The owners of Talula's have managed to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. If you have any sense of east side Madison history you'll understand that they inherited the Brady Bunch interior and hot pink exterior from previous tenants, but they make it work. To me the decor says East Madison hip frugal green with a generous dose of local artists on the walls.
Rather than run themselves into a financial hole by trying to do an extensive remodel, they've wisely focused on making do with what they have (and quite nicely, I might add) and paying attention to food, service, and a mix of weekly entertainment options. In today's economy, that's downright sexy.
The food is a mixture of gastropub and regular eats, and there's probably something for everyone. Good beer is readily available (as opposed to when it was CJ's and your choices seemed to be Bud and Miller Lite). That, in combination with people watching, makes it a local hangout where not everybody necessarily knows your name, but they are always glad you came. Blue collar, white collar, families, you name it and they frequent Talula's. If you're looking for East Side Madison with a sense of humor about itself, head here. It's all good.