There are so many places to get a steak around downtown Madison’s Capitol Square, it can be hard to choose: Johnny Delmonico’s? Capitol ChopHouse? The brand-new Rare? How about the oldest (and still one of Madison’s favorites): Tornado Steak House at 116 South Hamilton Street?
Although it’s the oldest, Tornado only opened in the mid-nineties (in the spot that used to be Crandall’s Restaurant). But its atmosphere makes it feel a lot older than that—and a lot of it is, since owner Henry Doane kept much of the interior the same as it had been when it was Crandall’s. The building itself is much older—it was built in the late 1800s.
At night, a neon sign on top of the building lights up, pointing the way to Tornado’s entrance and proclaiming it “famous for steaks.”
Walk into Tornado’s slightly shoddy-looking Main Street entrance (it looks better in the dark, when it’s lit by another neon sign—one that says “Tornado Room” in red script) and you’re immediately plunged into the low-lit, vintage-style bar and lounge that could be straight out of the 1940s.
Sit at one of the small cocktail tables or take a seat at the bar and ask one of Tornado’s excellent bartenders to mix you an old fashioned cocktail, whether it’s a dirty martini or an actual Old Fashioned. (Before you choose, be aware that Tornado’s bartenders consistently mix the best brandy Old Fashioneds ever, anywhere, in the history of the world.)
After a drink or two, head into one of the small, wood-paneled dining rooms for a classic steak dinner in what the restaurant’s website describes as “white-linen dining in a supper club atmosphere.” In warm weather, you can sit on the outdoor patio (at the Hamilton Street entrance) and enjoy a view of the Capitol as you sink your heavy-duty steak knife into your bone-in tenderloin. If steak isn’t your thing, there are other meaty options like pork, duck, and rabbit, seafood options like salmon and walleye, and even plenty of delicious sides that can serve as a satisfying vegetarian meal. If it’s the weekend, time your visit to coincide with one of Tornado’s nightly specials: the Friday Night fish fry, Saturday night prime rib, or the Sunday night chicken dinner.
If the regular menu is a little beyond your price range, never fear. Just keep throwing back drinks at the bar until 10:00 p.m., when the less expensive but still high-quality late-night menu becomes available (it’s served until 1 a.m.). Regulars swear by the steak sandwich—a steal at only $9. Some patrons have been known to skip dinner and stay up late just to be able to order it, since the sandwich isn’t available on the regular dinner menu.
Below the main bar and dining rooms is the Corral Lounge, which opens on Saturday and Sunday nights at 9 p.m. and is available for private parties for the rest of the week.
Tornado is only open for dinner and late-night, so there’s no breakfast, brunch or lunch to be found here. If you get a supper-club hankering before Tornado’s bar opens at 4:30 p.m., check out the movie and/or book on Wisconsin’s supper club history. Tornado Steak House is, of course, featured prominently.
