This is a south side hidden gem. It has been there a long time, but outside of a few downtown "Irish" bars, this is it. The staff is polite, the food is good, and the vibes are what you'd expect. Blue collar and friendly. read more

A fun, eclectic, neighborhood bar with good food. Stopped in on a Friday afternoon and started with the mussels. Wow! We ate every last one and all of the bread. I honestly thought about drinking the broth...so good! I didn't want anything fried so I opted for the Blackened Grouper --it was perfectly seasoned; not too hot and really well balanced. My husband had the Baked Cod and potato pancakes--he cleaned his plate. We both really enjoyed our food and the service. Carrie was behind the bar/serving. She was inviting, funny, knowledgeable and I was even more impressed as regulars started to roll in- she seemed to know everyone, what they liked and how they wanted it. read more

See all

We were looking for a new fish fry spot to try and stumbled upon McKiernan's and thought we'd give it a try. Our server/bartender was friendly and attentive. We tried the cod fish fry, the fish sandwich, and the Nashville chicken sandwich with fries and tater tots as our sides and it was all delicious! read more

For our Friday team lunch at the company I work for I suggested trying McKiernan's after recently seeing a post about their fish fry on social media. Everyone found something that interested them, so we went with it. One person got a burger with fries, one got fried cod with fries, and one got blackened grouper with potato pancakes. I ordered fried grouper with potato pancakes and a piece of fried cod on the side just to try it. Consensusly, none of us were wowed by the food. Both the blackened grouper and fried grouper stood out as the best parts, and I liked my piece of cod even though my co-worker didn't because he thought it had too much breading. Both fry people thought they were bland (unsurprising since crinkle fries are the worst kind of fry in my opinion) and both of us potato pancake people were disappointed that they were very soft and not at all crispy. The burger guy ordered his cooked medium, but it was clearly overcooked to the point of being well done. With all of the fish fry options in the area I don't think we'll go back, even with the grouper being a unique option that most fish frys don't have. What a shame. read more

McKiernan's Irish Pub - Fried grouper with potato pancakes - Irish Pub Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

It is always with great trepidation that I venture into an Irish themed American bar, especially without three or four White friends who are good in a fight. Of course I'm not talking about actual Irish bars (in Ireland), where Sri Lankan looking fellows are invariably welcome. Well this very lovely bar is a notable exception, the sincere friendliness I encountered from stepping into the door from both workers and regular customers was altogether inviting and convincing. Comfortable, roomy, and absolutely cute. Clean, warm, sports on well located televisions, decorated with fun antiques (some older than me), and the food is good. A couple of things were a bit too salty, but perfect with the Guinness on tap (served American cold, not Irish tepid). Hands down my favorite neighborhood bar in Milwaukee. read more

See all

Shhhhhhhhhhh... Looking for a real hidden gem? A place where the drinks are well poured and well priced? A place where you'll be greeted with handshakes from the staff and patrons alike? Perhaps somewhere where you'll feel right at home on your first visit? McKiernans is as hidden as it's sister bar, Barnacle Bud's, but instead of being on the river it's deep in the middle of a tidy little "real Southside" neighborhood. Head in for a Guinness, a tasty Brandy Old Fashioned, or the daily special of 2 PBRs for $5. The welcome is warm and genuine and your fellow patrons are friendly. Add McKiernans to my "friendliest MKE bars" list along with Swingin Door and Camino! read more

See all

WOW what a great hidden gem off the beaten path, hidden in a quiet neighborhood. The inside/outside is kind of cool with an olden days feel with all the wood everywhere from the floors to the ceiling. This is not one of those bars where the staff and regulars make you feel like an outsider for invading thier space, everyone was friendly and welcoming. I like the bar lunch thing and today that's what I'm doing and this was the place. The menu is somewhat small but the options are well thought out with great choices that's not typical bar food, see the online menu. The grilled Ruben was the winner today that comes with frys or coleslaw. The bar has 7 taps so I opted for a Guinness since I'm in an Irish pub, cold and in a Guinness glass. The Rueben was the real deal hand carved, not the thin sliced deli meat that some places serve. The Rueben looked really good with nicely toasted marble rye bread. The Rueben was hot with melty Swiss cheese, nice thick slices of corn beef and plentiful sauerkraut. The corn beef was not super lean with a little fat left on for flavor. This was a good Rueben with just the right portions of everything, meaty but over top. Wow this was a nice place that serves a good lunch, see my pictures. I can't wait for the day when I find my self back over to try more of the menu, two thumbs up. read more

See all

Great atmosphere. Food is FANTASTIC. Beautiful Irish pub in a residential neighborhood. Definitely a 10 in my book

We are here now and now the only people at the bar.....on a Saturday.....seems strange when this place has so many good reviews? It's in the middle of a random neighborhood. The prices are right and it's your typical "off the beaten path" joint. read more

OMG!!!! I finally found a fish fry in Milwaukee that is outstanding!!!! Seriously no joke...The breading is so light and seasoned to perfection. I'm so excited to have found out about this place that is down the street from my job! Whoohoo!! Btw, the lady bartender was very nice and the patrons all spoke when I walked in. Great lil place, I will def return!! 7 star fish fry in my book. So excited!! read more

McKiernan's Irish Pub - Fish fry dinner, there were more pieces and more fries but it was so delicious I forgot to take a picture! Lol!! - Irish Pub Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Very welcoming place. They make a great bloody mary. The fish fry looked and smelled good. We will be back to try food.

Fun fact- McKiernan's is run by the same people who own Barnacle Buds and Victoria's on Potter. They've been around for 10 years, too! Definitely a spot for regulars and a good game of bar dice. Don't be fooled by the paper menus, the food is stellar. Fish Fry Friday's for ~$10 depending on what you get. The blackened grouper has a ton of flavor and you should definitely upgrade to the potato pancakes. Sooo yummy and very deep fried. read more

5 stars? Really? Yep. I wish I had more stars to give! Saw the listing for this bar here on Yelp looking for bars/restaurants near West Allis. Looked at their website and found that they were part of the same owners of Barnacle Bud's and figured it had to be worth a shot. Correct guess. I love Irish bars and Irish food so the choice to visit was not a hard one. We went on Saturday around 5:30pm and walked in and found a seat at the bar. The first thing we noticed was just how bright and cheery the place was. Light blonde wood throughout, nice large, well lit bar and incredibly friendly staff and clientele. As soon as we walked in we felt welcome. The bartender Mike was quick to say hi and take out order. I had Harp's on tap and my wife had a mixed drink served in a Mason jar. Drinks were reasonably priced and we were soon part of the conversation mix with the assortment of patrons already at the bar. Mike asked if we would like to see a menu and we agreed since we were a little on the hungry side. The menu consisted of a good mix of burgers and fries, wings and a great selection of Irish foods. I ordered the Reuben and my wife ordered the Corned Beef sandwich. Both came with thick cut fries and both sandwiches were heaped full of great tasting corned beef. The food was fantastic. On par with the best Irish fare I have ever had. The cook came out from the kitchen which was behind us, that you could see in to thru a large glass window. Very clean and efficient. We both gave him thumbs up on the food. He was young and obviously a talented cook. The place was very clean and even the rather large and rather spacious bathrooms were very clean and inviting. You know how some bar bathrooms look like post-apocalyptic war scenes, well this looked like your grandmother bathroom. I kid you not!! The only mess to be found was the peanut shells on the floor. But that has never bothered me and should not be counted as far as I am concerned. We came in for a drink and maybe some food, planning to go shopping afterward. Left 5 and half hours later full and feeling great. I cannot wait to go back and enjoy some great food, great people and great bartenders. Do yourself a favor and find this hidden gem. You can think me later. read more

One of the bar stops on our Party Bus Pub Crawl. It was great. Was only able to get a round here, but the service was great, the beer was cold and they knew how to pour. In terms of bar standards, thats 5 stars right there! Would come back. read more

I've had perch and a couple of pints a very nice friendly place the food was served up hot from a friendly staff and a really nice crowd. This place is a must stop for those who want an out of the way place with nice surroundings in a comfy atmosphere with really great food. read more

A house bar that looks good on a quite residential area that only Milwaukee would be able to produce. The bar has some of the local great bears and I believe they serve food is well with a simple plain menu. There is a bar and regular eating style seating. This is both an Irish bar in a dive bar in the heart of Milwaukee. read more

fell in love with it as soon as I walked in. on vacation from Oklahoma City and heard about it from our b&b we stayed in. I think the beer we most enjoyed was the one with the milk cow on the tap handle. go figure. really laid back bartender who didn't mind spending time talking to us about the brews. exactly what I was hoping for out of an Irish pub. the pubs here in OKC are rubbish and play their hip hop and pop music at an excruciating and excessively loud volume. me, being of Irish lineage, loved it! go raibh maith agat! read more

McKiernan's Irish Pub - Irish Pub Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

We stopped here on the way to a music venue to grab a couple of drinks and some food because of the consistent high ratings this place has scored. Only one person was there to run the bar and the kitchen; he was up front about that as we sat down so we were prepared to wait a bit if needed. I think it's a good sign when the bartender can leave the bar to cook a full order of dinners without having to worry about the front of the house while he's gone. It shows a strong sense of connection to the neighborhood. It reminded me of a couple of the bars I frequented in college. Two of us had burgers, two of us had a Shepherd's Brat (with corned beef and kraut.) Both were served on soft warm rolls and were cooked perfectly. The fries were also done especially well--crunchy on the outside, soft in the center. Anthony (our bartender/cook) was very hospitable and worked really well under adverse circumstances to take care of us. We stopped in on sort of a whim, we will go back "on purpose" the next time we are in Milwaukee. read more

This place is what you would expect decor and selection wise from a Milwaukee neighborhood Irish pub... down to the cute name plates fixed to the bar for their regulars. This was my 2nd visit. The first time there we went with a large group. They were given notice we were coming and couldn't manage to have the kitchen open. I can overlook that... they had no problem with us having pizzas delivered. On my 2nd visit. When I got there the bartender Mike was great. He was personable and efficient. A solid server and I should know. I was a service trainer training bartenders and servers for a large chain throughout Wisconsin. They had run out of the Irish whiskey I was drinking in an Irish pub by my second drink... around 8:30 pm on a Friday night. I can overlook that... I switched to a draft for my 3rd beverage served in a little mason jar glass... Cool! Around 9:00pm there was a bartender change. A tall, bearded, older bartender. I don't know his name because I never got service. I stood there patiently with a bill between my fingers and an empty glass for over 15 minutes (no exaggeration I was timing... the service trainer in me) as he talked to, shuck hands with, did shots with and took care of patrons that approached the bar after me. I attempted, a couple of times, to verbally get his attention when he made it to the side of the bar I was standing at with not as much as a glance or any acknowledgement of my presence. Well I finally had to whistle to get his attention... which I never do! This bartender finally acknowledged me with a rude "In a minute!" I replied "15 isn't enough" and his response was "If you don't like it there is the door". Well I chose the door... FOREVER! Having worked in the business for many years back in the 80's and 90's I can understand many things and can overlook them. Although a server or establishment that believes the customer needs the establishment more than the establishment needs the customer I can not. So unless your name is on one of those plates fixed to the bar I recommend you take your business where it's welcomed and appreciated. read more

This is a great neighborhood bar..owned by the same family that owns Barnacle Buds!! And a few other establishments in Bay View. Excellent service, great prices and happy hour with rail drinks and popular craft beers! Casual and very friendly. Many seafood choices and a Big Boy Burger that tastes genuine!! Love this place!! read more

My husband and I went 2/1/13 to check out the Fish Fry. Price was very reasonable - fish fry for two with drinks was about $23. Dinner came with a real bowl (not a cup billed as a bowl) full of soup, bread, potato salad, tartar sauce and choice of fries or potato pancake. The pancake was huge and was served with syrup, applesauce, and sour cream (not just one of the three like most other places give you). They offer a choice of four fish varieties. We both got cod and were given three pieces of fish that are fried crisp yet still moist on the inside. I hate fish fries where the breading falls off...or where the breading is thicker than the actual fish. McKiernan's isn't like that at all. It's a good sized plate of food and you wont' leave hungry. We had a full vew of the kitchen and the one-man operation was able to easily keep pace with customer flow on a busy Friday night. The bartenders doubled as table servers and were also able to keep up with the demand. The Donovan chips (fried pickles) are awesome and the menu features other pub style and Irish dishes that we'll be back to try. The atmosphere is friendly and not too loud. Patrons are a mix of young, middle aged, and families with kids. A really nice neighborhood place where a lot of the customers seem to know each other. read more

Great place to grab a beer and a burger. The fried pickles were amazing and the service was quick and friendly. Will totally be back!

Very good food , jamacin jerk wings are amazing. Really nice Irish Pub. Definitely worth the stop:

Thank you ....for having our group everything was awesome ....fish, potato pancakes service wow and a great bartender :)