Camp Trippalindee rests on the roof of Madtown’s best boutique hotel, The Graduate Madison, where a comfort food menu and camp themed decor transports visitors from the heart of Wisconsin’s capitol to the woods miles away.
After the grand opening on September 28th, Camp Trippalindee is the go-to restaurant for students who want to roast s’mores and load up soft-serve ice cream with every topping imaginable. The menu features signature Wisconsin dishes: fried cheese curds, a beer brat, and “take a hike” nachos with beer cheese sauce.
The Hotel
Graduate Hotels are boutique hotels located around America in college towns. They pull from the town’s local aesthetic to create adorable and unique themes, the perfect place for alumni or parents to stay during their visit.
The quaint and quirky touches make any student feel right at home. The decor tells stories that only student’s and alumni may know, so many sure to ask the hotel staff about the meaning behind the flamingos in the paintings or canoes on ceilings.
The Restaurant
After exploring the rooftop patio complete with fire pits for s’mores roasting and a gorgeous view of the capital building, our team sat down in the restaurant with some craft sodas made in Wisconsin and virgin limeades. With the vintage wallpaper and tables that brought us right back to the lively mess-hall vibes at summer camp, we were ready to eat.
The Take a Hike Nachos were a fan favorite, with beer cheese sauce and chili over blue corn chips served in a portable brown paper paper bag – perfect for going on a hike (or more realistically, walking to the library). The cute bag concept make these nachos the perfect thing to munch on during midterms/finals.
Like any restaurant in Madison, the menu wouldn’t be complete without cheese curds, and Camp Trippalindee clearly knows how to fry some cheese.
The dipping sauce had slight hints of dill, which made this typical finger food feel more sophisticated. If you don’t fall under the category of a cheese loving scon, the thick-cut sweet potato fries were baked and seasoned to perfection. One member of our team even had to grab an extra bag to bring home.
Not only can you enjoy the s’mores outside with some friends for dessert, you can also swing by their build-your-own soft serve ice cream bar.
With tons of toppings to choose from and silky smooth ice cream, you can’t go wrong. Since the closest frozen yogurt shop is an Uber ride away, Camp Trippalindee’s soft serve bar is the place to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Close to State Street, Camp Trippalindee is the perfect place to eat before a night out or when you want to relax after a big exam. We highly recommend bringing a group of friends right up the elevator to the seventh floor patio to sit under blankets, roast s’mores by the fire, and take in the gorgeous view overlooking downtown.
Our team loved our experience at Camp Trippalindee, and while we loved the Madison Blind before it, the new restaurant makeover officially makes the Graduate Madison the best option to pick when you’re visiting.