Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Milwaukee actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Milwaukee actually eats.
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.
Signature: Friday fish fry, Cheese curds
Order: All-you-can-eat perch fish fry with the polka band on Friday night.
Tip: Friday fry fills by 17:30; reservations recommended on the brewery site for groups of 6 or more.
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.
Signature: Meatloaf, Vegan mac and cheese
Order: Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and the vegan mac and cheese for the table.
Tip: Kitchen runs late on weekends; the bar takes pre-show walk-ins from the Pabst Theater.
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.
Signature: Burritos, Vegan stir-fry
Order: Veggie burrito with brown rice and the daily black-bean soup.
Tip: The deli counter does excellent take-out sandwiches; grocery is open later than the kitchen.
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.
Signature: Mac and cheese pizza, Steak and fries slice
Order: Mac and cheese slice and a steak and fries slice; both go great at 01:00.
Tip: Walk-in counter only; queues run past midnight Friday and Saturday after concerts.
Pizzeria Piccola on West State Street in Wauwatosa, a Bartolotta Group room, runs Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas with Caputo flour and San Marzano tomatoes.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Wood-fired calzone
Order: A Margherita off the wood oven and a side Caesar salad.
Tip: Lunch walk-ins easy; dinner reservations on OpenTable for the dining room.
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.
Signature: Three-way chili, Cheese chili dog
Order: Three-way with mild meat, beans, onions, cheese and a side of crackers.
Tip: Open late after Pabst Theater shows; the Marquette location runs college hours.
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.
Signature: Pretzel and beer cheese, Bratwurst plate
Order: Giant Bavarian pretzel with beer cheese and a one-liter stein of Hofbrau Original.
Tip: Walk-in only; weekend nights stand for a long Bavarian sing-along around the communal tables in the front room.
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.
Signature: Jumbo cheeseburger, Daily flavour custard
Order: A Jumbo cheeseburger and a small of the flavour of the day with a chocolate cone.
Tip: Lines move fast; counter only and three locations across the Milwaukee suburbs.
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.
Signature: Bloody Mary, Cheeseburger
Order: The Masterpiece Bloody Mary garnished with a brat, slider and pickled vegetables.
Tip: Lines wrap weekends; weekday lunch is the calmer window. Five Milwaukee locations.
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.
Signature: Barrie Burger, Peanut delivery
Order: The Barrie Burger with cheese curds and a basket of fries.
Tip: Peanut shells go on the floor by tradition; weekend brunch runs Bloody Marys 10:00 to 14:00.
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.
Signature: Butter burger, Chocolate malt
Order: The original butter burger with stewed onions and a chocolate malt to go.
Tip: Counter only; arrive before 12:30 weekdays to skip the lunch queue.
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.
Signature: Vegan sausage, Buffalo chicken brat
Order: Buffalo chicken brat with house slaw and a Wisconsin sour off the taps.
Tip: Weekday late-night kitchen runs to 23:30; weekend brunch is a sleeper.
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.
Signature: Reuben sandwich, Shepherd's pie
Order: Reuben sandwich with corned beef and Swiss and a pint of Guinness.
Tip: Cash-friendly; downtown lunch line peaks 12:00 to 13:30 weekdays.
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.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Calamari
Order: Pizza Bianca with truffle oil and a glass of Chianti.
Tip: Lunch walk-ins easy; weekend dinner books on OpenTable two weeks out.
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.
Signature: Belgian frites, Croque madame
Order: Croque madame with Belgian frites and Andalouse sauce.
Tip: Brunch is bottomless mimosas on weekends; the patio fills mid-afternoon in warm weather.
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.
Signature: Mussels and frites, Croque monsieur
Order: Moules-frites with white wine broth and a pour of Westvleteren if it's on the list.
Tip: Sister Hollander rooms run the same menu; this is the original Lowlands location.
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.
Signature: Burger, Fish fry
Order: The Blue Jacket burger with smoked cheddar and a Friday cod fish fry.
Tip: Patio fills in summer; book on Resy for weekend evenings.
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.
Signature: Brisket, Pulled pork
Order: Brisket plate with collard greens and mac and cheese.
Tip: Walk-in only; brisket sells out by 21:00 on weekends.
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.
Signature: Dan dan noodles, Hot pot dumplings
Order: Dan dan noodles with Sichuan peppercorn and pork dumplings.
Tip: Walk-in counter and dining room; reservations on Resy for weekend evenings.
Blue's Egg on North 76th Street in Wauwatosa is a breakfast room from chef Joe Muench, with stuffed hash browns and lemon ricotta hotcakes drawing big queues.
Signature: Stuffed hash browns, Lemon ricotta hotcakes
Order: Stuffed hash browns with chorizo and a lemon ricotta hotcakes side.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive before 09:00 weekends or expect a 45-minute wait.
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.
Signature: Pastry of the day, Eggs Benedict
Order: Pastry of the day with an espresso and the classic eggs Benedict.
Tip: Brunch is bottomless mimosa; reservations on OpenTable for parties of four or more.
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.
Signature: Baby-back ribs, Garbage salad
Order: Full slab of baby-back ribs with garbage salad and a Carson's potato.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the bar takes walk-ins. Close to Fiserv Forum on event nights.
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.
Signature: Wisconsin cheese curds, Burger
Order: Fried Wisconsin cheese curds with house buttermilk ranch and the Kil@Wat burger.
Tip: Bar takes walk-ins; gallery hotel lobby spills into the dining room.
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.
Signature: Lasagne, Wood-fired pizza
Order: House lasagne with bechamel and a wood-fired Margherita to share.
Tip: Pre-theater dinner books on OpenTable; the bar runs late after Pabst shows.
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.
Signature: Frida Mexican, Heaven's Table BBQ
Order: Frida tacos al pastor and Heaven's Table brisket sandwich.
Tip: Walk-in food hall with order-at-counter; lots of seating in winter, patio in summer.
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.
Signature: Sushi omakase, Yakitori
Order: Omakase at the sushi bar and a yakitori sampler off the binchotan grill.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the omakase counter has six seats only.