Woodman's Markets - Madison East

Woodman's Markets - Madison EastWoodman's Markets - Madison East
Woodman's Markets - Madison EastWoodman's Markets - Madison East
Store

3817 Milwaukee St
Madison, Wisconsin, 53714-2403
United States

(608) 244-6630 | map
woodmans-food.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.97
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
44
pDev:
9.57%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Gotti311:
Photo of Gotti311
Rated by Gotti311 from Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

Jun 18, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4/5  rDev +0.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.25
I am a sucker for a HUGE supermarket....especially ones that respect beer by offering an equally HUGE array of BEER options.

After visiting the awesome Woodman's on the other side of town, I had high hopes for this place...no disappointment here.

As in the other place, this is a "separate" store, housed in the same building. Loads of booze, wine and happily the BEER that you are interested in. Beer in case display stacks, shelving units and chilling in coolers. Expect to find all the usual locals, regionals, national heavyweights and imports. I visited several several times, during a weeklong stay in Madison and found cans of tasty local brews, each time...NEIPA, brown ales, Stacks of high quality (and cheap) Wisconsin standards from New Glarus always appreciated and enjoyed.

Worthy spot for all your food and beer needs.
Nov 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by ejimhof from Pennsylvania

Nov 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4.38 by DaddyPorter from Wisconsin

Aug 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.21 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Aug 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by UWBadgerFan4Life from Wisconsin

Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.88 by BarrelAgedG from California

Jun 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.12 by Hendrick24 from Wisconsin

Jun 17, 2015
Photo of Rilesmiles
Reviewed by Rilesmiles from Wisconsin

3.01/5  rDev -24.2%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 4.5
While the selection is as good as any big box grocer, it's not necessarily a pleasant place to buy your beer. The liquor section in general is spirit and BMC-centric, and the clientele and employees reflect that. Still, if you're looking for something, anything, that's typical in this distro market, it'll more than likely be available here at a good price.
May 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.6 by twb0392 from Wisconsin

Mar 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Soneast from Wisconsin

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Ri0 from Wisconsin

Dec 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by s_wit from Wisconsin

Nov 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by KAF from Iowa

Nov 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by egrace84 from Illinois

Oct 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by BUNZILLA from Indiana

Sep 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by 5redbaron from Canada (ON)

Aug 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by TX-Badger from Texas

Jun 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by vande from Illinois

May 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by gwash411 from Wisconsin

Jan 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by richkrull from Wisconsin

Nov 01, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by ms333 from Illinois

Oct 13, 2013
Photo of tyleeis
Reviewed by tyleeis from Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
My 2nd choice next to the new Woodmans in Sun Prairie. Best mix of selection and price you can get. I'd recommend grabbing a brewers choice pack. It's a 24 pack of import and micro only they throw together. For around $18 you can't beat that...the worse you'll get is Heineken or Corona.
Sep 07, 2013
Photo of Kbyfield
Reviewed by Kbyfield from Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 5
For what it is, Woody’s is great, but remember that it’s a warehouse grocery store. There’re no sample trays, no fancy décor, and nobody to help you find that rare bottle of something or other.

They have the expected selection of macros, in every possible serving size, but they also have a very nice selection of micros, both domestic and import. The lines will be long, the service will be polite, but don’t expect to engage the clerk in a discussion on the merits of whatever you happened to grab off the shelf.

They DO NOT take credit cards, just cash check and debit.

I guess I don’t know what people expect to find when they pull up to a building the size of a factory. This isn’t Whole Foods, it’s a HIGH volume, lower cost grocer. Get your beer, expect to wait in line, and enjoy that you paid less than most other places for that armful of Founders or Bells or Ommegang or whatever

EDIT: I'm changing my "Quality" rating from 5.0 to 4.0 - They got a case of Goose Island Bourbon County a week or so ago. Like everyone in Madison, they limited the sales, but UNLIKE everyone else in town, they bent you over on the price: $9.99/bottle vs $4.99-$5.99 everywhere else. There's no need for this sort of BS.
Dec 02, 2011
Photo of scones
Reviewed by scones from Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 5
This is my go-to place for picking up a six-pack... or four. I have yet to see the prices lower anywhere else, and the selection is enormous - better than most of the specialty places. I can get all sorts of imports, Founders, Bell's, Three Floyds, GLBC, as well as pretty much any beer bottled in Wisconsin. The atmosphere is a little on the low end and the service isn't great, but when I am picking up some rare beer I can't find anywhere else and doing it on the cheap, do I really care about any of that?
Jul 12, 2011
Photo of MilwaukeeCrusher
Reviewed by MilwaukeeCrusher from Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
This is probably the best place for value in the whole city. Singles selection is limited, and staff generally doesn't know much about beer. Selection in general is very broad, and as far as quality they do get some of the higher end releases, but they don't last long. If you want to load up on a broad variation of Great Lakes brews and don't mind missing a few rare releases, then this is your place... although the store on the west side is much better. For 90% of my beer purchases, this is my go to place.
Jan 13, 2011
Photo of jera1350
Reviewed by jera1350 from Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
Stopped in based upon reviews and location on my way down to Chicago. Let's just say they have one hell of a selection. This is one huge store to begin with and close to one half of the store walls are covered with refrigerated craft beer. New Glarus and Ale Asylum a plenty with tons of other crafts that WI carries. Prices were very good. Bell's Batch 9000 for $15.49 a six pack? Wow. Case price and mix your own six discounts as well. Didn't see any workers around except for by the registers. He was very friendly though. An awesome beer store that was well worth the stop just off of the freeway.
Aug 03, 2010
Photo of MysticX
Reviewed by MysticX from Arkansas

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
Stopped by on my way back to Minneapolis from Ann Arbor. Liquor section is in a separate room from the grocery store, with beer along one side in a cooler-like section and also some along the back. Good selection, especially of Wisconsin beers as you can imagine, along with other stuff like a couple FFF, Boulevard smokestacks, New Belgium, Stone, Dogfish Head, etc. Had a decent, but not gigantic, singles section. I wasn't able to find any of the somewhat old special releases I was looking for, though that was not surprising or a real critique. They did have some older New Glarus ones (just not the ones I was seeking).

What surprised me most were the prices. $9.50 for La Folie, versus $12.99 in Kansas City & $15 in Minneapolis. Singles were mostly under $2 and the Boulevard Smokestacks were all $8 (though none of the 'special' smokestacks). Never had anyone say anything to me while browsing, which was fine. The who rang me up was nice and when he mistakenly rang one bottle up twice he was very apologetic and quick to get the amount refunded. They don't take credit, but do take debit, so be prepared.
Feb 09, 2010
Photo of robbyc1
Reviewed by robbyc1 from Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +2%
This place surprised me, I'm used to the Woodman's in Kenosha, and this one is better for sure. One thing, they have a singles area, for just above $10 per six pack you can select from 30 or so singles, not a bad selection. The volume done here means the quality is good all around. Most everything is in coolers. No service to speak of, but that's OK. It's a grocery store with a busy alcohol area because their prices are so good.

The selection outside the singles is very good, deep full lines of most Wisconsin micros, including Tyranena, Lake Louie, New Glarus, Central Waters, Capital, etc. Had several NG Unplugged offerings, I nabbed the Berliner Weiss, but otherwise rarities were few. Good collection of Stone, including Oak Aged something, only a couple Bell's offerings, and others including Weyerbacher only had the standards, did nab a bomber of Boulevard's Saison. Limited but ok selection of Belgians, but I don't come here for those. As an Illinoisan, because of our goofy distributor laws, many brewers find it difficult to sell there - as a result only the bigger boys like Capital and god love them Tyranena make it down south. So we go up there for some good stuff.

I find the worlds best value here, put together a case of any four New Glarus 6 packs for $28, that's a case price I can get happy for. I'm liking Jennifer's for the specials, but here for the volume.
Oct 12, 2009
Photo of karst
Reviewed by karst from Missouri

4.55/5  rDev +14.6%
You really should stay out of here because your going to buy way too much beer from their all refrigerated excellent selection.

Following the Great Taste of the Midwest we filled up three coolers. I expect selection is better next month with college back in session and the shelves not being stripped by 7000 out of town/state beer lovers.

Great liquor store all around. Good parking. Restrooms available in attached grocery store. Nice part of town.

Good selection of imports and of course the domestic microbrews are awesome. No sense of stuff that has collected too much shelf time.
Aug 11, 2009
Photo of brdc
Reviewed by brdc from Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
This is a very peculiar place. It is adjacent to a very large supermarket, sharing the same theme - large selection, cheap prices, but no credit card accepted.
The beer selection is a lot better than I expected. Just about every Bell's and New Glarus, plenty of Ale Asylum and other locals like Central Waters, Lake Louie, Three Floyds, and a decent if not overwhelming selection of imports.
You will not find anything overwhelming, impossible or surprising here, but you can stock up you fridge without spending a fortune. Do not count on service or advice, though.
Well worthwhile.
Aug 11, 2009
Photo of ShareANevada
Reviewed by ShareANevada from Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -15.6%
Stopped in on my way home from the Great Taste, this was near my hotel. Easy to find, however, as it took me several minutes to figure out (and asking an employee), the beer/liquor store is separate, though under the same roof. It is the front right extreme of the building.

While first finding myself submerged in piles of macro schwill, I eventually started finding some goodies. I think I giggled to see a display of NG Raspberry Tart and Belgian Red amongst the crap in the aisles. Solid rep of other NG brews, and what i'm guessing ar the usual suspects around here, Lake Louie, Capital, Tyranena, etc.

Not expected, were the lineup from Boulevard, incluing 750's and sixers. Also 3 kinds of Oskar Blues (Dales, Pils, Chub). Good rep of standard belgians if thats what you're after. Singles available in the front left corner, at fairly reasonable split rates.

I would not expect any help from the staff, this is basically a liquor store. One register open and a huge line, almost entirely of people buying macro crap. I thought Wis was known for its beer??

OF NOTE: No credit cards accepted (thought debit is Ok I believe). Luckily I had a $100 tucked in my wallet or I may have been a little sad to return my 'scores' to the shelves.

Solid selection, average prices, a good experience.
Aug 10, 2009
Photo of KarlHungus
Reviewed by KarlHungus from Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -13.1%
I stopped by this Woodman's location while passing through Madison. I must point out that unlike nearly everything in Madison this store is very easy to find from 1-90/I-94. The selection is very large. The single bottle selection is quite small. There are a few English imports, and very few Belgians. They have a nice make-your-own-six-pack selection. Although it would be nice if they kept their empty six pack holders out on the floor as apposed to behind the register. They also have a very large selection of local beers. They have nearly everything available from what seemed like almost every WI brewery. The service was less than lacking. I've been frequenting the Woodman's in Onalaska for a few years now so I know not to expect any sort of service on the floor, but there was always been adequate staff behind the register. On this visit to this location in Madison there was one clerk behind the register the whole time I was shopping. There were also eight to ten costumers waiting in line the whole time I was there. On top of that the women behind the register didn't acknowledge the fact that the wait in line was long to me or anyone in front of me in line. The least she could have done was say she was sorry for the wait. Or ever better she could have called someone to help her. Or maybe I'm wrong, and I need to expect no service from any Woodman's employee anywhere in the store. With all that said I would still come back to this store, because of the selection and the low prices. I guess what it comes down to is I can accept having a faceless cooperation treat me like a faceless customer if they are selling me a product I like at a low price. However, I would never tolerate that kind of service from a mom and pop liquor store no matter good their selection or their prices.
Jun 18, 2009
Photo of dirtylou
Reviewed by dirtylou from Oklahoma

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%
slightly inferior to the west-side location, same sketchy atmosphere. very close to my new place

massive warehouse liquor store - a ton of booze, a ton of wine, every domestic case imaginable. craft brew cooler extends as far as the eye can see. all of the wisconsin stuff is represented in full as are many other midwestern standouts like bells and founders.

bombers/singles selection is slightly smaller than the gammon road location but still strong

prices are as cheap as you will find anywhere - woodmans makes their profit in other areas.

very good store, conveniently located off some major roads
Jun 14, 2009
Photo of Wisconsin
Reviewed by Wisconsin from Wisconsin

4.7/5  rDev +18.4%
April 2009 Update: Furthermore and Lake Louie have arrived.

Man, this place was amazing. I have never seen such a selection of craft and micro brews. I went in looking to stock up on New Glarus and Leinie's and boy did I come out well at Woodman's. The place has coolers running along the back and side wall and the prices were second to none. I'm talking $10.69 for 12 bottles of Leinie's Honey Weiss, Sunset Wheat, ect. New Glarus had 12's of Spotted Cow and Fat Squirrel priced at $13.69 for 12 which is among the lowest I have seen. Additionally, there was every kind of 6 pack for Leinie's and New Glarus imaginable, and even a New Glarus 12 pack sampler. Overall for beer selection I haven't seen anything that compares. Prices were among the best I have seen in the state. I can't comment on the service because I never needed any, but I never noticed many people walking around. Best piece of advice when going in there is to have a gameplan of what your going to buy.
Oct 28, 2008
Photo of BoitSansSoif
Reviewed by BoitSansSoif from France

3.85/5  rDev -3%
One of my favorite places to grab libations, since the prices here are lower than anywhere else in town. Alas, sometimes you sacrifice freshness, but more often than not, it's just fine. The service is average, and I glean more information from the visiting distributors who are frequently on the floor. In fact, I usually mistake them for employees. Selection is pretty impressive, way to many to name, but they have most of my Trappiste favorites, Unibroue, most all the regional micros, Bell's, Ale Asylum, various micros from around the country, European imports, and all the usual macros. Did I mention the prices are low? They're low. Fill up your cart, but don't be surprised if a couple of them are past their prime.
Jan 31, 2008
Photo of Atron67
Reviewed by Atron67 from Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
So i love woodmans food market for when i am buying beer that is ok to be aged, sometimes i worry about it sitting around too long because their is so much their, not that ive ever had any problems with the place.

Q- the place is pretty sweet big selection, although way to much macro is present. it does have a pretty large selection of things i wouldnt necessarily expect. DFH is one example, rogue is always present, they also do a good job getting special releases from breweries.

S- their service is pretty low, generally not many people present ,and just leave you alone, its ok since they have people working hard to get the beer.

V- its pretty cheap not especially.
Jan 25, 2008
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
It was difficult to find the liquor dept. at this Woodman's. I'm used to seeing "LIQUOR" somewhere on the triple football field wide concrete façade, and alas there was none. Not even signage inside the store.

Once past the acutely chaotic frenzy of the grocery store, and through separate doors inside the store, wait...there it is, the beer. Taking up a mere fraction of the space alloted to the liquor dept. Coolers start on the far left side and wrap along the center wall. Some nice and obscure Belgians like Bornem & Gouden Carolus, German and Euro singles, nothing too obscure there. Some nice Bells, like Expedition and Double Cream, but not the entire line (no 3rd coast old ale, porter, or rye stout). Dark Horse, Ale Asylum, a few New Glarus, one current Unplugged.

My gripe was that they had less of a selection than Woodman's west (Gammon Rd.), and less space allotted. Much less in the way of limited releases. The beer didn't have a designated aisle or area, instead it was backed against the wall by the wine & liquor. No staff were on the floor either. Coupled with the frantic atmosphere of the store, i'll be shopping elsewhere in the future.
Dec 28, 2007
Photo of MrMcGibblets
Reviewed by MrMcGibblets from Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
this is a rather large grocery market/video store/liquor dept that is conveniently located off the highway if you are passing through madison. if you don't live in wisconsin, this is a must-stop to acquire beers which may not be available to you otherwise. enter in throught the video entrance, go right, then on your left...yes! two very large walls of coolers filled with beer. almost all of the beer sold here is from these coolers, and what a great selection. not too much in the way of germans, belgians, bombers, etc., but the best selection of domestic micro sixers i have seen. this place seems to focus on midwestern craft beers. too many midwest breweries are sold here to start mentioning them by name. prices, from what i saw, are pretty good. while you're here you can get some cheese (big selection) and wisconsin brats on the cheap. service is average as this is a grocery store, and a busy one at that.
Jul 23, 2007
Woodman's Markets - Madison East in Madison, WI
Place rating: 3.97 out of 5 with 44 ratings