Bandit Tacos & Coffee

There are a lot of places in Madison where you can get a breakfast sandwich, but Bandit Tacos & Coffee is one of a few worth making a special trip for. I had heard this sandwich was seriously underrated, and after trying it, I understand why people are so enthusiastic about it.

Bandit has built a reputation around creative food, house-made tortillas, and a coffee lineup that makes it more than just another taco shop. But on this visit, the tacos were not what had my attention. It was the breakfast sandwich. Let us be real, if Alton Brown called it "quite possibly the best breakfast sandwich ever," you know I had to check it out.

The Lowdown

• Address: 640 W Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703
• Bang for your buck: Prices are moderate to expensive, but the quality sets it apart from your classic, cheap street tacos
• Vibe check: Eclectic, casual and sunny with lots of greenery
• Perfect for: Grabbing a quick bite or a casual hangout

Ambiance

Bandit is one of those places where the atmosphere starts working on you before you even get your food. The space has a relaxed, eclectic feel and is loaded with plants, plenty of seating, cool artwork and fantastic natural light. My first thought walking in was basically, "this is a cute-ass little place," because there is a genuine vibe here that makes you want to hang around for a while. The only downside is that it does get noticeably louder and busier later in the day.

What I ordered (and my honest thoughts)

The Porter Breakfast Sandwich, $13. It comes with Fox Heritage smoked ham, Hook's one-year sharp cheddar, shaved red onion, stone-ground mustard and an over-medium egg on a Stalzy's brioche roll.

This thing is genuinely excellent. The egg was cooked exactly how I wanted it, runny enough to mix into everything but not so runny that the whole sandwich turns into a mess, and the ham was incredible. Not to mention the perfectly soft and flaky brioche bun.

The only thing I could not quite get past was that the mustard made it feel more like a lunch sandwich than a traditional breakfast sandwich. If you are a classic bacon-egg-and-cheese person like me, that is the one thing that might take a minute to adjust to.

Overall impression

The cool thing about Bandit is that the restaurant does not really need to convince you it is doing something different. It clearly is. The menu is built around thoughtful combinations and fresh ingredients rather than trying to recreate the most familiar version of a taco or breakfast dish.

What I really liked is that Bandit manages to feel casual without feeling generic. You can come for coffee, breakfast, tacos or a quick meal and still feel like you are somewhere with profound character. If you usually reach for a classic bacon, egg and cheese in the morning, this is different enough that you might not imagine it being your favorite breakfast sandwich, but that is exactly what makes it worth trying.

And while I walked in expecting the breakfast sandwich to be pretty good, I walked out thinking it was absolutely worth going back for.

What you need to know (the a la carte version)

• Breakfast runs 8 to 11 a.m. Current posted hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
• Expect counter service. You order at the counter, get a number and find your own table while you wait.
• Parking can be a little tricky during busy periods. The lot can fill up around lunch, so biking or walking might be the better move.
• The coffee is not an afterthought. Bandit is intentionally built as a tacos-and-coffee concept, so grabbing a coffee alongside breakfast is very much part of the experience.
• Bottom line on price: moderately priced to slightly expensive, especially if you are ordering multiple tacos, which are priced individually. You are paying for a chef-driven, ingredient-focused experience rather than cheap, traditional street tacos.