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The building, originally the Cardinal Hotel, was built in 1908 and represents the beauty of Madison’s first settlement district. The Cardinal Bar offers incredible music including Jazz, Latin, Folk Americana, Blues, Big Band, EDM and more. We provide a place for our community members to gather, particularly those involved in the arts, local government, as well as our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ community. The Cardinal is also well-suited for private events – offering a unique view of Madison’s First Settlement on Lake Monona. The spirits offered at the Cardinal Bar are as unique as the building’s history; offering traditional Wisconsin ales, as well as fresh takes on classic cocktails. A petite menu also packs a punch.
Lively spot blending a classic, old-school bar & a hip dance club featuring DJs & live music.
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The Cardinal Bar
In the heart of Madison, Wisconsin. · Location. 418 E Wilson St,. Madison, WI 53703 · Hours. Mon: Closed. Tue: 4pm – 12am. Wed: 4pm – 12am. Thu: 4pm – 2am. Fri: …
The Cardinal Bar | Madison WI – Facebook
The Cardinal Bar, Madison. 2693 likes · 66 talking about this · 359 were here. Cocktail bar, lounge and dance hall in the heart of Madison. The Bird is…
The Cardinal Bar (@cardinalbarmadison) · Madison, WI – Instagram
Inclusive bar, dance club, and community space in downtown Madison, WI. · Thank you to everyone that joined us, @rebulugroup , and DJ Francis last Thursday …
Reviews
Giovanti
Went on Saturday night for the latin night, the DJ was great but the bartenders were super rude. I was literally looked at and ignored by the 2 bartenders after waiting at least 5-10 minutes, where I was clearly standing and waiting for service. There were no other standing customers at the bar waiting for service and at least a third of the bar seats were empty. It was not busy during this time. The bar back who initially told me that she was not the bartender when I first arrived to the counter, ended up serving me after the time since I was obviously being ignored. I witnessed her speak to both bartenders on separate occasions, followed by each bartender look directly at me, then proceeded to carry on with other customers and conversations. Felt a little racist if I’m gonna be honest, considering that I am an African American male and that I was clearly looked at, ignored, then proceeded to watch other none AA people get serviced. Not trying to jump to conclusions but that was the vibe. And to add, when I finally ordered ‘a Beer’ I was told I had to spend a minimum of $10. So couldn’t order just one. No one apologized or mentioned anything even after getting my beer. Would not recommend this place unless they hired better service providers….
… moreJustin Jones
My friends and I have been for trivia before and it’s such a blast! Great and interesting cocktail menu. Good draft list as well. Seating is sort of limited for trivia but we made it work. Lots of bar space however for whenever you’re just headed there for some fun drinks.
… moreaiden ochoa
Great DJs last night for T4T denim night. The music is usually subpar and un-danceable most of the times I go but last night was great. Only bummer was the rush and influx of straight college students who flooded the bar.
… moreTempestt Ballenger
I can’t tell you how happy I am that this place is open again. They truly made my college experience incredible and I enjoyed the time I spent here. I’m so glad they are open again and providing the same great service and cocktails to the Madison community. This place is a Madison staple and is showing folks that things truly get better with age. Glad to see this space is still doing well and is still loved by myself and countless others. Also Will was AMAZING! Please let him know! But Madison folks please give this the place the love and patronage it deserves! You won’t be disappointed
… moreJulie Mitchell
Service isn’t just terrible, it’s nonexistent. I went to meet friends as we were celebrating three birthdays, including mine. I also had a visitor from France who was interested in seeing the hot flash nightclub.
In the 20 minutes I stood at the bar, clearly waiting for service, I watched four employees doing shots behind the bar and not paying any attention to who was waiting first. Not once did a single one of them make eye contact with me to let me know they had seen me. I stopped what I assume was a manager (also doing shots) to ask if it was possible to get drinks, and she said she’d send the bartender down. She did not.
My visitor and I left in disgust, walked over to Genna’s, had a drink in hand in under five minutes, and enjoyed the evening air outside.
I am a pleasant customer who always gets served quickly at just about any place. I don’t know why that didn’t happen at the Cardinal, but maybe staff shouldn’t be drinking on the job if they aren’t able to keep up with the flow of customers.
… moreIn the 20 minutes I stood at the bar, clearly waiting for service, I watched four employees doing shots behind the bar and not paying any attention to who was waiting first. Not once did a single one of them make eye contact with me to let me know they had seen me. I stopped what I assume was a manager (also doing shots) to ask if it was possible to get drinks, and she said she’d send the bartender down. She did not.
My visitor and I left in disgust, walked over to Genna’s, had a drink in hand in under five minutes, and enjoyed the evening air outside.
I am a pleasant customer who always gets served quickly at just about any place. I don’t know why that didn’t happen at the Cardinal, but maybe staff shouldn’t be drinking on the job if they aren’t able to keep up with the flow of customers.
Doctress Julia X.
Went for a DJ a few weeks back. Good music, really enjoyed that. Inept, apathetic, and rude bartenders. Empty bottles and glasses on every conceivable surface and nobody can go out and bus those, apparently. 2 people standing behind the bar doing nothing (why?), one guy making drinks as fast as he can (not very fast) meanwhile, they are 2 deep at the bar. Embarrassingly bad bar service. Get some real bartenders. Lastly: the bathrooms are dirty and a total free-for-all. There is no place for women to get a moment of privacy or get away from creeps–not sanitary and not safe for women.
… moreAlex Graber
2 bartenders at max capacity on New Years Eve was INSANE. Extremely understaffed and waited over 30 minutes to order drinks. I felt bad for the bartenders. Kudos to them for not walking out honestly. Everyone was really frustrated with the situation.
… moreKaty Stevens
Awesome place that was renovated to its former glory. Beautiful woodwork, tile, and bar. The cocktails were made with care. Very friendly bartenders and owners. There were 3 of us and we split 2 orders of each empanada flavor. All very good! There is a vending machine with odd items, one of which was a mystery bag. They also have pull tabs.. Love the vibe and will make it point to visit this place next time I am in the area.
… moreEric Lee
Be very cautious when paying your tip in cash. I left a cash tip, but the bar still charged the same tip amount on my card along with my bill, meaning I paid the tip twice. Very disappointing experience.
Otherwise great atmosphere and fun looking dance classes.
… moreOtherwise great atmosphere and fun looking dance classes.
Cody
To summarize, I met a friend for drinks at a bar. I observed a fifteen-minute dispute between the bartender and a patron regarding a missing credit card. Following the resolution, the bartender prioritized serving his friends over those who had arrived earlier, including myself. Despite having my credit card ready and being clearly visible, he twice bypassed me to serve his acquaintances. Only after another customer intervened did I finally receive service. I found this unacceptable and chose not to leave a tip, given the exceptionally poor service—the worst I’ve experienced in over a decade. Further compounding the issue was an unauthorized 20% gratuity added to my bill after I closed my tab. Consumers should be aware of this potential for unwarranted charges. Although I usually tip, even with adequate service, this experience was egregious.
I made every reasonable effort to be served, yet the bartender consistently ignored me.
P.S bill was $18.50 new bill $22.59. Not cool!
… moreI made every reasonable effort to be served, yet the bartender consistently ignored me.
P.S bill was $18.50 new bill $22.59. Not cool!