Madhouse Bar & Grill great for March Madness.
Opened only since mid-January, Madhouse Bar & Grill on Stephenson Highway in Madison Heights is a new family-friendly sports bar and restaurant featuring a menu with sandwiches, salads, pizza and entrees, plus a full bar.
Described by General Manager Jason McMurrian: “Madhouse is a bar for the average Joe, but it is also an upscale sports bar.”
With 28 televisions and inviting décor, this is an apt description. There is brickwork on one wall and barn wood around the entire bar. There is a generous supply of booths, high tops and low tops. For those interested in watching an entire football, baseball or basketball game, this is not your typical dive sports bar. The soft chairs at the tables and matching bar stools are uncharacteristically comfortable. Owner Curtiss Pagels was certainly interested in making sure his guests were happy to settle in for the entire length of a game.
The menu is very reasonable. Sandwiches range from $8.95 to $10.95, and the large signature pizza is $15. Cooked daily, trimmed lean and grilled on Jewish rye, the $9.95 corned beef Reuben is a house specialty and an early favorite. It is served with Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese and choice of sauerkraut or coleslaw.
Madhouse favorites listed on the menu include nachos, fajitas and quesadillas, and there is a gluten-free menu, as well. In the short time it’s been open, it’s become known for its French dip and Maurice salad.
While Madhouse Bar & Grill can seat up to 216 people, let’s talk about those 30 plush stools at the wrap-around bar. Under an embankment of 10 or more big-screen televisions, patrons can enjoy a cocktail or select from a comprehensive list of wine, domestic and craft beer.
Happy hour is from 2-6 p.m. daily with a dedicated $5 appetizer menu that includes chicken skewers, hand-breaded boneless wings, cheese curds, individual pizzas and sliders with fries.
Pagels is a seasoned restaurant professional. He owned the Mesquite Tavern in Sterling Heights and was the founder and owner of CJ Mahoney’s Sports Bar and Grille in Rochester and Troy. McMurrian worked with Pagels 18 years ago. Cooking since he was about 20 years old, McMurrian has also worked at The Rock on Third in downtown Royal Oak, Toast in Birmingham and CJ Mahoney’s in Troy.
“March Madness college basketball is coming up, and then opening day for the Tigers, of course,” McMurrian says. “For St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, Madhouse will be serving traditional Irish meals of mulligan stew, corned beef and cabbage, and Reuben sandwiches. We will have drink and food specials for all these events.”
Madhouse Bar & Grill wants to let everyone know that they cater to people in the hospitality industry. People who work at other bar and restaurant establishments are welcome to come in and enjoy 20 percent off all adult beverages to demonstrate industry appreciation.
If you want a comfortable place to settle in and watch March Madness, the Detroit Tigers, Pistons, Red Wings, Sunday NFL games and other sporting events, check out Madhouse Bar & Grill.
Madhouse is open six days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m.- 2 a.m., and on Sunday, from noon-2 a.m.