Milwaukee bratwurst is beer-simmered then char-grilled, served on a Sheboygan-style hard roll with stadium mustard, sauerkraut and a glass of Wisconsin lager.
Bratwurst reached Milwaukee with the German immigrant wave of the 1840s and became the city's signature sausage by 1880, when Fred Usinger opened his sausage shop on Old World Third Street. Sheboygan, an hour north, claims the hard-roll style; Milwaukee took up the bratwurst on a hard roll as its tailgate, Summerfest and Brewers-stadium food. Usinger's still makes the canonical version; the bratwurst remains the city's defining sausage in 2026.
4 editor picks for Bratwurst on a hard roll in Milwaukee, ranked by editorial score. All Milwaukee signature dishes · Bratwurst on a hard roll across every city.
Usinger's Famous Sausage ★ 4.7
1030 N Old World 3rd St, Milwaukee, WI 53203
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.
Lakefront Brewery ★ 4.7
riverwest · 1872 N Commerce St, Milwaukee, WI 53212
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.
The Vanguard ★ 4.4
bay-view · 2659 S Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207
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.
Old German Beer Hall ★ 4.1
downtown · 1009 N Old World 3rd St, Milwaukee, WI 53203
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.