We were out in Brookfield for a conference and so hoping for a good meal. Wow! All three of us were blown away by the food but even more so by the staff and vibe of the place. So welcoming and great energy like nothing I've experienced. Three if us had a drink in the lounge and were given personal recommendations by James who was so sweet. Sat at the open kitchen table which was fascinating to watch the intensity of the chefs. The owner came over and spoke with us three times. Asking about our dining, talked with us about all the great things they do in the community from local sourcing to providing fresh produce to inner city schools. The building is a former bowling alley and they reused lanes as table tops refinished by a staff person. Walls of the lounge are old barn boards. We shared the beet salad, the goat cheese tart, the chicken, and the gnocchi. Dessert was chocolate praline with sour cream ice cream and lemon tart with blueberries. All amazing! The bill for food and 6 drinks was only $130! Sad they ran out of the pork buns. Next time! read more

It was our first time at Braise. We were lucky in getting a reservation for seats at the kitchen bar counter. It was perfect. We were able to watch the food come out of the kitchen and see how amazing the staff was. They took time to talk to us and tell us about the food. The food was so good. We talked about it all night and the next day. It was what we would have expected of a larger city. Creative, local ingredients, so the menu changes. We started with a local beer and a craft cocktail. Delicious sums up the entire experience. And even a barista so ending with a half dessert and coffee was perfect. We will definitely go back. read more

Make it easy on yourself--order all the appetizers, a small plate special, and a cheese or charcuterie plate for the table...that way you'll have an excellent American version of tapas and none of your party will leave with remorse for all the great stuff you didn't order. read more

Booked the reservation on line for a party of five. When we arrived our table was ready but two of our party had cancelled just then. The hostess was very nice and offered us the table or bar seating. We chose the table. We ordered about nine items off the menu and all were very good. Good food, good service and good atmosphere. We will definitely be back soon. read more

Great food, awesome atmosphere. Only downside was charged full price for a drink I didn't order as I didn't want it to go to waste.

Only 1 complaint: the large plate entrée of seared rainbow trout..(.echoing what Dr. J mentioned)...the portion size for the dish was virtually the same as the small plate appetizers, but the cost was 3 times as much.... however the plate itself was indeed quite large...so I guess there was some truth in the menu :). Everything else was great...we took our son out for dinner to celebrate his 21st birthday and enjoyed sharing the variety of unique "iron chef"esque small plate choices...our favorites were the pork sticky buns, the duck liver mousse, and the beets. Compliments to the bartender who recommended a fantastic Sprecher IPA ontap and after being unsatisfied with wine glass choices he saved the day by creating a wonderful white wine Sangria for my wife. It was a fun dinner and the wait staff was very attentive! read more

Fabulous! We went here for our 2nd anniversary upon recommendation of my parents who have been here a few times. Everything we had was delicious but the ox tail tacos and pork spring roll were our favorites. Also the pork fat mousse with salted caramel popcorn (ordered after waiter suggested it as it sounded super odd) was decadently delicious. Nice ambience, great service and food comes out quickly. Go here. read more

The food here is amazing. Never disappoints. The pork buns are incredible. Its truly one of our favorite spots in the city. We usually have fantastic service, however our most recent experience provided us with terrible service. We arrived with a reservation. The restaurant was near empty. Despite this, the hostess was nowhere to be found. The bartender apologized on her behalf and we waited at least 10 min for our table. Our server then failed to greet us for 15 min. Once we finally placed a drink order we were ready to order upon her return but she actually dropped our glasses of wine off and ran away. My husband even said "excuse me we are ready to order" and she kept on walking. Failed to return for another 15 min. We didn't order until about 40-45 min after our scheduled reservation in a near EMPTY restaurant. Our meals were excellent, but we were hoping to order desert. She dropped our check off in the middle of our last dish and again when we asked for a desert menu she ran off. Another server ended up helping us finish with our dining experience. Honestly one of our favorite places. Food is amazing. Usually with good service, but this was ridiculous. read more

Had dinner there one evening. The ambience was very nice, so that was a plus. I had just a few different tapas, but by far the best one was a steamed pork buns. They were amazing and I wish I would've ordered a few of those! Other than that, I had meatballs that were for 2 and another sweet potato curry side for 2. Honestly, the meatballs were ok, but felt they were super dry. I was surprised to get meatballs with no sauce? The sweet potatoes were ok, too, maybe the flavors and spices were not for me. Either way, I would go back and try other things. read more

My husband and I have had many great meals here. The small local, seasonal menu is never disappoints! Great atmosphere, and when the weather warms up the rooftop is a lovely spot to enjoy a meal. Save room for dessert because the seasonal desserts are worth it! read more

Amazing, amazing, amazing. Tried this place for the first time last night and it was great. We were the first ones there (they open at 5) and got our food pretty quickly. Nice atmosphere - and the food was delicious! I would highly recommend the pork buns or the scallion cracker - BOTH EXCELLENT! read more

The space is open, communal tables, and it has a sort of french-california fusion vibe. We ordered 6 small plates and two desserts to share The spiced butternut squash soup was good, and so were the two salads (watermelon radish and a cabbage duck concoction ). The goat ragu something, with a reduced red wine was delicious. The pork buns we ordered were served swimming in some sort of vinagrette, that made the buns soggy, soupy and unappetizing. Not sure if this was a mistake made made by the person who plated the dish? They did not charge us for this dish. I badly wanted to like this restaurant because all the elements are there for a great farm to table experience, but somehow it misses the mark. However, this review is a three mostly because the waiter we had seemed to think he was in charge of a classroom rather than serving a meal. read more

As good as it gets - four of us shared 6 smaller plates and then split a dessert - fabulous flavors. Service was warm and attentive. This was our third time at Braise. If you plan on sharing, a party of four seems to work very well here. read more

Very interesting place, the pork buns are an absolute treat. I would say start with those; and don't hesitate to ask about the menu if you're not sure on what to order. The service staff is very knowledgeable of the food they serve and are quite helpful. read more

Went for a last minute dinner with the husband and we were thrilled with the service and great food! I had Walleye and my husband had Tongue Tacos, the meals were prepared quickly and were absolutely delicious! Kudos! read more

Braise looked like a happening place when we walked in. Ate there last night with 4 friends. I honestly thought the food was just so average AT BEST. Three of us had the salmon. It was utterly dry and tasteless besides being over cooked. Wasn't sure what it was served on/ with as I could not distinguish the taste of the vegetables (?) The portion was small. Three of us ordered it and not one of us had anything good to say. Someone ordered the risotto cakes and said they were good and someone had the chicken. We only had 3 entree choices!!! We would have ordered a few small plates if ANYTHING had appealed to any of us. Oh we did order 1 small plate bread and butter for for 5.00! Waitress was very nice. But all of us decided we would never return. Honestly NONE of us liked it. There are sooooo many restaurants in this town with better food that is better prepared and tastes better than this one. read more

The salmon was amazing and the ambiance was great. Cute little restaurant that really delivers the flavors.

Disappointing. The service was incredibly slow and the food was under seasoned or improperly cooked. The part that really irritated me was when we sent our salmon back because it was raw in the middle it was recooked and returned to our table with a snide comment about us needing it cooked longer. It's not like we asked for a ribeye to be cooked well done I just wanted the salmon cooked at least medium. The only thing we actually enjoyed was the six-minute egg but not enough for us to return. read more

Dined here with friends a while back. I loved the bowling alley tables, so cool. I had one ginger cocktail that was yummy. We shared a cheese plate. The breads were great. I got the wrong entree, but ended up accepting it, since the point of the evening was to spend time with friends. It ended up being okay. It was a chicken mushroom lasagne. Our server made a point to tell me I was wrong, not fun, but not worth getting bent out of shape about when you are trying to have a good time. I had a Chocolate Pot de Crème with Coffee Ice Cream & Shortbread for dessert. Yummy. Later that night I had a pretty bad reaction, i think from one of the cheeses on the cheese plate. I've been more cautious about that sort of thing ever since. That's a risk diners take sometimes with eggs, meat, and cheese. It was a nice night and the place had a good atmosphere and good intentions. Overall, I am glad I went there. The tables were really cool. read more

The food was very good, but because the menu changes with the season and the availability of locally grown ingredients it was very limited. (I think only one item on the whole menu had beef in it.) The service was top notch, and the atmosphere is cozy and cute. The food itself was good. Out of my group of 10, however, there were three or four who said they had no overwhelming desire to come back any time soon. read more

Portion size was way too small, and the prices were way too high. The food was not that great either. Bad restaurant experience, don't go there, ever, unless you like to get ripped off... read more

I just want to start by saying that I don't normally write reviews when I have a bad experience at a restaurant-I just don't go there ever again. However this one bothered me so much that I had to write something. My husband and I went there this past weekend based off a friend's recommendation to celebrate his new job. The decor and concept of the restaurant was very nice, but that's where it stopped for me. I ordered one of the signature cocktails based off the server's recommendation, but thought it had too many flavors going on, and really wasn't that good and somewhat undrinkable. So then on to the food...we tried a few small plates and some large plates, and weren't impressed with any of them. The pork buns were extremely greasy and saucy and the bun was like eating playdoh. I don't know how everyone else thought these were the "it" item, but they were not it for us. The sunchoke? salad was extremely bland and boring. The large plates were ok, but for the price they should've included more on the plate. We didn't even bother with dessert since we were so put off by everything else. However the worst part of our night was the service. Our server Lacey, was extremely cold and unfriendly towards me, but she didn't have any problem chatting up my husband. When I asked her a question about an item on the menu that I was unfamiliar with, she answered it like I was an idiot and should've known what it was. Sorry but not all these foods on the menu are commonplace and well known. I should have just looked it up on my phone instead of bothering the waitress. So mediocre food and rude service=us never going back there nor recommending it to our friends. There are certainly a lot better restaurants in the Walker's Point area that I would rather spend my time and money at. read more

Not a good experience. Food is creative, yes, but not delicious as it should have been. And the service experience would have embarrassed TGI Fridays. Our waitress was great and pleasant and very knowledgeable - not the problem. 7:00 reservation, we were not seated until 7:45. Due to the majority of the place being reserved for a private party, we were not allowed to wait in the bar, but instead ushered to a table behind a curtain. Slow drink service there, and we were accompanied by fruit flies. Finally we got our table and as said, the waitress was fine. Until 1 of our 4 entrees was completely forgotten, then delivered as the rest of our table was finishing dinner. Despite these terrible problems (hey, they happen) the only acknowledgement of anything wrong was a piece of chocolate delivered to the guest whose dinner had been forgotten. Not one drink, entree or salad was removed from the bill, and the manager never apologized for the experience. It's not about the money, it's about the establishment apologizing, which never happened. These are the last $220 we will ever spend at Braise. Good concept, mediocre execution, amateur management on a Friday night. Go down the street - this is Milwaukee filled with outstanding restaurants. Braise is not one of them. read more

Went there for Dinner. Everything we had was absolutely delicious. Portions were larger than expected. Service was excellent. I would definitely go back again. read more

Braise is an odd one for me. I feel like there's a ton of hype around it, but it's a pretty laid back place. I feel like it's a little bit upscale, but still pretty casual. And all of this really messes with what I think about this place. I found it to be a bit pricey for what is actually being served. It's delicious, don't get me wrong, and I understand it's all farm to table local stuff, but I feel that it's still spendy. I also didn't think service has been as on point as I expected, but it wasn't bad per se. Both times I've been here the initial service is prompt, knowledgeable, and courteous, but it took a while to get a second drink and dirty plates were not cleared multiple times when waiter stopped by the table (this happened on two occasions, with different servers). The food came out as expected, and I really enjoyed everything, but those couple of sticking points cause me to pause. There are far worse places in town and it's definitely worth a stop in, but with so many new entries in this area I find it hard to make myself a regular. It might be your thing though, so please check it out. read more

Braise is, by far, my favorite restaurant in all of Milwaukee. Almost every dish I've had has been spectacular and they keep it interesting by having an ever-evolving menu. They keep their pork buns as a regular item, and for good reason! Even their bread plate is wonderful. We received it complimentary at our first visit due to the long wait for our reservation, and now we willingly pay for the bread every time--something I never do. You really can't go wrong here, and we will be back over and over again! read more

One of the best places that I've tried in Milwaukee! We had a mix of pork, duck, and lamb dishes and overall they were all fantastic. The duck and the pork dishes were by far the favorites. It was nice to finally have a mix of flavor without going overboard and being too overwhelming. Personally, I appreciate more casual places and can find some "fancy" places in the area intimidating. Braise however was incredibly comfortable, intimate, and classy. The service was perfect and the experience overall was relaxed and enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this place to others and fully intend on visiting again soon! read more

I have been wanting to try out Braise for a while and finally made it. My rating is 3.5 for this place. Maybe i had too much expectations for this place. Love their deco and the theme and the wait staff gets a 4. I like the hip theme they have going on which flows even to the wait staff attire. I tried two of their white wines and they were chilled to perfection. My husband didn't have much of a choice to go with since they do have a limited liquor list. Their small bites were surprisingly very good and filling. Tried the crispy scallion cracker which was delist. The sausage was a bit over bearing the taste so i took it off. The pork buns was great and almost lime a meal. The pork was crispy and flavorful. When asked for a description the waitress however said this is like a dumpling which turned out to be nothing like or close to dumplings. This is a bin topped with cabbage and pork. Since it turned out to be great i don't have any complaints for the bad description. At the end of the small bites i was too full to try an entree. So we split the pork lion. ...which was quite a downer. We were expecting the pork to be a pork chop or some sort and we goi pork cutlets instead (which would have been good to know if it was described better in the menu). Also the cutlet had an after taste. read more

A Milwaukee gem. Bread and cheese were fantastic. Rainbow trout, meatballs, and sweet potatoes were delicious. Staff were funny, friendly, and a bit cheeky. Made our night! Thanks!! read more

Nice vibe, good food...EXCELLENT service. Particularly enjoyed the pork steam buns. Will definitely return!

One word: amazing. Perfect service, literally. We had celery soup, homemade bread with herb butter, cheese platter, chicken, and trout. The soup was the definition of savory. Flavor and texture were unique. The herb butter, wow, we wanted to lick the little cup. And they had homemade gluten free biscuits! The chicken was juicy and cooked to perfection. The trout was my favorite. I could eat it every night. The sauce and chevre were heavenly with the fish. Dessert was coffee ice cream on top of chocolate yumminess (pudding/mousse). Next time we want to try some of the bar concoctions. read more

Just came back from a nice little day trip to Milwaukee, which ended in a wonderful meal at Braise. Nice, relaxed atmosphere, great service, and most importantly, wonderful food. Tim, who took care of us, was spot on with his recommendations, both for food and beer. Since the menu changes pretty frequently (apparently, it can be as often as 3-4 times a week), I'm not sure there's much point in highlighting particular dishes. Every small plate we had was delicious, whether meat or veg-based, and the wife and I left comfortably full (but not stuffed), having gone through 5 appetizer-sized savoury dishes, finished with one amazingly light walnut cake. Will definitely be coming back, hopefully with a few fellow Chicagoans in tow! read more

We ate a braise last night and the food was delicious! The crispy pig was the best! We ate at a 4 top-there is a big communal table, which did not seem as nice. Portions are somewhat small, but the flavors and combinations were wonderful. We had a very nice waitress. It is great knowing the food is mostly from local sources. The only downside was that it was a big birthday for someone in our group and they did not do anything special for that. If I had known, I would have-most restaurants do. read more

I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while, and it surpassed all expectations I initially had. Wonderful food, fantastic service, and the environment was incredible! read more

High expectations based on Yelp reviews, but the graphics and decor are much better than the food. Pork buns are nothing more than crispy pork fat wrapped in warm dough - tasty, of course, but this is contemporary cuisine? Bread is baked that day - then served cold? Szechuan chicken for 2 is good and a good portion, but not outstanding/creative. Potatoes ($9) oily and bland. read more

This is my second try with Braise. The first time I wrote a review, but you would not publish it. This evening I was invited to a birthday gathering at Braise. I really went with an open mind. First the positive. The wait staff was exceptional. The appetizers, which I don't remember the names of, but which I sampled were very good. The risotto which I didn't order, but which I sampled was excellent. However, the pork loin with with sweet potatoes which I ordered was very, very, sub par. Three little silver dollar sized pieces of pork with under cooked sweet potato was tasteless and really tough. If a restaurant can't deliver on the entree, in my opinion, there are batter places to go to. I shall not be back. read more

Nice and knowledgable staff. Portions are small, and for the price quite high. Maybe its just not my thing, but the consensus at my table was it was that Braise didn't live up to our expectations. read more

Fantastic food, great atmosphere!!!! My party of two enjoyed two appetizers, two entrée, two desserts and two cocktails for $100. Worth that for sure. Pork buns are fantastic and something really out of the ordinary! read more

Full disclosure: I'm a vegetarian, in case people want to stop reading here. I ordered three dishes. One was delicious (the squash salad), one was fine (the vegetables in olive oil), and one was terrible (the kohlrabi-chick pea curry). The bread was terrific, but I can't get over how bad their one vegetarian entree was. The rice was undercooked and the curry was watering and bland. I was expecting more, since I'd heard so much about this place. read more

The experience here was excellent. This was our second visit to Braise, but the first time that we sat upstairs which looks out over the "beginning to sprout" garden as well as the Allen Bradley clock. The service was great (Lori) who helped us with the menu as well as a couple of modifications due to our dietary restrictions. We picked a number of small plates which all were marvels of presentation and taste. One side note: We use the Braise RSA which is much better than any of the four CSA services that we tried over the last five years...and they deliver! read more