Flat Top Grill

Flat Top Grill
538 N. Midvale Blvd.
Madison, WI 53705
Phone: 608-236-0500
Fax: 608-236-4008


On a recent trip to Madison, I unexpectedly found myself at the Flat Top Grill. The Flat Top Grill has an interesting shtick going for it – you go through a buffet style line and fill your bowl with all sorts of stuff that is then stir-fried for you. I was a bit dubious; the idea of making your own stir-fry was just a bit too similar to Seinfeld’s Kramer having the “bake your own pizza” concept.

The restaurant was very busy but we were seated quickly and greeted by a friendly waitress. Before taking our drink order, she explained the how the restaurant worked. To tell you the truth, I was a little concerned by the fact that the restaurant procedures needed to be explained. I generally like to not think when I go out, hence the going out. But in reality, it was a pretty straightforward process - pile up your bowl, put your protein in another bowl, and send it back to the cooks. The various available ingredients (veggies, mushrooms, rice, noodles etc.,) were all fresh and looked good. The proteins too were quite inviting(at lunch shrimp was not available, but surprisingly fresh and tasty squid was). Once you drop the bowl off at the grill and it is cooked, your server brings it to you. Overall a speedy process – the cooking part that is. The line to fill your bowl was at times slow and crowded. The food was very good, especially when you consider that the price of a lunch bowl was $6.99.
A couple of drawbacks:
1. Not all the time would I feel like waiting in a buffet style line then waiting for my food to get cooked (especially since the server should get the standard tip since it isn't a true buffer, or at least I think the server should).
2. You get a wide range of sauces and flavors to choose from, and if you aren't careful (see children) you could end up with something too hot, or too bland, or just too gross.

Overall, I enjoyed my lunch at the Flat Top Grill and would highly recommend it for adults and children. The atmosphere was just fine, the price was good, the food was great, and the service was excellent.