Has the halo slipped off the Cloud 9 Grille?
Cloud 9 Grille
876 Jupiter Drive (Off of Cottage Grove Rd)
Madison, WI
When the Cloud 9 Grille first opened, Madison Dining Online was one of the first on the scene to try it out. After our excursion, we wrote a glowing spotlight review (you can read it here).
Since writing that review, we’ve gone back to Cloud 9 several times. Each time has been an experience laced with disappointment, frustration and even annoyance. We put the first bad experience down to a bad, off night for the restaurant, but now we have to wonder – has Cloud 9 become a victim of it’s initial staggering success?
The first bad experience was not food related. It was restaurant and staff related. We went to Cloud 9 on an impulse. It was a weeknight, and we went early to beat the possible crowd. We had no reservations – it was a weeknight! Who makes reservations on a Wednesday?
Upon arrival the parking lot was nearly vacant, and the restaurant and bar had few people. The hostess showed us to a table in the bar area. Keep in mind, Cloud 9 is a restaurant with a split personality. The downstairs has a casual sportsbar atmosphere, while the upstairs has a fine dining feel to it. I asked the hostess if we could have a table upstairs. Here’s how the conversation went:
MDOL: I’m sorry, I’d prefer to sit upstairs please.
Hostess: That isn’t possible.
MDOL: Excuse me? Is it not open tonight?
Hostess: Yes, but we reserve the upstairs only for people who make reservations. You didn’t have reservations.
MDOL: So the upstairs seating is completely booked?
Hostess: You don’t have reservations.
MDOL: That didn’t answer my question.
Hostess: I’m sorry, this is where you need to be seated.
MDOL: I find that unacceptable.
The hostess just turned and walked away with no comment.
We sat there in surprise at the new seating policy, and at the way the hostess handled the exchange. Shortly after that, a gentleman who introduced himself as the manager showed up. He said he understood that we had a “problem”. I explained the situation. From there, the conversation went like this:
Manager: We do have seats available upstairs as we are not completely booked tonight. I can seat you upstairs.
MDOL: So is it true that, in general, you will not seat people upstairs if they do not have reservations, even if there are seats available up there?
Manager: Well, I’m saying that I will seat you upstairs now, because it is not completely booked tonight.
So, without the main question answered, the manager instructed the hostess to seat us upstairs. We trudged up the steps with the hostess, only to find an almost completely empty dining room. The hostess then proceeded to sit us at a table that had no view of the Madison skyline. Instead, it had a view of the stone portion of the wall. Now, again, if you have been to Cloud 9 or if you have read the review, you know that much of the allure is the nice view of Madison off in the distance. There were many empty tables that had a clear view out the windows. In addition, the best views are from the nearly empty showroom style booths along the back wall of the room. So, again, the conversation went like this:
MDOL: Could we please have a seat in a booth?
Hostess: No.
MDOL: No? But there are several open.
Hostess: Booths are reserved for people with reservations.
MDOL: So, please clarify for me – are you telling me that the booths are completely booked for the next two hours, even though most are empty right now, or are you saying that no matter what, if you do not make a reservation, you can not sit in a booth?
Hostess: I will not seat you in a booth.
The hostess turned and walked away. We continued to stare at the stone wall.
Our food was adequate, our service was generally adequate, and our seating situation was unacceptable. We dropped it, but we watched the booths the entire 90 minutes that we were there, and several of them remained available the entire time. We left, and I stated to my dining companion, “That was the most arrogant treatment I’ve ever experienced in a restaurant, and I have been in some of the most elite restaurants in the world. This is not a good sign for the future success of this restaurant”.
We then returned for lunch recently, hoping to push aside the distaste that we felt for the place. And, in fact, what happened next left us with NO taste at all….
Food ordered included the corned beef sandwich and the sirloin burger, with sides of french fries and homemade chips. And the only thing we could taste was the homemade chips. This is not a good thing. We could taste those because they were burnt to a crisp.
Everything we ordered was completely tasteless. This was the first time I’ve ever salted a corned beef sandwich. I did so in a desperate attempt to give it any kind of taste at all. The burger had no flavor either. This time as we left I stated, “That was a bunch of wasted calories – I tasted nothing but the chips, and that’s only because they were so burnt”.
We loved Cloud 9 when it opened. We were ecstatic that Madison’s east side had gained a worthy restaurant. It is surprising and disappointing to write this update.
Will we go to Cloud 9 again? I can’t say, either way. I’m tempted to not lose hope, and to give them yet another try. But, after the way that we were treated, and after the flavorless food that we were served, it’s hard not to think that holding such a hope is like having your head in the clouds.
Tell us what you think. Add a comment, or submit your own full review here.
Let me preface by saying that my husband and I eat out just about every weekend. We have lived in Madison for about a year, living near Milwaukee and Phoenix AZ previously. We LOVE food, love to try new places to dine.
I have had only 1 visit to Cloud Nine, and unless I hear that things have changes RADICALLY, we will NOT return. Unlike the MDOL review, our service was good. The food was horrible. I had a Ceasar Salad that was made with what looked like iceberg lettuce. There was not a green leaf in there, and the dressing was bland. We both had soup. My husband had the seafood chowder and I had the onion soup. Both were so salty we could hardly stomach them. Our wait person said she had heard that complaint before. My husband had a corned beef sandwich and home made fries. The fries were totally greasy and tasteless. The sanwich was not much better. The prices are WAY to high to get food that is this awful.
I ate at Cloud 9 Saturday night. The food and service was perfect.
I would have to agree on both sides. As a real food lover I have always enjoyed the multitude of different restaurants available in the Madison area and was quite excited to try the Cloud 9 experience. From the initial seating to the wait of 40 minutes for our drinks to the disinterested attitude of staff to the haphazard way our entrees were thrown together it is safe to say we were more than dissatisfied. A new restaurant needs more than a view and some ambience to make it in this town. I hope that they can turn things around before it is too late, but for now I would say if you are torn between Cloud 9 and just about any other restaurant you may want to try the other.
We just returned from our third visit to Cloud Nine. The previous two visits we were not “allowed” upstairs either, as it was noted to be booked for reserved guests. We never went upstairs to check if this was true, but after hearing the above review, we should have. Each time has been more disappointing. We too were looking for a classier place to dine on the East side and now feel that the aloof attitude of the wait staff and hostesses on all occasions do not fit with the blue collar, hard working, down to earth clientele they should be catering to. Although we did dine upstairs, which was really nice and appealing with their famous great skyline view, the food tonight was the worst. Two of us ordered the porta bella grilled sandwich and it came to our table cold, and only slightly grilled and super soggy. They were not edible. Another person had the Kansas Strip steak and said it was laced with fat and gristle throughtout. Our 4th member had chicken which was not completely cooked inside. We did send the sandwiches back, and the manager brought them back corrected with an apology and an offer for free desserts. But, overall, the food is not been worthy of the price and the staff just does not go all out for the customer. I would doubt that they will last unless major improvements are made soon. It’s true, they cannot rely on the skyline view alone to make it with all the other great restaurants Madison has to offer.
Have dined a Cloud 9 several times since opened and never had a bad experience. I dine out often and will visit them on a regular basis still.
The first time I dined at Cloud 9 Grille, I enjoyed it immensely. The second time, not so much. I was seated in the bar area, relatively close to the kitchen and could hear a man, who was later identified as one of the owners yelling at his employees and being extremely rude to them. It is no wonder no service person looked happy to be at their job. I did not encounter a single manager who looked happy and it was an obvious that attitude was handed down to the employees.
My husband and I have visited the Cloud 9 Grille several times since it opened, and each time we are reminded why it is we keep returning. Obviously the views from upstairs in both the Stardust Lounge and the Sunset Room are superb to say the least, but that alone certainly wouldn’t be enough to hold our interest for very long.
That’s why we were shocked to read MDOL’s December 29th experience. We have been always warmly greeted and usually seated wherever we chose. (fully booked evenings excepted).
We have yet to have an entree we did not like, however my husband always orders the Kansas City strip and swears by it. I, on the other hand, am partial to the Grilled Ahi. We’ve tried many other dishes and we’ve enjoyed most all of them. I guess If I had to be picky, I’d say that I was not too fond of the deep fried calamari but I’m not a fried food person.
We both look forward to our visits there because the staff is always so friendly and attentive. One evening we had arrived early for dinner and went upstairs to the lounge for a drink. There was no one there but us, but almost immediately one of the staff members popped her head around from the back and we were served our drinks right away. We ended up having a wonderful dinner on the couch by the windows as the sun was setting. It turned out to be a very quiet and romantic evening.
We recommend the Cloud9Grille to all our friends, and they have all thanked us for it. We will continue to go back to enjoy the food, the view and the friendly staff.
Based on the early reviews for both food and atmosphere, we decided to give this place a try this past Sunday night. Never again! The bar staff was indifferent, preferring to watch the NFL playoffs rather than providing service. Following a cocktail at the bar, we informed the bartender that we’d like to have the bar tab transferred to the upstairs dining room. She said that would be OK, but never told us we had to see a hostess to go upstairs. Although the hostess stand was vacant, we were quickly chased upstairs and firmly told “you can’t just sit anywhere.” The hostess then guided us toward a table on the open floor, even though all but one of the banquettes were open (though most had yet to e cleared of dirty dishes). With a sigh, she did end up seating us in a banquette…the view was indeed spectacular. The food, however wasn’t even edible. My husband had the 8 0z filet which he ordered medium, it was served rare with the side of sweet potato hash lukewarm. There was no garnishment on the plate, unless you consider the blood-red juice coming form the steak. I had the ahi tuna sandwich, which I specifically asked how it was prepared and was assured that it was indeed served seared and rare. The ahi was an overcooked disaster. After waiting several minutes for our server to re-appear we returned the entrees and requested that we settle our cocktail tab and be on the way. Yet, several more minutes passed until a manager appeared…unbelievably, this was the most positive experience of the evening! She apologized profusely, admitted that the kitchen had screwed up and comped us a round of cocktails. There is a neon side at the entrance which reads “The pride of the east side,” I would hope the east side has more than Cloud 9 to be proud of.
We ate at Cloud 9 a few times because it is in the neighborhood, the service has been very bad all 3 times. Last Friday we placed an order and I ordered 1/2 a chicken, and when I opened it up, all there was were 2 little legs. It was way overpriced for $14.00. My husband got the fish special and there were only 2 little pieces of cod. I would of been happier getting a sandwich at the coffee shop next door for $3.00. I did not complain because last time I did they said they were very short staffed!!
The first time I dined at Cloud Nine, it was terrible. The food was bad, the service was bad, and we were seated at a table in the middle of the bar after waiting for over an hour. The service at the bar was great though. The second time I tried it, it was much much better. This was about 2 weeks ago and with no reservations. We arrived during the middle of the dinner rush and had to wait about 45 minutes, but that was expected. As we were being seated there was a bit of commotion about the location, but after it was cleared up, we were lead to a nice upstairs table, not a booth, but a table with the view none the less. The food was excellent. Most of my party had the fish, one person had the chicken and all were pleased. I would definitely go again.
My boyfriend and I have only dined at Cloud 9 once, and that was when it first opened. We were seated relatively quickly after ordering drinks (which the bartenders didn’t do that great of a job at). We were seated downstairs close to a lot of foot traffic. Our service wasn’t the greatest, but we deemed it to an inexperienced young girl being our waitress. She kept forgetting about us. We would ask for something and she would bring it 20 minutes later. We saw another table (who had a different waitress) leave very dissatisfied, making a huff about the terrible service. Our food wasn’t the greatest, but I guess I don’t remember if it was bad. I do remember the smashed potatos not being very flavorful, though. We live about 2 blocks from Cloud 9 but have yet to return. Not necessarily because of the service, but we just haven’t had the chance. I think we may have to go try and eat there on a quiet weeknight to see if we can sit upstairs.
I was excited when I saw that there was going to be a descent restaurant going in on the east side. My wife and I decided to try them out when they first opened. At first I was kind of taken back at how noisey it was when we walked in. We got seated at a tiny table shoulder with away from another couple. I like to dine in good company, but I don’t appreciate being being that close to a table. Not to mention that you could barley fit dinner for two on that table. It took about twenty minutes for a waiter to come greet us. He was kind of snooty to begin with so that didn’t set a good impression. I asked for a drink and he didn’t know what I was talking about. He went to place the drink order and didn’t even ask us if we wanted an appetizer. After I recieved my drink, twenty five minutes later, lets just say we had plenty of time to read the menu, about ten times. We ordered our food, meanwhile he attended to the table right next to us. The gentleman at that table had asked for a simple cocktail that the waiter didn’t even know, he passed it off as though he knew what it was. The waiter returned with the drink, but it wasn’t the right one. So the customer asked for another one. The waiter returned and still didn’t get it right. The customer out of frustration just said to leave it. After the waiter left, the gentleman went up to the bar and got the right drink. After all of that, our mediocre food had arrive. I had the Seared Ahi Tuna Salad, I could tell right away that the tuna was frozen, because it was just like biting into a pop sicle. It was on served on top of shredded lettuce that looked and tasted like it was tossed in french dressing. It was suppose to be tossed in an Asian dressing. My wife had chicken that wasn’t cooked all the way through. After all of that, we just wanted to eat and leave. Lets just say that the first visit wasn’t the greatest. We passed it off as, it was a new restaurant and they were getting the kinks out of the way.
In January, We decided to go there for my birthday. We were seated on the less noisey side of the restaurant wich was great. It took quite some time for our waitress to get to our table again. We looked over the menu and decided to get some drinks, lets just say, it was a repeat of last time. The waitress wasn’t really interesting in our well being as customers. She told us about the specials at the last minute. So, we ordered, My wife had a Special of a 10oz ribeye for $20 wich I think is ridiculously over priced and I had the special catch of the evening. My father-in-law had the steak special too. It took awhile for our food to come. The waitress came out with only two dinners. I was kind of surprised at first. I asked her where mine was, and she replied, “Sir, I am so sorry, but the kitchen staff failed to tell me that they had ran out of the catch of the night, and decided to substitute walleye for me instead. Well first of all, substituting anything without asking the customer is like the greatest sin that could be committed in the restaurant business. Why she didn’t tell me about this earlier is beyond me. So as my dinner guests were eating their meal, I was deciding on what to have. I decided on having a couple of appetizers, so I orderd clams and a chcken fajita. So I sat there while the company that I was with started eating there dinner, wich was over cooked and cold. Just as they finished their meal, mine arrive, COLD. The Manager on Duty delivered it. I thought he might say something comforting to easy my displeasure, but I was mistaken, he just dropped, literaly, dropped off the food and disappeared. Well I ate my COLD food. The clams were small and the fajita tasted like something I would get at Taco Bell. After I was done the waitress delivered the check. I looked at the check to see if there had been any adjustment, wich there wasn’t so I asked if she could change it. It cam back change but I think they could have taken more off. The check had my fish taken off, wich I didn’t even recieve anyway, and one appetizer that was taken off. Well the appetizers where half price anyway, so that really wasn’t a major discount. Not to mention that 2 glasses of wine cost me $10 during happy hour. How can you take something off the bill that you didn’t eat in the first place is beyond me. I am a resident of near by, lets just say it makes my stomach cringe everytime I have to pass Cloud 9. I will not give them any more of my money or recommend them to anyone. For all of you that want good food and good service I would suggest going elswhere.
My wife and I have dined at Cloud 9 Grille several times. We are even part of their frequent diner program, which is wonderful. We love the atmosphere, the food AND the service. I stumbled upon this website to find Cloud 9 Grille’s website, and after reading the reviews I was shocked. We’ve never had a bad experience. We will continue to recommend Cloud 9 Grille to our family and friends.
I just want to say an employee of Cloud 9, I am out to give the best possible service I am able at every table. I love working there. We have also updated the menu and some of the things added are a filet and cold water lobster tail, a Po Boy Sandwich, and a fabulous grilled Chicken salad with spinach. I urge all to come in or back in to try some new items and ask for me. I am there most days of the week.
Brenna, its nice of you to take the intiative to respond to custmers & invite them to come back…. that shows a very mature customer service approach… perhaps I will try Cloud 9 again. My first three times I experienced the same attitude, and poor quality food as mentioned in the other posts…. it was especially disappointing when I brought 8 others with me after a sales meeting to check out the new place…..it was not a hit…everyone made negative comments about the quality of the food and having to wait so long to be served.
Since I live in Cottage Grove I thought it be nice to support the local businesses…. Next time if I experience a pompous
attitude I will certainly make sure the Manager is aware of it.
Horrible. I have stopped at Cloud Nine several times now. The first experience left a bad taste but gave them the benefit of the doubt. I stopped in last night with friends for a snack and cocktails. We sat with an empty glass for over 10 minutes after our first drink. It was not overly crowded at the bar. There were 3 bartenders. During our wait, I observed that not once did they look up at the client’s faces. Finally, Jarred came to our rescue. I clapped and said ‘wow, it is nice to finally get service’. he immediately remarked in a condescending tone, ‘we wait on “loud” people last ‘!!! I was quite taken aback by this rudeness but ordered my drink. I ordered a ‘single shot vodka/seltzer in tall glass with lemon. He poured the vodka in a shot glass, sat a glass of selzter next to it with the lemon on a napkin!!!!!!!!!!! I was astounded and let him know that in not too many kind words. He left from behind the bar. A nice young lady served my drink correctly. Eventually the bar manager came by me and said he was going to be sending Jarred back behind the bar and did I have a problem with that. I said absolutely not since we were going to leave. I asked why the customer service is so poor? My friend mentioned at this point that the reviews on their website were pretty bad regarding their customer service. He disagreed with her. I said, ‘well that just confirms why I will never come back. I explained that I had organized a social business gathering for the following Thursday night. I let him know that we would be having our social gathering at a different location where customers are treated with respect. He asked what he could do to keep the appointment at Cloud Nine. I told him that it wasn’t an option and that I was not going to subject these great people to their rudeness.
Cloud 9 Grille, though blessed with grand views and a nice ambiance, will continue to be lackluster, and eventually fail, unless significant changes are made. Since opening 8 months ago, Cloud 9 Grille has changed personnel frequently. It is expected that servers in the industry will have a high turn over. However, New GM’s and managers every month, many who try to “reinvent the wheel”, make consistency at C9, IMPOSSIBLE. The key to success in the restaurant biz is without a doubt consistency. It starts with having employees who are properly trained. Many come into this industry, with no prior experience, so their knowledge is based solely on how they are trained. Although, much is learned on the job, certain things need to be instilled from the begining. If an employee is told three completely different ways to do things by three different people, the end result is poor customer service. Remember consitency is the key. I’m sure that ALL of the manager’s have had good intentions, but they should really get together, and get on the same page. No matter how nice or polite a server is, a customer’s experience will be sub par if the waitstaff and bartender’s do not know what they are doing. Everyone should know the items on the menu and have general knowledge of basic drinks and all drinks on the menu. With the exception of a few, the employees of C9 do not. Yet it can be attributed to lack of proper training.Everyone knows know that management a lot to deal with, but many, many issues would not even arise if employees were well trained, and more importantly informed of changes before the changes take place, not after. Be proactive, not reactive! Policies need to be uniform and understood by all, so no employee has a question as to what their job entails, and what is expected of them. I know for a fact that the majority of the employees at C9 are hardworking and dedicated people, who strive to make each customers experience a good one. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few who are apathetic and indifferent to customers, and in no better words “lazy” in their responsibilities. Those people need to be weeded out, if C9 has any chance of sticking around for a longtime. Anyone reading this is probably wondering why I am so opinionated on Cloud 9 Grille. Well, until recently, I was a bartender at C9. I had been there since day 1, so I have seen and heard all the good, the bad and the ugly of C9. And although C9 started out as a great place to work, what I’ve metioned, along with many other things, led to my decision to no longer be a part of a place on a downward spiral. In all honesty, I wish C9 success, and really hope they can turn things around. Jim, the owner, down to the busers, and most people inbetween, put a lot of money or time or effort into making C9 a great place. By this point, business should be booming, but it isn’t. If it were not for the “regulars”, this place would probably be a memory by now, and thats a shame. One last thing to whoever is running the show at Cloud 9. You need to make sure that ALL of the people you choose to supervise have the ability to communicate in an effective manner to those under them. Believe me, many other capable employees are unhappy with the how things around there, and evetually they will quit, leaving C9 no chance to redeem itself. Remember whats inscribed out front “The Pride of the Eastside”. Good luck, and all the good ones, hang in there!!!
Last evening was my third visit to Cloud 9. Each time was wonderful. The food is the finest of quality, the service was very attentive, and the people were so friendly. All of this in a beautiful, very quality built, building. The food is so fresh and well presented and the prices are very comparable to other restaurants in the area.
So, I’m not an employee of the restaurant, and I have no business ties to it. I have, however, been in the restaurant business in other cities,my whole adult life, and I know quality when I see it. Visit Cloud 9, you won’t be disappointed; the view is spectacular!!
I finally talked my husband into taking me to Cloud 9 after he had been there for lunch. his response to it had always been, its Ok- not to your standards. (I am a service snob) We had also eaten at Eno Vino, also owned by the same people and loved it, so we thought that it should be the same quality. WRONG!!!
When we arrived, the seating hostesses were flustered and running around not quite sure of what was happening in different sections of the restaurant. There were apparently several large parties due to arrive for upstairs seating, and they were not prepped correctly. When we got to the head of the que, the hostess asked us if we had a reservation, we replied, no. She then made a very stressed face, and walked away. the other hostess (whose tight, dropped- waisted pants practically showed her butt cheeks) then said it would be a minute. A few minutes later, the first hostess came back and seated us against the back wall by the bar. It was a very crowded area, apparantly the day staff or a group of people who were all wearing Cloud 9 t-shirts were having a gathering right next to us. there were so many people at the table the working wait staff had trouble getting through. We were seated, and given menus.
We waited for 10 minutes before the first of any sort of waitstaff person came to acknowledge our existance, and that was with, “Oh hi, thanks for waiting I’ll be right with you.” We never saw her again.
ANOTHER 15 minutes came around and we saw a very unorganized staff running all over the place, fighting to get past our booth and the group of partiers (still increasing in size) when finally a waiter appeared. He apologized for the delay, as they were very busy, and hoped that we had not been waiting too long. (by the way the downstairs booths were 1/2 empty) We ordered drinks and the calamari, to start.
Now I will say the calamari was good, as good as we have had here, but the rest of dinner had a lot to be desired. I had the Ahi salad with “9″ tons of salad and only 4 pieces of Ahi Tuna. My husband had the Chicken, that ended up as 1 drumstick and 1 I think thigh, with a baked potato. FOR 14.99? Not impressive. Dessert was for all intents and purposed, “safe”. I had the triple chocolate Mousse, and the husband had molten chocolate cake. He said his was alright, but mine tasted like it had been mass produced, shipped and frozen for 2 months. then thrown on a plate, and decorated with hersheys chocolate syrup. I expected SO much more. Remeber, these people own Eno-Vino!
During dinner I watched the wait staff struggle to get people and food through this part of the restaurant, saw the manager actaully running his hands through his hair, and walk in circles a couple of times. There is NO continuity in this restaurant, no actual realization of tasks, who is to do them, and how to do them correctly. I NEVER would have let my staff take over 1/3 of the bar still dressed in clothes that represent the business, move big tables together to make an unpassable wall, and then let my staff dress the way so many of them were (TRASHY). There was NO pride in the employees. The number one MOST IMPORTANT part of any business is to have your staff take pride in who and what they are doing. I saw none of this. With the respect and the happiness of the staff, come the quality and consistancy that make a business, especially one as fickle as the food service business, successful.
I will probably not return to Cloud 9 anytime soon, and considering I live in a house literally right across the street, thats really sad. This is a business that need to grow up.
Eno-Vino don’t take after your little sister!!!!
We recently visited the Cloud 9 Grille for the first time. We were aware of the comments on this blog but decided to give the restaurant a chance.
When making the reservation, we asked if our party of 5 could be seated upstairs. We were told, “no, the upstairs is only for large groups”. This was relayed again to us when we phoned a few days later with the same request and reminding them of our special birthday circumstance. So, being persistant, we went to the restaurant a day ahead of our reservation and asked again. This time the very friendly hostess went to check with the manager and we were told that, yes, because of our special circumstance, we would be seated upstairs.
Our server, Chris, was outstanding – very friendly and attentive. Our brunch food was good (the triple mousse, we thought, was wonderful) and our service was stellar! No, we’re not related to the server.
We will return, but with the knowledge that we may be dissatisfied. We must agree that the likelihood of Cloud 9′s survival are low. We wish that the food and service were more reliable as this could be a fine addition to east side dining.
Since others are comparing, we’ve also been to Eno Vino a few times. We found the service there has been consistantly good while the food has been hit and miss.
In response to Melissa’s post be careful about putting Eno Vino in the same boat as Cloude Nine. From what I understand it would not be fair to say the owners of Eno Vino own Cloud Nine also. I could be wrong but if you can do something so well at one place, there’s no reason to re-invent the wheel. I was told the owner of Eno Vino has little to nothing to do with Cloude Nine and that the reason they are associated is to get people to think of them as the same thing. I have seem some events that look like they may be fun at Cloude Nine but still will not go back. They would have to reduce there prices to about 1/3 of what they’re at to make up for the poor service. If I pay good money I want good service. On a side note I tried Gray’s Tied House, awesome place and great service. A little far from Madison for my taste but worth it I’m hoping they do a review on it even though it’s in Verona. There micro brews are decent also.
I have had good food at Cloud Nine, but everytime the service sucks. You are right about the seating issue. They have stupid little “rules” about where you are allowed to sit. You are intruding on them is what it feels like. The first time I went there with my daughter and there was a problem with the menu. so the server offered us 2 cards for free dessert and said that we could could use them both that evening. Then when we tried to user them that day the server checked with the manager and he said no. The hostess apologized and seemed embarassed by the manager. I guess because they have a good view and OK food they feel like they can treat people like crap. I live in the neighborhood hope that a new place comes in. I know people in our area are willing to spend money on a freindly place.
Cloud Nine is one of the worst places in town if you ask me. I love the building itself but the food is no good, nor is the service. I’ve given them 4 opportunities to change mind, with no such luck. This place is unlikely to survive.
Enjoyable experience last night at Cloud 9 (and the last three times as a matter of fact!). Seafood Pasta dish with scallops and shrimp was incredible and the Strip Steak was flavorful (added the mushrooms!) and cooked just right. Ended our meal with the berries concoction that was the perfect light ending to our dinner. Unfortunately, the clouds were out so we missed the sunset, but will be back to check it out again! Our server was above average and the hosts accomodated all of our resquests without missing a beat! Cloud 9 we will continue to support and recommend you!
Oops, we just made an impulsuve reservation at Cloud 9 for this Saturday, July 14, for lunch at 2 p.m. We should have read these reviews first. We lean a bit toward the “foodie side”, and our instincts are telling us now that we should CANCEL AND RUN!!!! We’re coming down from Oshkosh for the Art Fair, and like to have a nice lunch after that. Any opinions???
Came in with some friends for lunch a few days ago. It was nice out so we sat on the patio. Nice to have a place with that kind of option on this side of town. Even though it seemed as if the lunch there were quite busy opur service did not suffer because of it. We were greeted promptly, got our drinks and entrees in a timely manner. It was evident the staff there works together because we had several people including our server running out our food. Everything was quite tasty and the service was very good. We even went a step further to ask for the manager to tell him how good things were. He was there and chatted with us for a couple of minutes.
I read the above comments and wonder which people at this place were being dealt with. No one we came into contact with came off as uppity or snobby or rude. We even asked the hostess once we finished if we were able to just look around upstairs and check out the view. We were told yes without a seconds hesitation.
Maybe some of you are far too picky or maybe some of you complain after the fact without talking to anyone while you are there. The food and drinks were good, the atmosphere was nice, the service was excellent, and the people working there were pleasant and helpful. I recommend people give this place another chance. My friends and I are sure to come back.
My wife and I finally made it out to Cloud 9, along with another couple, this last weekend and are extremely happy that we didn’t listen to a few of you who have left blogs. Our experience was close to perfect and the service was some of the best that we have recieved in the entire Madison area. We have reservations for this weekend and can’t wait. We agree with Stan, give this place another chance.
This sounds to me like what a lot of more high-end restaurants are doing – two-tier service.
- People who make reservations get better seating and service.
- People who are walkins (and who, right or wrong, they assume will be more ‘working class’) will get more of a TGIFridays experience.
I’m not saying it’s right or wrong – it’s their business decision – but they may want to reconsider such a decision seeing as they ARE in one of the more blue-collar areas of Dane County.
My wife and I came here for the 2nd time in about 1 year. The first experience was similar to the service at Culver’s – young servers without much experience or follow up. Our 2nd experience was exceptional – mostly due to our server; food was good. The server was first class. Our drinks never went empty. I had ribs and my wife had a spicy pasta salad. It was too spicy for her and the server offered to provide another dish ASAP at no charge. Wine recommendations were great and the margarita was great.
I’m glad to say they have stepped it up a notch here. The atmosphere is great, and I believe they now have great service to match.
Okay – I VOWED to myself that I would never go back to Cloud Nine again….however, I had recently heard that there was new management at Cloud Nine. Needless to say I was very happy about this thinking they were sharpen up their service, and possibly change the boring menu they have. MISTAKE!! I could just kick myself — my husband and I arrived on a Thursday evening at 7:30ish — not overly packed there — there was no hostess when we arrived so we waited…….and waited…………………………and waited. Mind you, servers, bartenders could all see we were standing there, God forbid they even acknowledge another human being standing there. We waited for 5-8 minutes — and we turned around and walked back out — and I will stick to my better judgement now and NEVER go back to Cloud 9. How sad – it could be a really great venue.
My husband and I went to Cloud Nine for the first time this week. We had heard of the restaurant through friends who liked it a lot. Fortunately, we did not read this blog or we might have changed our minds and missed a lovely dining experience. Anyway, it jsut so happened to be my 50th birthday so we were looking for a special evening out. Cloud Nine did not disappoint! Our waiter was friendly and efficient, our seating in a booth upstairs was wonderful, and the food was delicious. We arrived at about 6:45 and were seated promptly, our orders were taken and we were given plenty of friendly and helpful attention throughout the evening. I ordered the evening special (baked sole stuffed with crab) and my husband ordered a steak, cooked to perfection. The vegies were grilled and tasty. I ordered the fresh fruit desert which was just perfect, light and refreshing (cost deducted from our bill as a birthday gesture) The only item that I wouldn’t recommend is the cheese and bread stick entree because it is rather heavy and will tend to fill you up before your meal arrives. I would like to think that our experience is indicative of the new “norm” and whatever problems this lovely restaurant had in the past are “over.” I wouldn’t be afraid to try this place- you might be pleasantly surprised with a wonderful dining experience. We were. We’ll be coming back. PS Our waiter that this Friday, Sept. 21, Cloud Nine is celebrating its one year anniversary. Sounds like that might be fun.
I WILL NEVER RETURN TO CLOUD 9. I am a UW-Madison student and my parents came to visit me. I had heard that this establishment has good food and a fabulous view of the Isthmus. The view is fabulous but nothing else about our visit was even close to that. My father ordered the salmon which he has on a regular basis back home in Boston. This salmon wasn’t seared like the server told us, it was dry and lacked any flavor. I was very embarrassed and asked our server if we could get a new dinner for my Father. The women serving us could care less about us or anything to do with Cloud 9 it seemed. She yawned twice while taking our order. When my Mother commented on her appearing tired, she replied with “no, just bored”. Sorry that your customers bore you. Maybe you should go in the kitchen and get involved with the food preparation because the chefs could use some help! I had the Walleye which was OK….but not great. My Mother had the 1/2 chicken which resembled the size of a very very small half chicken. The prices don’t reflect the quality. We don’t mind paying more if we get good food for the price but obviously this isn’t the case. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY ON CLOUD 9. THEY ARE A POOR IMITATION OF A RESTAURANT. Needless to say the next time my Parents visit I will be returning to Paisan’s or some other restaurant where I know what to expect and not be disappointed or embarrassed.
CLOUD 9 SHOULD CUT THEIR LOSSES AND CLOSE THEIR DOORS!
I think some of these comments are a little harsh. I’ve been to cloud 9 a handful of times and each has been great! The east side needed a place like this. Nice relaxed atmosphere, GREAT food, (they recently changed their menu, if you like spicy food the jambalaya is AMAZING), and great service! I used to be in the service industry I know what it’s like, we all have bad days right? You have yet to disappoint me cloud 9 keep up the good work!
What a major disappointment — the place has a huge bar area with several TV’s. While I have attempted the food here before — and was not pleased any of those times with the food or service — it has got to be a good place to see the badger games right — how can you screw up a bar? WRONG — this place doesn’t even invest in the Big Ten Network — so don’t plan to go here if you want to catch any Badger games. This place is a major flop….save your money.
It’s too bad I read these comments before going to Cloud 9 Grille. I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 6 months and haven’t gone in before today, based on the (primarily) bad reviews here.
Everything about it was excellent—besides getting stuck in the snow on the way out—I called at 4:00 and got a 6:30 reservation sitting upstairs; it was surprisingly busy for the terrible weather we had. The service was great—friendly without being forced and our server was always around when we needed anything.
The food was very good overall. I got the roast chicken, which is easy to mess up; it was cooked to perfection, and the server allowed me to replace one of the sides with a Caesar salad at no extra charge (the only low point of the meal—the dressing was rather tasteless). My gf got the sausage pizza which was big and tasty.
Give this place a try before listening to what people on here have to say. It’s easy to say you had a bad experience for whatever reason and complain about it when you get home; how many people don’t come home and post about all their good experiences?
Hey Scott you should try their Hot Drinks i went last friday before the snow and they were fricking fantastic.
I have to say I took my wife to C9 for Valentines day, the food was over priced, the portions were tiny, and the service was terrible. We will never be going back to the C9, until they learn what a restaurant should be.
Thank you to all those who offered their opinions on C9. My company offers branding and corporate ad campaigns and an aquaintance had suggested C9 as a business dinner option for a new account…We will look elsewhere.
Cloud 9 now has the Big Ten and the NFL Networks. Also, they have an awesome manager who is, right now working, with any groups who come in and any that I have been involved in have been a huge success.
While I will agree that occasionally the service is lack luster, I have to wonder if anyone has been to Cloud 9 recently? They have created a new dinner and drink menu that is far from dissapointing, and the service is 10 times better than when they first opened their doors. I have no issue recommending Cloud 9 to anyone, and I will continue to eat there on a weekly basis.
We recently went to Cloud 9 as recommended by our owner for a business trip to Madison. There are lots of wonderful types of restaurants in Madison, but this was one of the best! The wait staff was great, the food was awesome, the atmosphere was wonderful. We all tried different items for appetizers and dessert after being totally full with the main entrees, but tried them anyway. I am excited to get my husband to got there for our anniversary in February.
Went to Cloud 9 on January 2, 2008 just to catch the Badger Bball game on Big Ten Network. Seated easily in the bar area and served by a delightful, attentive young waitress. She also mentioned that they were short staffed that evening. Quick bar service but it was just tap beer. My husband and I each ordered a cheseburger–medium. The service was fine but the food–c’mon, how can anyone screw up a cheeseburger?? Described to be “hand pattied” one-third of a pound sirloin. What I got on my plate was a cold, charred, tasteless hockey puck on a low end bun. 2 slices of light pink-yellow tomato and a leaf of iceberg lettuce for $9.00.
I really want Cloud 9 to succeed–we live nearby and want a real restaurant in the neighborhood, but if a place can’t deliver an edible, hot cheeseburger–I guess we’ll have to travel elsewhere.
I have stopped at Cloud 9 three times and have been disappointed every time. The service has been poor and the attitude of the employees even worse. I also had to endure the issue of not having a reservation to be seated upstairs and I think arrogance is a good word. I would love to have a great new restaurant in the area but Cloud 9 has failed just as Mexicali Rose did. And it all comes down to taking care of the customer.
BAD NEWS! My friend wanted to try Cloud Nine so I read this blog and told her to make a reservation! We did and we still waited 1/2 hour to be seated. 4 Adults and 2 kids meals bill totaled $145. Only my meal was great and it cost $28 (combo of filet and scallops). Kids meals were Kraft mac & Cheese and some deep fried chicken tenders both served with fries and the carrots & celery they were supposed to be served with never materialized. We each had one drink, beers were fine, mixed drink was light on the alcohol and $7. Other things we ordered Salmon, Halibut and one of the pizzas all so-so. Definitely not going back. Bluephies is better. Our services was o-k.
NOT GOING BACK. Had reservation still waited 1/2 hour to be seated on Friday night at 7PM. 4 adult meals+ 2 kids meals, 1 round of drinks and 2 desserts/coffee = $145. (Coffee was awful!) Only my meal was excellent (filet & Scallops for $28) others had Halibut, Salmon and “gourmet” pizza all unimpressive. Kids meals were $4. One got Kraft Mac & Cheese w/ fries and the other 3 chicken tenders/fries, milk, carrots and celery & dip was supposed to come with kids meals never arrived. Services was not impressive but not snobby. Bluephies is better.
My family and some relatives went to Cloud 9 for a small retirement party for one of my siblings. We had gone there in October. One of the people in our party had had good reviews from her daughter who ate there for Homecoming, and suggested we go there for our party. Having read all of the comments, I was worried about going there and talked to the organizer of the party about the above feedback. It was really too late to change our plans; we decided to take a chance, hope for the best, and never go back if it was not positive. The exact opposite happened for us. We were seated upstairs immediately once everyone arrived, we had two wait staff who could not have been more pleasant and attentive. A variety of meals were ordered by all of the party members; everyone felt their meal was wonderful. We had a beautiful view as the sun set. We could not have been more pleased (and relieved) that it turned out so well, and all of us felt that we would definitely return.
My son picked Cloud 9 for his birthday dinner. I went online hoping to find a menu and found this mostly negative column. I couldn’t talk my son into trying a different place so off I went thinking we would be seated in a noisy bar room and pay big bucks for mediocre food.
What a surprise. We were seated in an upstairs booth, our cocktails were delivered promptly and our food and service was good. My oldest son said his lamb chops were great.
We had met at 5.30 and I was back home, satisfied, in rural Deerfield before 7PM.
A bit pricy but I will go again and go early. There were alot of people coming in when we were leaving.
My experiences with Cloud 9′s food has been very, very similar. Each time my wife and I have dined there, the quality continues to slide. The pizza she ordered was like burned cardboard and my crab cakes looked and tasted like something from a Pick ‘N Save freezer. Our server was friendly but certainly not 100% all there.
I likewise am sad that this restaurant has lost its edge, as many restaurants do after strong openings, and I now have to find a new stand-by restaurant close to home (Sun Prairie).
As a lifelong east sider, turned Grover- We were very happy to have an upscale NON-SMOKING bar and eatery establish it’s self close to our home.
After overpaying for inconsistant food, trying to choose from a wacked out menu, and trying to order our favorite drinks from the bar- only to find out they are “out” of every imaginable choice- I’m calling it quits, and giving my money to a sure bet- 1855 in Cottage Grove.
We went to Cloud 9, to watch the Packers on the NFL Chanel. They were out of: All Miller products, Korbel, Blue Moon…..
We went this last Saturday, to watch the Badgers BB game on the Big 10 Network- they were “out” of Blue Moon, Bacardi (the low carb choice), Grey Goose…..
This tells me 2 things:
1.) poor management (I think they are already on their second Manager, plus an employee told me- “the Owner hasn’t been at the place in over a month”.
2.) they are out of money- and possibly can’t get goods from their suppliers- due to credit problems.
Both are Bad News.
Come on- Really, have you reviewed the menu- Give me a break. Does he think this is New York?
Janet
I don’t get it I’ve NEVER had a problem with Cloud 9! Maybe it’s because I’ve been in the industry before and I understand how hard serving can be (especially in a restaurant that large). I love that they’re doing different specials every week. The last time I ate there one of the appetizer specials was cheese ravioli – it was to die for!!!! I think they should make it a staple!! As for all of you negative comment writers, chill out, some people don’t get the luxury of eating at all!!!!