On a friend's recommendation (and despite the deservedly mixed reviews here) I stopped in for dinner. \n\nI ordered the homemade pickled beets and the tenderloin open-face sandwich with hash browns. The bartender described the beets as being \""on the sweet side\"" and he wasn't kidding. So my fault there.\n\nThe tenderloin was about an inch thick and maybe five ounces. Sadly one half of it was overcooked while the other half was done about right. The meat itself was not one of the better pieces of beef I've had in Madison.\n\nThe hash browns were the biggest disappointment though. I asked for them to be crispy. The edge and part of the bottom was charred (way beyond crispy!) while the insides were undercooked and slimy.\n\nI could've sent the food back I suppose but I didn't have any confidence the second try would be better and didn't want to spend another 30 minutes there.\n\nService at the bar was reasonably attentive but I have had better meals elsewhere and won't be back. Smoky's might be a fun place to order a martini with friends but...