Great Restaurants in Milwaukee
There are so many fabulous restaurants in Milwaukee that it's going to be hard to narrow down the favorites! And of course, our favorite Milwaukee restaurants might not be yours. And better yet, there's bound to be lots of great places that we haven't tried, which means we need your help to build the list of awesome Milwaukee restaurants!
Eating out and researching the best restaurants in Milwaukee is probably our single most favorite activity here at Things to do in Milwaukee. There’s just something about eating food that somebody else has prepared and being out and about among other people in the city. Maybe it's the atmosphere, maybe it's being around happy people - but we just love it! And we're ALWAYS looking for more great places - especially local establishments! There's no better way to build up this city than to support it's local businesses. So what do we look for when identifying one of the restaurants in Milwaukee as "Great"? Of course the food has to be good, but we think the ambiance is just as important. That doesn’t mean it has to be fancy by any means, it could be at a complete “dive” as long as we feel good when we're there. So let's talk about some of our favorite restaurants in Milwaukee. We don't have gourmet cooks on staff here, just people who like to eat! So let's get to it!
So which Milwaukee restaurants should we start with??? How about the “burger”? I attended a conference awhile ago, and the presenter asked everyone to go around and tell us about something that they “valued.” One guy answered by saying that he valued a “really good cheeseburger!” I thought to myself, “a really good cheeseburger IS something to be valued!” Now of course you have places like Kopps Frozen Custard (opens new window) which is truly one of my favorite burger joints. Or there’s Solly’s Grille - home of the butter burger...true enough, these burgers are legendary!
But our MOST favorite place for burgers is at Kegels Inn (opens new window) on the corner of 59th and National Avenue. This little German restaurant has an authentic “German pub” type feel to it – a perfect place to go on a cold winter night! Kegel’s is actually a fine dining German restaurant, but it’s atmosphere is so casual that it’s perfectly reasonable to go in jeans and a t-shirt (well, maybe a “nice” t-shirt). They have a full array of German dishes (not really my thing) but the burgers are fantastic! They're not overly huge, the buns are soft but firm (soft but firm...I mean really, isn’t that what we all want?), and the flavor of the meat is wonderful! Kegel’s is high on our recommended burger joints, and I surely hope you enjoy them as much as I do. When we're not engaging the “carnivore within” we lean towards the restaurants in Milwaukee that do cater to the vegetarian pallette by packing in the flavor and being made with healthy and mostly organic ingredients. In this regard, nothing satisfies quite like Beans and Barley. If you haven't been there, it's definitely worth the visit, even for you meat lovers! They're not completely vegetarian, but they do have a wide variety of vegetarian choices. These folks know how to cook – the food tastes great and you feel good after a meal...you actually feel like you just nourished your body! Beans and Barley is a favorite breakfast/brunch restaurant - plan to wait at least 15 minutes for a table during the noon hour - but their lunch and dinner entrees are just as good as their breakfasts. And if you need a few extra vitamins and nutrients, try a ”wheat grass shot”! Love it! Their menu has a little something for most everyone. Now for those of you who haven't had Puerto Rican food, it may take a bit of getting used to...but for great Puertor Rican food...and I mean F-A-B-U-L-L-O-U-S...you've got to try Quimeras on 7th and National!
Good Puerto Rican food can be hard to come by in this city. I used to know of a man who cooked out of his basement on the North side of town. ”Ernesto” was the best Puerto Rican cook in the city! Unfortunately, he died a few years ago, not to mention that it wasn’t always easy to find him – what, with being located in a basement and all – when you wanted a good Puerto Rican meal.
Quimeras is one of the many great restaurants in Milwaukee located in the Walker’s Point area. My personal recommendation would be for the “Pastales with rice and beans” along with a side of “Amarillos (ripe plantains)” and of course “Beef Empanadas “. Very reasonably priced - 2 entrees, 2 drinks, an appetizer and one desert was under $40! Quimeras also has dancing every Saturday night and parties for special events like New Years Eve! As long as we’re talking about the ” Latin flavor”, let’s talk Cuban food at Cubanitas! Cubanitas is one of the many restaurants in Milwaukee located downtown on Milwaukee Street just North of Wisconsin Avenue. We LOVE this restaurant! They don’t have a never-ending menu, instead focusing on doing several dishes well. Whatever you choose, you should be pleased with the result. The shrimp, breaded steak, and shredded pork are all delicious! Don’t forget a side of their unique guacamole and chips, sweet plantains or empanadas.
Don’t forget a drink with your meal – Cubanitas and Quimeras are in competition for the THE BEST PINA COLADAS IN TOWN! I’m not kidding – you won't find a better pina colada even on vacation in the Caribbean. Or try a fruit-filled sangria or a Mojito, and top off that meal with the “flan” for desert. I talked about ambiance earlier...Cubanitas has it for sure! A cozy little bar beside the dinner tables makes this a great place for a drink with colleagues after work. How about Serbian food? Ever try Burek?? It’s got layers of phyllo dough with either meat or spinach and cheese, and it is delightful at Three Brothers Bar and Restaurant! It takes about 45 minutes to make, and isn’t pre-made, so allow plenty of time to enjoy drinks, appetizers and the people you’re dining with. The Burek at Three Brothers is the best I’ve had, and the place is delightful and quaint, you’re sure to feel right at home.
One of the newer restaurants in Milwaukee that I just visited for lunch was delightful! I can't wait to go back for dinner - especially Tuesday nights when they serve all you can eat mussels for $8! The place can get packed during the specials, so call for reservations. Triskele's (opens new window) is this quaint little bar/restaurant combo, that is owned by two women, and located in Walker's Point, on 3rd Street a few blocks South of Lapham Blvd. This place was opened in 2008 (about??) and it already has quite a following. There’s not a huge variety of food, but there are seafood dishes, meat dishes and vegetarian entrees and the food is fantastic to say the least!
One of the owners is the chef and you can see her preparing the food just on the other side of the bar. Check out their website for a full menu along with weekly specials. Read on for more great restaurants in Milwaukee including some "specialities" like Mexican restaurants, Italian restaurants and more! Page 1 2 3
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If you’d prefer something lighter, I highly recommend the “Cuban sandwich”. They advise you not to alter any of the ingredients in the sandwich, and I would agree – it’s perfect the way it is!
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