Representative photography. Actual appearance may vary.
Madison's most reviewed smashburger tavern. The Good Idea has been praised by Wisconsin State Journal, Isthmus, and Madison Musts for lacy smash edges, house pickles, and signature Settle sauce.
Representative photography. Actual appearance may vary.
Settle Down Tavern opened on May 26, 2020 in the middle of the pandemic, when founders Brian Bartels, Ryan Huber, and Sam Parker turned a former barbershop space on Capitol Square into a focused tavern-and-smash destination. The tiny kitchen forced clarity: build the menu around a burger worth returning for.
The Good Idea uses two smashed patties, fried onions, house dill pickles, Wisconsin butterkase, and Settle sauce on a soft potato bun. Multiple local outlets called it one of Madison's best, with recurring praise for lacy edges, balance, and in-house prep.
Its 78 score reflects strong local editorial validation and excellent platform ratings, balanced by older Tier 1 publication dates and no competition award bonus.
A newish dark-horse contender for the title of Madison's best - compact and perfectly curated, this smashburger is crispy, juicy and smooth.
Crispy yet juicy, saucy yet respectful, the Good Idea is a perfect balance of bar burger meets the culinary arts. Hands down one of the best burgers in Madison.
Settle Down's double-pattied Good Idea smash burger is a very good burger, with nice lacy edges, crisp pickles, and plenty of Settle Sauce.
Who has the better burger, Turn Key or Settle Down? That's a tough call.
A Midwestern smash patty burger, griddled and crispy on the edges, with butterkase cheese from Wisconsin, great pickles and a tomato-mayo-steak sauce.
I love burgers with smashed patties, and when I saw such patties in the Good Idea burger, I knew I was in for a treat.