Excellent experience! We were fortunate to be there for a group event. Appetizers included mushroom bites in phyllo dough, spanakopita, quiches, sausages and sauerkraut. Entree was a phenomenal salmon with spätzle. Waiters were dressed up and the espresso martini was the best I've had. I definitely had two of those. This was a business trip and I hope to be back next year. Thank you!!!! read more

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Let's start with the positives. The food (most of it) was quite good. My wife had the sauerbraten and I had the rheine sampler (goulash and Wiener schnitzel, with veal). The veal piece was quite small but all of it was tasty. The ruben roll appetizer was okay but there was only a tiny amount of corned beef in them. The decor was great - felt largely unchanged for the past 100 years. Now, the rest: host stand employees displayed the warmth of an iceberg. The service from our server (Allie (sp?)) was inattentive and very slow. Worst of all were the prices. This isn't New York City or even Chicago. Every entree was at least $36, with many of them well into the 40's. If you want a much better, much more affordable German restaurant experience, head down the road to Kenosha and visit House of Gerhard's. read more

Finally had the chance to go to Maders after living in Milwaukee for 20 years. The inside was gorgeous with all the interior decorations being older and historical. We ordered the pretzel loaf as an appetizer and it was the perfect size and it was nice and warm. I got the butter chicken schnitzel which was good. I loved the light cream sauce, but I wish there was more because the spatzle was very plain and did not have much flavor. The dish only came with 3 broccoli which was not enough. The chicken was great though, nice and crispy. For dinner we split the apple strudel which was crispy, hot, and had lots of caramel. I love this history of Milwaukee and recommend people to give it a try. Very expensive though!!! read more

Mader's - Pretzel loaf - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Pretty cool ambiance attributable in large part to being in business for 120+ years, including an interior stained glass panel rumored to be 450 years old and the plethora of famous guest photos adorning the walls. The bar offers great selections across the board- beer, wine, liquor. The food was average. Not bad. Not stellar. I did wonder, given the speed with which our main entrees arrived, if our dishes were made to order or pre-prepared. Given how tough my pork was, I fear the latter as it had all the signs of having languished in the steam table tray far too long. Mader's, for me, is one of those places you dine at once due to its historic notoriety, but I won't rush back to, aside from maybe an occasional drink at the bar. Note: our server shared that if you're dining prior to a show at nearby Miller High Life Theater (we were- David Byrne, fantastic show!), you may leave your vehicle in the restaurant's lot while at the performance. read more

Very good German comfort food. Generous portions. The plate-sized off-menu pretzel (just ask for one) is great; ideal appetizer for a group while enjoying drinks and deciding what to order. Decent traditional German dishes. Lovely service and great Bavarian ambiance. read more

Mader's - Dining Room (of several) - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

If you give a Schnitzel about good German food and you're in downtown Milwaukee, you have to give Mader's a try. It was a short walk from the hotel and although it was a bit pricey, it was worth it, especially since it was on an expensable meal. The complimentary pretzel bread was good and came with plenty of butter! Service was pretty awesome with the waitress letting us know there would be plenty of food with our schnitzel meals, and she was right. There were two nice pieces of pounded breaded pork over a nice pile of spatzel which was definitely homemade. I ordered it Jager style which had a delicious mushroom gravy. I had an espresso martini as I had just had some beers at another spot and needed a pick-me-up to get through the dinner after a long week. Great meal, cool place, and excellent service. read more

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Maders has been on my list for quite some time. The ambiance is PERFECT! I loved how the servers were in character and the beautiful stain glass windows. The service was amazing, our server did an amazing job. The food was hit or miss. Some of it was absolutely to die for, while others lacked flavor. The beer cheese was bland, it didn't really taste like beer. The potato pancakes were amazing!! My husband got the duck and said it was one of the best he has had, I agree with him! Everyone at our table tried a bite and agreed. The entree was huge! I got the Bavarian platter, which I throughly enjoyed the sausages and sauerkraut. Not a big fan of the potato salad, but that was more preference. Most people got the Wiener schnitzel, which everyone agreed there was no flavor at all. It was perfectly crisp, though! My espresso martini was just OK. I probably wouldn't go back, but glad I experienced this staple in the city. read more

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Eve. If you go to Mader's ask if Eve is working. She is hysterical! She will tell you all about the restaurant's history, the famous patrons, the people she has met and more. I stumbled in here for lunch and it was pretty quiet, but my cup of beef barley soup tasted like my Mom made it. I had it along with some pretzel bread and naturally an old fashioned because when in Wisconsin....drink Wisconsibly. I so enjoyed myself that I made reservations to come back for dinner with my husband. From everything Eve had taught me I was able to give him a full tour of the restaurant. If you enjoy german cuisine do yourself a favor and stop in! read more

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Maders is an old place with claims to great German food. They get the old right, and the decor is awesome. The food doesn't live up to my - admittedly high - expectations. I ordered a Hefe weizen and Jaeger Schnitzel. I'd well reviewed the menu before going since I had to wait relatively late to get a seat on a busy game night. The food came quickly, but my Spidey senses immediately flared up when I saw the mushroom sauce on the side. Look, Jaeger Schnitzel needs an abundance of thick sauce. This was thin and light on mushrooms, they offered to bring more but it just set me back. This is the second time I've seen this and it made me sad. The schnitzel and spaetzle itself was okay. The sauce marginal. The sauerkraut wasn't wonderful but I don't usually like it. There was a lot of food but I did try the dessert which was a chocolate bread pudding with brandied cherries and pecans. Wasn't sure if they could remove the pecans but they did. I didn't care for it. Service was quick and fine with garbed gals in dirndls and guys in lederhosen. I give it a 3.6 which rounds to a generous 4. read more

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Everything was on theme-the server's outfits, the decor, they even had Christmas decor- so cute! Our server was very kind and helpful. He had great recommendations. I highly recommend the "Tour of Germany." Every single item was fantastic. The pork shank and sauerbraten were my personal favorites-cooked to perfection. They have valet parking only for the restaurant, which is super helpful in their location! read more

Mader's - Knight display - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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This place was soooo cool!! The old architecture and design was really awesome and our waiter was so informative and telling us all the 120+ year old building/location, all the best food recommendations so we could try a little of everything!! Would definitely go back next time I'm in the area!! read more

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I was impressed with the Bavarian decor walking in. The service was wonderful, everyone from the valet to the busing staff went above and beyond. We had a pretty good pretzel with delicious cheese to dip it in to start. I had a sampler platter for dinner. The pork and schnitzel were good, the beef was okay, and the potato was meh. The sides of cabbage and kraut were both good. Overall, if you ignore the price, I'd give the food a three and a half stars. When you include the price, I give it a three. But the service was five stars, so I reluctantly bump my review up to four stars. read more

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This is a German Food Tourist trap. With that said we went to the other one up the road and after waiting for a while the bartender said kitchen was not working today and suggested we leave. So we hit the road and went to Mader's. I was big concerned b/c this is a 2-3 $ place but I was pleasantly surprised at what we got for the price. I still think it's about $10 too expensive but the food is very good, the beers are excellent and the service is great. Definitely worth doing once. read more

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The BEER CHEESE sooooo yummy with the fresh pretzel ... I tried something new that I didn't think that I would like which were the potato pancakes. They were so delicious crunchy and flavorful, and I loved the thick, sweet applesauce that the potato pancakes laid on top of it was a very tasty combination. Another favorite was the super cheesy French onion soup. Service was fast and friendly personally I feel it is a little overpriced, but the food is good. Will definitely be back to visit next Green Bay trip. read more

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I've been coming to Mader's with my family since I was a kid; it's my stepdad's favorite special occasion spot. As mentioned in other reviews, walking into this place is like stepping back in time. Everything is dark wood, stained glass, figurines, steins--the staff even wear traditional German clothing. On this occasion, we were celebrating my grandpa's 80th birthday, and we had a wheelchair user with us. I forgot to add in the reservation that we would need accessible seating, but the staff were quick to remove a chair & ensure there was a place for a wheelchair. Our server was super bubbly & kind, with recommendations on appetizers and drinks. We ordered a ton of food, starting with the Giant Pretzel (our server accurately said it's about the size of a steering wheel), and Beer Cheese Spread with Pretzel Croustinis. Both items were delicious, & I had to stop myself from eating more so that I'd have room for my main meal. I ordered the Halibut, which came with Spaetzle & a delicious cream sauce. I absolutely overate because I couldn't stop scooping bites of this! It was one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. I will say, I detracted a star for 2 reasons: --Parking: Mader's has a designated lot, but there's a sign saying it's valet only. The lot is attached to the building, so we didn't want to pay for valet, & instead ended up paying $30 (event upcharge) to park in another lot. I was told later that the valet is actually free, but I couldn't find any confirmation on their website. --Drinks: I ordered wine & my family ordered beer; the drinks took longer than expected to arrive, meaning my second glass of wine came after the meal & I had to give it away so I could drive. I'm sure the bar was just busy, but that wasn't ideal. Anyway, that being said, this place is great & I can't wait to come back. read more

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OVERHYPED OVERPRICED TOURIST's TRAP Mader's is terribly overhyped. I had my expectations up when I saw all the good reviews online. We got the tour of Germany (big platter around $90 that says suitable for two but the portion was enough for 3-4 people) and found the dishes to be either terribly sweet & sour or bland. And I can see that the dishes on the platter were preped long time ago and just did an easy assemble and brought to us. The spetzle and whinerschnitzel, along with our drinks & bread, but the rest of the food was underwhelming despite its' eye-widening price. Overall the service was good, but rather awkward. You have to park by Valet parking too. The room was too dark until somebody realized and turned on the lights when we already half way done eating. $140 for a class of don't trust the HYPE! read more

Mader's - Tour of Germany - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Diane and I joined my cousin and his wife for dinner at this decades-old bastion of German food during our cross-country road trip. In a dining room that featured stained glass windows and bas-reliefs on walls we began by sharing a nice Pretzel Loaf and good Potato Cakes. But I made the mistake of ordering Liver Dumpling Soup to try it. The big hunks of liver were far different than traditional Chinese dumplings, and way too dense for my taste. So, I didn't eat much of the soup. I then had a Baby Spinach Salad with spinach leaves and egg, which I liked. Next for me was a German Sampler with Veal. The Sauerbraten was cool. But the Veal Schnitzel, Red Cabbage, ham, and sauerkraut were all warm and good. Diane had the Veal Schnitzel Scallop Sampler and found it to be okay. The two others in my party enjoyed Herb Crusted Salmon and Duck Chambord. Service was good. Except for my cousin, who ordered an Apple Strudel ala mode, we passed on several available desserts, posed for photos with each other, and then said our goodbyes until we meet again in Las Vegas. read more

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A quaint old town feel of Germany. Ample dining room, food was good. Extensive drinks menu and when here, you gotta have a beer. Wait staff dressed in Germany flair clothing. Interesting! Dining room was nicely decorated and the domed shaped dining room ceilings gave it a nice open feel. Stained glass in the dining room also was a nice touch. We ordered only two dishes, as there were only two of us, the dishes were very large portions as the Jumbo Pretzel was indeed JUMBO sized! Did not get the apple strudel dessert as that will be on the table for our next visit. Hope you Enjoy! read more

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This is such a lovely German restaurant in Milwaukee with nice decor outside and inside. We reserved online via Resy, for lunch. The staff and service was great and food came out quickly. The tables are big because the plates of food are big! We enjoyed the hall of fame to the bathrooms with the pictures and autographs of famous people that have dined here. Pricing was fair for the amount of food - for two people with drinks, entrees including the salmon salad and the German sampler the total was in the $80s. read more

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I was surprised to notice I hadn't reviewed Mader's before. This is a great dinner destination. Especially for a group. Especially if you have kids with you. You can hardly say you've been to Milwaukee if you haven't been to Mader's. The staff have always been surprisingly cool with a little kid getting hyped up and running around a little bit. And it's understandable because they have stuff like suits of armor in here, and what little kid wouldn't get over-excited about that? I can hardly stop myself from getting up and running around here. The food is a good representation of traditional German food. If you like meat and potatoes, you'll be fine here. If you have a group of four or more adults, and no one is a vegetarian, order the tour of Germany. So. Much. Meat. We've found that when it's just two of us, we enjoy sitting in the bar and sampling the appetizers. Everything's good. Most of it's sausage. I think. It's kind of a blur now. Did I mention the drinks are excellent? mean, I haven't had the espresso martini, but all the other cocktails are pretty good. And if you want an espresso martini, I don't know what you're doing in a German restaurant. You can't go wrong with beer here. Great beer selection, obviously. And Sprecher root beer to keep the kids hopped up on sugar. read more

Mader's - Appetizers reflecting the vibe - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We arrived at about 4:30 pm. Valet was prompt and courteous. We were seated immediately at a table of our choice. Service was prompt and introduced us to the buffet. Soups were lukewarm at best. Cold Table shrimp and salmon had one sauce and no condiments. No crackers were available with the cheese. Rolls were not fresh. The caving station ham was processed, and the beef tenderloin was only medium-well or well done. The best hot buffet item was the Beef Bourguignon. The Schnitzel was dried out in a chafing dish. Some desserts were no longer available. Presentation overall was sloppy and not consistent with a fine dining restaurant experience. Ambience was dark. Mader's was historically so much better than this. I would not recommend a buffet in the future. I suspect a sit down meal with a limited Mother's Day menu might result in a better outcome. Please serve the food hot, but not overdone! read more

Got to return to Mader's - it's maybe been 10 years since I was last there? Was a staple each year around Christmas with my family growing up. Now that I'm an adult I can actually appreciate the food. Tonight we had the weisswurst and pretzel to start. I ordered the goulash which was SO GOOD. Others at my table ordered Sauerbraten, the duck, and Wiener Schnitzel. All were phenomenal. Closed out the dining experience with black Forrest cake and apple strudel a la mode. Great staff and such a cool list of celebrities who've dined there. read more

What a cool experience! We made a reservation and stopped by after the holiday market next door to enjoy some dinner. My husband had never been here and it's been many years since I returned. Thanksgiving week was a great time to stop by - Mader's was decked out for the holidays. Will took care of us and he was very good at his job. Explained different items and we ended up ordering the Tour of Germany. We were able to try their most popular items and take home lots of leftovers. Prices were very fair for the amount and quality of food. Will said they offer a buffet on Thanksgiving which sounded lovely. We were seated in the main dining room. Surrounded by beautiful stained glass windows and hardwood, photos of celebrities who have visited in the hallways, and the Christmas decorations added a special touch. A historical restaurant that is 120+ years old. They don't make them like this anymore! read more

Mader's - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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I have no skin in the Authentic German game as I have never been to Germany so my statement is: felt authentic. Cool vibe inside like you are inside a castle. Interesting painting on the wall. Servers all wear lederhosen. Our waiter was a young guy who I liked his blatant honesty. (He told us he had never washed his lederhosen and he had worked there for about a year. Pretty gross thought actually.) Potato pancake- delicious, needs the toppings The Giant pretzel is GIANT! The guys went with authentic food, but I can't remember what. It does take awhile to get your food but we were pleased. read more

Mader's - Potato pancakes - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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This place was definitely an experience. The hubs and I were at the right place to satisfy our cravings for some authentic German food. We ordered their tour of Germany. It's a lot of food for just two people. I definitely recommend this place for some authentic German food. read more

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We had a reservation for a large group at Mader's. When we got there we were seated quickly and had our drink order in pretty fast. That's when things ground to a halt. The server came back about 15 minutes later to get our food order and we actually had to ask where our drinks were. He said they were a little busy, but it was obvious they were understaffed for a Saturday night. After we finally got our drinks, the food started to hit the table. It was good, not the best German food I've had, but it was solid. I tried the portobello napoleon and it was tasty! The portobello was overpowered by the bell pepper. Honestly the giant pretzel was the highlight of the meal. It was baked to perfection, and the cheese was Wisconsin heaven in a bite! Mediocre service, decent food. read more

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Ate here for the first time! Had the goulash! It was almost tasteless. The rest of my party had tour of Germany and the Pork shank! They said it was phenomenal. I believe we were given dinner menus and this was 12:30 pm. The waitress was great but good Lord the prices in this place at lunch were crazy! 4.00 fir a coffee and 15$ for a bread pudding! The tour of Germany was $100.00. Never the less for 4 including tip was $300 for lunch! I am not overly impressed read more

Some of the best German food we've ever had plus amazing friendly service! We got the German Sampler that had a taste of their favorites and shared it for two. Honestly, it could be shared with 3. We had the best server and felt so welcomed. We were visiting from Chicago on our way to a show nearby and had to try Mader's, I'm glad we did! Their red cabbage is also out of this world. From their fun castle setting to their delicious German food, I recommend Mader's! read more

I'm so confused by these 4 and 5 star reviews. This was one of the worst meals I've ever had. Everything was very clearly microwaved and had been sitting out for a long time. Or food took about 10 minutes to come out even though the restaurant was full....The food was bland and tasteless as well. Service was attentive but our waitress wasn't particularly friendly and just seemed extremely stressed. Everything about this place just felt like an overpriced tourist trap. This is such a shame as the decor and vibe were cool and I love the history behind the restaurant but man did it not deliver. read more

I'm really surprised by how low the overall rating is for Maders. This restaurant is classic, kitschy, and a super cool experience. Totally old school German food-- traditional, tasty, and really plentiful. The portions are huge. SHARE!! If something says it's for 2 people... you can definitely feed 3-4. Our server was lovely and attentive and the decor is a total vibe. This isn't modern and hip but it is a total Comfort spot with good beers (I wouldn't recommend the cocktails... stick to beer and wine) and an old school cozy feeling. Check your attitude at the door and embrace a trip back in time. read more

I hadn't been here for over 20 years, and I was stopping through town and wanted to revisit! First of all, I forgot how absolutely dead Milwaukee was on Monday, I walked by and looked in and it was nearly empty--after checking online that they were open I ventured in and they were seating right away for dinner--quick! (maybe 5 people in the whole place at the time, another 10 or more came later). Myles was a giant sparkler of a human in lederhosen that broke the silence and made the the night lively, great waiter! I had a very full meal of hot wine/old fashioned and the Bavarian platter, ith 3 types of Wurst, Ham, sauerkraut, and potato dumpling: great protein meal after a long day of less food. No room for dessert! The decor is fun and "medieval"/old school German as always, a Milwaukee classic! read more

Authentic German cuisine. Delicious selections. Not sure if there are selections besides German food for patrons. Prompt service. Make reservations. It took a bit for the food to come out. The restaurant was very busy. Classic Old World decor. Beautiful and authentic. A lovely place. read more

In town for wedding & made reservations for lunch. The German restaurant been here over 100 years & looks authentic inside with Knights armor plus beautiful stained glass windows. We were seated immediately... My girlfriend & I started potato pancakes plus cheese & suagage board...cheeses & sausage were all tremendous...mustard plus warm baguettes!!! We shared the Tour Of Germany entree...delicious with a variety of items She had a German beer on tap but went famous Milwaukee roor beer. I totally reccomend to take a walk around especially if never going across the Pond for Octoberfest....this next best thing for authentic German food. read more

Mader's - FAMOUS MILWAUKEE ROOT BEER !!! - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This place is a solid 4 star! The food was good, and Mercedes did a great Job being our server. The ambiance definitely takes you back in time, Which has a cool feel. read more

So much fun! Loved our time there! We were short and time and not that hungry so we just shared apps. Baked onion soup, potato pancakes and the Reuben rolls which were on point! Those can be so tricky to get done right. I highly recommend and if you can, do dinner! Other diners entrees looked amazing! Also, so many fun photo opps with the beautiful decor! read more

This is a very historic German restaurant in Milwaukee that I wanted to try during a recent visit. Having grown up in Germany I am always looking for good German food. You can make a reservation online which is highly recommended given how popular the place is. The interior is very authentic and definitely has the ambiance of a German dining room. I was seated right away, and the server was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I was seated at the same table Gerald Ford used, and I was told that Will Ferrell had previously sat in my seat. I had the sausage and pretzel starter. Delicious! The pretzel was warm and soft and perfect. The sausage was also delicious and authentic with tasty and mild flavor. I had the schnitzel entree and substituted the potato dumpling for the spaetzle. The schnitzel was tender although a little bit bland. It did have a good crunchy coating with tender pork. The dumpling was fairly good although for some reason was not shaped into a dumpling and looked more like a serving of mashed potatoes. It definitely had the potato dumpling taste, though. Save room for dessert. I had the apple "apfel" strudel which was delicious. Perfectly warm with a flaky crust and plenty of apples and raisins within. Overall this was a great meal, and I highly recommend Mader's for a German meal in Milwaukee! read more

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The ambivalence is true Deutsche. It's more than a restraint it's a experience and a destination. LOVE IT!

Great German food! Wonderfully authentic atmosphere! Awesome service! 10/10 would return! read more

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This place was amazingly good! I've had German food before in other places around the county but this was exceptional! Now most of you will not agree with my trying the liver dumpling soup but I can tell you I felt I was growing strong by the minute as I ate this warm, tasty soup! The fried pickles were amazing and were cut like thin french fries instead of big wedges or slices. The pretzel we got on the appetizer was very fresh and warm. We ended up splitting a plate because that's just what we do and it was more than enough for both of us! The wait staff is dressed in traditional German garb so that adds to the experience. The restaurant immerses you in Germany with its beautiful wall, hangings and staining glass. Lots of famous people have eaten there, and they have their pictures running along one of the walls. I would definitely go back there, but make room for dessert this next time. read more

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Updated review since my last visit to Mader's was 3 years ago (hard to believe!) and a star change. This restaurant is a Milwaukee institution that serves up some of the best, authentic German food in the city. Inside you'll find a fun atmosphere- a moody, Bavarian feel with dimly lit spaces, large round chandeliers, huge stain glass windows, life-sized suits of Medieval armor and lots of large, dark wooden furniture. Servers are even dressed up in traditional German lederhosen and Bavarian dresses. There's a big bar if you want to stop in for drinks and light bites but I recommend you dine here for a full meal. Best to make reservations in advance especially on the weekends and if there are major events taking place in the city like graduations or a Bucks basketball game. Portions are on the large side. My favorite vegetarian dishes are: the big, soft pretzel served with mustard and cheese, vegetarian spaetzle and potato pancakes. The sauerkraut used to be the freshest I could find in the city but it is now served with bits of corn beef so vegetarians beware! Even though I told my server I was a vegetarian before I ordered, I did order a side of the kraut and wasn't told it had meat in it until after the fact. Thankfully my meal was taken off the bill as a result. We've started coking here once a year around the holidays and hope to continue the tradition for a long time. It's a fun time for the whole family. Be sure to snap a picture in the huge chair by the main checkout/hostess counter and peruse the antique collection too. Bonus! This place is centrally located location right downtown near Fiserv Forum and theaters (in the Deer District). There is a valet which is incredible considering the location and how hard it can be to find free street parking in the city. Best practice is to tip valet $3-$5. read more

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