2439 Atwood Ave – starkweatherbrewing.com
Starkweather Brewing Company opened in 2021 on Atwood Ave shortly after Next Door Brewing closed their doors at the same location. When a business closes in a location and the one replacing it has almost exactly the same concept it’s easy to wonder how they expect to do better. Starkweather’s answer seems to be: just make better beer.
The beer selection at Starkweather has a lot to offer. Their standard varieties are consistently exemplars of their styles, but Starkweather shines brightest when they color a little outside the lines. The tap list rotates pretty fast, so there’s always something new to try. Some highlights from my trips were a coffee chocolate porter, a lemony saison, and a spicy gose. Chilis, coconut, and fruit are popular adjuncts in their brews.
You can also get food at Starkweather. It tacks toward snacks more than full meals, but someone determined to have dinner there could make it work. Chicken strips, onion rings, and cheese curds are all okay. Pizza is available, but I haven’t had it. The real star are the totchos. Making nachos out of tater tots is a fundamentally trashy idea, but Starkweather executes the dish really well. The tater tots are hot and crispy. The sour cream is cold and velvety. The contrasting textures, tastes, and temperatures should win over even the most skeptical gastronome. Don’t forget to have them add chorizo.
The interior at Starkweather reads as a fairly standard brewpub. There’s lots of mid-toned wood, lacquered to a mirror shine. There are a few tables and some counters near the bar. There’s an adjacent space with even more tables, mostly sized for large groups. You order at the bar and get a number on a stick for food, so it’s a great place to go with a group of people who might not all arrive at the same time or who you don’t trust to split the check.
There’s a pretty nice outdoor space, too. Like many places, part of the parking lot was converted into a patio. There’s a permanent pergola near the sidewalk and some larger tables with umbrellas further back. The big downside is the noise from cars careening down Atwood Ave as Monona residents retreat from the hustle and bustle of Madison. The construction has partially made this better, but I’m hoping the fully rebuilt Atwood Ave discourages some of the traffic here.
This really is a special brewery, but every time I go I feel a little concerned about how quiet it is. The fact that Next Door couldn’t make it in the same spot amplifies my concern. The beer really is exceptional, especially if you like to get adventurous. Visit this place. Make it a regular haunt. Bring your friends.
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