The 7 Best Hidden Bars in Milwaukee

Neighborhood watering holes and speakeasies are a great place to soak up the authentic local culture – and Wisconsin craft beers, of course.

01
of 07

Barnacle Bud’s

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Telephone

+1 414-481-9974

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Those lucky enough to own a boat can dock just outside the restaurant, which is hard to find as it’s tucked away in a marina, bordering Walker’s Point and Bay View. Once you’re seated at a picnic table with your fruity cocktail in a Mason jar, surrounded by nautical decor, you’ll swear you’re in Key West and not Wisconsin. The food options here are your typical fried fare, with a special focus on seafood and raw bar items.

02
of 07

Safe house

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Telephone

+1 414-271-2007

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With a spy theme, even the foods at this downtown restaurant-bar bear spy names, like the Bourne Identity Salad and the Cuban Missile Crisis Sandwich. To enter, you must first reveal the secret password, and if you fail, the grumpy hostess asks you to perform some silly tricks … which are filmed and broadcast for restaurant customers.

03
of 07

Taberna de Wolski

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Telephone

+1 414-276-8130

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Spend enough time in Milwaukee and you will slowly begin to see the “I Closed Wolski” stickers stuck to car bumpers, a testament to how popular this bar is with the locals. It’s down a curvy lane, off Brady Street, and it’s a great place to have cheap beer, and to play at the bar or watch a sporting event on TV.

04
of 07

Bugsy’s Back Alley Speakeasy

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Telephone

+1 414-221-6565

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As the name implies, this Third War bar with an alley entrance is all about channeling the speakeasy era with classic cocktails like a Sidecar or Sazarac and bartenders dressed like the roaring 1920s. Hungry? Gouda’s Italian Deli’s food includes meatball sliders and the Bambina Greta sandwich.

05
of 07

Rice pub

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Telephone

+1 414-223-3496

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One of the best places to sit in this bar is not the bar itself, but the adjacent courtyard, covered in ivy and beyond an iron gate. It’s a quieter place than most East Side bars, even if you must sit inside on a chilly night, where the atmosphere is more residential than commercial, with live music every Thursday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and hanging collectibles. in the walls. .

06
of 07

Art Bar

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Telephone

+1 414-372-7880

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If you’re a fan of art and drinking, then this Riverwest bar is your place. Art exhibits rotate often and border the quirky, such as Peeps or Barbie dolls as accessories.

07
of 07

The palm tavern

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Telephone

+1 414-744-0393

Drive a few times and you might miss the Kinnickinnic Avenue sign in Bay View. And that would be a shame because Palm Tavern, a major dive bar, is home to one of the best craft beer lists in town.