There’s a moment when you walk into Tornado Steak House in Madison when time seems to stand perfectly still, like a perfectly cooked steak resting before the first delicious cut.
The vintage neon sign outside glows like a beacon for carnivores, promising a dining experience that’s been perfected over decades rather than designed by a restaurant consultant with a PowerPoint presentation.
Madison might be known for its progressive politics and university intellectuals, but this basement-level steakhouse on South Hamilton Street proves that Wisconsin’s capital still knows how to honor its supper club traditions with unapologetic gusto.
If you’ve never experienced a true Wisconsin supper club, imagine the Rat Pack decided to open a restaurant where your grandparents would feel perfectly at home ordering a brandy old-fashioned sweet and a massive steak…