Paul's Club

Teresa Hoffman

11 months ago

Great food and drinks. Menu has a good selection and it is a nice local spot to hang.

Lucas Rifkin

9 years ago

One of the best bars on State Street and a good mix of people not just strictly college kids or one particular genre. Drinks are good. Great selection. Always crowded easier to get around since they moved to the new location two doors down the street and transported their fake tree (glad they did).

Andrew Scully

4 years ago

This place is awesome! There’s a tree in here!

Isaac

year ago

I don't write reviews unless I'm unusually impressed. I pick places carefully so I rarely have a bad experience. I see some reviews here picking at the all-u-can-eat fish fry, I can't imagine the amount of fish they have to try to get out to customers on Friday nights. If it comes out a little less than perfect I mean, come on. I can't imagine anyone reasonable going to Paul's Club and not rating it 5 star. I've only gone at night though so maybe the atmosphere is different? The crowd that comes at night is really friendly and social. There's all this stuff to do like pool, darts, pop-out tickets. A really nice open space. The bartenders have great attitudes and joke with us drinking or what not and that flows over to the customers. When I call to ask for something on the phone I've always been met with someone friendly when alot of times barkeeps at other places scoff at answering the phone. They make the drinks nice and strong. I tried the Buffalo Boneless Wings and the Cajun Fries... both were delicious and better than some restaurants that supposedly specialize in chicken or fries. I've lived here 17 years and graduated from UW Madison, so I've been to a large number of bars around here, and I can't say I've ever been to a bar that had the same combination of friendly crowds, staff, space and games, food, and the drinks. Price are also very fair. I highly recommend Paul's Club. Whoever is currently managing the place, please, please don't ever leave, thank you;)

Sage Amdahl

year ago

I’ve come here on weekends when it was a busy, fun college bar but coming midweek it was honestly most enjoyable with great service from Taylor and Sage. As a woman, I especially appreciated being checked in on when a (weird) man had me and my cousin cornered. All in all, service was great, drinks were great, and I will definitely be returning.

Greenmarch1234

month ago

Classic bar. My wife and I truly treasure our dates here

Deborah

4 years ago

Paul's is still the best place to have a drink before a show at the Overture Center. Great vibe. Friendly staff. Still no food, so eat somewhere else earlier, then stop in here. They make a perfect Aperol Spritz. Beforetimes review from 2 years ago: Authentic. No food. Sit by the tree and order a brandy old fashioned sweet with olives.

Sutthiphong Capaul

6 months ago

Not super high end, but still good drinks and honest pours. I told the Bartender that the whiskey sour tasted different. He looked at it and said let me check the sour. He quickly changed it out and made a proper sour hassle free. I came many times before this happened and this was probably the only “incident” ever. Crowd usually has a good mix, not to polarized and tension free. Cheers!! Also parking is right around the corner! If you can’t find parking Thats a you problem.

Stuart Smith

7 years ago

This place is really cool. We hung out here in the middle of the day and it was not very crowded. Has great atmosphere, comfortable seating, and nice staff. Prices were fair. We tried to go back later but it was “at capacity”. The tree in the middle of the bar was cool. The music they played was also good.

gage

month ago

I ended up at Paul's Club one night after a comedy show nearby because a couple friends insisted it was one of those classic Madison bars you have to experience at least once. From outside, it honestly looked like a regular college bar, but once we walked in, the atmosphere immediately felt different from the louder, more chaotic spots farther down State Street. The first thing everyone notices is the giant tree inside the bar. I thought people were exaggerating when they mentioned it, but there’s literally this huge tree centerpiece in the middle of the place that somehow gives the bar a weirdly cozy vibe. It sounds strange, but it actually works. Paul’s Club is especially known around Madison for its unique tree centerpiece, relaxed bar atmosphere, and longtime State Street presence. We grabbed drinks near the bar while waiting for a table, and the bartender was surprisingly friendly even though the place was getting packed. I ordered an old fashioned while my friend tried one of their mystery shots mostly for fun. The drinks were strong without feeling overpriced compared to a lot of downtown bars. Online reviews also mention the bartenders, strong pours, and social atmosphere as reasons people keep coming back. What I liked most was the mix of people there. You had students, older regulars, couples coming from shows, and random groups playing darts or pool. It felt lively without turning completely obnoxious. The only downside was how crowded it became later at night. Finding seating after 10 PM was almost impossible, and the noise level definitely jumped once the weekend crowd rolled in. Still, Paul’s Club felt more genuine and memorable than a lot of bars that try too hard to be trendy. It’s the kind of place where you stop in for “one drink” and somehow end up staying most of the night.