Built in the early 1900s and originally called the Airway Tavern, Off Broadway Drafthouse is a gathering spot with a full bar and menu, with 24 rotating craft beers on tap, in Madison’s Waunona neighborhood just a block from the lake loop. Restaurant goers can arrive on bicycle as the spot has ample bicycle parking.
Renamed Hansen’s Jazz Club, South Town Lounge and South Bay Lounge and Grill by owners over the years, its current rendition came in 2015 when husband and wife Joe and Rita Klinzing discovered the need for niche food and craft beer. Dubbing it “Off Broadway Drafthouse” after its location off the main road West Broadway, they pledged to create a restaurant honoring local flavor and the location’s past.
“The imagery that you see within our restaurant, along with the repurposed wood, all came from the original building,” said Joe, Off Broadway Drafthouse co-owner. “The murals are all from Wisconsin Historical Society and depict things in this area that are of historical value.”Â
Along with original architecture and authentic imagery, Joe and Rita have paid homage to the town and the drafthouse’s origins with its menu, featuring dishes like the Alice Wedge salad, named after the boat that ferried visitors around Lake Monona in the 1800s; and the Tres Carnes Sliders , a long-standing favorite from the first menu.
“As we developed the menu, we wanted to locally source fresh ingredients, and we wanted people to feel at home while having something good to eat,” said Joe.
He purchases the grass-fed ground beef from Riemer Family Farms in the Brodhead area and Braveheart steaks from their farms in the Midwest.
Their traditional Friday Fish Fry is a fan favorite. So is their Nashville hot chicken sandwich, which is soaked overnight in a spicy buttermilk batter and served the next day full of flavor.
“Our dipping sauces are all made in-house,” said Joe. “They don’t just come in a pack that we open up and serve.”
To source fresh ingredients locally, the Klinzings grow as many vegetables they can for the drafthouse to use in the summer months such as squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers. They also grow an herb garden.
The outdoor seating offers a charming atmosphere with a touch of greenery. “I built gardens — both flower and vegetable varieties for the patio,” said Joe.
The details, apparently, are what helped Off Broadway Drafthouse win eight People’s Choice awards in 2024, including best happy hour, best waitstaff and, notably, best chicken wings.
Come for the beer. Stay for the food. Learn more about the award-winning Madison People’s Choice, Off Broadway Drafthouse by visiting offbroadwaydrafthouse.com.
