Madison

Review summary

1. K

   Kenny

   Orange County

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   I recently visited Madison to celebrate a relative's birthday, and while the ambiance was stunning and the cocktails—Ibarra and Steller Ember—were excellent, the rest of the experience was a letdown. We ordered several dishes, starting with the pesto pasta, which was dry and lacked sauce. When we requested more sauce, we were surprised to see an additional charge on the bill. Though the staff eventually removed it after we complained, it shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place. We also had the chicken piccata, which was underwhelming—I’ve made better versions at home. On the plus side, we asked to swap the mashed potatoes for the lemon garlic mashed potatoes, and those were quite good. Lastly, the gnocchi was disappointing—nothing special or memorable. Service was another low point. There was no manager on duty to address our concerns, and the staff seemed inattentive and disorganized. One redeeming moment came from Daniel, a busboy, who made a thoughtful gesture by gifting my 18-month-old daughter some strawberries. His kindness stood out amidst an otherwise frustrating experience. While the restaurant’s ambiance and drinks were top-notch, the mediocre food, unexpected charges, and lack of attentive service made this visit far from enjoyable. This place has potential, but it needs serious improvements before I’d consider returning or recommending it.
   

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2. J

   Justin

   San Diego

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on 15 November 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Maybe the worst visit I have had over the years. The special butternut squash fettuccine was absolutely horrible. Pork chop was delicious as always. Tried an espresso martini to end the night. Wish I hadn't and saved myself the $36. The lights went off 2-3 times during service and made it somewhat awkward. Each time we come here, it progressively gets worse. Hopefully, you guys get it together soon. It would be a shame to lose Madison. Cheers,
   

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3. L

   Laura

   San Diego

   8 reviews

   3.0

   8 reviews

   Dined on 10 November 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Fun vibe and atmosphere. Food was good. Our table was unsteady and our drinks would spill over when the wait staff would walk by quickly. They tried to fix the table but should have just moved us to another table.
   

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Greater Boston

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined on 10 November 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   Server didn’t come over for 15 minutes. Bartender came over and got our drink order. Once drinks got delivered, our server came over, didn’t acknowledge that she hadn’t been there yet. Only took our food order and dropped the check didnt even bother to get the check, once again after 15 minutes of waiting had to go to the bar to pay. Usually have great service but Jess didn’t care at all about us or her job.
   

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5. T

   Toni

   San Diego

   8 reviews

   5.0

   8 reviews

   Dined on 9 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I forgot her name but our waitress was so nice, patient, & friendly! She was pretty too ;) Nice ambience. Pls make MORE VEGAN options.
   

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6. C

   Caitlin

   San Diego

   37 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   37 reviews

   Dined on 9 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We celebrated a birthday here and we are glad we did! The ambiance, drinks, food, and service are always great at Madison. We brought in a cake for a birthday and the server put it in the fridge for us upon arrival and also put on the cake topper and candles before bringing it out to the table. Much appreciated and we will return!
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Baja California

   7 reviews

   4.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on 6 November 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 5

   Food and drinks were delicious. Our server was a little on the not to friendly side. She looked annoyed when we asked for lemon and she was ready to take our card for the bill when we were going to order dessert still. The ambience was great with live Jazz music. Definitely going back and hoping to get a different server next time.
   

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8. O

   Oscar

   San Diego

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 30 October 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Came for the live jazz music and great food The live band was great and exactly what I wanted The ambiance was nice and intimate The skirt steak has always been a favorite of mine The Oreo Espresso Martini was INCREDIBLE!!!!
   

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9. S

   Sara

   New York City

   7 reviews

   3.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on 28 October 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   The food and drinks are great but the service was horrible. Our waitress hardly came to the table. I had to get up more than once to ask for things. Our reservation was at 5:30pm so it wasn’t like it was a prime time, no excuse for ignoring our table.
   

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10. s

    sara

    Central Coast

    31 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on 28 October 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2

    Portions too small , chicken too salty , the meat was super chewy. Unbeatable and very expensive , never going back
    

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