a little slow, but the ambiance makes this a great location for date night or just some drinks with friends.

Just wow… I can’t get enough of this place. Excellent for large groups, or a dinner for 2. The food is high quality and delicious. I travel to WI yearly for work and this place is ALWAYS on my list of «to do’s».

My experiences with this restaurant have varied greatly depending on where I sat. For the booths in the front room, I’d give this place 5 stars. The cocktails are delicious, and the bartenders and waitresses are very willing to help you decide which to get. My favorite one is the James Madison.
For the downstairs, which is where I’ve sat more often, I have to give this place 3. The service was horrendous. Granted, I went during their late night hours (so it was more of a rowdy crowd), but two times in a row I had to wait over an hour for my french onion soup. SOUP! It was pretty miserable. Unfortunately, those times have left a bad taste in my mouth and I have not returned since.
Despite my bad experiences with the service, I would still recommend checking this place out at least once. Try to sit in the front room or outside when it’s nice out.

5 stars. Filet au poivre is to die for.
This is a steakhouse from the 1950s. Classic wood ambiance. Classic 50s steaks. Classic 50s look.
Don’t be afraid of the classic styling, come on in and enjoy!
Homemade soups, salads, and cocktails. Full bar with a decent wine list.
There is always a wait, so consider sitting and eating at the bar.
Fresh Steaks, fresh veggies, and solid cocktails.
I wonder if Dean Martin’s ghost is hanging out in the corner with a stiff drink… I would!

I was surprised with the crowd, not what I expected for this area of town! The bread was great, the salad glass was great, service and atmosphere were excellent. French onion soup some of the best. The only (beef) I had was asked for medium and came out rare! But overall to good to knock down a star.

The best steak I’ve ever had in my life.
Great service and fun atmosphere!
Still haven’t gotten into the basement for a cocktail and pineapple upside down cake, but there’s plenty of time for that :)

Disclaimer:
I haven’t even been here for dinner yet, and I know it is one of the best in Madison.
I went in for a late night snack and was very happy to see that the steak sandwich was only $ 9. The meat was so incredibly tender and juicy. The cocktail I ordered was very well-​made, as well.
I can’t wait to go here for dinner some time. Perhaps I’ll bring a date with me.

Sirloin stake… Fantastic. The best I have ever tried…
The place is nice and always busy…

The steaks were great!
We shared the ribeye, tenderloin, and lamb. They were all super tender, and I liked the ribeye the best. Very flavorful and also in a huge portion.
The French onion soup was amazing! The soup, onion, bread crumbs, and cheese all mixed well together, giving a very good texture.
Also tried the pineapple upside down cake. It was very special, like sponge cake soaked with rum and baked with pineapple. But I guess it wasn’t my type.

Got The oysters and they were so bad ! :(
Otherwise nice place
Stakes are pretty good

My favorite restaurant in Madison, may be even ever!
I’ve been here several times for both dinner and for the late night menu and have gladly given them hundreds of my hard earned dollars. In return, I have received food memories to last a life time.
My Favorite Items:
Filet au Poivre– The cognac cream sauce it is served with will blow your mind!
Coquille Saint Jacques– The scallops are always perfectly cooked. The whole dish is very well balanced. It’s so good you will want to curl up in the shell it’s served on and go into a food coma. You can also get this on the late night menu
Steak Sandwich– I like to get the horseradish cream on the side, because I’m a little bit of a wuss and I like to self apply saucy business.
Dinner is served with an edible centerpiece (made of veggies) and a giant plate of a variety of breads.
The service has always been very good every time I’ve been. A great combo of great service and great food.
I would definitely recommend making a reservation.

This is my second favorite restaurant in all of Madison, behind the IHOP on University Ave. I’m a DIE-​HARD French onion soup aficionado (sp), and there’s no contest in the entire city. It’s not too salty; the bread isn’t too soggy; and there’s just the right amount of cheese. Steaks and steak sandwiches are awesome, way better than the overrated Gibson’s in Chicago. I especially like the steak sandwich with au jus sauce.
Finally, atmosphere is awesome. It looks like a dump from the outside, and Tornado has resisted interior décor gimmicks. Feels like the set of a Ray Liotta movie with awesome darkened lighting that lets you daydream about being a mafioso. Lots of rooms that give the sense «a lot is going on» when the place gets busy. Only thing I wish is they had a TV at the bar upstairs.
Hours are great. 1 AM on a weekday is dope.

The food is excellent! However; another disappointing evening at Tornado’s. We were placed in a small room with other couples and everything was great. Then the staff seated a party of three older couples who were loud, drunk and foulmouthed. The worst part is the staff continued to serve alcohol to these patrons thus the volume and profanity increased. The room asked the couples to tone it down but we were told to F ourselves. Their low class behavior was brought to the staff’s attention. The response was to serve the drunks more booze. All we heard was about their bikes, 1940 Ford and what a co@$sucker Eddie Hale is. This is not the first time the staff has failed to control their patrons behavior at our previous visits. It is a shame because the food is great and if it were not for these out-​of-​towners everything would have been great.
Note to Staff: When you have patrons that are obviously drunk and can’t control their behavior don’t serve them more alcohol.

I can NOT comment on the food because we ended up not eating here due to the menu not being what we were told it was. There was nothing on there that we were told they had and the prices were about 2 times more expensive than we were told. However I will comment on what I did notice and experience while there.
They have a beautiful area outside to sit and eat with nice tables. If you chose to sit inside, give your eyes a couple minutes to adjust because it is much darker inside the restaurant than it is walking on the sidewalk at night.
The staff that did bother to talk to us were not very friendly — but they weren’t rude either.
If we go back (now that we know what to expect) I will update the review but for now this is all I can say.

Tornado Steak House it the type of place that can turn vegetarians back into meat eaters. It’s where you take that special date, bond with clients for work dinners or gather a group of friends together for a night out. The great thing about Tornado is that is really appeals to everyone.
So far, I’ve been here twice this year and just visited for an early birthday celebration as I was going to be out of the country for work. In celebrating the my big 30, I wanted a nice dinner at a place that I knew I would get great service and amazing food. Tornado Steak House lived up to my expectations.
The restaurant itself is the type of dimly lit, sort of hidden from the street cozy steakhouse, which is what I love about the place. Upon entering from the front, you pass by the bar and head towards the back to where the hostess stand is. There are a few separate dining areas that can accommodate a couple or a large party.
To start, the table receives a relish dish (presented vertically) to snack on. On top of that, you get an assortment of breads as well. Although I would love to try their appetizers, I’m satisfied with both of these offerings and have to put down to bread because I already start to get full!
I ordered the 16oz sirloin with french onion soup and french fries. In the previous time I was here I had the same order but a side of hash browns. I prefer my steak medium well and both times never had any problems with how well it was cooked. The steak is topped with a giant onion ring. And when I say giant, I mean a thickly fried onion that covered the entire sirloin. It’s almost a side order in itself and oh so good. Plus, it makes for an interesting presentation.
A to-​go box was welcomed, as I was unable to finish my delicious steak. Steak for a throw together brunch meal the next day? Don’t mind if I do.
We did order a few cocktails as well, so our total bill came out to a little over $ 100. Well worth it for the meal. If you are on a budget, they have a late night menu that everyone raves about. Also, if you are planning on ordering more than a couple of drinks, it may be worth it to just order a bottle of wine for the table. The drinks can add up quickly.
Service is amazing. Friendly and efficient. I drink more water than anyone I know, and it was constantly filled throughout my meal. To me this means they are adequately staffed and are paying attention to their customers.
I would absolutely recommend making reservations if you are planning in advance to eat here. One area I noticed this time is they have an outside patio area that looks nice during the summer as an option for seating. As some reviewers have noted, the place can get loud. However, that’s the fun of this type of steakhouse. Everyone is out enjoying the company that they are with for a great meal.
Want a steak? Eat at Tornado. Don’t want a steak? That’s okay too. They have other entrée offerings that I’m sure are just as good.

Tornado and I are late-​night lovers. We don’t ever see each other at an appropriate time, and when we do get together it’s hot and heavy. Mostly in the way that I’m eating a gigantic sandwich and more steak fries than any cardiologist would recommend.
I happen to be one of those terrible people who likes all their meat well done (not burnt, mind you, but pink is for flowers, not meat). This prevents me from spending my money in a traditional steakhouse set-​up because it pains the chef and my pocketbook to «ruin» the steak. The Tornado Room late night menu gives me a work-​around. The steak sandwich is pretty thin and thus gets pretty cooked through, and their quality ground beef for the burgers doesn’t beget the same side-​eye when I ask for it well done.
For me, though, the star is the steak fries. They are probably my favorite fries in Madison. Part of it is their crispy exterior and creamy insides, and part of it is the tomato remoulade. Get on it, people. The horseradish cream is also quite tasty, but if I was forced to choose just one I’d pick the remoulade every time. I’m getting hungry just writing this.
Other things that I love about the Tornado is that it is stuck in time, especially the front bar and basement Corral Room. Old jukebox with mid-​century records? Done. Rivet-​heavy upholstery? Check. Lighting so dim no one can tell that you’ve dripped remoulade on your cocktail dress? They’ve got you covered. The prices on the late night menu also can’t be beat — you’re getting the same wonderful ingredients as the dining room but at a discount because you’re bumping up the post-​dinner rush or are coming in from a service industry job and deserve a nice meal at a reasonable price. Wonderful.