Order the milkshake, skip the wine list
North Sherman Avenue · Madison · American Burger Joint · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is less a list and more a footnote — a couple of Barefoot bottles tucked beneath a beer menu that actually has something to say. This is a burger joint that knows it's a burger joint, which we respect, but someone still made the call to offer wine and we have to talk about it.
There's no region focus, no producer story, no attempt at curation — just Barefoot Chardonnay and Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc holding down the fort. Barefoot is a perfectly legal wine, but it's also available at every gas station in Wisconsin for under eight dollars a bottle. When a restaurant's entire wine program can be summarized in two SKUs from a grocery store shelf, the program isn't really a program — it's an afterthought. There are no reds, no bubbles, no interesting additions, nothing that suggests anyone thought about this for more than five minutes.
You're looking at two pours, max — and both are Barefoot. The glass options mirror the bottle options because the bottle options are the glass options. There's no rotation, no seasonal swap, no sign this will ever change.
Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc — Unknown
If you're committed to ordering wine here — and we'd gently ask why — the Sauvignon Blanc at least has enough acidity to cut through a greasy burger without completely disappearing. It's the lesser bad option, which is the nicest thing we can say.
Barefoot Chardonnay
It's not hidden and it's not a gem, but the Chardonnay is inoffensive enough that if someone at your table insists on wine while everyone else drinks beer, this won't ruin the night. Manage expectations accordingly.
Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc
Look, skip both of them. You're at a burger joint with a solid beer list. Order a local craft beer, order a milkshake, order literally anything else on the drinks menu — the wine is here in name only.
Barefoot Chardonnay + Cheese Curds
If you must, the lightly oaked Chardonnay won't completely embarrass itself next to fried cheese curds. The fat in the curds softens the wine's flatness, and the wine's mild sweetness plays along. It's the blind leading the blind, but it works in a pinch.
❌ The Bottom Line
Milwaukee Burger Company is genuinely good at being a burger restaurant — the wine program is not part of that success story. Drink the beer, eat the burger, leave the Barefoot for someone else.
South West Side / Arbor Gate · Madison · Contemporary American
Bonfyre is a reliable neighborhood grill that happens to have Wine Down Wednesday, and that promotion does more for this wine program than anything on the list itself. Come on a Wednesday, order the Riesling or the Malbec with your steak, and you'll leave happy — just don't expect the list to dazzle you on a Tuesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown / Capitol Square · Madison · Sushi / Japanese
Red Sushi isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but the fortified and dessert options give it more credibility than most comparable spots downtown. Come for the sushi, stay for the Madeira.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Far West Side / Greenway Station · Madison · Casual Italian
Biaggi's is a chain, the markups are steep, and nobody on staff is going to geek out over Nebbiolo with you — but the Wine Wednesday promotion (50% off bottles $75 and under) genuinely changes the math. Come on a Wednesday, order a bottle of Santa Margherita or a Chianti Classico at half price, and you'll have a perfectly solid dinner without any regrets.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Madison · Seafood and Steak
Tempest is a reliable downtown option for wine with your oysters — the list has genuine highlights and the glass count is respectable, but the markups are steep and the program isn't pushing itself. Go for the Sancerre, go for the Riesling, and don't overthink it.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side / Junction Road · Madison · Wine Bar & Bistro
Eno Vino West is the dependable neighborhood wine bar Madison's west side needs — not flashy, not adventurous, but genuinely well-stocked and fairly priced. Show up on a Monday or Tuesday, grab a half-price bottle, and stop overthinking it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Near West Side / Monroe Street · Madison · Californian-style, veggie-forward American
Everly's list is more thoughtful than most neighborhood spots its size, with a few genuinely exciting bottles mixed in with the safe pours. We'd send a friend here for wine, but we'd tell them to go in with eyes open on the markup — you're paying a premium for the atmosphere as much as what's in the glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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