Milwaukee Fan Guide

[Al_4_State]

Lakefront Brewery - Overhyped, but you gotta go.
Cafe Benelux - brunch
Public Market - Doesn't sniff a real public market, but cool for MKE.
Safehouse - Spy bar with no sign. Fun for kids.
Broken Bat Brewing - rent batting cages.
Bobblehead museum
Wizard Works Brewing
Mecca - Deer District
Major Goolsbys - OG before game Bucks bar from Bradley Center days.
Glass domes

Depends on what you're talking about here. The beer is nothing amazing, but the tour is as fun of a brewery tour as you'll find anywhere.

 

[Macloney]

Do they have any tours/museums related to the historic and mega breweries in Milwaukee? Those are the ones that made Milwaukee famous for beer.

Miller Brewery tour was closed for Covid and hasn't restarted.

An FYI about Lakefront, you can rent Bernie the Brewer's old chalet for 90 minutes to eat in.

 

[Macloney]

Depends on what you're talking about here. The beer is nothing amazing, but the tour is as fun of a brewery tour as you'll find anywhere.

Everything is above average. I have River West Stein in my rotation.

The tour kind of depends on your expectations and experience on breweries. I understand why people think it's great and I said you had to go.

 

[JP4CY]

Place near Lakefront called Uncle Wolfies that's awesome.

 

[AirWalke]

Central Standard. Yep, I'm still an owner, but no longer active in the management and operation. Live in ATL now. Thanks for the shout out.

Since you mentioned Waukee Football in your reply, do you have ties to the Central Standard restaurant in Waukee?

 

[delt4cy]

Since you mentioned Waukee Football in your reply, do you have ties to the Central Standard restaurant in Waukee?

Ironically no, other than the narrow margin on trademark infringement ha, I kid! I did come up with the name and trademarked in 2013 (actually had to buy it from a Wine Company) Decent restaurant though and very close to where I grew up. I stopped in a few years back and it was packed.

If any of you were at the Bradley Center in 2017, the Fiserv and the Deer District will blow that experience away. To me, the Deer District is like a more authentic and less contrived P&L Distrisct in KC (but outdoors). Good City/Mecca/Drink Wisconsinably are awesome spots. Spent a few nights there during the NBA Playoffs last summer.

Many good recs in this thread, but if anybody needs more/details, feel free to ask here or PM. I put together a detailed "Milwaukee Fan Guide" last time around, but it's a bit dated now. Still some good recs in there. Let's just hope we get back to that first half season momentum and make it to Sunday!

 

[Al_4_State]

Bumping this as we're going back in a few weeks. Is there a Miller Brewing tour that's worthwhile, or should I just do Lakefront again?

I'd be completely fine doing Lakefront again, but my wife suggested Miller.

 

[StevieISU23]

Bump!

 

[NWICY]

Lakefront brewery

 

[Al_4_State]

Lakefront Brewery is so much fun. We do it every time we're in Milwaukee (which is like 3 times at this point).

 

[CyKings]

My wife and I have tickets for session 2 but are only planning to drive in for the day instead of staying somewhere close to Fiserv. Does anyone have recommendations of fun things to do or see that might be near the arena? Hoping to just find parking nearby mid-morning or early afternoon.

I’ve been looking online but also don’t see any fan events or pep rallies going on the day of the games. This is our first time doing anything NCAA tournament related so we have no idea what to expect.

You mentioned you have session 2, but I'm pretty sure Iowa State is in Session 1, just to make sure you have the right sessions!

 

[thisISnextyear]

You mentioned you have session 2, but I'm pretty sure Iowa State is in Session 1, just to make sure you have the right sessions!

We were Session 2 when this thread was started.

 

[deadeyededric]

I was there 3 weeks ago and posted this in another thread. Milwaukee is awesome!

Some recommendations in the Fiserv area:
-There are a ton of bars in the block east of the arena (old Third Street). Water Street is across the river another block or two east. These bars were all pretty packed and more of the college aged crowd, but a lot of fun and super close.
-Good City Brewing has a location adjacent to Fiserv. They had some excellent beer, and it will probably be a nut house during the games. The Drink Wisconsinably Pub is next door as well.
-Safehouse/Newsroom are a fun pair of bars just off the Riverwalk. Safehouse has a speakeasy theme where you have to play along with the secret password deal to head in. Newsroom is a more normal set up, but cool bar too.

Away from downtown a little
-Brady Street is a cheap cab ride away and I had more fun as a 30 something in this neighborhood. Roman Coin and Wolski's were my favorite bars up here, and the most fun spots we visited that weekend.
-Absolutely do the Lakefront Brewery tour. You could have a great Friday taking the earliest tour of Lakefront, and then walk across the bridge to Brady Street with a nice little buzz. Grab a sandwich for lunch at Glorioso's and bar hop until you're ready to head to the arena.

For Bloody Mary's:
-The Third Ward (just south of downtown) had some really good ones. Cafe Benelux and Wicked Hop (across the street from each other) were my favorites. Both places had very good food too.
-Sobelman's is a little overrated, IMO. Pretty decent bar and worth a stop if it's convenient.
-Steny's was really good, and they had great bar food to boot. Would be an awesome place to watch some of the other games.

Public Market
-Kind of a big indoor market with lots of cool little places. Will be absolutely packed on Saturday AM, so might be a better Friday stop. You can sit at the bar of the St Paul Fish Market and order oysters and Schlitz. I recommend doing this, especially if your wife wants to shop at the little stands in the market.

One of the more underrated cities in America. Great place!

 

[cytor]

The Safe House is awesome.

 

[BCClone]

My wife and I have tickets for session 2 but are only planning to drive in for the day instead of staying somewhere close to Fiserv. Does anyone have recommendations of fun things to do or see that might be near the arena? Hoping to just find parking nearby mid-morning or early afternoon.

I’ve been looking online but also don’t see any fan events or pep rallies going on the day of the games. This is our first time doing anything NCAA tournament related so we have no idea what to expect.

Wait……..session 2…….??????

Now I look at the date. Cripes a bump.

 

[kevdiv48]

Wolski's

 

[Al_4_State]

Wolski's

One of my favorite bars on the planet.

My daughter had a Wolski’s onesie as an infant

 

[Cycsk]

We hung out at Central Standard Distillery last time in Milwaukee.

Home - Central Standard Craft Distillery

Menu & Booking Crafted To Gather A better craft spirit experience awaits. Our award-winning products are locally distilled with pride, right in the heart of Downtown Milwaukee. And now, experience our full offering with the Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen. Cocktails, apps, and entrees, all...

thecentralstandard.com

 

[Sofro]

Don’t forget to grab your brats to take home at Usinger’s which is also downtown. And if you love Jewish delis Jake’s is awesome, but a five minute drive from Fiserv.

 

[AirWalke]

A thread of mine was bumped! I can check that one off the list now.

Milwaukee was neat… it really sucks that the weather was so miserable when we were there, we would have explored a lot more instead of hunkering down indoors.

Lakefront Brewery was fun to go to. It was a really neat tour and our guide was a lot of fun to listen to. Fiserv was also a great visit. The area surrounding Fiserv looked like it had a lot of potential but again, it was super cold and rainy. Nothing you can do about that though. Hopefully the weather is better. Would have gone again this year but the timing didn’t work out for us.

In hindsight I think one of the more memorable experiences (that won’t be repeated this year) was walking into a Wisconsin pep rally across the way from Fiserv. We were surrounded by Badger fans at both the restaurant and at the game, but they were all very polite and accommodating. We didn’t stick around for the 2nd round game though, I’m sure they were a lot grouchier after we beat them.