Blackbird Bar is a restaurant in Milwaukee.
Blackbird Bar on South Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View is a small punk-leaning neighborhood tavern with whiskey, draft beer and a corner-bar atmosphere.
Why locals love it: A small punk-leaning Bay View corner bar with no kitchen most visitors walk past on Kinnickinnic Avenue.
Tip: Beer-and-shot is the play; arrive late and the back patio fills with the Bay View regulars.
Address: 3007 S Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207
Anytime Arepa on East North Avenue on the East Side serves Venezuelan arepas with shredded beef, chicken and beans, run by Venezuelan family since 2022.
Why locals love it: A Venezuelan family-run arepa room on the East Side that locals fill weekday lunch but most visitors miss.
Tip: Pabellon arepa with shredded beef, black beans, plantains and white cheese is the order.
Fondy Farmers Market on West Fond du Lac Avenue, the largest farmers market in Wisconsin since 1917, runs 70+ vendors including a deep Hmong grower.
Why locals love it: The largest farmers market in Wisconsin since 1917 with a deep Hmong grower contingent visitors rarely find.
Tip: Get there by 08:00 Saturday for the Hmong produce row including lemongrass and bitter melon.
At Random on South Delaware Avenue in Bay View has poured tiki and dessert cocktails in a red-velvet lounge since 1964; recently revived after a brief.
Why locals love it: A red-velvet 1964 Bay View lounge with tiki and dessert cocktails revived after a brief closure recently.
Tip: Order a Tiki Love Bowl or a Pink Squirrel; cash-friendly bar with no menus on most tables.
Sherman Phoenix on West Fond du Lac Avenue houses 30+ Black-owned food and retail businesses in the former BMO Harris Bank building, opened in 2018.
Why locals love it: 30+ Black-owned food businesses in a former bank building in Sherman Park most downtown visitors don't reach.
Tip: Try Funky Fresh Spring Rolls or Buffalo Boss wings; food court runs Monday through Saturday.
Lazy Susan on South Howell Avenue in Bay View runs a small-plates menu of wood-roasted vegetables, steamed buns and a cocktail program with an Asian pantry.
Why locals love it: A Bay View small-plates kitchen with steamed buns and wood-roasted carrots that most visitors haven't heard of and locals book year-round here.
Tip: Order the wood-roasted carrots and steamed pork buns with kimchi from the small kitchen counter.
Discourse Coffee on North Broadway downtown is a small-batch espresso bar focused on single-origin coffees, with a tight pastry case and minimal.
Why locals love it: A small-batch downtown espresso bar with minimal seating and rotating single origins most visitors miss.
Tip: Order whichever single-origin pour-over the barista recommends and watch the daily-rotating list.
