Bistros, trattorias and the everyday places where Milwaukee actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Milwaukee actually eats.
26 places
Order All-you-can-eat perch fish fry with the polka band on Friday night.
Lakefront Brewery on North Commerce Street, Russ Klisch's 1987 brewery, runs the city's defining Friday fish fry with a polka band and free brewery tours.
Order Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and the vegan mac and cheese for the table.
Comet Cafe on North Farwell Avenue runs a 24-hour-style diner with meatloaf, vegan mac and cheese and a long beer list for UW Milwaukee weekend nights here.
Order Veggie burrito with brown rice and the daily black-bean soup.
Beans and Barley on East North Avenue is a grocery, deli and all-day cafe with a long vegetarian menu of burritos, stir-fries and grain bowls since 1973 here.
9 of the casual dining on this list are in Downtown. So are these tours and tastings.
Order Mac and cheese slice and a steak and fries slice; both go great at 01:00.
Ian's Pizza on Juneau Avenue downtown serves the city's late-night slices with mac and cheese, steak and fries and a rotating roster of weird toppings.
Order A Margherita off the wood oven and a side Caesar salad.
Pizzeria Piccola on West State Street in Wauwatosa, a Bartolotta Group room, runs Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas with Caputo flour and San Marzano tomatoes.
Order Three-way with mild meat, beans, onions, cheese and a side of crackers.
Real Chili on East Wells Street has served Milwaukee three-way chili since 1931, with beans and onions over spaghetti, cinnamon-spiced meat sauce and cheese.
Order Giant Bavarian pretzel with beer cheese and a one-liter stein of Hofbrau Original.
Old German Beer Hall on Old World Third Street downtown is a Hofbrau-style bier hall with one-liter steins, giant pretzels, bratwurst and Bavarian schnitzel.
Order A Jumbo cheeseburger and a small of the flavour of the day with a chocolate cone.
Kopp's Frozen Custard on North Port Washington Road, founded by Elsa Kopp in 1950, serves jumbo cheeseburgers and a daily-changing custard flavour today.
Order The Masterpiece Bloody Mary garnished with a brat, slider and pickled vegetables.
Sobelman's Pub and Grill on West St Paul Avenue serves Milwaukee's most photographed Bloody Mary with brat, slider and pickled garnish stack since 1999.
Order The Barrie Burger with cheese curds and a basket of fries.
AJ Bombers on North Water Street downtown is Joe Sorge's burger bar with airplane-themed peanut delivery, the Barrie Burger and a deep beer list since 2009.
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Order The original butter burger with stewed onions and a chocolate malt to go.
Solly's Grille on North Port Washington Road in Glendale, founded by Kenneth Salmon in 1936, popularised the butter burger with a pat on a griddled patty.
Order Buffalo chicken brat with house slaw and a Wisconsin sour off the taps.
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.
Order Reuben sandwich with corned beef and Swiss and a pint of Guinness.
Swingin' Door Exchange on East Michigan Street downtown is an Irish pub in the 1873 Mackie Building with reubens, shepherd's pie and cocktails since 1985.
Order Pizza Bianca with truffle oil and a glass of Chianti.
Transfer Pizzeria on West Mitchell Street in Walker's Point runs wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas in a converted transit garage with Italian wines on tap.
Order Croque madame with Belgian frites and Andalouse sauce.
Cafe Hollander on State Street in Wauwatosa Village is a Lowlands Group Belgian cafe with frites, croque madame and a long Belgian beer list since 2009 open.
Order Moules-frites with white wine broth and a pour of Westvleteren if it's on the list.
Cafe Centraal on South Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View is the Lowlands Group Belgian cafe with mussels and frites, croque monsieur and a deep Trappist list.
Order The Blue Jacket burger with smoked cheddar and a Friday cod fish fry.
Blue Jacket on East National Avenue in Walker's Point is a nautical-themed gastropub with a strong burger, Friday fish fry and a long cocktail program here.
Order Brisket plate with collard greens and mac and cheese.
Smoke Shack on North Milwaukee Street in the Third Ward serves Memphis-Texas barbecue with smoked brisket, pulled pork and house-made sauces in a warehouse.
Order Dan dan noodles with Sichuan peppercorn and pork dumplings.
DanDan in the Third Ward, by chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite, runs modern Chinese-American small plates with dan dan noodles and a long mezcal list.
Order Stuffed hash browns with chorizo and a lemon ricotta hotcakes side.
Blue's Egg + Bakery on North 76th Street in Wauwatosa is chef Joe Muench's breakfast room for stuffed hash browns and lemon ricotta hotcakes.
Order Pastry of the day with an espresso and the classic eggs Benedict.
Miss Molly's Cafe on West Center Street in Wauwatosa runs an all-day American breakfast room with a pastry case, eggs Benedict and a long espresso list daily.
Order Full slab of baby-back ribs with garbage salad and a Carson's potato.
Carson's on West Juneau Avenue downtown near Fiserv Forum serves baby-back ribs in barbecue sauce with garbage salad and the Carson's potato since 1977.
Order Fried Wisconsin cheese curds with house buttermilk ranch and the Kil@Wat burger.
Kil@Wat inside the Saint Kate Arts Hotel on East Kilbourn Avenue runs an all-day American gastropub menu with Wisconsin cheese curds, burgers and craft.
Order House lasagne with bechamel and a wood-fired Margherita to share.
Louise's on North Jefferson Street downtown is a casual Italian room with wood-fired pizzas, hand-rolled pastas and Italian wines near the Pabst Theater.
Order Frida tacos al pastor and Heaven's Table brisket sandwich.
Crossroads Collective food hall on North Farwell Avenue runs eight vendors including Frida Mexican, Heaven's Table BBQ and a craft cocktail bar in East Side.
Order Omakase at the sushi bar and a yakitori sampler off the binchotan grill.
Izumi's on North Prospect Avenue on the East Side runs a sushi bar, yakitori counter and hot-plate Japanese menu since 1988, with omakase by reservation.
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