I'm catching up on my review writing and found that I am long overdue with this one! Considering it's one of my summertime faves, I can't believe that I forgot to write about it. Ever since I moved to MKE three years ago, this has been my go to summertime "hang out with my man and dog" place. Dog friendly, family friendly, beer & cider, pretzels, and awesome atmosphere - what's not to like? I love the ease and efficiency of ordering food and drink. Also, how fun is it to get your drink in huge glass? When the band is there, they level up the happy vibe. As long as we're in this neck of the woods, we will definitely continue to enjoy some frosty bevvies and festive vibe at this biergarten! read more

Alright parents, need a place to throw your kid a fun outdoor birthday party? Look no further. This park/beer garden was perfect for a big get together. We brought some food/decorations to set up right near the playground, which was great for the kiddos. And equally as great for the adults since the beer house is just a stone's throw away. They have plenty of brews on tap and provide awesome stein glasses to sip from. It's also along the river so we were sure to explore the paths. Tons of green space, picnic tables, and parking, making it an easy place to gather in a big group. read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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August 2025: I went to the Estabrook Biergarten on a Sunday evening and had an amazing and time! Great food, great music, and friendly people. I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and the pretzel with cheese and mustard, it was delicious! The park is beautifully maintained and the weather was perfect for an August evening. I'm definitely looking forward to going back! read more

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A bit pricy I had 2 beers and a pretzel and it was $36. The pretzel was very good though. Service was good the attendant was very friendly and there was another employee cleaning the tables of which their plenty. It's mostly all outdoors but it's located in a park with plenty of fresh air. Not sure I go out of my way to come back but I'm glad I checked it. I recommended if you want to escape the city scene. read more

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Discovered this spot when riding bikes along the Oak Tree Trail. The first time, we got a brat and beer after our bike ride and even experienced the waterfall on the river behind the beer gardens. The second time, we came at night before closing and we coincidentally caught the entire screening of "School of Rock", a childhood favorite, which was an awesome surprised and added to the late night vibe. The grounds are well maintained and the staff are nice. read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Movie Screening: School of Rock - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Estabrook Beer Garden serves up delicious German beers as well as German inspired snacks in a comfortable outdoor environment. I've been here a few times over the years. Most recently my dining companion and I stopped by after enjoying a bike ride nearby. The Milwaukee River Greenway wanders right past the beer garden and the Oak Leaf Trail connects easily with the greenway, so it's possible to enjoy a nice long bike ride and end here for a beer and snack. The pretzels are ample and delicious. My dining companion and I enjoyed one together. It comes with beer cheese and honey mustard for dipping. If you're more of a beer cheese person (as I am), don't sleep on their honey mustard. It is so good. I actually prefer it to the beer cheese (which is incredible as well). The service is always fast and super friendly. They have the nicest folks working here! They have live music on occasion, which makes for a fun time. Get to it! read more

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What's better than drinking beer? Drinking it in nature of course!! We opted for an umbrella-less table to soak up the sun, but there were plenty of umbrellas scattered around to please everyone. We were happy with the list of delicious German beers available and particularly enjoyed the substantial German glassware the beer was served in. I had flashbacks to studying abroad in college. Now that I'm old, I opt for half liters and not full liters though! It's a lovely place to meet friends and listen to the roaring river next to the beer garden. read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Brews and sun - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Great for families. Food and beer were great. Staff were friendly and attentive. Overall atmosphere was exceptional. read more

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Very cute beer garden! The bars were fairly open and quick to pour beers. They also have a glass repository station so you can drop and go whenever you're done. And, no deposit on the glassware. Prices are comparable to others in the area. Loved the rippling stream on the other side of the garden. There was a walk way but we didn't venture too much. Some folks were fishing even so it seemed like a pretty great spot. Plenty of seating. Would definitely go back! read more

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We came here with a friend after biking in the evening. It was my first time here and I appreciated the non-judgemental environment this place had. We had a waitress come and check in on us to make sure we knew how to order which was super sweet because I was shocked at how they could see we had just gotten in when it was already so busy. My boyfriend and I shared the 1 liter cider (which if you don't want to look dumb don't get it bc it's a heavy glass lol) and got a pretzel combo and let me just say that the pretzel was HUGE. It took three of us to finish it and even then I had to force myself to continue eating haha. There was also some live music playing and it was super quirky but they sang very well so no complaints. I definitely love how this place is right off the bike path which adds to the charm alongside the little waterfall it's next to is you go down the stairs. I would definitely come back here with a group of people. read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Pretzel combo - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The beer garden is very clean, spacious, and well taken care of. Staff are friendly and helpful. Food and drinks are good as well. The night we went they had live music and the musician was very talented. Once the Sun went down the garden was lit nicely with street lamps and string lights. Would go here again! read more

Love this beer garden and delicious German beers and finger food. The ambience is great and its very pet friendly. read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Giant pretzel - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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It's really a GREAT spot. Step down the staircase and you're greeted by a quaint waterfall, tons of fish, and fishermen. The trail is just beautiful, though a little rugged if you're not quite prepared. The tables are lined up on the other side of a good sized playground, and there is cold beer and giant pretzels. Parking lot is right by, and so is the bike trail, so whichever mode of transport you take, it's very accessible. Just a little walk down, and there is also a caged skateboarding area if you want to trout some skills or just watch. All good. But for COVID. Yes, it is outdoors, but this spot doesn't enforce masks. There are signs everywhere, but no one seems to care. The kids playing in the playground are all maskless. The tables aren't really well spaced out, so it gets crowded. So after covid, rating will probably go up. During covid, attend at your own risk. read more

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The pretzels are great and the service is great and I would highly recommend this place for anyone is a great place for kids because there's parks and fun entertainment and for adults there's beer read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Yummy pretzel - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Family friendly (dogs and kids) and a great place to relax, unwind and have fun. The playground is great for kids, the short walk down to the river is a fun way to see nature and watch anyone fishing, the live music always adds to the fun atmosphere (not only polka-type now), the beer and food choices are classic biergarten, long picnic style tables make it perfect for groups or sharing, bathrooms make it convenient, and if you bring your furry friend you can take your beer into the nearby dog park as long as you return the glass when you're done. There is a lot of wide open space here, which makes it perfect for parties and get togethers. Service is generally quick, although be prepared for longer lines on nicer days. They've recently added two "ipads" for digital ordering, so paying with a card is now your only option. NO CASH. There a few beer gardens in the area, but this one continues to be a favorite for our family. It's a great place to celebrate the start of summer and make new summer memories. read more

We were really excited to come here but unfortunately never were able to even get our drinks. After showing our real Ids we were told they were fake and to step out of line. After showing multiple other forms of IDs proving we were 21 the manager promised us free drinks for the inconvenience. Unfortunately he never showed up again, we would've happily paid for our own drinks but instead sat there for 30 minutes and it was an overall waste of time!! We tried to ask another employee a question and he completely blew us off. We understand that they were doing their job to make sure they weren't serving underage customers but we are upset that they lied to us, told us we were in the wrong after proving we weren't and then made us seem like an inconvenience. Won't be coming back here!!! read more

What a wonderful little gem in the middle of Milwaukee! People just having fun together. The beer is cold, the pretzels are epic.

Tl:dr scenic spot for delicious outdoor beer and live music and PETS I'll keep this one pretty short - for as much of a beer drinker as I consider myself - I was almost physically distressed I hadn't been here sooner. Glass steins you can rent while you're there, delicious German brews and like polka music on most days/nights. They also have a delicious giant pretzel! I would go ahead and say it's a giant pretzel contender - they had a really great cheese dipping sauce, too! Beautiful view of the park and this place is DOG FRIENDLY SO YOU CAN PET ALL THE PUPPERS YOU WANT (once allowed by owners obvi) Great date spot, chill hangout at picnic tables with friends or party space. I'll definitely be back! read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Current sign with list for regular and seasonal! - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

My favorite beer garden! They created Estabrook with the German Beer Gardens in mind, from the communal tables to the large steins of Hofbrau (and a few other) beers. Schnitzel, pretzels, bratwurst, hot dogs and more, at decent prices. Many weekends feature German or other types of music. The reason they get 4 stars? They, after all these years, still don't accept credit cards. It's not a huge deal as they do have an on-site ATM, but that's just another step one has to take, and not everyone likes ATMs that charge withdrawal fees. Kid and dog-friendly, with a playground and a river nearby. Prost! read more

Last week was the grand opening of the EBG and according to the staff it was jammed and they really did give away free beer. This time there were more dog owners and family atmosphere large field to play and liters of beer fine German beer for 11 bucks or .5L for 6$. staff did a good job of picking up and keeping the area clean . As this is the 2nd year. with addition of new signs . I noticed that they doubled the seating put in more umbrella tables a raised band stage for the musicians and singer. The south side has an additional serving area that looks like it has space for outdoor grilling but that's just a. along with updated restrooms. I wanted to bring my camera to take pictures but figured it would not be a good idea.... just don't want to get kicked out this early in the summer. I may take photos around November when its less busy. For now just trust me. The restrooms are bright clean and well ventilated. read more

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Though I imagine it's not a lot of fun in winter, Estabrook Beer Garden is a breath of fresh air - - in fact, fresh air is a prime feature - - in the beer scene in Milwaukee. That's because you go get a beer, you go get a table, and then you drink your beer. You can also eat the snax you brought, or pick up a tasty bratwurst (and on the day we were there, the featured food was schnitzel). This has all the ease and pleasantry of the Englischer Garten in Munich - - a simple concept (order, pick up, find a place to eat and drink). They even had an IPA, for those who are not stuck on the Hofbräuhaus schtick. You are free to bring stuff, and plenty people brought their kids who made good use of the large playground next door. Live polka music (sans tuba); a few steps to the glistening, rushing river; sun or shade depending on how you position yourself under the beer umbrellas; then drop your mug off for the deposit any time you like and head home. Simple, and beautiful. read more

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This place is AMAZING! Let me tell you why: - They serve liters of beer, 4 different types of beer (3 German and Miller Lite), in large heavy-duty stein glasses - For the non-beer drinker they also offer wine and soda - They sell huge pretzels and brats - It's in Estabrook park, you can bring your dog/kids/family, even your own picnic - They have many large tables that you share with the other friendly community members; it's in a nice neighborhood and everyone there (drinkers and workers) were very friendly (great atmosphere!) - It's right on the Milwaukee River, which is very scenic in this location (good photo ops!) Be sure to bring cash, as it is cash only. There is a $5 refundable deposit on the glass, and liters are $11. I will definitely be visiting the Biergarten many more times before it closes for the season :) read more

The space is beautiful and has wonderful views of the river. The beer selection was good but rather overpriced. I did not care for the food (pretzels and brats). BRING CASH, because all products are cash-only. Bring that extra $5 glassware deposit, too. read more

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I attended an event here with reserved tables and found it to been a chill place to enjoy some eats and a good beer with friends outside. The weather that day was unfortunately chilly for me but on a gorgeous summer day or evening it would be poppin! I loved the huge beer mugs and liked the sweet deal of just buying it for keeps. The pretzels were on point with the dipping sauces as well! read more

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Great place to stop for drinks, appetizers, or snacks! There are tons of table available and usually live music. We ordered the giant pretzel with beer cheese and mustard. It was plenty of food! The beer garden is located just off the oak leaf trail so definitely will be stopping after my next bike ride! read more

This is my favorite beer garden. Love the ambience and music. I had the Oktober fest seasonal and it was really good. Make sure to bring enough cash though. There is an ATM but you'd have to pay a fee. read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Beautiful river' views - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The band was great, the beer was refreshing, the pretzel was delicious! Definitely get the cheese dip with your pretzel. Come here with your kids, dogs, and friends! The kids can play on the swing set or dance to the German music! If you come on a date definitely stop by the river to see the small waterfall! read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Great beer! - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

My favorite combination at Estabrook Beer Garden: a GIANT soft pretzel + a TALL hefeweizen. It's well worth the bike ride!

Mmmm, BEER! What's not to enjoy sitting in the sun with strangers drinking a liter of German beer while listening to a polka band?! What a country!! Be sure to grab a giant pretzel, it makes a great sponge to soak up the beer in your gut. Recent updates include double the seating, remodeled bathrooms & a second counter for beer service located on the South side. Arrive early on the weekends for best seating as it gets packed. Predominately families on Saturday & Sunday afternoons. Lots of doggies, bring your critter! Be sure to take a walk over to the river, about 200' west of the venue. Bring your own liter / .5 liter stein if you have one. I cant wait for the reopening in 2014, I enjoy doing liter curls on the weekends! read more

One of the best reasons to live in Milwaukee. Estabrook Beer Garden is a hot spot and worthy of a notch on the 1000 places to visit before you die. I hit up this place with fellow Yelpers last weekend and was glad I did. You Yelpstas know who you are! Thanks George for throwing the UYE together. The beer is incredible. Bring your own stein or be prepared to pay a $5 deposit. Also, you can bring your own snacks, but don't attempt to bring your own liquor. The food matches the theme with items from the German motherland. The pretzel is one you've got to try! Looking forward to the next time! read more

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This is the absolutely best idea Milwaukee has ever had! In this day and age of folks rushing around with their noses in their electronic gadgets, a place where you can sit and get to know total strangers! What a concept. Every time I have come here, i have struck up very interesting conversations with folks I had never met before. Beer garden should be mandatory in every community! Perhaps we could quit spewing venom and hatred about politics and politicians if we could all get together at the local beer garden once a week and get to know each other! Be forewarned. The beer is huge and strong and you want to drink a lot of it because it is so much fun! I definitely recommend getting a pretzel. They are also huge, but oh so good! Kind of crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and lots of rock salt sprinkled on top. This is hands down the best pretzel I have ever eaten. The brats are unremarkable. Many folks bring a picnic basket which is also fun. read more

Oans, zwoa, g'suffa!! So, this is what they mean when the old folks talk about "the good old days". Hats off to the Milwaukee County Board for getting this right. In today's age of political correctness, it's nice to see that a few visionaries can still get together and decide that a Bier Garten in a county park run by a legendary Milwaukee family (Weissgerber's) is a good thing. This is a license to print money. Build it and they will come, and drink. My only question, is "why did they wait so long?" We attending the Bier Garten's "Grand Opening." It was absolutely epic!! Anytime there is a promise of free beer, Milwaukeeans turn out in droves, and last night was no exception. Free beer may have drawn many of these people here, but the beautiful location and wonderful atmosphere will keep them coming back. Who doesn't want to hang out with a couple hundred other beer lovers, listen to polka music, sit in the shade, and drink like barn animals?? I know I do. I can see myself spending countless hours here this summer. It seems like a very peaceful oasis and a perfect setting to make new friends, drink a liter of delicious German lager, and solve all of the world's problems. So, bring your best drinking vessel, don your lederhosen or dirndl, and head on down to Estabrook for some glorious Gemutlichkeit. Es ist Wunderbar!! read more

A beautiful late summer evening...a beer garden that feels like it could be in Germany...live polka music...beer...and a fish fry. It really doesn't get much better. The fish fry is Fridays only but I could see coming here anytime to hang out and de-stress. read more

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Quintessential beer garden. Great place to take out of town guests. Highly recommended.

So, I've been hearing whispers via JSOnline and the proverbial block that there was a new, mildly (think "milwaukee") authentic German Biergarten opening up in our very own Estabrook Park. SHUT UP. So after biking down to get my haircut, which is in shorewood anyway, I decided to bike the few extra miles to Estabrook with the intent of having a beer and bratwurst in the middle of the wilderness. Note: the easiest way to enter is to take the Parkway off of Hampton, the biergarten is closer, so all you bikers on Capitol, take note. Anyhow; 3 beers on draught: all Hofbräu: Lager, Dunkel and Hefeweizen. Oh yeah, and Miller Lite...if you consider that beer. Half Stein (half a liter) or a full liter (11 bucks, + 5 dollar rental charge, which is returned with your glass stein). Or bring your own! I got a Liter of the Dunkel, and this thing was absolutely giant. Suffice to say I was fairly buzzed by the end of it, which made for a remotely interesting bike ride home. Also, they have brats. My 2 favorite things on the planet: beer, and brats. In Milwaukee. 7 days week. In the park. OMFG! I'm sensing a trend this will be my favorite place. ever. Its also pretty family friendly; so don't get trashed. save that for the bar later. Ca$h only. yummy. read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Seating + bar - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

**this is a review for yelp does Sunday funday** posted twice accidentally dogs in bandanas (brat?)wurst in a salad yelpers in ah, um......giant blow up bubble thingamabobs just another Summer sunday in milwaukee! There were so many good dishes at the potluck I can't even start to mention them all (buuuut the potato casserole was probably my fav.) Everyone was busy chatting each other up but the canines were a super well behaved group and i didnt hear a woof or bark amongst them. Cats at the next event, maybe? (I'm sure they'd all be totally friendly and good natured to one another. totally.) A little bummed I wasn't brave enough to suit up for bubble soccer buuuut...we did all get a yelp portable rescue charger so more time at future yelp events and less need to go running off in search of a charger. Thanks Rachel, yelp, daisy, porkchop, betsy, and timmy (and their owners:) for a good time! read more

What is better than a park? A park with a beer garden! Estabrook is a warm or cool weather go-to spot. Grab a seat on one of the picnic tables and enjoy a liter (or two) with friends. You cannot carry in your own food and beverage into the area, however there is no need. They also serve up fantastic snacks like giant pretzels with honey mustard and/or cheese and sausages. Check out the live music schedule; German music and otherwise. If you don't care to place a refundable deposit on your glass - bring a stein from home! They will fill .5L and 1L sizes (and save the $5). It makes it a bit more personal too. On the edge of the beer garden is a view of the river and the "fall". Take a moment to admire before heading back to the center of the action. Speaking of action, did you know the 1st Milwaukee Beer Run 5K & .05K took place here in November 2014? Keep an eye out for a repeat of that sold-out event in the future! Fun Fact: The Beer Garden is dog friendly! Rover won't be left out, but please remember to be aware of your pet at all times - clean up any messes, please! read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Pretzel lips - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Fun spot for lunch and a beer. Nice beer garden atmosphere reminiscent of Europe in this scenic park in the NE side of MKE. The pretzel with cheese was very good as were the brat and lands jagger (spelling?) sausage though they had no utensils to cut sausage. You can actually bring your own food. The German beers were tasty. Prosit! read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Brat and a beer. - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Oh Bavaria, how I've missed you. But this Biergarten is a great substitute (and a lot less cheaper what with airfare prices today). ********But here is the part you need to know****** ---Bring your own glassware!! I had 4 perfectly awesome Oktoberfest Mas' sitting at home and had I known there is a $5 deposit (CASH ONLY) for each glass I would have brought them all. ---Also did I mention CASH ONLY? I knew about the cash only part before we went, but the $5 deposit really cut into my beer money ya know? The setting is beautiful, with communal wooden picnic tables set up, and it looks like they have some lights strung in the trees (but we were there in the day) which probally look great at night. They serve Hofbrau beer, which I happen to really like. I think I also saw wine on the menu, which I totally ignored because duh, we are in a Biergarten. Also we had a pretzel which was very good, along with the Obatzda cheese spread which is a favorite of mine but this one was only so-so. In Summary: seriously you need to go here but bring your own litre or half-litre. read more

Estabrook Beer Garden - Beer Gardens Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

One of my favorite places. Now filled with people without masks, including the line to purchase beer. Disregarding the signs mandating masks. I asked the order taker and she and the others working shrugged and said that it was outside. Really ruins the stop. 12:45 Saturday afternoon. read more