Paulius Musteikis
The generous walleye po' boy is almost two sandwiches.
I can’t think of an area restaurant that has bigger, more visible exterior signage than Waypoint Public House — which makes sense, because it’s one of the most difficult restaurants to access in the Madison metro. You can see it from the Beltline, but drivers have to head down Broadway, then find Lottes Lane to actually reach it. Once you’re in the Treysta apartment parking lot, walk the path along the water; Waypoint is the last storefront on the left. Thanks to the chops of its operators, though, Waypoint makes the navigation worth it.
Waypoint is the newest restaurant from the team that brought the Free House to Middleton and Flying Hound to Fitchburg. Their experience is reflected in Waypoint’s excellent bar and tap list, and it should draw diners to the Broadway area of Monona.
The bar is an obvious centerpiece, three sides of a rectangle dominating the dining space. A fan of liquor and cocktails won’t leave disappointed, but like Free House and Flying Hound, Waypoint’s impressive tap list is the focus. Among the early offerings was this year’s Central Waters Peruvian Morning bourbon barrel-aged coffee stout, and the list of 30 taps has since been punctuated with other highlights like Bell’s Le Contrebassiste (a lightly tart bière de garde) and Ballast Point’s Habanero Sculpin IPA. The menu includes a list of upcoming beers, always nice for the repeat customer.
With the exception of its brunch menu, Waypoint’s kitchen doesn’t step too far outside of the sandwich and salad zone. Appetizers take up a lot of real estate, both on the printed menu and on the plate. A smoked pork quesadilla’s physical presence practically says stuffed pizza; the pork is above average, and both onions and sliced jalapeños deliver a punch to clear out the rich, fatty flavors. Our server asked if we were saving room for dinner when it looked like our excellent pimento cheese dip was moving slowly. (We were, but it also happens to come in a deep ramekin, and it’s not light fare to begin with.) I saw a plate of nachos go by that looked like a science fair model volcano.
Portion size is usually generous, almost to a fault. A walleye po’boy was more like po’boys, plural; a nearly foot-long baguette halved, with each half containing a whole walleye fillet, is about twice as big as the order needs to be. If the fish hadn’t been a touch overcooked, I might have been happier about the bounty. Tilapia tacos show promise, but the crispness of the batter is undermined by too much wet pineapple salsa and not enough shredded cabbage. From the lengthy salad menu, a pickled beet and goat cheese salad was dominated by a mass of greens. Even the side salads overrun the plate. However, an avocado BLT and a deviled egg and bacon sandwich were surprisingly skimpy.
The brunch menu is substantial. There are 11 items, six of which come with greens or excellent fried potatoes, tossed in a sriracha-esque mayo. Pork belly could use some tweaking — it came out tough — and my corned beef hash was greasy, though tasty. The steak and eggs was okay: slightly tough steak, but verdant, fresh chimichurri.
Overall, I heartily recommend the burgers. Knoche’s beef is always a good choice, and when I ordered medium, I got medium. The patty on my American Classic was packed tightly enough, on an excellent Batch Bakehouse bun — the bread at Waypoint is a consistent success — and topped with crisp veggies and just enough sauce. What I wouldn’t give for a burger topped with that pimento cheese dip. The house-made potato chips are good and crunchy, and not overly salty.
I wish that Monona would build a footbridge to Waypoint’s little peninsula from Lottes Park, which is currently undergoing substantial renovation. But seeing the crowds, it’s clear that people have found Waypoint Public House. The Waypoint patio is going to be a fine place to sit on the Yahara with a burger and a beer, and watch the boats come in. n
Waypoint Public House: 320 W. Broadway, Monona, 608-222-0224, waypointpublichouse.com, 11 am-midnight Mon.-Thurs., 11 am-2 am Fri.-Sat, 10 am- 10 pm Sun., full menu ends at 10 pm, late night menu until 1 am., $5-$15
