American BBQ$$$downtown
Carson's on West Juneau Avenue downtown near Fiserv Forum serves baby-back ribs in barbecue sauce with garbage salad and the Carson's potato since 1977.
Signature: Baby-back ribs, Garbage salad
Order: Full slab of baby-back ribs with garbage salad and a Carson's potato.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the bar takes walk-ins. Close to Fiserv Forum on event nights.
New American$$downtown
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.
Italian$$downtown
Louise's on North Jefferson Street downtown is a casual Italian room with wood-fired pizzas, hand-rolled pastas and Italian wines near the Pabst Theater.
Signature: Lasagne, Wood-fired pizza
Order: House lasagne with bechamel and a wood-fired Margherita to share.
Tip: Pre-theater dinner books on OpenTable; the bar runs late after Pabst shows.
Food hall$$east-side
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.
Japanese$$$downtown
Izumi's on North Prospect Avenue on the East Side runs a sushi bar, yakitori counter and hot-plate Japanese menu since 1988, with omakase by reservation.
Signature: Sushi omakase, Yakitori
Order: Omakase at the sushi bar and a yakitori sampler off the binchotan grill.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the omakase counter has six seats only.
American BBQ$$riverwest
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.