Upon first impressions I found myself dreading Madison’s, as I walked into the restaurant.
Though in a semi-respectable shopping center, it seemed a little…off. From the mismatched Hobby Lobby décor to the fully illustrated and comprehensively long menu, I thought this place would be—at best—fair to middling.
But I was wrong… so very wrong!
Apparently I needed a refresher on judging books by their covers, because at Madison’s Country Cooking, 12501 S. Western Ave., Suite A, the service, presentation and—above all—food are outstanding.
Settling in, our waitperson brought us waters and some thick menus, when I noticed that even though the restaurant said “Country Cooking” on the door, the menu revealed the true name was actually Madison’s Country Cooking, Mediterranean, Mexican Café. A total trifecta!
Still though, I was primarily suspect about this restaurant—I mean, really, can they do all three things that well? Country cooking, Greek food and Mexican food…what’s that all about? But, taking a chance, I decided to pick out three representative dishes and try them out.
Selections ordered, I noticed the glass case at the register and, looking over the desserts, I was already drooling, with strawberry shortcakes and decadent chocolate cake slices and even some cheesecakes…even if I didn’t like the food, I had to try one of those slices!
A few minutes later, our waitperson started bringing our food and, surprise of surprises, it all looked incredible.
My mouth already watering, I started with Madison’s Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich ($14.99). It’s a large chicken fried steak, on a fresh bun topped with American cheese and bacon, aided with homemade onion rings.
This sandwich is a veritable monster, far better than a Steak Sandwich Supreme from Del Rancho. With Madison’s name emblazoned in the bread, the steak was absolutely tender with a fitfully crispy coating, all the spices worked overtime, and the onion rings really hit the spot. A great chicken-fried find!
With the “Country” checkpoint complete, now I had my Mediterranean choice, the new Gyro Bowl ($15.99). A more modern take on this worldly cuisine, a bed of crispy, seasoned fries was topped with gyro meat, brown gravy, lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, banana peppers, and feta cheese.
I know that the co-mingling of gyro meat and brown gravy on top of French fries might seem a little strange, but it truly works. The savoriness of meat and gravy with the festive briny flavors of the peppers, olives and feta cheese combine to great effect. This truly won me over!
But here I was stalling, as the selection I was most skeptical about— from the Mexican side of the menu—was up…
The favored platter was the time-honored, highly inspired Chilaquiles ($15.99), a (mostly) breakfast-adjacent dish with snippets of beef, rice, beans, avocados, eggs, queso fresco, and a wonderful green sauce that is ladled onto the whole affair.
I don’t know who’s back there working the flat-top, but the chilaquiles passed my Mexican taste test with flying colors!
The combination of the slightly charred carne asada, the runny fried eggs, and the fresh, crumbled queso fresco worked wonders on my tastebuds—with a generous dose of the green sauce providing additional heat, and the beans and rice working as a healing balm.
Reaching the terminal limit for lunch, just as I was about to pay the check, my waitperson asked me if I wanted dessert… of course I did!
Though the buttons on my jeans were already popping, I went to the case and picked the Red Velvet Cake ($5.49) with glistening chocolate stripes and pink sugar crystals on top. By that point, pretending I was making responsible choices was long gone, and the cake was a showstopper worth every calorie.
You know, Madison’s Country Cooking has no business being this good at this many things. Very rarely does a diner with a menu this big manage to make one cuisine sing, much less three of them, but somehow this place pulls it off.
So whether it's a teenager chasing a monster chicken-fried steak sandwich, a Mexican grandpa looking for a taste of home, or a middle-aged guy with a Fiero and a feta fetish, Madison’s has everyone covered.
Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
