tell me about milwaukee

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i've never been to milwaukee -- for some reason, i've had an inexplicable urge to see that place since i was little. maybe too much laverne and shirley?
-- Eisbär (llamasfu...), May 12th, 2004.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:49 (twenty-two years ago)

laverne and shirley ... the show that made basement apartments seem cool!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Not with Lenny and Squiggy always in it. But better them than Carmine.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:51 (twenty-two years ago)

You can pay $5 and get a brewery tour, four free beers at the brewery, a lovely pint glass and two tickets for free pints at nearby bars.

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:52 (twenty-two years ago)

lenny & squiggy are the ONLY thing about that show that i currently like.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:52 (twenty-two years ago)

You can walk almost anywhere in the city in less than two hours.

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:53 (twenty-two years ago)

what about the brewers?!?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:53 (twenty-two years ago)

The art museum is beautiful, the streets are relatively clean, the beer is cheap, and there is no shortage of old men peddling canolli. I probably spelled that wrong, but see, we have very cheap beer here, and I've been taking advantage of it this evening.

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:55 (twenty-two years ago)

including The Beast?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Home of PABST! MILLER! SPARKS! STEEL RESERVE! SCHLITZ! BLATZ! and any number of others, and yes, Brewers games are very, very fun. During the 7th inning stretch, they play "Roll Out the Barrels" and everyone polkas.
x-post...Yes, and the BEAST!

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, there is a vibrant local band scene, a gorgeous lakefront, and the best secondhand shopping I've found anywhere.
I do love drunken gushing about my hometown.

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, Milwaukee has the (first? only?) Concertina Bar in America, and one of the biggest annual festivals in the country, and it's less than an hour from Madison and less than an hour and a half from Chicago if you are a decent driver, and you can go to dollar Pabst night and not be surrounded by hipsters, because there's always been dollar Pabst night here. And you can see Mike Schank on the bus. And it's so cheap to live here. And Milwaukee was voted "most lesbian-friendly city in America" last year, I think. Yay, I love it here. Yay, I love Steel Reserve!

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 04:05 (twenty-two years ago)

As a sidenote, I have always wanted to work in a brewery like Laverne and Shirley. Just hanging out all day with my best friend, making sure caps fit properly onto bottles. What could be better?
The answer is: NOTHING.
I had a friend who was a tourguide at the Miller brewery a year or two ago, and if you work there, you get a free case of beer every month, and two free cases in December, for the holidays. Should I try to get a job there?

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 04:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, I met Mike Schank while playing buckets outside Summerfest one year.

Anyway, Kirsten OTM, she has it covered.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 04:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Only tried it a few times -- to me Milwaukee looks like Chicago after a neutron-bomb attack.

I've been out in Milwaukee on a Saturday night, and it STILL looks like that. Not a soul to be seen. Unless the Brewers are playing or they're in college, seems everyone just sits home with a 6-pack. No thanks.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 04:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, Ann, aren't you from some tiny town in the middle of nowhere, Wisconsin? I'd think you'd appreciate Milwaukee after that. And if there was not a soul to be seen, you were clearly in the wrong part...unless you're someone like me. I happen to seek out the vacant parts of the city on weekends so that I can go to a bar and actually have a conversation with my friends, instead of being smushed up against a wall and feeling like I need a hearing aid.
Jordan, doesn't Mike Schank RULE? I see him on the bus a few times a month, and he just makes my day every time.
I wish I wasn't so drunk, because I could probably make a better case for Milwaukee if my head was clear.

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 04:16 (twenty-two years ago)

wait there's old men on the street selling canolis?!!?? that means Milwaukee is a third of the way towards being my utopia.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 04:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe I'm just pissed because a junkie from Milwaukee stole my candy-apple red bass guitar and sold it for drugs before -- you know, I think he may have died of an overdose, come to think of it. Music kills! Anyway, I started in a tiny town but I wud gone soon's ah could be. Wow, I wish I were drunk. I spent all my money on CDs. Have fun!

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 04:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Ooh ooh, there's Jimmy John's and Pizza Shuttle and Atomic Records and Gallery Night, and unpredictable weather and ten degrees cooler near the lake and McKinley Marina and Sendik's and people who are unpretentious and will stop to give you cash if you're out of gas, and cheap, huge breakfasts at Jean Pierre and Riverwest basement shows and Beans and Barley and tons of darling Scandinavian boys and people who say "Uffda" and strong coffee and fried cheese and UWM having one of the best creative writing grad programs in the country, and I want to get in but I think I won't.
x-post...Oops, what are the other two thirds?

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 04:27 (twenty-two years ago)

when you go to the milwaukee county museum, go and see the big diorama of indians hunting buffalo on the plains. on the right side of the stone guard wall, at knee height, there is a secret button that will make the rattlenake's rattle rattle! best thing ever!

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 04:34 (twenty-two years ago)

4 Words: Frozen Custard at Kopp's.

― jennpb (jennpb), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Ahh, this thread is making me love the MKE. I have a week off at the end of the month, and I decided last night that I'm going to spend a portion of it drinking and going to Riverwest basement shows in Milwaukee.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Milwaukee is fantastic. Don't miss out on Farwell Records, yo.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I like milwaukee OK.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

(Cameron to thread, btw)

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

What made it famous made a loser out of me.

:'(

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Beer?

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

cheese.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

(I think that was tim hopkins')

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Badgers.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I was kind of let down by Milwaukee; is Madison any better? Clinton was speaking in a park when I was there: that was the extent of excitement to be found.

― Mary (Mary), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

madison rained on me, once, and wasn't minneapolis (maybe for the best), another time.

I bet it's okay, really.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Madison's all right but Milwaukee's a little more diverse.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Madison has its good points. It can be very pretty, I like living here, and I'm pretty fond of the music scene (the bands and people, if not the venues for the most part). I'm pretty sick of State Street/central downtown and there isn't much else around, but I'm warming to the Willy Street/east side scene more.

(x-post, agreed)

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I should go there sometime. I just imagined it being dirty and industrial, but it sounds kind of cool.

I liked Madison. The parks and view of the buildings and water are beautiful on the drive in. The shops are cute, though a bit artsy in an 80s sort of way.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

a recent NYT What's Doing. Brady Street sounds interesting.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:50 (twenty-two years ago)

That's cool that they mention Jazz in the Park, I did it for the first time last year with Mama Digdown's Brass Band and I get to do it again this year with a quartet.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 15:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha they listed Real Chili in that article. You can get into drunken oyster cracker fights. It's fun.

4 Words: Frozen Custard at Kopp's.

OTM. That stuff is addictive.

Kiersten has covered it well. Milwaukee's a great city. I love the lakefront. Of course it's quieter than Chicago, it's a much much smaller city. I like that about it, actually.

Also, when the wind is blowing in the right direction, everything smells like brewery.

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I just acquired a massive craving for a Kopp's fish sandwich.

I think on my week off I should do things that I never actually did while living in Milwaukee, like take a brewery tour and go to the art museum.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Jordan, you totally have to! You should go on the Lakefront Brewery tour. That's the one I mentioned upthread. The only thing that sucks about the tour is that they have Bernie Brewer's old slide into the giant beer mug, and it just sits there and makes you want to slide down it so, so bad, but they won't let you( batting eyelashes doesn't even help) because some bitch cut her hand on it or something and tried to sue. I think I remember the Miller tour being pretty fun, too, but you don't get as much free stuff.
And you should also get drunk and go to the Domes and watch how excited old people get over exotic plants.
Let me know when you're going to be here, anyway. We can go to Art Smart's Dart Mart and buy Shit in a Can. Or something.

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Jordan, Saturdays are optimum for Lakefront. Riverwest shows are happening, although the Machines are out of town til the 11th.

― Camtron (Cameron), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, I'm happy that Milwaukee is finally getting the props it deserves.

― Camtron (Cameron), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

That's too bad they'll be out of town when I'll be in town. We should definitely hit up a brewery, museum, show, and bar either on a Saturday or a weekday if you have off (Kirsten too!).

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 17:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm game.

― Camtron (Cameron), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)

milwaukee is good
madison is good as well
(all i have to say)

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 19:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd be up for a fun tourist day. When are you going to be in town, exactly?

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 19:52 (twenty-two years ago)

We should totally have a Milwaukee FAP.

― NA (Nick A.), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Yay!

― kirsten (kirsten), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Road trip!

― NA (Nick A.), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 20:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Ooh, I think I have a jazz gig in Milwaukee on the 29th, so I'll definitely be in town most of that day. Besides that, I'm guessing June 1st and 5th are likely options.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 20:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 132 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

spent a day in traverse city too, we were hungover but nice little town!

― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 18:52 (eleven months ago)

LOVE Milwaukee

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 19:04 (eleven months ago)

I live about a half hour south of Milwaukee and have really been enjoying getting to know more about it after years basically ignoring it while living in Chicago and Minneapolis. The art museum is very good and compact enough to pretty much see it all with little stress. There's a lot of food and drink to be had in the Historic 3rd Ward and Bay View neighborhoods, as well as record shops and small venues and such. The close-in burbs have some good stuff as well in my experience.

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 19:51 (eleven months ago)

Some of our faves:
Seven Swans for crepes
Comet Cafe for pie
Café Benelux for Belgian beer
Strange Town for wine
Odd Duck for dinner
Bryant's for cocktails
Koz's mini bowl for mini bowling (obv)

― j.o.h.n. in evanston (john. a resident of chicago.), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 22:54 (eleven months ago)

I'm an hour north and always love spending time there. so many amazing bar/restaurants in the downtown area, full of people who are easy to talk to, love all their music venues as well. and it's not absolutely impossible to park!

― frogbs, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 22:58 (eleven months ago)

Kopp's Frozen Custard for burgers/custard: https://kopps.com/
Pabst Museum: https://www.pabstmansion.com/
Bronze Fonz statue
Take a tour of Lakefront Brewery (often given by standup comics): https://lakefrontbrewery.com/brewery-tours/our-famous-tour

And yeah, ample, cheap parking! And great neighborhoods! Pick a place for beer, brats and cheese curds! Or a Friday night fish fry.

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 3 November 2025 20:51 (eleven months ago)

the art museum really is great

― rob, Monday, 3 November 2025 21:11 (eleven months ago)

I was taken to Leon's for custard by a friend, which means I have to rep for it now: https://leonsfrozencustardmke.com/

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m), Monday, 3 November 2025 21:12 (eleven months ago)

Make sure to at the very least watch the art museum set sail (as it were).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGQJPkQL0fU

(It's like the end of "Nope," lol)

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 3 November 2025 21:16 (eleven months ago)

I went to Milwaukee for the first time to visit a dying relative and was favorably impressed. Previously it never had been a place I was desirous of visiting.

― This dark glowing bohemian coffeehouse (Boring, Maryland), Tuesday, 4 November 2025 00:03 (ten months ago)

There are so many great woodworkers, blacksmiths, that kind of thing, that every coffee shop (Colectivo, Anodyne, others) are just amazing spaces. As is The Iron Horse Hotel: worth seeing the lobby there, and the bar's friendly.

― the way out of (Eazy), Tuesday, 4 November 2025 05:49 (ten months ago)

five months pass...

The Cherry Festival turned out to be out of the budget because apparently this year is the 100th or something...? Anyway, it seemed like the trip had fallen apart until suddenly yesterday it came back together. Daughter and I will fly in to MKE on August 13th, do 2-3 days around Algoma and the Door Peninsula, Door County Fair attendance likely, then back down to MKE for several days, Braves @ Brewers on the 22nd, fly home on the 23rd.

― the long version with the trombone solo (WmC), Tuesday, 21 April 2026 21:11 (five months ago)

two months pass...

One hyper-local thing we want to do is a Friday night fish fry. Any recommendations?

― get your printable keyboard workout plan for ILXors over 50 (WmC), Sunday, 21 June 2026 01:11 (three months ago)

A lot of places will have fish fry. You might try perusing this series and picking a place?

https://milwaukeerecord.com/enjoy-every-fish-fry/

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m), Sunday, 21 June 2026 01:17 (three months ago)

Thanks! I was just looking at this also: https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/milwaukeefishfryguide#farther

― get your printable keyboard workout plan for ILXors over 50 (WmC), Sunday, 21 June 2026 01:22 (three months ago)

If you were in Kenosha I'd say Union Park Tavern.

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m), Sunday, 21 June 2026 01:26 (three months ago)

Hobnob is the bomb - https://www.thehobnob.com/

― BlackIronPrison, Sunday, 21 June 2026 01:28 (three months ago)

^^^my wife and I went there for our 10th anniversary!

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m), Sunday, 21 June 2026 01:32 (three months ago)

Cod is pretty easy to come across down here (even if it's got a lot of frozen miles on it), so I do want to find a place that does fish I can't find locally -- perch, walleye, bluegill.

xp that broiled whitefish looks intersting

― get your printable keyboard workout plan for ILXors over 50 (WmC), Sunday, 21 June 2026 01:49 (three months ago)

Just read years of reviews from the guy who has been going to a different fish fry every week for years:

https://milwaukeerecord.com/tag/fish-fry/

― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Sunday, 21 June 2026 17:19 (three months ago)

I read about a dozen of those last night, strong Marilyn Hagerty vibe from that guy.

― get your printable keyboard workout plan for ILXors over 50 (WmC), Sunday, 21 June 2026 17:33 (three months ago)

Took a ferry from Muskegon last weekend (primarily for record shopping) and had a great time.

Seemed very walkable -- did not expect a stroll down a street named Commerce to be so nice.

Unfortunately didn't make it to Al Jarreau Park (ditto Die Kreuzen Nature Area).

― Andy K, Friday, 26 June 2026 16:31 (three months ago)

three weeks pass...

OK, starting to make specific plans. We're eating at DanDan on Sunday the 16th because I've never had Peking Duck and it looks like this is the place to do it.

― WmC, Wednesday, 22 July 2026 15:22 (two months ago)

DanDan was really good when I went there pre-pandemic.

― coffee-themed romance ads (Eazy), Wednesday, 22 July 2026 15:25 (two months ago)

I swear there's a cool dive bar like every four blocks in the city

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 22 July 2026 15:35 (two months ago)

Milwaukee was a pleasant surprise to me, but all these old rust belt cities have something of interest culturally

― Luigi No...No!!! (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 22 July 2026 15:44 (two months ago)

A friend of mine cane back raving about Buffalo, of all places

― Luigi No...No!!! (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 22 July 2026 15:45 (two months ago)

make sure to pick up some new glarus beer (not available outside of wisconsin)

― 龜, Wednesday, 22 July 2026 16:00 (two months ago)

I swear there's a cool dive bar like every four blocks in the city

I kind of want to go to the Mothership, but their line of patter is kind of offputting, a more aggressive asshole version of Jim Anchower. But the drinks look interesting.

xp will do

― WmC, Wednesday, 22 July 2026 16:03 (two months ago)

We had this at a Brewers game a few weeks ago and went out of our way to find it at Woodman's on the way home

https://indeedbrewing.com/products/pistachio-cream-ale/

― j.o.h.n. in evanston (john. a resident of chicago.), Wednesday, 22 July 2026 16:04 (two months ago)

Indeed has some good stuff, New Glarus is fine but super overrated imo. Would much rather have Eagle Park, Untitled Art, Youngblood, Working Draft, etc.

― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Wednesday, 22 July 2026 16:18 (two months ago)

A friend of mine cane back raving about Buffalo, of all places

I was there for a few hours last summer, and I thought it suuuuuuuuucked. I was honestly surprised.

Anyway, New Glarus is good because it is everywhere and only in Wisconsin. Try one of their fruit beers. Other things to eat: brats, curds, custard. Watch the art museum turn into a sail. Pose with the Bronze Fonze.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 22 July 2026 16:23 (two months ago)

Wolski's is the dive bar of dive bars in MKE AFAIK

I've only been to Leon's for custard but it was great

Went to a nice dinner in Bay View earlier this summer at Heirloom

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m), Wednesday, 22 July 2026 16:45 (two months ago)

two weeks pass...

Alright, it's travel week. Temps 20 degrees cooler up there than down here for 10 days, exactly what I need.

― WmC, Tuesday, 11 August 2026 03:12 (one month ago)

Have fun! Might be some wacky weather up there, too. Try to go to the Wisconsin State Fair, if you have time.

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 11 August 2026 12:07 (one month ago)

Ah, we'll miss that sadly, but planning to go to the Door County Fair on Friday.

― WmC, Tuesday, 11 August 2026 13:40 (one month ago)

I played in Milwaukee two nights ago under a giant moon, which unfortunately did not light up after being temporarily taken down for the storms that afternoon. Fun show though.

― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Tuesday, 11 August 2026 13:51 (one month ago)

There's a great custard shop in Door County, Not Licked Yet.

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 11 August 2026 13:55 (one month ago)

My Door County faves:
-Cultured Sourdough
-Good Eggs (classic breakfast burrito spot)
-Door County Creamery for goat gelato

― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Tuesday, 11 August 2026 14:38 (one month ago)

Thanks for all the recs!

― WmC, Tuesday, 11 August 2026 14:51 (one month ago)

Listening to the waves on the beach at the Algoma Beach Motel atm.

― WmC, Friday, 14 August 2026 01:56 (one month ago)

We missed Cultured Sourdough but did go to Good Eggs (I can see a few ways to improve their workflow but the burrito was good) and D.C. creamery, fantastic gelato. DanDan was great but way too much food for 2 people. Lunch at 3rd St Public Mkt today, had my first Spotted Cow. Missed the county fair — every city, town and wide spot in the road was in full come-hither mode for tourists so the fair would have been redundant. Did the trifecta of perch, walleye and whitefish in 2 days.

― WmC, Monday, 17 August 2026 22:26 (one month ago)

Go to a fish boil?

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 17 August 2026 22:36 (one month ago)

Glad you made it to the public market -- I forgot to suggest that!

― coffee-themed romance ads (Eazy), Monday, 17 August 2026 23:05 (one month ago)

Yes, at White Gull Inn in Sister Bay. My daughter follows the inn’s baker’s tiktoks via youtube and booked the fish boil at that place. It’s an overrated bit of theater with ok food but I’m glad we did it.

― WmC, Monday, 17 August 2026 23:10 (one month ago)

Thinking about going to the Milwaukee Public Market as well, but the 30 bus goes straight from our hotel door to the 3rd St Mkt so it’s awfully convenient

― WmC, Monday, 17 August 2026 23:34 (one month ago)

We’re eating DanDan leftovers tonight

― WmC, Monday, 17 August 2026 23:34 (one month ago)

Benelux, near the Milwaukee Public Market, is a nice stop if you have a hankering for the beers and foodz of the low countries.

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m), Monday, 17 August 2026 23:47 (one month ago)

Iirc the Hop tram stops right there too

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m), Monday, 17 August 2026 23:47 (one month ago)

Oh nice, Chris Sale got pushed back to Friday, which is the game we’re seeing.

― WmC, Tuesday, 18 August 2026 21:11 (one month ago)

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