If Cheers reruns have made you wish for a place where everyone knows your name, rejoice! Nitty Gritty, 223 N. Frances Street and 1021 N. Gammon Rd., Middleton, is a Madison landmark that prides itself on learning not only customers' names, but also their birthdays. Although it was a legendary blues club in the late '60s, the Gritty became Madison's Official Birthday Bar in 1985.
\Our restaurant has celebrated 330,000 birthdays and I am just as excited about the next [birthday] as I was for the first,"" said Marsh Shapiro, owner of the Nitty Gritty.
From a day-old newborn to a woman who celebrated her 106th birthday, the Gritty knows no bounds. Birthday guests get free beer or soda in a commemorative mug and the chance to be engulfed in an atmosphere where the staff does everything it can to make the day memorable.
Beyond birthdays, the Gritty is famous for its burgers, which are made from only the finest ingredients, said Shapiro. He believes it's the combination of great food and personality that really makes the restaurant work.
The bottom line is that the Nitty Gritty is not a franchise. It is a restaurant with local owners who are involved in every facet of the business, right down to bussing the tables. It is not just a burger joint; it is a Madison landmark.
