US - Midwest Wisconsin

Wife and I are taking a weekend trip to Milwaukee in mid-October since we realized we've never really spent any time there. Anyone have any recommended places for food/drinks in and around the city?
 
Wife and I are taking a weekend trip to Milwaukee in mid-October since we realized we've never really spent any time there. Anyone have any recommended places for food/drinks in and around the city?

Beer:
-The best tap list in Milwaukee is always Champps Brookfield. Typical bro-y sports bar place. Food there is good for bar food.
-Eagle Park Brewery downtown for hype haze and kettle sours. Also, their spicy chicken sandwich is good.
-Good City (either location is fun). Beer is a tick above average.
-Third Space makes good clean beers. Again, slightly above average. Good outdoor location. No food.
-Haceinda is a newish place downtown. Haze.
-I like Gathering Place for more german style. Treffpunkt is a good Kolsch.
-1840 has a good environment and makes pretty good beers
-Burnheart's, Vanguard, Sugar Maple, Rumpus Room are all bar options for downtown or farther south.
-Friday fish fry at Lakefront is a really fun event. Very much worth doing.
-Nomad's is the soccer bar, they used to have some pretty amazing happy hour specials 4-5 on weekdays. Not sure if they still do that.

Food
-Milwaukee Public Market is a fun spot to walk around and grab a bite
-You're always in the pizza thread, so I'd recommend Wy'east first and foremost. I also enjoy Transfer Pizza if you're in that part of town. Zaffiro's is the classic Milwaukee style cracker crust pizza, but it's not my thing.
-Iron Grate BBQ is my favorite for BBQ in town. I'd skip the Milwaukee style ribs though.
-Vanguard for sausages is a good spot.
-For higher end, I enjoy Odd Duck quite a bit. Also Ardent, Story Hill BKC, Bavette la Boucherie.
-Someone other than me should give you Mexican recommendations.
-This has been an interesting series of burger reviews in the local media. Here's a link to the critic top 10. I like Oscars.

If you're not downtown, let me know and I may be able to help with stuff closer to where you are.
 
Beer:
-The best tap list in Milwaukee is always Champps Brookfield. Typical bro-y sports bar place. Food there is good for bar food.
-Eagle Park Brewery downtown for hype haze and kettle sours. Also, their spicy chicken sandwich is good.
-Good City (either location is fun). Beer is a tick above average.
-Third Space makes good clean beers. Again, slightly above average. Good outdoor location. No food.
-Haceinda is a newish place downtown. Haze.
-I like Gathering Place for more german style. Treffpunkt is a good Kolsch.
-1840 has a good environment and makes pretty good beers
-Burnheart's, Vanguard, Sugar Maple, Rumpus Room are all bar options for downtown or farther south.
-Friday fish fry at Lakefront is a really fun event. Very much worth doing.
-Nomad's is the soccer bar, they used to have some pretty amazing happy hour specials 4-5 on weekdays. Not sure if they still do that.

Food
-Milwaukee Public Market is a fun spot to walk around and grab a bite
-You're always in the pizza thread, so I'd recommend Wy'east first and foremost. I also enjoy Transfer Pizza if you're in that part of town. Zaffiro's is the classic Milwaukee style cracker crust pizza, but it's not my thing.
-Iron Grate BBQ is my favorite for BBQ in town. I'd skip the Milwaukee style ribs though.
-Vanguard for sausages is a good spot.
-For higher end, I enjoy Odd Duck quite a bit. Also Ardent, Story Hill BKC, Bavette la Boucherie.
-Someone other than me should give you Mexican recommendations.
-This has been an interesting series of burger reviews in the local media. Here's a link to the critic top 10. I like Oscars.

If you're not downtown, let me know and I may be able to help with stuff closer to where you are.
If you go to Brookfield, Goddess and Baker is a Chicago coffee/bakery thing that is pretty solid. Skip the sugar cookies (they are rock hard) but the rest is great.
 
Beer:
-The best tap list in Milwaukee is always Champps Brookfield. Typical bro-y sports bar place. Food there is good for bar food.
-Good City (either location is fun). Beer is a tick above average.
-Haceinda is a newish place downtown. Haze.

Food
-You're always in the pizza thread, so I'd recommend Wy'east first and foremost. I also enjoy Transfer Pizza if you're in that part of town. Zaffiro's is the classic Milwaukee style cracker crust pizza, but it's not my thing.
-Iron Grate BBQ is my favorite for BBQ in town. I'd skip the Milwaukee style ribs though.

was honestly surprised as hell by Champps. totally unexpected.

also surprised by Hacienda. the Bailey's Harbor location certainly has a couple hazy beers, but their options must be much more expansive as i can easily find a beer that isn't hazy.

agree with everything else you said.
 
was honestly surprised as hell by Champps. totally unexpected.
also surprised by Hacienda. the Bailey's Harbor location certainly has a couple hazy beers, but their options must be much more expansive as i can easily find a beer that isn't hazy.
agree with everything else you said.
Surprised in a good way by Champs? I like their food quite a bit. They have great taps. My kids (pre-covid at least) loved going there and getting a kids sundae. Couple of bucks for a giant ice cream sundae, and mom and dad got to have really good beer.

Yeah, I was flippant about Hacienda. They've got more than Haze. Huge, brand new building/location. You're paying for that remodel though. $15/4 pack for pilsner last time I bought beer there. Same stuff would be at least $1/beer cheaper elsewhere. They are absolutely following the new haze release every week business model (and Eagle Park too).
 
Surprised in a good way by Champs? I like their food quite a bit. They have great taps. My kids (pre-covid at least) loved going there and getting a kids sundae. Couple of bucks for a giant ice cream sundae, and mom and dad got to have really good beer.

definitely in a good way

we went there January last year (the weekend Kobe died). we were in the hotel next door and i wanted a beer so ran down to the restaurant expecting it to be mostly empty and having shitty beer.

it was fucking packed on a Friday night and i waited 10 minutes to get service because they were just so busy.

think that was the first time i drank an Eagle Park beer.


Yeah, I was flippant about Hacienda. They've got more than Haze. Huge, brand new building/location. You're paying for that remodel though. $15/4 pack for pilsner last time I bought beer there. Same stuff would be at least $1/beer cheaper elsewhere. They are absolutely following the new haze release every week business model (and Eagle Park too).

huh, maybe Bailey's Harbor is doing their beer slightly differently. they certainly have released hazy beers but it doesn't dominate their offerings. they also have Door Co. beers available on site so maybe that mitigates some of it.
 
Beer:
-The best tap list in Milwaukee is always Champps Brookfield. Typical bro-y sports bar place. Food there is good for bar food.
-Eagle Park Brewery downtown for hype haze and kettle sours. Also, their spicy chicken sandwich is good.
-Good City (either location is fun). Beer is a tick above average.
-Third Space makes good clean beers. Again, slightly above average. Good outdoor location. No food.
-Haceinda is a newish place downtown. Haze.
-I like Gathering Place for more german style. Treffpunkt is a good Kolsch.
-1840 has a good environment and makes pretty good beers
-Burnheart's, Vanguard, Sugar Maple, Rumpus Room are all bar options for downtown or farther south.
-Friday fish fry at Lakefront is a really fun event. Very much worth doing.
-Nomad's is the soccer bar, they used to have some pretty amazing happy hour specials 4-5 on weekdays. Not sure if they still do that.

Food
-Milwaukee Public Market is a fun spot to walk around and grab a bite
-You're always in the pizza thread, so I'd recommend Wy'east first and foremost. I also enjoy Transfer Pizza if you're in that part of town. Zaffiro's is the classic Milwaukee style cracker crust pizza, but it's not my thing.
-Iron Grate BBQ is my favorite for BBQ in town. I'd skip the Milwaukee style ribs though.
-Vanguard for sausages is a good spot.
-For higher end, I enjoy Odd Duck quite a bit. Also Ardent, Story Hill BKC, Bavette la Boucherie.
-Someone other than me should give you Mexican recommendations.
-This has been an interesting series of burger reviews in the local media. Here's a link to the critic top 10. I like Oscars.

If you're not downtown, let me know and I may be able to help with stuff closer to where you are.
Thanks for all the recommendations! Wife and I hit as many spots as we could within walking distance of downtown (Lakefront, EP, 1840, Good City, and CW). Lakefront fish fry was a great call and also enjoyed Burnheart's. Didn't make it to Wy'east but it'll definitely be on the list next time through town.
 
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