A Pet-Friendly Getaway to a Midwest Haven for Craft Beer and Cheese

If you think of Wisconsin as a land of cheese and beer, you’re right. Yet in Madison, the state capital, you’ll find stunning Dolsot Bibimbap on menus alongside the expected traditional Midwestern fare like cheese curds. With its recent appearance on Top Chef: Wisconsin and slew of James Beard nods, Madison is attracting foodies with its creative cuisine.

A two-and-a-half-hour drive from Chicago, Madison rises from an isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona. The walkable, bikeable city offers charm, community, and access to the outdoors at an easygoing pace.

Whether you indulge on a culinary crawl, explore trails and waterways with your four-legged friend, or raise a glass, Madison is an ideal weekend getaway. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of it.

1.5 hours from Milwaukee
2.5 hours from Chicago
4 hours and 15 minutes from Minneapolis

You can’t visit America's Dairyland without tasting the local specialty. Wisconsin is one of the country’s largest dairy producers, and it takes the craft seriously as the only state that ensures dairy quality by requiring a license to make cheese.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a Packers fan to be a cheesehead in Madison. Start your education at Fromagination, a European-style cheese shop located on the Capitol Square. The friendly cheesemongers will walk you through display cases stacked with golden blocks of goodness. Whether you’re craving a traditional or artisanal style, you can enjoy your 15-year aged cheddar or black sheep truffle cheese on the seasonal, pet-friendly patio. Next, get schooled at Babcock Dairy Plant and Store on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Built in 1951, the building still serves Food Science students. Grab a seat for you and your pet on the patio and sample their jalapeño cheddar, aged cheddar, and dill Havarti cheeses with a Badger Box from the Dairy Store.

There are few things more comforting than the warm, gooey bite of a cheese curd fried in a crispy batter. Fried cheese curds pair perfectly with beer, so it’s no surprise that some of the best spots to get your curd on include local pubs with pet-friendly patios. Vintage Brewing Co. in Capitol East serves white cheddar curds from Ellsworth Creamery that are breaded instead of battered. If you prefer your cheese curds battered in the beloved local ale Spotted Cow, head to Tipsy Cow near the Capitol Square. Over on the East Side of town, Starkweather Brewing Company offers deep fried Munster curds from Decatur Dairy in Brodhead, WI. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, or cheese block, for Madison’s cheese curd scene.

Madisonians proudly celebrate the outdoors in every season, from paddling its five lakes in the summer to snowshoeing on them in the winter and traversing more than 200 miles of biking and hiking trails. The city is a certified platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community, and Madison makes it easy to explore on two wheels by renting an electric bike at 80 stations through the Madison BCycle program.

There’s no shortage of places to soak in Wisconsin’s natural splendor among the Madison area’s parks and trails. Check local regulations if a furry friend is joining you as a dog permit is required for all dog parks. Most Madison parks allow leashed dogs, and there are nine off-leash dog parks for pets to stretch their legs. Just outside the city in Middleton, Pheasant Branch Conservancy offers more than 600 acres of breathtaking wetlands, prairies, and wooded hills.

Some of the best views of Madison are from the water. If you’re looking to make a splash on the lakes, Madison Boats will get you moving with a rental. Dogs are welcome to join you in a canoe, tandem kayak, or paddleboard, but you’ll need to provide your own dog life jacket. If your pup enjoys paddling around, visit the lagoon at Warner Park Dog Park. Come winter, you can traverse the crisp snow covering Madison’s lakes and creeks on snowshoes. Rent snowshoes at Rutabaga Paddlesports or the Wisconsin Union and trek the frozen creeks between lakes Wingra, Monona, and Waubesa. If you prefer solid ground beneath your snowshoes, try Vilas Park or Garner Park. Dogs on-leash are welcome to join your winter romp.

Community-minded Madison is bursting with small businesses and local boutiques to support. Along Atwood Avenue, A Room of One’s Own Bookstore has been serving the community since 1975 and Bad Dog Frida supplies and supports pets. On Williamson Street, affectionately known as Willy Street, stock up on sustainable home and personal products at Green Life Trading where you can cut down on single-use containers by refilling your supplies. Bop between shops and restaurants on hip Monroe Street, picking up weird and fun gifts at Zip-Dang, treats for your four-legged bestie at MadCat, and pupcakes at Bloom Bake Shop.

If you’re looking for a play date for both you and your pooch, don’t miss the Boneyard, a dog park and biergarten. Dogs can frolic off-leash or get pampered at a grooming appointment while humans jam out to live music, compete in trivia, or relax with a cold one by a fire pit. At the MRD Dog Exercise Area in Middleton, dogs can get their training in with an agility course and sniff to their content in an off-leash dog park. There’s even an area designated for small dogs. From spring through fall, admire views of Lake Monona with your leashed pet in one hand and a Wisconsin craft beer in the other at the Biergarten at Olbrich Park.

For breakfast: Start the day with baked goods made from scratch at Madison Sourdough. In addition to being a bakery, Madison Sourdough mills nearly half of its flour in house and offers its stone-milled Wisconsin flour for purchase. Opt for a Viennoiserie pastry made with yeast-leavened dough or an avocado and egg toast with chili crisp on the signature sourdough.

For dinner: Madison is in the heart of an agriculturally rich region, and outsiders are finally catching on to its quality of ingredients and innovative chefs. Visit the city’s bevy of James Beard-nominated restaurants, many of which were also mentioned on Top Chef: Wisconsin. Wisconsin native and James Beard Best Chef Midwest winner Tory Miller delivers approachable farm-to-table fare at Graze. Savor pork belly from Seven Seeds Organic accompanied by Small Family Farm’s celeriac puree, braised collard greens, and a rootbeer-bourbon glaze. At Fairchild, James Beard Best Chef Midwest winners Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger change the menu nightly based on seasonal ingredients. Both restaurants offer patios where pets are welcome.

For drinks: The first brewery arrived in Madison in 1848, but when Great Dane Pub and Brewing opened downtown in 1994 it was the first of many modern breweries on tap in town. If spirits are more your speed, you won’t go thirsty at Old Sugar Distillery or down the road at State Line Distillery, which uses Wisconsin-sourced grain in its products. You can taste Wisconsin’s apples in every blend at Hidden Cave Cidery and see exactly what you’re drinking. Check the date on the bottom of your cider bottle against their website to learn what blend of apples made it to your glass. While you’re busy sipping cider, your pet can slurp on a puppuccino.

For easy access to the hits: The Moxy Madison Downtown arrived in 2024 within walking distance of the Capitol and music venues like the Sylvee, High Noon Saloon, and Breese Stevens Field.

For summer camp vibes: Graduate Madison brings the college nostalgia near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Sip an Old Fashioned and take in lake views at Camp Trippalindee, the rooftop bar at this pet-friendly property.

For a dose of history: The Edgewater hotel,  built in 1948, offers a dash of Art Moderne luxury on the shore of Lake Mendota. Pets are welcome at the Edgewater, which is walking distance to both the Capitol and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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