Food, Drinks & Fun Are the Main Event at 54 Main

It's hard not to like a place whose motto is "eat, drink, and be merry"—especially when they serve 37 different kinds of beer, the sports bar is roomy, comfortable, and decorated more like a real restaurant than a man-cave, the location is a block from the train station, and, by the way, it hosts live music on weekends. 54 Main Bar & Grill is all that and the food is first rate.

From a drinker's perspective in a state full of BYOs, the downtown bar is already above board. There are bottled beers and 16 taps from which flow a selection of domestic, Irish imports, and microbrews all at fair prices ($4-$5.50 per pint). The wine list features mostly Californian vineyards, particularly the reds ($7.50-$9 by the glass, $26-$56 by the bottle). The white wine offerings are a bit more diverse with a few bottles hailing from Italy, Germany, Australia, and France ($7-$7.50 by the glass, $26-$46 by the bottle). There are also nine types of martinis, a full range of festive-sounding cocktails ($4-$8), and cordials.

Music and sports fans (especially Jets) won't be disappointed either, since 54 Main hosts live bands on the weekends and boasts over a dozen flat screen TVs, stays open late, and has ample seating not only around the large rectangular bar but also at the surrounding high top tables. The space is tremendous and is quasi-divided into two rooms: the bar side and the restaurant—both of which seem distinctly separate, yet connected enough to feel the energy running through each. Large paintings of Madison streets and buildings add to the charm.

It's one thing to be able to pour drinks, but another thing entirely to be able to match that level of service with a solid, dependable menu that goes beyond the standard burgers and wings bar fare. 54 Main does just that. There's something for everyone, whether it's a snacking bar patron to families with small children, singles on a budget, or couples looking to splurge. Likewise, the menu pays homage to multiple different cuisines, from straight-up American to southwestern to Italian to Thai.

Starters include buffalo spring rolls ($8.95), quesadillas ($7.95), salads ($6.95-$12.95), and pizza ($9.95), as well as the more upscale Mediterranean ceviche ($12.95) and rock shrimp arrabiata ($11.95). There are also four kinds of calamari ($8.99): traditional, firecracker, Rhode Island (garlic butter with sweet and spicy peppers), and Thai, all of which are plated on an impressive, long, narrow plate meant for sharing.

The Thai-style calamari dish features lightly battered, fried squid tossed in sweet-spicy chili sauce with pineapple, roasted peanuts, and scallions. The flavors marry well together, and the seafood is cooked perfectly—not one bit chewy or greasy. All in all, it's is a nice departure from the original and certainly reinforces the idea that 54 Main is not putting out the usual pub grub.

Entrees also run the gamut from tweaked basics such as "adult mac and cheese" ($14.95) to solid staples, including hanger strip steak ($21.95), rack of ribs ($21.95), fish and chips ($14.95), and a full assortment of burgers ($8.95-$10.95) and hot grilled fish/chicken sandwiches and cold deli-styles ($9.95-$13.95).

Of particular note are the San Francisco tacos ($17.95), a nice display of three flour tortillas stuffed to the gills with battered rock shrimp, homemade cabbage coleslaw, mango salsa, and a drizzling of spicy ancho chile sauce. While I would have appreciated a slightly heavier hand with the shrimp and a lighter touch with the coleslaw, the dish came together nicely, both in texture and flavor. The crispness of the slaw, the slight edge of heat from the chiles, and the sweetness from the shrimp and mangos all worked.

Also nicely-done is the cheese steak sandwich ($11.95), a tasty roll piled high with thinly sliced rib eye, caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese. The roll soaked up the meat jus and the oils from the onions, and the melty, cheesy, goodness only highlighted the quality cut of meat. This is not Steak-umms—not by a long shot.

The dessert list is small and includes the usual suspects: New York cheesecake, crème brulee, carrot cake, chocolate layer cake, and peanut butter silk cake, as well as ice cream and gelato. The vanilla ice cream-topped chocolate lava cake ($6) was pretty standard, and if that is 54 Main's low point, I'll take it gladly.

54 Main Bar & Grille is not fine dining by any means, but they're not trying to be. Service is satisfactory, although it wouldn't have killed them to provide a bread basket. However, they are accomplishing exactly what they set out to do: entertain and provide eats and alcoholic treats. That they do very well, and I daresay it's nice to have a local place where the food doesn't play second-fiddle to the drinks, where you can watch the game without feeling like you're in a dorm room, where you won't go broke, and where fun is really what it's all about.

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54 Main Bar & Grille

54 Main Street, Madison

(973) 966-0252

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Thursday, 11:30-1 am

Friday and Saturday, 11:30-2 am

Sunday, 11:30-1 am

Catering available.