Allison’s guidebook
Favorite Bars on Brady
Brady street has classy bars, dive bars, arcade bars, bars that turn into dance bars... you get the picture. I am trying to paint the vibe of each place for you. MY favorites are: Garage, Wolski's, Roman Coin, Nomad, club brady.
If you want to do a fun little bar hop, at MOST places you can get a beer (usually PBR) and a shot (usually whisky) for $5. It's called by different names at different places (PBJ, Tune up, Standard, Prixe Fixe..)
CASH ONLY. This used to be a tied house for Pabst when it still did most of its brewing in MKE. Pretty cool history, bowling alley in basement (though you can't access it for saftey reasons - now it's where the kegs are stored). Here's an article about it https://onmilwaukee.com/history/articles/reganosspelunk.html
There is pool too.
7 locals recommend
Regano's Roman Coin
1004 E Brady StCASH ONLY. This used to be a tied house for Pabst when it still did most of its brewing in MKE. Pretty cool history, bowling alley in basement (though you can't access it for saftey reasons - now it's where the kegs are stored). Here's an article about it https://onmilwaukee.com/history/articles/reganosspelunk.html
There is pool too.
CASH ONLY. Good place to try a brandy old fashioned (it's a WI thing). If anyone other than old townies visited this bar it would probably be called a hipster bar. Every time I go the demographic is usually 40+. Still great though. Maybe the only reason I like it is because in the bathroom there's a graffiti quote from the Princess Bride.
Jamo's
1800 N Arlington PlCASH ONLY. Good place to try a brandy old fashioned (it's a WI thing). If anyone other than old townies visited this bar it would probably be called a hipster bar. Every time I go the demographic is usually 40+. Still great though. Maybe the only reason I like it is because in the bathroom there's a graffiti quote from the Princess Bride.
Best outdoor patio on Brady. This is Brady's "soccer bar" technically. You can meet people of all ages here, music is good and drinks are cheap. Can get a prixe fixe (pronounced pree-fix, because it's french) for $5. Shot and a PBR.
41 locals recommend
Nomad World Pub
1401 E Brady StBest outdoor patio on Brady. This is Brady's "soccer bar" technically. You can meet people of all ages here, music is good and drinks are cheap. Can get a prixe fixe (pronounced pree-fix, because it's french) for $5. Shot and a PBR.
This isn't a dance club. The mirror behind the bar is super cool and they have pool. This is a good place to play bar die with the bartender. If you don't know how to play, they coach you through it. But essentially, you roll 5 die. 1's are wild. You need at least one 1 to get any kind of score. You want to get 1's and same numbers. The best score you can get is a 56. The way I like to think of it, is that the number of die you have that have the same number or a 1 is your 10s place, and the number that is not a 1 is your 1's place. So if I rolled 2 1's and 2 3's and a 6, my score would be a 43. If I rolled 3 1's and a 3 and a 2 also a 43.
6 locals recommend
Harry's on Brady
1234 E Brady StThis isn't a dance club. The mirror behind the bar is super cool and they have pool. This is a good place to play bar die with the bartender. If you don't know how to play, they coach you through it. But essentially, you roll 5 die. 1's are wild. You need at least one 1 to get any kind of score. You want to get 1's and same numbers. The best score you can get is a 56. The way I like to think of it, is that the number of die you have that have the same number or a 1 is your 10s place, and the number that is not a 1 is your 1's place. So if I rolled 2 1's and 2 3's and a 6, my score would be a 43. If I rolled 3 1's and a 3 and a 2 also a 43.
This bar is ok. kinda loud. kinda small. Can pick a shot and pick a beer for $5 which is nice.
Malone's on Brady
1329 E Brady StThis bar is ok. kinda loud. kinda small. Can pick a shot and pick a beer for $5 which is nice.
Arcade bar, which is fun. Kinda a walk from my place. But it's surely good if you like video games or arcade games. Would recommend this track game that's on the 2nd floor because you can play it with 4 people. It's over to the right of the stairs when you walk up from the inside, looks like a table kinda.
25 locals recommend
Up-Down MKE
615 E Brady StArcade bar, which is fun. Kinda a walk from my place. But it's surely good if you like video games or arcade games. Would recommend this track game that's on the 2nd floor because you can play it with 4 people. It's over to the right of the stairs when you walk up from the inside, looks like a table kinda.
Iconic Milwaukee bar. If you stay till close, you get a bumper sticker that says I closed wolskis. You can also play darts and pool here FOR FREE. Like corkboard darts. Real darts. Plus a family owns this place and they are super nice. Also there is parking!
24 locals recommend
Wolski's Tavern
1836 N Pulaski StIconic Milwaukee bar. If you stay till close, you get a bumper sticker that says I closed wolskis. You can also play darts and pool here FOR FREE. Like corkboard darts. Real darts. Plus a family owns this place and they are super nice. Also there is parking!
Sports bar. Not great on the food. But good for watching the game. They also do a family feud style trivia on Wednesday that my labmate loves.
20 locals recommend
Jack's American Pub
1323 E Brady StSports bar. Not great on the food. But good for watching the game. They also do a family feud style trivia on Wednesday that my labmate loves.
Jo-Cat's Pub
1311 E Brady StThis would be the dance bar on Brady.
Wine! They also have good food. This is a classy sit down type place. Bottles are half off on Sundays. If you stay till around 11ish on a Sunday, they do a "family meal" to use up the food they didn't cook or sell that week and so you get free food if you buy a bottle of wine.
56 locals recommend
Balzac
1716 N Arlington PlWine! They also have good food. This is a classy sit down type place. Bottles are half off on Sundays. If you stay till around 11ish on a Sunday, they do a "family meal" to use up the food they didn't cook or sell that week and so you get free food if you buy a bottle of wine.
Don't be deceived by the exterior. This place is really cozy on the inside. They have a punk rock kinda theme going on. Can get a PBR and a shot of jamo for $5 called PBJ.
Thurmans 15
1731 N Arlington PlDon't be deceived by the exterior. This place is really cozy on the inside. They have a punk rock kinda theme going on. Can get a PBR and a shot of jamo for $5 called PBJ.
Favorite restaurants
These are some of my favorite places. I am a vegetarian so that might slightly bias the list.
TACOS. People wanna be like Belair has the best tacos, but Kompali moved in about a year and a half ago and has been quietly doing it better ever since. The service isn't great. But the food is way more authentic and the salsa is great (If you like it REALLY spicy, you can ask for the habenero sauce specially). They also have good drinks! Margs are served on the rocks like they should be.
10 locals recommend
Kompali
1205 East Brady StreetTACOS. People wanna be like Belair has the best tacos, but Kompali moved in about a year and a half ago and has been quietly doing it better ever since. The service isn't great. But the food is way more authentic and the salsa is great (If you like it REALLY spicy, you can ask for the habenero sauce specially). They also have good drinks! Margs are served on the rocks like they should be.
Brunch! Bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys (you can switch between the 2 as well). Also really good brunch food.
Oak Barrel Public House
1033 N Old World 3rd StBrunch! Bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys (you can switch between the 2 as well). Also really good brunch food.
Cuban food. This is the only place I know of where you can get tostones and if you've never had those before, you should.
11 locals recommend
Cubanitas
728 N Milwaukee StCuban food. This is the only place I know of where you can get tostones and if you've never had those before, you should.
This is such a fun brewery. Everyone is nice and the food is great. You can try the impossible burger. One time, I had this beer that was supposed to be like a PBJ sandwich, and IT WAS.
24 locals recommend
Eagle Park Brewing Company
823 E Hamilton StThis is such a fun brewery. Everyone is nice and the food is great. You can try the impossible burger. One time, I had this beer that was supposed to be like a PBJ sandwich, and IT WAS.
Creative pizza by the slice. If you go out on Water street to bars, this place (the Juneau street location) is hoppin at 2am.
26 locals recommend
Ian's Pizza MKE North Ave
2035 East North AvenueCreative pizza by the slice. If you go out on Water street to bars, this place (the Juneau street location) is hoppin at 2am.
Empanadas. They also have pretty good cocktails and shoestring fries which I love.
27 locals recommend
La Masa Empanada Bar
1300 East Brady StreetEmpanadas. They also have pretty good cocktails and shoestring fries which I love.
This place is more fancy, but very delicious. Small plates so good for a group.
12 locals recommend
The Diplomat
815 E Brady StThis place is more fancy, but very delicious. Small plates so good for a group.