It took me a while to figure out the Echo. I never even bothered with it for the first few years, but I was wasting time on Lower State Street and wouldn't have known a quality neighborhood bar anyway. When you're 21 you figure a place like the Echo is for the Old People. And that's not completely untrue, because this place is rarely full of young college kids. And that's maybe why I've started to like the Echo more and more. I started meeting friends down there for an after-class burger and a beer during my last year of college. It quickly became a regular destination and a favorite place to kick back, relax and bully the jukebox.
I last dropped by the Echo after a hockey game at the Kohl Center, which is quickly becoming a habit. Sometimes the place gets a bit too busy after a game but this wasn't one of those times. The Echo has one of the better tap selections in Madison but for me it almost always comes down to the Sprecher Black Bavarian. This is one of my all-time favorite beers and to find it on tap is a special treat. Seriously - four stars just for having Black Bavarian on tap. I'm told that the mix drinks are quite good but nothing's going to pry me away from my Black Bavarian. The bartenders are quick and friendly unless the place is very crowded. The bar area becomes a bit of a bottleneck and it can be difficult to get a beer.
I don't get food at the Echo all that often anymore but it is quite good. They do a truncated menu on game days that leaves off my favorites, so I don't usually go here to eat on these days. Other nights it's a relaxing place to grab a table and have a good time. I especially like the cajun porkchop sandwich and the BLT. It's served on French bread and is evidence of how something simple can be great. But for the most part I stick to having a pre or post-game drink at the Echo. I still run into a lot of old friends and acquaintances at this bar as well, which always makes for a good time. Maybe I'm becoming an Old Person now, but the Echo is one of my favorite downtown destinations these days.