Captain Bill’s

We had a really good time last night! We were one of several large parties that came in all at once after my daughters graduation ceremony. It took a little while for food to come out but no where near too long especially considering all the big tops you had at once & the fact that we were in no rush & enjoying our time together. Our server, Charlie, did a great job & the food was amazing.

We recently moved into the neighborhood, but hesitated stopping at Captain Bill’s because someone told us the food wasn’t anything special — however we finally went with friends a few days ago. We were all pleasantly surprised. We had coconut shrimp as an appetizer, 3 fish dinners and one chicken & pasta dinner, 2 servings of Key Lime Pie for dessert and a round of beer, a bottle of wine and one delicious Old Fashioned. The 4 of us thought the meal was fantastic, especially when the bill arrived (½ of what we’d pay elsewhere). No complaints on anything — delicious food, fun atmosphere, great Old Fashioned, and excellent service (we had an AWESOME waiter). We had low expectations going in, but we can’t wait to go back!

Always a fun evening at Captain Bill’s — Middleton — at the corner of Q & M. Sonya was our server and she took great care of us. She enjoyed the Pan Seared Jumbo Scallops with a house salad and I dined on the Captain’s Shrimp — with a salad and a cup of the famous Captain Bill’s clam chowder — the best ever. Dinner was capped off with one of Kris’s favorite ice cream concoctions — it was delicious. Thanks Captain Bill’s for a delicious and fun evening

Great atmosphere and I really enjoy the clam chowder. If you don’t get a cup or a bowl you’re missing out!!! To be fair, I’ve only had the fish fry here but each time I eat here I’m more and more impressed. Eventually I’ll get my lazy behind here on a non fish fry day as the menu looks delicious.

I was home visiting my parents in Madison and we went here. First off the seafood isn’t fresh, because like it is Wisconsin, and so you aint going to get fresh seafood.
I did enjoy their «world famous chowda» because who doesn’t enjoy eating creamy soup!
The prices, for Madison, are ridiculous.
The service though was great and the food was ok.
The ambiance is nice and of course the people who work here are so accommodating.
But $ 30.00 for shrimp? I mean really.
You could get shrimp right of the boat in Maine for $ 20.00…just sayin.

I was here years ago with my husband and his friend. At that time, the place had no acoustics. A large party arrived during our meal and the noise level was deafening. I had been here once before and mentioned experiencing the din to the manager before he seated us, who assured us the decibel level was no longer a problem. He lied, Food was fine, prices average, but I haven’t been back.

First repeat date night restaurant for the husband and I. Had a coupon, which is why we went. Had great views of the lake, which was nice. Service started off slow and I began to think it was not going to be a good night. Waiter finally brought us waters and took our drink order (got a Whiskey Old Fashioned and Moscow Mule throughout the night. Nothing special, but they made them well enough). When he brought our drinks, he dropped them off without taking our food order and did not come back for nearly 10 minutes. Finally, we were able to order though.
Started with the crab cakes – tasty but seems really pricey ($ 12) for the size of the cakes. For the entrees, I got the beer battered tilapia tacos and husband got the dragonfire salmon. The ciabatta bread for the table came with 3 seasonal butter flavors – merlot and shallot, basil honey, and citrus. Hands down, favorite was the basil honey. Sweet and savory. The tacos were okay; the guacamole that came on the side and the chipotle mayo was the saving grace, adding flavor to an otherwise pretty bland taco. The only other toppings was plain lettuce and tomatoes, no spices, no slaw.
The dragonfire salmon was good, had a nice kick to it and the garlic mashed potatoes and beans on the side were fantastic.
Dessert menu is a little blah – seems like they are desserts that come to the restaurant pre-​made and frozen and they just defrost and serve.
Madison needs more water-​front restaurants so this isn’t one of my only options.

I was hesitant to try this place because they are owned by the same people as mariners Inn and we had a bad experience there a couple of weeks ago, however we were pleasantly surprised. The waitress was nice and attentive. The food was really good. We ordered the brushetta and it was different than any other kind I’ve had, very good. The clam chowder came in a cute cup and tasted good. I ordered the dragon salmon the chili pineapple topping was a little overpowering for the salmon but it had a really good flavor and the salmon was moist. My fiancé ordered the scallops and said they were cooked perfectly. The prices were a little high but not to bad. We would probably come back again.

The clam chowder is fairly good, but I would describe it as a cream of bacon and potato with a couple clams thrown in as an afterthought.
I got the coconut shrimp and shared a crabcake. Both were good, crabcakes could be spicier.
The bloody mary was WAY too salty, think twice about that one.
Staff is great.
But I ended up paying 45+ dollars. It’s good but it ain’t THAT good. I think they can get away with it because of loyal clientele and some attention from the food network.

Great food & service — out server Allie was a delight– great evening — amazing oysters & crab cakes best cheese curds!

Out to dinner for my fathers b– day with my mother and daughter. The food was good. We day outside and eat it was a nice night for that.

Outstanding birthday dinner! Surfing Salmon delicious! Coconut shrimp and calamari were spectacular and Bobbie Von Rutenberg was a gracious host! Thank you!

I, too, was scared to come here after reading mixed reviews on both Unilocal and other websites, but my family and I were pleasantly surprised.
We made reservations that afternoon online, which made it a lot easier. We got seated right away because of that. We got to sit outside, and it was beautiful out. It’s a great view of the lake and the bench seating was very comfortable.
Our server, Char, was very attentive and pleasant. We did have to ask her to bring out the bread, but to be fair, I think she was assigned too many tables that were somewhat spaced far apart from each other. She genuinely seemed to be trying hard; I think she just had too many tables. Other than that, the service was prompt.
The food was delicious and flavorful. We got the crab cakes to share, and I got the coconut shrimp and the garlic mashed potatoes (along with the clam chowder). The clam chowder was amazing, same with the shrimp. The food was nice and hot (not easy to do for outdoor dining), but the potatoes were a teensy bit bland. Overall, though, the food was delicious.
I don’t know why everyone is complaining; my family and I had a great time (and my parents can be pretty fussy).

My score is actually somewhere between 3 – 4 stars. I was scared to go here after reading the reviews but our group really enjoyed this place. We were in town for a special occasion – graduation. We sat outside on a beautiful day. Great view!
The waiter was outstanding. He told us upfront they were short staffed in the kitchen. I was like — here come the service issues. However, things went very smoothly and he bent over backwards to make my niece feel special on her special day.
Everyone loved oysters Rockefeller and lobster bites. 2 people ordered filet and it was very tasty and tender. 2 other people ordered king crab legs. They are pricey $ 49.50. They were a tad cold inside but, other than that, very good.
I had salmon on the plank. It was disappointing as it didn’t have much flavor on the sauce. On the plus side, salmon can be fishy and the filet was very fresh. I think it could have been cooked longer on the plank to infuse the smoky flavor.
Inside seating is not as good. It’s a bit stuffy so we were glad to be outside. The place means well. With a little TLC, this could be a great venue. Give it a try and sit outside!

Waited for over a half an hour for service, tried to get attention of staff but was ignored. Not a very good dining experience. For such high prices and all the other restaurant venues in Madison/​Middleton the services should really be better. However, since this is a local place that probably has consistent local repeat business, I am guessing these reviews don’t mean much. We ended up just walking out and informed the wait staff. Of course they just shrugged and didn’t care much. I am guessing this place will eventually have to change its management style if it wants to stay open in such a competitive market. We ended up going to Olivia’s off of Old Sauk and actually had amazing service. Quite the 180.

Captain Bill’s has a few things going for it: a nice outside deck with great seating for summer weather, friendly staff, and good clam chowder. On a recent visit, they were able to seat our group of 8 outside with just a few minutes notice.
Food got mixed reviews: my scallops were ever so slightly overcooked and the citrus sauce was lacking flavor of any kind. The coconut shrimp got good reviews, as did the steak carnitas. One dish came out wrong, but was quickly fixed, and our attempt to split the bill were somewhat unsuccessful.
There are better places in Madison, but if you find yourself at Captain Bill’s, get a seat outside and enjoy yourself.

I love the ambiance of this place. They have this raging circular fireplace adjacent to the bar. How cozy! I also love all things nautical, which this place has no shortage of. You can make a reservation, which is particularly nice during busy Fridays during Lent. Much of the food is heavier than I’m used to eating. For example, I usually avoid fried food, and they have plenty of it. Their World Famous Clam Chowder is definitely worth a try. Again, packed with fat, but you know what you’re walking into with this style of soup. I also enjoyed their asiago spinach garlic dip. I couldn’t stop eating it. The Kids menu was a let down. Their Mac n Cheese appeared to be Kraft, but lacked the flavor that mine has when I make it at home. It tasted like it waited around in a pot and dried out. Everyone knows you have to eat that stuff right away and it’s no good heated up, so paying $ 6 for that is a mistake I don’t want to repeat. I ordered a house salad. It was too cold, too dry, and too flat. Other than the one tiny piece of shrimp they put on top of it, it had no character. I sent it back. The staff has always been polite and professional.
It’s a 2 stars for food and a 4 stars for ambiance; hence the 3 A-​OK rating.

Here’s hoping they put some of that restaurant week money towards renovating the men’s room. Not only does it look like it walked out of a real boat house from the 1930s, it also features a stall door that swings freely from the ceiling due to the metal being completely rusted through, making it impossible to securely shut or lock.

This place used to be great. We went for dinner and were seriously disappointed. First the bartender was nervous and seemed very green. Second the server didn’t even recognize the fact that we needed water and drinks when she asked if we needed anything else after she brought us our food. Third the food was very sub par for the price. I ordered bacon wrapped shrimp and the bacon was white and under cooked. Cooking 101 teaches you how to bacon wrap things and obviously these cooks haven’t took the class. When I complained about my rawish bacon the server offered me a free dessert. Come on people, lame. We also had several disappointed people around around us. I think the restaurant has changed hands and is not even close to what it used to be. Don’t waste your money here.

Some of the best seafood that we’ve had in town. There seems to be places in town that get better reviews, but I’m not sure why.
If I want crab or lobster this is the place to go.