History
Bratwurst reached Wisconsin with the German immigrant wave of the 1840s and became Madison's tailgate and Brewers-stadium food by the early 20th century. Sheboygan, an hour north, claims the hard-roll style; Madison adopted the bratwurst on a hard roll at the Dane County Farmers' Market on Capitol Square, where multiple vendors grill brats every Saturday May through November, and at Camp Randall and Memorial Union tailgates each fall football season.
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Common allergens: Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 4 fresh Wisconsin bratwurst
- 350ml lager beer
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 4 Sheboygan-style hard rolls
- Yellow stadium mustard
- Sauerkraut to serve
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper
Method
- In a heavy pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the bratwurst and pour in the lager. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 15 minutes, turning the brats occasionally to color all sides.
- Remove the brats and onions from the beer; reserve the beer-onion mixture warm.
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Char-grill the bratwurst 3 to 4 minutes per side for grill marks.
- Split the hard rolls; add a generous stripe of stadium mustard.
- Place a bratwurst on each roll, top with the beer-cooked onions and a generous spoonful of sauerkraut.
- Serve immediately with a side of cold lager.
Tip from the editors. Sheboygan-style hard rolls are essential; brioche is too soft. Use natural-casing pork bratwurst. Don't skip the beer simmer.
Where to eat bratwurst on a hard roll
Bratwurst on a hard roll in Madison
Tornado Steak House ★ 4.4
Tornado Steak House on South Hamilton, the Capitol Square supper club, pairs a white-linen wine list with aged steaks and the Friday fish fry.
PourSteakhouse-paired California red or Wisconsin sparkling
WineSupper-club bottle list with steakhouse-friendly reds
FoodWisconsin supper club menu, steaks and Friday fish fry
The Old Fashioned ★ 4.7
The Old Fashioned on North Pinckney, the Wisconsin-tavern flagship on Capitol Square, pours hundreds of Wisconsin beers and the brandy Old Fashioned standard.
DrinkBrandy Old Fashioned sweet, the city's standard
FoodWisconsin supper club menu, fish fry, cheese curds
The Plaza Tavern & Grill ★ 4.3
The Plaza Tavern on North Henry, a block off State Street between the Capitol and UW Madison, is home to the secret-sauce Plazaburger since 1964.
OrderThe Plazaburger with the secret sauce and a side of fried cheese curds.
TipClosed Sundays; the small-town tavern feel makes the dinner shift the right window.
Bratwurst on a hard roll in Milwaukee
Usinger's Famous Sausage ★ 4.7
Usinger's on Old World Third Street has made Milwaukee bratwurst, knockwurst and Polish sausage since 1880, with a retail counter and a sausage cart.
TryBratwurst on a hard roll
The Vanguard ★ 4.4
The Vanguard on South Kinnickinnic in Bay View serves 20 house-made sausages including vegan brats, plus 30 taps of craft beer since 2014, counter-only room.
OrderBuffalo chicken brat with house slaw and a Wisconsin sour off the taps.
TipWeekday late-night kitchen runs to 23:30; weekend brunch is a sleeper.
Old German Beer Hall ★ 4.2
Old German Beer Hall on Old World Third Street downtown serves Hofbrau liter steins, giant pretzels and Bavarian schnitzel in a stein-lined hall.
DrinkHofbrau Original liter
FoodBavarian pub food
Lakefront Brewery ★ 4.7
Lakefront Brewery on North Commerce Street, founded by Russ and Jim Klisch in 1987, runs the city's defining Friday fish fry, weekly tours and a Riverwest.
More cities are in research. Want bratwurst on a hard roll covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.