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Nitty Gritty was founded in October of 1968 by Marsh Shapiro. During the late 60’s and early 70’s the Nitty Gritty featured live blues music every night of the week. Some of the most famous musicians who performed here include, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Charlie Musselwhite, and Cheap Trick. In 1985, Nitty Gritty was re-branded as Madison’s official birthday venue. Since then, guests who come to celebrate a birthday are greeted with a birthday bell and song, a birthday board and Gritty memento mug. As of 2018 the number of birthdays celebrated here exceed 725,000. Besides a birthday destination, Nitty Gritty is also the long-time recipient of the ‘Best Burger of Madison’ award.

1021 N Gammon Rd, Middleton, WI 53562, Phone: 608-833-6489

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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