Restaurants Near UW-Madison for a Family Visit

Restaurants near the UW-Madison campus cluster in three places a visiting family walks anyway: Memorial Union on Lake Mendota, State Street, and the Capitol Square at its far end. The places below come from Destination Madison's dining guide and UW's own visit pages, with hours from each business's site as of November 7, 2026. They pair with a private, student-led tour of Madison.

Where can we eat near the UW-Madison campus on a family visit?

The places to eat near the UW-Madison campus on a family visit sit along one walk: campus at Library Mall, up State Street, to the Capitol Square. Library Mall to the Capitol is 0.78 miles, about 17 minutes on foot by OpenStreetMap foot routes.

On campus: Memorial Union, 800 Langdon Street, and the Babcock Hall Dairy Store, 1605 Linden Drive, both listed on UW's visitor dining page.
State Street: Ian's Pizza, Parthenon Gyros and Bassett Street Brunch Club, all named in Destination Madison's outdoor dining guide (April 2026).
The Capitol Square: Marigold Kitchen, The Old Fashioned, The Coopers Tavern and the Great Dane, from the same guide.

The list is the visitor bureau's and the university's, with no ranking from us. Hours change with the season, so each one below carries the date we read it. For the official tour, parking and a lunch plan around it, see our one-day UW-Madison visit plan.

Where can we eat on State Street near UW-Madison?

You can eat on State Street near UW-Madison at four places in the visitor bureau's guide, all within a 15-minute walk of Library Mall at the campus end. Hours are from each business's own site, read November 7, 2026.

Ian's Pizza, 319 North Frances Street, a block off State Street, about 7 minutes from Library Mall. Pizza by the slice, open 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily (Ian's Pizza). Destination Madison calls Ian's the home of the mac 'n cheese pizza.
Parthenon Gyros, 316 State Street, about 10 minutes from Library Mall. Order at the counter, then take the stairs to the rooftop patio, per the guide. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (Parthenon Gyros).
Bassett Street Brunch Club, 444 West Johnson Street, about 11 minutes from Library Mall. Brunch every day, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., with validated parking in the Hampton Inn ramp in the same building, subject to hotel occupancy (Bassett Street Brunch Club).
Ian's Pizza on State, 100 State Street, at the Capitol end, about 13 minutes from Library Mall. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and later Thursday to Saturday.

On weekdays, UW lists food carts on Library Mall at 731 State Street. Many are cash only.

Where can we eat on the Capitol Square in Madison?

You can eat on the Capitol Square in Madison at four sit-down places from Destination Madison's guide, each within a 5-minute walk of the Wisconsin State Capitol by OpenStreetMap foot routes. Hours are from each business's site, read November 7, 2026.

Marigold Kitchen, 118 South Pinckney Street. Breakfast and lunch, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays; brunch 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday (Marigold Kitchen). The guide calls it brunch, any day of the week.
The Old Fashioned, 23 North Pinckney Street. A Wisconsin tavern with local cheeses, across the street from the Capitol, per the guide. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, to 10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday (The Old Fashioned).
The Coopers Tavern, 20 West Mifflin Street, at the top of State Street, next to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Weekend brunch 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. on weeknights (The Coopers Tavern).
Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co., 123 East Doty Street, a block off the Square. The guide says its menu suits "everyone in your group, kids and all." Open from 11 a.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends (Great Dane).

On Saturdays through November 14, 2026, the Dane County Farmers' Market circles the Square from 6:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., so expect crowds at breakfast.

Can we eat at the Memorial Union Terrace on a UW-Madison visit?

Yes, you can eat at the Memorial Union Terrace on a UW-Madison visit in season, but the Terrace was closed for the season as of November 7, 2026 (Wisconsin Union hours). Inside, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon Street on Lake Mendota, keeps serving.

Indoors at Memorial Union, with fall hours as posted on November 7, 2026:

The Daily Scoop: Babcock Dairy ice cream by the cone or dish, plus shakes and root beer floats, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through December 11, 2026.
Der Stiftskeller: the bierhaus annex of Der Rathskeller, with beer, wine, soda and snacks, 3 to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday and noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, through December 13, 2026.
Der Rathskeller: the German beer hall style room with two fireplaces and a 15-foot screen for game watches.

In season, Terrace seating is first come, first served across 2,000 chairs, and visitors can buy a $1 one-day Wisconsin Union membership at Memorial Union restaurants and cafés. The Union does not allow outside alcohol or food delivery to its locations.

For the ice cream at its source, the Babcock Hall Dairy Store, 1605 Linden Drive, is open 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, about 10 minutes on foot from Union South.

When are restaurants near UW-Madison open on a visit weekend?

Restaurants near UW-Madison keep different hours on a visit weekend, and reservations are worth making for dinner on the busiest weekends. Bassett Street Brunch Club, for example, takes reservations every day from 4 p.m. and keeps walk-in space for brunch and lunch, according to its site.

Plan the meal around these hours, read November 7, 2026:

Sunday: The Old Fashioned is closed. Marigold Kitchen closes at 2 p.m. The Coopers Tavern serves brunch until 3 p.m.
Late: Ian's Pizza on North Frances Street stays open until 2:30 a.m. every night.
Saturday morning: the farmers' market fills the Capitol Square through November 14, 2026.

Book ahead on the weekends that bring the most visitors: the home football game on Friday, November 27, 2026, and commencement on Sunday, December 13, 2026, and on Saturday, May 8, 2027. UW's visit page warns that rooms may be limited when large events are on campus or in the city (visit UW-Madison). Our UW-Madison visit dates for 2026-27 list the rest.

To walk State Street and the Square with a current student before dinner, a private tour is $150 for your family, 60 to 90 minutes, any day of the week.

Frequently asked questions

Where can we get cheese curds near UW-Madison?

You can get cheese curds near UW-Madison at the Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co., 123 East Doty Street, a block off the Capitol Square, whose downtown menu lists beer-battered curds (Great Dane). It is about a 5-minute walk from the Capitol and opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, as of November 2026.

Where can we get breakfast near the Capitol Square on a Sunday?

For breakfast near the Capitol Square on a Sunday, Marigold Kitchen, 118 South Pinckney Street, serves brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and The Coopers Tavern, 20 West Mifflin Street, serves brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., as of November 7, 2026. Bassett Street Brunch Club, 444 West Johnson Street, opens at 8 a.m. every day.

What is open late near the UW-Madison campus?

Ian's Pizza at 319 North Frances Street, a block off State Street, is open until 2:30 a.m. every night, according to its site as of November 7, 2026. Ian's at 100 State Street stays open until 2 a.m. on Thursdays and 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and closes at 10 p.m. the rest of the week.