The Mason Lounge

Bar

416 S Park St
Madison, Wisconsin, 53715-1618
United States

(608) 255-7777 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.21
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
9
pDev:
2.85%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by RobinLee:
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Rated by RobinLee from Wisconsin

4.21/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4

Mar 08, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.22 by BarrelAgedG from California

Feb 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.06 by Diaper-Daniels from Wisconsin

Jan 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by BeerBeak81 from New York

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Gotti311 from Wisconsin

Jun 17, 2014
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Reviewed by crossovert from Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Stopped in here for the Blind Pig Great Taste of the Midwest pre-party. I loved the atmosphere here, no tvs, couches, dark, cozy, not too loud, just a perfect atmosphere for relaxing and enjoying social craft beer drinking. I saw the taps they had and they were pretty good. Nothing outrageous but a solid craft lineup. the bartender was friendly.

We were just drinking the blind Pig stuff though, it was great. And it is great that the bar allowed them to sell there. When I am back in Madison this probably will be a stop I will make without hesitation, nice place.
Aug 28, 2012
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Reviewed by SciFritz from Wisconsin

4.36/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Atmosphere: I really dig what atmosphere they are going for. Kind of a shabby beer-chic for a beer snob, like myself. Bartender's iPod mix added to the atmosphere. no TV, a plus!!!

Quality: Great domestic crafts on tap and great bottle list for domestics and imports.

Service: Great!

Selection: Great, goes along with the quality

Over all, this is a great little hip pub that has a great selection and atmosphere. This is a great place to have a beer to relax and find an interesting conversion...if the conversation does not come, the bar tender is open to discuss beer and play a great iPod selection.
Apr 12, 2012
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Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.26/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.25
Cool place. Varied and eclectic taplist, and the same applies to the decor/vibe. It was a low building, sandwiched in between a couple of multiple-storied buildings. "The Mason" was on the awning, and there were two windows in the front, one with a Rogue neon, in the other was a chalkboard sign "fine ale & wine lounge". It was dim, and slightly dank like your eccentric uncle's basement, who collects beer cans, old signage, kooky lamps, and tree branch installation art. Vintage furniture, original art, even a chicken coop diorama? Weird. Great variety of low key music here, spanning decades.

Funny story, even though it was a completely isolated incident... our group was twice insulted by a pair of icy, ignorant hipster "chicks". To my friend, eyeing the whiskey selection: "What are you looking at?" in a condecending tone. "Uh, the whiskey." Her/It: "They're all BROWN." Serious douchechills... Earlier while standing at the bar, waiting for the bartender, it was announced to me that one of several empty bar seats was "saved for my cute friend, he's in a rasta cap" Uh, no one is trying to sit by you lady, and no one gives a flying @#$& about your imaginary friends. Moving on...

Bartender was great on the other hand offering samples and chatting about their selection. Tap lists were printed on narrow cardstock sheets, and there was also a hanging chalkboard above the bar. They had a firkin of Old Cedar from the Livery in a cradle behind the bar, on gravity pour. He said they tap these from time to time, but cask ale isn't a regular thing.

Tap gems were Petrus Aged Pale, Potosi Tangerine IPA, Tyranena Scurvy, Founders Curmudgeon, and several others. Bottle list wasn't huge, but was similarly eclectic with limited seasonal beers.

Overall the Mason was a relaxing place to unwind, plenty of visual and auditory stimulation, plus a solid beer list. Will return again sometime.

2018: Bartender was a little slow. We wandered in and sat at the bar, ready to order drinks. Not crowded, but right as we were about to order, an inebriated regular piped up with a “story” about nothing in particular. She goes “I’ll be with you in a minute”, which turned into ten while this goofball told a rambling non-story. “So I says to Mabel, I says...”, that kind of thing. Ok...could you maybe serve drinks in the meantime? Seemed a bit amateur. Patio had a bunch of mosquitos unfortunately. Still a good beer and whiskey selection, but the bloom is off the rose a little.
Aug 15, 2011
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Reviewed by BarrytheBear from Wisconsin

4.36/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Visited tonight with the classic, steepH20, and the wife and found myself immediately impressed.

I will preface this by stating I don't particularly enjoy going to bars. When I do, my goal is the beer and not the atmosphere. When a bar tends to do both well then it has my attention.

Space is where the old smut and eggs Bennett's used to call home. Very comfortable, dimly lit, with couches, an inviting bar space, and plenty of casual entertainment, including the old school Viewfinders, Trivial Pursuit, and some 1980's vintage beer books. Tap list was varied and included some solid choices, including among others Three Floyd's Pride and Joy, Bell's Hopslam, Monk's Cafe, New Glarus Apple Ale, and Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout. I counted twenty taps and didn't care to inquire about a bottle list. We spent our evening lounging on the couches, firing trivia back and forth, and generally wallowing in our own crapulence.

It's difficult to impress me with a bar, but tonight I found myself enjoying this place immensely and projecting myself spending a few long evenings here in the future.
May 22, 2011
The Mason Lounge in Madison, WI
Place rating: 4.21 out of 5 with 9 ratings