Greenway Station restaurants – Middleton/West Madison Wisconsin

Greenway Station is a shopping center in Middleton but also a neighborhood or area – below is the area as defined by Google maps. All the restaurants listed below are within the outlined area, whether physically part of the shopping center or not.

Hotels in or near this area include:

• Residence Inn (Marriott)
• Hilton Garden Inn
• Fairfield (Marriott)
• Madison Marriott West
• Comfort Suites

I am dividing these choices according to the service level, and I don’t mean that I am judging and grouping according to how “good” they are but instead according to whether a server takes your order and delivers your food, vs ordering at a counter. Let’s face it, you can’t compare a nice steakhouse to McDonalds, it’s just not a fair comparison.

I’m giving “star ratings” just for fun, don’t take them too seriously. My goal is just to give you an idea of what you can expect when you go to any of these restaurants.

Full Service Restaurants at Greenway Station

What I like in a full-service restaurant is a comfortable atmosphere, where I can walk in wearing a dress and heels or shorts and sandals. Also great food and service, but everyone of course has difference preferences for that so I am just giving you my own perspective on each of these areas.

A note about service: we experienced the most incredible service at a restaurant in Utah once, and ever since then our server, Leslie, has become the gold standard. So, keep in mind that a 4-star rating is still really good, it’s just not quite “Leslie level”. And honestly, having visited most of these restaurants on multiple occasions, its pretty hard to get a 5 star rating because the service would have to hit it out of the park every time, and we all know how much this can vary according to the server you get on your visit.

Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano

A delicious Italian restaurant with a great menu. Available for lunch or dinner. They also have a Gluten-free menu and a kids menu, so there is truly something for everyone. They have an outdoor seating area which is fabulous, except in winter of course. These photos are from a recent trip where we had lunch – they offer “half&half” sized pastas and pizzas which we both opted for. We’ve also been here for dinner and takeout, because its one of our favorite restaurants in the area.

They do take reservations on their website, which is a great idea for a busy Friday or Saturday night. If you can’t get a reservation, they have a very efficient takeout service. You can order and pay online for pickup, then park in designated spaces, text that you have arrived, and they will bring your food out to your car.

I can say that I’ve eaten here dozens of times, and I’ve never had a bad meal. Favorites include the pizza (great crust!), the salads and pasta, and when I want to splurge I order the sea bass – so GOOD!

How to Find Biaggi’s and Ancho & Agave

Both Biaggi’s and Ancho & Agave (follows) are located kind of off the main drag. If you’re turning on to Deming Way from Greenway Blvd, you’ll see Fuji restaurant. If you turn left just before Fuji and drive straight forward, you’ll see both these restaurants with ample parking in front of their doors.

Ancho & Agave

Casual and fun Mexican restaurant. Decent appetizers, really good tacos and other plates. The margaritas are great! They also have a kids menu and a gluten free menu. This is what I’m going to call a “new age” Mexican restaurant, the type that has street tacos in choices like cauliflower and avocado. I love these, but if you have your heart set on a chimichanga you might end up disappointed. However, they do have some very hearty burrito choices.

Note: I took the food down a star because both I and a friend got a terrible stomach ache after sharing the queso dip. If it were just me, I would have chalked it up to “they probably use processed cheese” because I am sensitive to that. But since it was my friend also, I think it was more than that. So proceed at your own risk LOL. (p.s. we have both gone back since so it wasn’t exactly a deal breaker!)

Website: https://www.anchoandagave.com/

Cooper’s Hawk Winery

You can tell from the name that they are all about the wine. They are a little less casual than most of the other restaurants in Greenway Station, but still pretty comfortable. I’ve heard them described as both “The Olive Garden of Wine Clubs” as well as “Fake Fancy” and honestly I would agree with both.

First of all, I LOVE Olive Garden so the comparison is pretty funny. But I do feel as though this place can’t decide on their identity – are you trying to be an outstanding restaurant or is it all an excuse to sell wine? One my most recent visit my friend and I were both a  little irritated that they kept bringing up the wine club. I mean really, we showed up for lunch and ordered no alcohol with our meal – is the hard sell really necessary?

Oh and as for fake fancy – apparently when they opened they were offering valet service which is pretty hilarious for the location.

I’ve been here twice, and both times the food was good but not outstanding. I kind of think their appetizers are their strong suit, so this would be a great place to go for some wine and appetizers.  Decent service, and they do have a gluten free menu and a kids menu. My hair stylist has been here and would probably rate it higher than I – we have decided that it really depends upon which server you get, as it sets the tone for the whole meal.

And just so you realize how I feel about the “Fake Fancy” part, I kind of want to start a drinking game where every time someone mentions “wine club” during your visit, you have to take a drink. 🤣

Website: https://chwinery.com/

Pro tip: when you see the front of the restaurant that faces Deming, you might feel like getting a parking space right there would be great, but actually the doors to get in face the parking lot out back, so drive in and park there!

Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse

This restaurant has a comfortable supper club atmosphere. They do accept reservations, and we walked in recently on a Friday night without a reservation and they were still able to seat us in a comfortable booth in the bar area. I walked in saying I was going to have seafood but ended up ordering the prime rib, which I enjoyed immensely.

Great steaks but also pasta, chicken, seafood and salads. They have gluten sensitive choices but no kids menu.

Fuji Sushi & Hibachi

A fun Asian restaurant where they make a show of cutting up the food and cooking it in front of you. If you’ve ever been to a Benihana, you know what I mean. Teriyaki chicken never tasted so good!

They do not take reservations but encourage walk-ins. It’s community-style seating so you rarely need to wait for a table.

Website: https://www.fujimiddleton.com/

“Fast Casual” Restaurants in Greenway Station

Fast casual is the term used to describe places where you order at the counter for food to be delivered to your table. It’s a hybrid of full service and fast service, and continues to gain in popularity. The food is typically “elevated” fast food and often much healthier.

Here are the restaurants in Greenway Station with this service delivery model:

Cafe Zupas

This is a “Panera style” restaurant with excellent soups and salads. Delicious choices, perfect for lunch. They have some protein bowls I really need to try – I think I’d have to eat lunch here every day for a month to try everything!

Freska Mediterranean Grill

We’re all supposed to adopt the Mediterranean diet, and this is a great way to start! Delicious salads, hummus, and fresh pita bread made throughout the day.

Five Guys

Five Guys is a burger place, and you both order and pick up at the counter. But it is classified as fast casual because the food is made to order rather than mass produced. I’ve known people who rave for this place, others who don’t. I don’t consider it anything special but it does score a notch above McDonalds, especially if you’re in the mood for a decent burger.

Fast Food Restaurants

I’m guessing you pretty much know what you can expect from these:

• McDonalds
• Starbucks
• Jersey Mikes Subs (hint: no drive thru; order with the app and pick up)
• Smoothie King (this is over by Highway 14, the edge of this area)

Hopefully this list helps you find the right restaurant to feed yourself or your group while you’re in the area.

Please comment below if you try any of them. Do you agree or disagree with my assessments? I’d love to know!