Greenbush Bar

There are a lot of pizza places around Madison that people get passionate about. Greenbush Bar is one of the ones that comes up over and over, so I finally made my way down Regent Street to see what the hype was about.

Spoiler: it lives up to it.

The Vibe

Greenbush Bar is not a normal restaurant. You walk in, go down a split staircase, and end up in the basement of the Italian Workmen's Club, a building that has been there since 1922. The ceilings are low, the Christmas lights are up year-round, and the whole room feels like a cozy supper club that collided with a corner bar. It is dark, warm, and honestly just cool.

There are no reservations. Tables are first-come, first-served, and it fills up, especially on weekends and Badger game days. Get there early or be ready to wait. It is the kind of place where you order a drink while you figure it out and nobody is in a rush to push you out.

The Pizza

This is tavern-style pizza, and Greenbush has been doing it since 1993. Thin crust, crispy edges, that slight chew toward the center, and toppings that are fresh and piled on. You can pick tomato sauce or olive oil as your base, and they offer everything from pepperoni to prosciutto to hot giardiniera to gorgonzola.

The Alberici is the signature pie and the one you should order on your first visit. It comes on an olive oil crust with Nueske's bacon, mozzarella, gorgonzola, tomato and arugula. No substitutions, and you do not need any. The gorgonzola gives it this sharp, funky bite that plays perfectly off the bacon, and the arugula keeps the whole thing from feeling heavy. It is different from anything else you will get around Madison and it is genuinely excellent.

I also tried a pepperoni and it was great, but the Alberici is the move. If you are going with a group, get one of each and see for yourself.

The Bar

The bourbon list is several pages long. Way longer than the food menu. If you are into whiskey, this is a destination on its own. They also run a break-even bottle night every Tuesday where they pick one bottle from the backbar and pour it at cost, one ounce per guest, while it lasts. It is a cool thing to do if you can time it right.

Thursdays they do a pop-up piano bar with Richard Shaten from 8pm to midnight. Once a month, DJ Nick Nice does an Italian Disco night from 9pm to midnight. So there is a reason to come back even after you have had the pizza.

The History

The Greenbush neighborhood was Madison's Little Italy, filled with Sicilian and Albanian immigrants, Italian grocery stores, butcher shops and bars. The city condemned and bulldozed the neighborhood in 1960 for urban renewal, forcing people out. The Italian Workmen's Club building is one of the originals that survived, and the bar opened in 1993 inside it. Anna Alberici, one of the former owners, is who the signature pizza is named after. Sam Brown, whose dad co-founded Rocky Rococo, bought the bar in 2024 and reopened it keeping things almost exactly the same, which is the right call.

Good to Know

• No reservations. First-come, first-served. Arrive early, especially on weekends and game days.
• Open 7 days a week, 4:30pm to midnight.
• Order the Alberici pizza. That is the one.
• The bourbon list is massive. Take your time with it.
• Break-even bottle night every Tuesday: one bottle at cost, one ounce per guest, while it lasts.
• Thursday piano bar and monthly Italian Disco nights give you a reason to come back.
• Carryout is available through their website if you do not want to wait for a table.
• 914 Regent St, Madison, WI 53715.

Final Verdict

Greenbush Bar is one of those places that makes Madison feel like Madison. The room is unlike anything else, the pizza is the real deal, and the history is baked into the walls. If you are looking for the best pizza in Madison, this has to be on your short list. Get the Alberici, grab a bourbon, and settle in.