Last week, students were welcomed back to the Alumni Memorial Union’s Marquette Place for the 2026 spring semester with the return of a familiar dining option: Teriyaki Madness.
Previously serving Mil-wok-ee, Forage Kitchen and Junior’s Smoked BBQ, Marquette Place’s back corner stall is now home to Teriyaki Madness, a previous resident of the dining facility, originally opening in 2023.
Teriyaki Madness, like its predecessor restaurant Mil-wok-ee, is an Asian cuisine restaurant that offers a wide variety of ready-to-eat bowls with proteins such as chicken and tofu, and a student’s choice of white, brown or fried rice to accompany it. The bowl options available are Chicken Teriyaki, Spicy Chicken Teriyaki, Orange Chicken and Spicy Tofu Teriyaki.
After the departure of Forage Kitchen in early November, students were disappointed with the loss of one of Marquette’s healthier food options. Nevertheless, I think that Teriyaki Madness might be the place to both satisfy those cravings while remaining mindful of nutrition.
Teriyaki Madness is a widely recognized casual Asian fast-food chain with over 195+ restaurants across 42 states, and much of this success came from the franchise’s desire to prioritize fresh ingredients while also creating tasty meals.
The franchise calls this its “commandments of Madness,” where it states, “We are delicious food that’s healthy. Not healthy food that’s delicious.” Between the restaurant’s original house-made sauces and freshly prepared and marinated proteins, Teriyaki Madness ensures that its customers are fueling their bodies with not just delicious food, but nourishing food.
Upon my visit to Marquette Place’s Teriyaki Madness location on Jan. 14, I was immediately stunned by the impressive turnout it had already received. The line extended across the dining hall, blocking the lines of neighboring restaurants, which had to strategically reshape their own lines to combat the heavy traffic approaching the stall.
It was a little wild, considering I had never seen this amount of traffic for any of the pop-ups that had been there previously, including Mil-wok-ee, which virtually served food of the same variety.
I wanted to try the Orange Chicken, but due to high demand, they had already sold out by noon. Mildly disappointed, but not surprised in the slightest, I tried the Chicken Teriyaki with brown rice instead. Â
The perfectly moist chicken was doused in a tangy yet sweet teriyaki sauce. The tenderness of the chicken was a pleasant surprise, as I was slightly worried that it might have a gristly texture like I’ve experienced before at similar restaurants. Each bite of chicken was packed with flavor, as the smokiness from the grill and the sweetness from the marinade combined into a perfectly medley of sweet and savory, with salty soy sauce and ginger flavors peeking through.
As for the rice, it was the perfect complement to the flavor of the chicken. Despite being relatively neutral, it provided a variety in texture and enhanced the existing flavors in the bowl, which I greatly appreciated. The brown rice’s starchy flavor evened out the meal, allowing me to really enjoy the flavors coming through from the chicken and the sauce without overwhelming my taste buds.
While I was eating my meal, my friends continued to gawk and admire how good everything looked, and within the first couple of minutes of me sitting down, half of the table had left to get in line for Teriyaki Madness.
Looking at the meal, the ingredients are rather simple. Chicken, rice, sauce. It’s not groundbreaking, but it doesn’t need to be groundbreaking or the most experimental meal to be amazing. In simple terms, Teriyaki Madness won’t be winning awards for its presentation, but it made something simple into a flavor experience.Â
From my meal at Teriyaki Madness, I realized that food doesn’t always have to look exciting; it just has to be good.
This article was written by Elise Emery. She can be reached at [email protected].
