The University Club

While I loved the ambiance of the stately venue, my meal was a disappointment. The University Club is situated in a stunning, century old, Tudor revival mansion with views of Lake Mendota and the Memorial Union. I dropped by for lunch recently and ordered the $9 Cauliflower Chickpea Quinoa Sandwich (a seared cauliflower, chickpea and quinoa patty with provolone, sun dried tomato pesto on a griddled sourdough roll) with a side of over salted sweet potato fries. The patty had a bitter taste from being slightly burnt and was overwhelmed flavor-wise by the potent sun-dried tomatoes. While my server was fantastic, the pace of the meal moved along at a crawl, probably due to a large banquet being hosted that day. While I enjoyed the novelty of visiting the venue, the food will keep me from making repeated visits.

I have to give this place 3 stars because I love the building itself and the memories I have while in the University Club, but the food that I have eaten here has been inconsistent and, at times, inedible. The food deserves 2 stars, or 1. During a university event, we were served dinner, and I received potatoes that were undercooked, and another guest had chicken that was raw. This is not only unacceptable, but unsafe. On other occasions, I've had food that was OK, but it's definitely nothing to write home about.It's a nice location, aesthetically, to host an event, especially a wedding, but don't expect anything from the food or service.

This was a disappointing experience on multiple levels.My s/o and I were looking forward to eating here, based on reviews and the menu, but it started with bad service. She got there ten minutes before I did and was seated. For ten minutes, her waiter didn't show up at her table, even as another waiter went to the nearby table multiple times. Though the other waiter was barely busy (there were about 6 or 7 people in the whole restaurant at that point), he couldn't find it in his heart to give her water or check in in any way. The staff were mostly young; one was so bored that he was checking his phone literally every minute. The waitress we had once I got there was good, low-key, glasses, but the food was disappointing. I got a BLT with crab cakes but you couldn't taste the crab cakes. They were thin and overwhelmed by the flavor of the sauce and the lettuce. My s/o's dish was very underdone. She had to have it sent back and re-warmed. I can't see going back.

Univeristy Club was that elusive building on campus I never got to go in as an undergraduate. After my friends' recent wedding reception here, that all changed.The building itself is gorgeous. The brick on the outside becomes white walls with exposed wood paneling on the inside. It was a beautiful venue to celebrate the love of my beautiful friend and her wonderful now-husband. However, it was horribly hot inside. The bridal party was sweating uncomfortably, as were the guests. Granted, it's an older building, so I don't know if it has central air or not, but it was blistering hot. The food, however, was only lukewarm when it was served. The staff, however, seemed wonderful, and overall, I thought it was a lovely location for a wedding reception.

Popcorn crusted perch was a new surprise. Wished the potato pancakes were thinner & less oily. Ginger limeade is always refreshing. The lunch ambiance was more elegant with a guest guitarist strumming. Brian was attentive with smiles. It's always a treat to dine at the University Club.

We hosted our rehearsal dinner here and had a great time. We worked with Justin D., who was always pleasant and very helpful, and even let us create our own special drink with a store-bought syrup, etc. We did the fish fry dinner and the food was very good and kept getting replenished. We also did the ice cream sundae bar, which I think was the highlight and is highly recommended for any event! Justin was flexible with the choice of ice cream toppings, etc., and it was truly a pleasure to work with him.I think the space is beautiful and has a great location, too, with a view of the Capitol if you go outside and just steps away from The Terrace. I have gone for lunch many times too, and overall it's a good place to meet and dine.

I finally had lunch today at the University Club, vowing to come back after having a scrumptious dinner at a big event earlier this year. (If you have a big event coming up such as a conference or an annual meeting, you'd be wise to check this place out.) Anyway, my lunch started out very nicely with a friendly waitress and a basket of bread w/butter (Graft, take note!!) I ordered the crab cake sandwich w/sweet potato fries and while it was getting crowded (when I left, every table was full) my food arrived in just the right time, hot and very appealing. Tasty, too! Many of the other diners were having the signature club sandwich which looked really good as well. The check arrived with an after dinner mint, nice touch. The near perfect lunch lost a star however, on two points: the bread in the basket, had a slightly anomalous taste to it, like it had been sitting in the back of the freezer for a couple years. And my waitress, sweet as she was, did not check to make sure everything was OK at the table. (I could've used some more water...) If you're ever down at the end of State Street and don't want to jostle in line at the food carts, give the U Club a try -- I think you'll be glad you did!

I cannot rave enough about the University Club. My husband and I had our wedding reception there on Sept 17, 2016, and we could not have been happier with our choice. Throughout this entire year, we have been so thrilled with them. From the get-go, Kyle (our onsite coordinator) and Justin (a manager) helped us with the process. Kyle was phenomenal!!!- unfortunately, he is leaving for a new job. But both of them were amazing and SO helpful. We chose the Uni Club because of its vintage vibe, the price (the rental includes a year membership and was WAY cheaper than any of the places I was looking at in Madison & Milwaukee) and their flexibility. This was especially important for me, as I can be a bit of a snob about food and drinks. And they blew me away with this-- I had requested that they bring in oysters for me and my husband to share, along with a couple of other special food requests. They also let me select the wine I wanted to feature (because I didn't want Canyon Ridge or some other generic wine like that)- we ended up going with their wines they had in house because they were all amazing! They were so good about communicating with us and working to make the day exactly how we wanted it. They set up all of our decorations for us, Kyle stuck around the whole night to ensure everything went really well and everyone was raving about how wonderful the spot was that we chose. We are so, so happy with this venue and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a wedding venue!!! Thank you so much for making our wedding everything we had hoped for!!!

Several weeks ago, after visiting the Wisconsin Historical Society headquarters on Library Mall, I had lunch at the University Club; the experience was a delight. My meal consisted of a terrific lunch: tasty house greens, Irish salmon resting on large roasted asparagus, and a fruity white wine. Amidst the vintage decor, I enjoyed a quiet spot, great food, and gracious servers. I recommend this spot of historical architectural beauty to anyone wanting a leisurely lunch--the experience is unique and one not limited to UW faculty. Thanks to the staff!

RIPPED OFF!!Beware of the difference between what the U-Club shows you in their slick on-line advertisements vs. what you actually get on your plate. My wife and I and another couple decided to dine there on Feb 13, 2015. The advertisement offered a champagne toast, roasted rack of lamb (4 chops were shown in the picture) an appetizer and a lucious looking dessert. What we got was NO champagne (our server said she would bring some for a charge), 2 tiny pieces of lamb, (not 4) and a sliver of dessert. All of this for $40 per person plus tax and tip. THIS IS THE MOST DISSAPOINTING MEAL AND MOST EXPENSIVE MEAL I'VE EVER HAD.