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| - I'm writing this review for people who, like me, had a terrible meal at Graze and walk out thinking it's somehow your own fault. It's not your fault! Sometimes the food is just awful.
Last night my wife and I split the Graze Burger, praised by the Food Network and the Wisconsin State Journal as the best burger in Wisconsin, and it was overdone, dry, salty, and coated with a sickly syrup. I am sure that this was just an off night--perhaps a new sous, or a momentary downturn in the quality of their meat--but Graze fed me the worst burger I've had in Madison. I couldn't finish it, and I always finish my burgers!
Their fries were good, if a bit salty, and the fried curds were not bad, though they were a bit softer than I tend to like. Their wedge salad was the best part of the meal, and it's something I would happily order again on its own.
The whiskey sour I ordered was almost as bad as the burger: medicinal, alkaline, with the bitter notes of cheap whiskey and the sugary notes of a poorly-balanced sour mix.
Graze food isn't always like this. Their breakfast pastries rival those of Madison Sourdough for being the best in town, and I've had a braised goat sandwich off their lunch menu that was among the best meals I've had in my fourteen years in this city. But going to Graze is always a roll of the dice: if you want a good meal you should stick to the beer list, order a cheese or charcuterie platter, and ask your server for advice about what food to order.
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