GeeGee Mando
Amazing experience. We had Genevieve as a server. She was wonderful. All of the food was excellent. Great variety of steaks to choose from. Wide choice of liquor & wine. Cozy romantic atmosphere. The Cesar salad with freshly made dressing was amazing. The potatoes were packed with flavor. The steak was cooked perfectly & was so tender. And the table side banana foster was to die for. And again; Genevieve made the experience so special & treated us like royalty. The manager came to check on us which I also felt was a nice touch. Overall one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.
Steven Mindel
One of the best dry aged bone-in rib eye steaks that I have ever tasted. If you are looking for an elegant dinner in Madison this is your place. Steaks cooked over a fire, no sous vide here, seasoned well, and done to perfection. Our rib eye was medium rare, the wedge salad was crisp, the onion soup amazing, and the brussels spouts cooked with bacon are awesome. Probably the least amazing was the fries, but who need fries when you have a 22oz dry aged rib eye. Brittany was our lead server. She was knowledgeable, friendly and super helpful. The cocktails and the wine list are incredible. It is not your inexpensive steak house, but you do get what you pay for.
Jenny Khang
Steaks are great, but very pricey. Whether its worth the price is up to yourself to decide. Only complaint is that the oysters were malpeque and are definitely not worth the price. For the price I would expect a meatier and unique flavored oyster. Overall good experience and great service.
Rachel Geise
If you are willing to pay for it, this place has the most AMAZING food. The staff is VERY knowledgeable and super friendly. While you most definitely need to get one of the steaks when you visit, be sure to also get a bowl of their lobster bisque-it is SO good and should not be missed! Absolutely love Rare and there is no place like them around. Positively amazing
Bethany Benisch
Rare is a steak house that sells high end Wagyu, the most succulent beef imaginable! I have been here twice now and have enjoyed the Wagyu both times. It must be a regular menu item at a 32 oz precooked steak at $150. The price for the Wagyu was right, but their sides are lacking.
I was impressed by the waiter that overheard our concerns for a good wine, and recommended the Pinor Noir and paired nicely with the steak.
I would recommend this restaurant for a romantic date!
Vicki Feltz
We went to Rare for the first time to celebrate our Anniversary. I really wanted to love this steakhouse, as I have heard rave reviews about it and wanted to try it. My steak was over cooked (ordered medium and came out medium well) and my husband’s steak came out WAY undercooked (ordered medium rare and came out rare) to the point that the butter on top didn’t even melt on top of the steak and the inside was very cold. He returned his steak and they were apologetic and cooked him another one. The manager offered to buy my husband a drink, but he already had a few and we needed to drive home. We weren’t expecting anything for free, but it would have been nice to have another offer. For what you pay for steaks at Rare, they should be cooked to your request. Lighting was way too dim for our liking too, we couldn’t read our menu and several people in the restaurant had their cell phone lights on to see the menu. On a positive note, the sides, dessert (bananas foster), and drinks were excellent. Service was excellent too! Probably won’t go back or recommend based on our experience.
Ed Jalinske
Top-quality steak prepared with obvious care! I had the NY Strip. Highly recommend! I ordered the hash browns as my side and they were so good that I ate the entire gargantuan portion. I came in alone and ate at the bar. Jackie was behind the bar and provided phenomenal service along with the other staff. Great job! I hope to be back soon!
Forrest Farrell
It was good, cocktails were on point. I'm pretty understanding of restaurants when they're slammed, but we had food we didn't order brought to the table twice during the meal. My steak was pretty perfect, my dinner companion's wasn't. I didn't complain or raise a fuss and still tipped well, but for what they charge idk if it's really up to the hype. Don't think I will choose it again, at over $125 a person.
Angi Kolthoff
Fantastic service and phenomenal food!! Went with a friend last night on a whim and we were so pleased! The waiter, Tom, was so friendly and always there to refill our glass of wine. The manager, Owen, went above and beyond to serve us--allowing us to sample several wines and checking in on us several times throughout our meal. He has such a heart for service and you can tell he loves what he does! This was one of the best meals I've ever had!!! I had the lobster bisque and the salmon. My friend had the steak tartare and ahi tuna poke. Every bite was top notch. And don't get me started with the fresh from the oven popovers with strawberry butter. Wow! Great location right across from the capital. This wasn't just a meal, it was an experience. A bit of a splurge but absolutely worth it!!
Rita Weber Shimniok
Thoroughly enjoyed a special dinner celebrating my birthday. The ambiance of the steakhouse is beautiful. We were fortunate to be served by Jahar, who has excellent people skills and made our dining experience exceptional. We chose soup for our first course...the lobster bisque was truly amazing! Bone in Filet Mignon were cooked to medium perfection, and very tender and flavorful. For sides we chose the brussel sprouts and asparagus. The sides are quite large and one would have been more than enough. The brussel sprouts are some of the best I have had. The asparagus could have been a younger, more tender selection of shoots, in my opinion. I would recommend the brussel sprouts over the asparagus. Overall our experience was superb and we leisurely enjoyed our food before a show at the Overture...allowing 90 min. for our dining experience was perfect.
Jeffrey Arnold
Service was below average but I cannot deny the food quality was very good. The asparagus was over done but not a deal breaker. We sat outside so maybe the waiter put us lower on his priority list. The front desk hostess was beyond excellent and we made a point of giving her a tip despite giving a below average tip to our waiter.
Connie Ashmun
This is by far the best service and the best steak I've had since moving here 8 months ago. The waiter and assistant were both extremely attentive and knowledgeable. The waiter suggested the perfect wine to go with our dinner orders- he was so right! The steak was cooked perfectly, and melted in my mouth. It was the perfect Christmas eve celebration.nWe'll be back.
John Meredith
What a fantastic experience. Jahar was the utmost professional from knowledge to service. The manager Brian checked on us several times. The flow of service was seemless The meal was fantastic. The best crab cakes I have ever had. The bone in filet was over the top. The drink selection was endless. Invest in this full culinary experience.
Cindy Weyenberg
Absolutely hands down best meal we have ever had out. I had the bone in tenderloin, my husband had the dry aged Kansas City steak both prepared to perfection. Ryan our waiter was fantastic. Drinks were pretty awesome also. We will definitely be back!!
Tanya Sutton
We were there to celebrate a birthday and had 13 people. Was a great atmosphere and Tom was a phenomenal server! Really passionate about the food. Everyone loved it, though it was very pricey and online menu did not match the menu there. Thank you for the memorable night!
Lindy Davidson
We came here last year for our anniversary and this year. Last year was amazing, but this year, the steaks were underwhelming at best. They lacked flavor and were dry. We honestly can make a tastier steak at home with cuts of meat from the Piggly Wiggly, which is upsetting considering how much we paid. The waitress was friendly but not knowledgable. The mashed potatoes weren’t creamy/ tasted like they were made with water. The lobster Mac n cheese was this meal’s saving grace. I don’t think we will be going back.
Todd Lindberg
Just ate at Chicago's "#1 steak house" PrimeHouse in the James Hotel. Rare beat the socks off this place. From the sides to your amazing aged steaks to the exceptional service you give. The meal we had in December was amazing, but after this meal tonight, I appreciate that meal even more. Thank you.
Jill Welty
The food was only surpassed by the excellence of the service. Our waitress, Genevieve, was outstanding. I would recommend this excellent steakhouse to anyone.
David Harris
Great food with a great view. Service was spot on; available but not overbearing. A bit pricey for the midwest, but you definitely get what you pay for.
Mihir Pai
We were invited by head-waitress Jenavieve (she's the one flambeing the Bananas Forster sauce on their homepage) on behalf of Executive Chef Aaron Miller, to come into the kitchen for a meet-and-greet and to witness the dry-aging cooler. We were also given a sample of Chef's special Coffee Foie Gras. Definitely the best culinary experience of my life. Ask them as many questions as you might please! You will be well taken care of here.
Richard Brown
I seriously eat out at the best restaurants in every town I visit, and this place is on the top of the list!
Lizzie Bauer
My now fiance and I were there on Saturday 2/10/2018. He had been meeting with the crew there to make sure everything went perfectly for a proposal. Our server was amazing and after dinner, he moved us over to the bar for dessert with a view of the capitol building. He popped the question there and had our good friend photograph the moment. Genevieve was so amazing and the whole crew was so friendly and kind to work with my fiance and photographer to make sure the experience was perfect. Rare will always hold a special place in my heart now! Amazing food, amazing drinks, amazing experience!
Michael Christian
Rare is definitely a great dinning experience. The food, service, and wine list are some of the best around.
Michele Perreault
Shout out to Ryan Lockwood, who did a great job for our first dinner here. Bananas Foster was delicious, as was the steak. Bone in ribeye, yum! Brussels sprouts were a bit on the salty side, but the onion rings and whipped potatoes were tasty.
Sheri Rice
The overall package needs refinement. For this type of restaurant, I expect more confident attention to detail. For example, there was a person behind the host stand who avoided eye contact when we arrived. I wasn't sure why they were there. After a moment we were helped but it was just .. weird. The coat check process was slightly awkward. The bathroom door latch was broken. Our banquette was severely dusty. There were a few very very loud, drunk groups that made the acoustics impossible until they left. Having said that the food was great. I love the scallops, the shrimp were great quality, the popovers were delicious and the butter with them really nice. The food is excellent but with so many other great places to eat steak in town, this still isn't my favorite.
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