Heard great things about Motor Bar and was lucky enough to try it when Santa was there!! Spent a Sunday with the husband at the Harley Museum and wanted some food after. Motor Bar & Restaurant was right there and a two second walk from the museum. We were seated at the bar and service was wonderful! It was cool to actually watch our server make drinks at the bar. I had the chicken avocado club and the husband had the brisket nachos. Both portions were huge (mine was two meals since I ended up taking half home). You can upgrade to a Mac n Cheese which was yummy. There's not a lot of vegetarian options but plenty of bbq and choices for a meat eater. They also have a variety of cocktails, beers and coke products. The best part was the weekend we went was Breakfast with Santa so I got to meet Santa and take a picture on a Harley! Such a cool experience. read more

MOTOR Restaurant - Chicken Avocado Club - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Good food and great scenery but way too many microagressions from Manager Jodi. The servers and bartender don't follow her lead luckily. Unwarranted disrespect because of someone's skin tone is never okay. read more

The scenery was great and the strawberry fizz cocktail would have been better had it been on crushed ice but was okay although the food presentation looked good you would have thought the food would have been much better the macaroni and cheese brisket plate was terrible there was more mac than cheese and the combo barbecue platter I don't know where to start both plates were cold so can you imagine eating barbecue sauce cold on cold meat yeah they need to find themselves better Cooks for this to be part of a reputable business the food has to match in my opinion and not to forget the wait staff which were okay but no one went out of their way to ask how we were or if everything was okay ... the live man was awesome they played music that was known and easy to listen to we did enjoy that .... I took my significant other out for his birthday and I was left wishing I chose somewhere else to celebrate him!! read more

MOTOR Restaurant - Barbecue brisket mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Great food! Service perfect! Ambiance laid back!! -----------------aaaaabbbbbcccccccdddddeeeeefffffgggg read more

MOTOR Restaurant - Sliders - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Go for the bikes and retail not for the food. The service was terrible.. I sat at the bar and the bartender left for roughly my entire meal. The pulled pork sandwich came out in about 4 min... I know you need to pre make bbq but this was cold, tasteless and dry. The fries are way over cooked The service was the biggest disappointment for me. read more

Food mediocre. Service terrible. Had reservation, not busy at all. Sat for 10 minutes before we ordered drinks. Sat another 10 minutes waiting for those drinks. Absolutely parched from the ride in and watching bartenders stack cups as more time goes by. I decide to head to the bar and order drinks (maybe I get them quicker). As bartender is making the drinks I just ordered, the waitress must have noticed so here she comes with the ticket for the drinks I ordered previously at the table. I was informed that the 2nd drinks I ordered will be considered the first and added to my bill at the table. I says, "No, I still want those original drinks". As I'm certain at this point, by the time those drinks come, I'll be ready for round 2 anyway. I close out at the bar, tip bartender more than I should have and return to my table. Halfway thru meal, the 2nd round of drinks show up... ah yes, very nice, thank you... We finish our meal, pay the bill and again tip probably more than i should have and decide we would like to sit at the bar and have more drinks. Nature calls, as I head to relieve myself, I ask my date to order drinks at the bar. Upon my return, my date (the angel that she is) informs me that they will not serve us because I had came to the bar previously and ordered drinks instead of waiting at my table watching the bartenders do nothing like a good little boy while dying of thirst. Motor bar and grill is an embarrassment with terrible food and even worse service. This took place on thursday during bike night. I hadn't even made it outside yet and saw a group of fellow bikers on their way in to motor bar and grill to eat. I informed them of my experience. They agreed the motor bar and grill experience has fallen off a cliff and followed us to a fine establishment up the street. On the way out, I informed everybody I knew, this restaurant isn't very frendly or accomodating to bikers. Stay away! read more

Food and service, Ambiance was Awesome. We had the cheese curds, wings, burger, chili and pulled pork sandwich. Food was so delicious Our waitress was awesome. read more

MOTOR Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Dinner dates don't usually end up at a museum restaurant. Some are known for their cuisine, but they are atypical. Motor might even be great on a warm day, sitting on the patio overlooking the tributary to the Menomonee River. The ambiance is odd (fake palm trees and a grass awning over the bar), and the food eclectic, featuring BBQ from various States. Although prepared in some newfangled electric smoker, the Texas-type brisket and the Carolina-type pulled pork were both pronounced good and generous. The sweet cornbread is from neither State and came off as a kind of dessert on the plate. The coleslaw was unique-- compliments to the chef. The waitstaff was helpful, we were the only diners on a Tuesday afternoon, and the hard-surfaced interior is not welcoming on a wintry day. Nevertheless, we'll be back come spring. read more

Adjacent to the Harley Museum. Good food with a nice bar. Food portions are huge. Had the BBT. 1 lb of bacon. Kids meal grilled cheese, larger than you'd make yourself at home. I read that restaurants run on thin margins, they could reduce portion sizes here and bump up their profits. Good food, large portions, biker motif. read more

Was not impressed. We wait 15 minutes to place drink order. Then we had to get up to get are refill because she wouldn't stop at are table. Food was ok but there was a lack of seasoning. read more

We had an excellent experience at Motor bar! It was a Saturday around noon we went to have some lunch and cocktails. We decided to sit at the bar where Kimberly was our bartender. She was absolutely a delight! Super friendly and knowledgeable about the food and drinks and even let me try a sample of soup and coleslaw before ordering it. The food was excellent and the cocktails delicious. We met some out of towners at the bar and had a great conversation about our amazing city! We will definitely be back. It's always so nice to find a place with great staff that make your experience wonderful!!! read more

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Visited the restaurant after our trip to the Harley museum. The inside decor was Luan (Hawaiian) which I was expecting more of a motorcycle (Harley) decor. It didn't feel right especially for winter. The food was good yet nothing out of this world. The cheese curds are no different than cheese sticks. They are yellow cheese balls. I was surprised they had jalapeños for the nachos. Kid's menu claimed drink was served in a souvenir cup yet it was just s plastic clear cup. Disappointed there. The kid's plate was a frisbee with the word "Motor" only. The server's and host's service was excellent. Gratuity was automatically added with a family of 6, yet it would be okay when the server deserves the amount. read more

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Went over lunch on a Wednesday, with a group of 10 total. It's so cute in this restaurant! Modern, sleek motorcycle. I ordered the BBQ salad with chicken! So so good. Some of my friend's meals are pictured. I heard really great things about the brisket (on the platter and the Mac n cheese). They said It was super tender and the sauce is homemade, and clearly warmed before being put on the meat. The ones who ordered the Mac n cheese said it was garlicky, and she really liked that. I will absolutely be adding this place to my rotation of local favorites. read more

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Great visit to museum, totally fascinating. We had fab lunch at the bar and Becky, our bartender, was perfect. Friendly, attentive and took care of everyone just right. Our food (chili and beer soup) were tasty, great. Highly recommend! read more

After visiting the area by the Harley Davidson museum, we decided to get something to eat at the Motor. We arrived about 6pm on a Tuesday and the museum was already closed, bummer! We were seated right away as the restaurant area was not very busy and had a lot of tables open. They are part of the same buildings as the Harley Davidson museum but have longer hours and provide event spaces. The gift shop was also closed when we arrived. Most of the people in the bar area had name tags. After a short period of time the place emptied out and we asked where everyone went. We were told there was an event upstairs that most were part of to which they returned. We ordered drinks and checked out the menu. When the drinks arrived we placed our orders. My colleague ordered the brisket plate and I chose the brisket sandwich. While we waited, we walked around and took pictures of the decor. Lots of cool Harley memorabilia. Our meals arrived in a timely fashion and looked really good. They tasted really good as well. We both had leftovers to take with us. Overall it was a really cool experience. read more

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Touristy but fun. Spacious location by the HD museum. Sit next to the river! Good waitstaff. Brisket, pulled pork and hot links all tasty! Cornbread consistency like pound cake. Fresh cole slaw. Nice baked beans. Special house beer "Motor Oil" was dark and outstanding!!! read more

Loved the inside decor and how it's located by the water! They have a coat check when you first walk in which is nice. Staff was friendly but service was a little slow. We made a reservation on open table but not really sure it's needed. It was busy but still plenty of tables and the bar open. Got the Turkey burger and it was really good. My mom got the bbq baked potato and it was awesome - highly recommend. Full service bar. Restaurant is right by the gift shop and across from the museum. read more

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On my second visit, we ordered the Willie G's minis and a vanilla sundae for dessert; we were very happy with the meal and the service. WG's sliders are a really good appetizer, a great option for when you just want a bite. Even though the Sundae is only one vanilla scoop, it's huge! See for yourself! read more

MOTOR Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Best Friday fish. It's a hidden gem. Only fish I want. The breading is not heavy and is seasoned. Highly recommend. Moriah was my waitress and she was fantastic. read more

MOTOR Restaurant - Friday fish - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

3 Stars for the Food 5 Stars for the Ambiance I planned an office lunch/party at Motor restaurant for 17 and a 3 year old. I was not aware that we would be seated at 2 different tables until I showed up. I would have preferred to be at 1 combined table as this was a work event and splitting the tables took away from the group. I was able to arrange an open bar, pre-ordered appetizers (cheese curds, chicken wings, and brisket nachos), and a scaled down menu for the guests to choose from. The guests were able to choose from Grilled Vegetable Sandwich, BBQ Salad, Buffalo Chicken Mac, BBQ Pork Pulled Sandwich, and the Wisconsin Fish Fry. +1 for the fish fry being all you can eat! You can never go wrong with fried cheese but Motor's fried cheese curds are at the bottom of my list. The breading overpowered the cheese but the ranch was thick and perfect for dipping. The brisket nachos were tasty but lacked toppings to chips. We ended up with way too many naked chips. The chicken wings were large and was the favorite among the table. My coworker and I shared the Buffalo Chicken Mac and the BBQ Pork Pulled Sandwich. The BCM was huge. This easily could have fed 4. It was a great combo, not too buffalo-y and not too blue-cheesy. The BBQ Pork didn't leave as big of an impression. The fries were great though. For my Gluten Allergy friends all their BBQ sauce is GF but they do not have GF bread/buns. I really hope they change this in the future. I would not come back for the food but I would come back for the restaurant. Motor is one of those restaurants that can get away with having sub par food. The restaurant has a beautiful view and the inside feels very industrial and bad a**! If you're heading to the Harley Davidson Museum, I would recommend stopping in Motor for a drink and a snack. read more

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Service and food were mediocre. Ambiance was entertaining and consistent with the Harley Davidson Museum theme. $14 Bloody Mary I got did not meet expectations and was a big disappointment, garnishes were gross, old (burnt ends) dry and mushy (pickle, olive and celery stalk). Would have sent it back but didn't want to wait forever to get it. Milwaukee has much better food options to try next time. read more

MOTOR Restaurant - Lackluster Bloody Mary - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The perfect place to have lunch! We sat outside in the shade, It was perfect! The breeze was so refreshing or maybe that was the spotted cow I was drinking. Do yourself a favor and order 100 orders of their cheese curds! They are amazing! Wings are also delicious! I got the chicken avocado sandwich with fries, talk about a well made sandwich! Our server was so sweet and witty! She gave us super honest opinion when we asked her for recommendations! Ladies a heads up, in the bathroom, look for the pedal on the floor to turn the sink water on. Felt very silly after waving and tapping at the sink for 5 mins. read more

Quick and savory menu. We stopped by after a busy sightseeing afternoon. I loved my turkey burger which was dressed with a delicious chutney, spinach and cheese. My husband had the bratwurst which featured 2 different sausages and toppings. French fries are crispy. The service was friendly and prompt. The indoor seating affords grand views of the river and old downtown buildings. Nice place read more

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Had a decent experience at Motor. We've eaten catering from Motor before and it's been fairly good. The restaurant food was average though. The wings were meaty and crispy but not super flavorful. Overall they were fine but nothing special. The bbq chicken salad was pretty good, wasn't the biggest fan of the bbq sauce but the salad itself was good. Fries were delicious and crispy! The highlight of our meal was the tomato basil soup! The flavor was great, and I'd highly recommend! read more

We chose this place because of a Facebook ad showing craft beer tasting on the Friday we went. The craft beers were excellent, and I loved that we could order one off the menu- and they were on special price! We had the fried pickles to start, and I had the fish fry while my friend had the fish tacos. The pickles were pretty good, and I like the bit of cornmeal in the batter. The fish was ok, and the tacos were pretty good too. It was good pub-style food, but not necessarily amazing read more

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Solid drinks. A must have after seeing the history of the motorcycle. What a place to spend an afternoon. Solid bourbon. read more

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We visited Motor Bar and Grill yesterday during bike night and because of the crowd we expected to wait a bit for a table. To our surprise we were seated within minutes and our server, Arie greeted us immediately. Arie took our drink order and recommended appetizers of brat bites, and cherry old fashioned chicken wings, which did not disappoint-especially the wings! Next we ordered a burger and a brisket sandwich. The food was good and we were served quickly. Arie checked on us often to make sure we had everything we needed. Cool place, good food and fantastic service!! read more

While on our way to Green bay to see a game, we stopped here to eat lunch with our family, as my father & brother had been once before & really liked it. Our waitress was kind, service was average, but the food was really good. We got wings, cheese curds for the table & I had the steak salad for my meal. The wings were okay, (i like my wings extra crispy)but the cheese curds were AMAZING! They came w/ranch which unexpectedly went perfect w/them. The steak on my salad was huge(it was a full piece of meat). I would of preferred it was sliced but was still very tasty. Overall, I liked this place. read more

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Neat vibe, fun décor, ok service and not the best food. The ambience is not what I expected - it is elevated and modern with slick Harley décor elements. The bulbs/light fixtures and silver Harley motor details keeps your eyes wandering around the space the minute you walk in until the minute you are seated. The live music was a sweet touch and had us swaying in our seat and signing along throughout our visit. We had a 5pm reservation so the restaurant wasn't terribly busy when we arrived so I would have appreciated more attentive service. We had multiple drinks empty for a bit too long and had to get up to get silverware multiple times. In terms of food, the menu is American with a few vegetarian options which was nice. I ordered the veggie sandwich and only ate half. It was too buttery, messy and greasy. I would not order this dish again. We had quite a few folks who did not finish their meals which is abnormal for our group. Something to note - the bathrooms are located upstairs. There is an elevator so if you have accessibility needs, please make sure you ask about this at the host stand otherwise you may get lost looking for it, hehe. read more

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Great great bar BUT always ONE bartender serving the whole restaurant. Takes FOREVER to get a drink!

Come here often for lunch, as I work not far from here! Like to come here in groups as the menu really has something for everyone, so no one will leave unsatisfied! Interior is certainly on point with Harley since it's right next to the Museum, so evokes a fun, warm and inviting space right when you walk in, and the undeniable smell of BBQ helps with that too! Have never indulged in cocktails or drinks since I'm always on work hours, but have tried lots of the menu! Favorites are the brisket BBQ plate- tons of flavor and smokiness, even without the BBQ sauce on top! They also serve brisket nachos-- a great starter for the table!! Asian chopped salad is a nice fresh option on the menu, flavors we're great, dressing tasted like it was made in house. The Turkey burger is actually a hidden gem on the menu, the apricot chutney is delicious! Grilled cheese is good with the tomato basil soup, but it was a little greasy (there is a ton of cheese on it though!) Classic Mac is great, but I wanted to sleep under my desk after eating it-- definitely a heavier dish!! Servers are 50/50, have had some super personal, others just do the minimum expected. Will likely keep coming back for lunches again and again! read more

I attended a corporate Holiday Party at Motor Bar & Restaurant prior to taking a tour at the adjacent Harley Museum. I was really impressed with the ambiance and I bet on a summer day this would be an awesome place to hang out and have a beer while looking out on the Milwaukee river and the third ward. The service was really good as well as our group was a little slow to make it there and they were happy to accommodate our time frame. For food alone I'd probably give them 3 stars. We started with the cheese curds, brisket nachos and chicken wings. My favorite were definitely the curds. The wings had a dry rub that was good but not amazing and the brisket nachos left a lot to be desired. The cheese sauce was just not that good and the brisket was alright. For my main I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and my friend ordered the buffalo mac so we could share. We had a set menu for the corporate event which I think was cool that they let us do that. I thought the pulled pork was just okay, nothing that blew my mind and it could have used some more sauce. However, I really liked the mac n cheese and would definitely order it again if I returned. Overall it was a good experience & I would dine here again if I was going to the Harley Museum, which I thought was a five star experience. Also, I would recommend having a corporate party here as there is something on the menu for everyone and they did a great job catering to our various dietary restrictions. read more

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This is the bar and restaurant at the Harley Davidson Museum and it is amazing! The bar has plenty of beers in bottles, cans, and on tap. There is a full bar for alcohol as well. The food here is stupendous. I was a little hesitant to eat here after touring the museum but I am very glad I overcame the hesitation because the menu is top notch. I had a bowl of chili and the Thursday burger special for dinner. I enjoyed dinner so much I returned for lunch the following day before heading out towards Cleveland on my trip. If you come to the museum you must eat here. read more

The grilled vegetable sandwich exceeds expectations. I wasn't sure if there would be many vegetarian options, but this sandwich is a good way to start trying their menu. This was my first time here and it was better than expected. A sandwich like than and a non-alcoholic beverage would be about $15 (plus tax), so you can dine well for under $20. The beet salad looks like a good option - for next time. read more

MOTOR Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Located right opposite Harley Davidson Museum. Theme of the restaurant is of course based on motorbikes. You will see a model of Harley at the entrance. Some Harley engines are on display too. Service is good ,food is decent. Hamburger ,chicken wings Nacho were really good. It remains open until 7PM on weekdays. Full bar offers you variety of drink. Spotted Cow beer is one of the popular beers of Milwaukee. There is Harley store next to it where you can buy souvenirs. River walk is must do while you are there. read more

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I've visited previously for work outings, but this was my first time dining in as a guest. The atmosphere at MOTOR never disappoints and the views of the Menomonee River and downtown are breathtaking! The main dining area faces the water and has large windows so you can easily sight-see from your seat. It's one of the best places to eat and experience Milwaukee! Our service on this visit was particularly slow. My dad and I caught the tail-end of the lunch hour, and while it was still fairly busy, our server seemed overwhelmed with tables and didn't spend any time beyond the absolute minimum attending to our table. While I can't be sure, the restaurant appeared to be understaffed on this particular day, which did make sense considering it was during the holiday season. Our food took quite a while to be delivered as well. I ordered the classic mac and cheese, and while it still tasted decent and was presented well, it didn't live up to the first experience I'd had with it at my corporate event. It seemed that the quality of the cheese and noodles had been cheapened since I'd last visited. I love that they put breadcrumbs into the dish; it would be even better it they were mixed/infused evenly throughout instead of sprinkled on top! My dad ordered a brisket burger and liked it, but the "side of fries" it came with was maybe 10-15 total fries. It seemed a little sparse! read more

MOTOR Restaurant - View from the Main Dining Area at the MOTOR Bar & Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Would be 5 stars if it didn't close at 7. Especially on the last day of the Sailor Jerry promo. However, we were kept company by Kim, the bartender. Note to her bosses: Keep her because she held this review to 4 stars as I wanted to post just 2. So HARLEY Bosses, Kim was amazing with warm conversations with her patrons and her candid personality made her an instant friend. Next time you see her, giver her your thanks. The bar was cool. What you would expect to see at a Harley Museum. Oh yeah, it closed too by the time we left the bar. I'm only in town for the week and these opening hours are a SOB. read more

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Went on Good Friday for fish fry. It was moderately busy, with a reservation we were seated promptly but unfortunately at a wonky table that was off balance not at one leg but on the middle support column so we couldn't fix it. 5 of us got all you can eat fish, one child opting for grilled cheese and soup- he was very happy. The fish is listed as "Cornmeal crusted and beer-battered", there is nothing beer battered about it. It's not bad- the coating was crispy and the fish was was not over cooked but fish fry in Wisconsin is not a sweet cornmeal crust- think cheese curds from culvers. The coleslaw is the best thing on the plate. AdditIonal orders of fish/fries came out relatively quick. It's fun playing music bingo but I wouldn't go back for the fish. Including 20% tip and 5 sodas we were under $200 so it's not overpriced. read more

This is your standard museum/attraction restaurant. I sat at the bar my server was very friendly and walked me through the menu. I selected one of the burgers with some fries and they were good but nothing mind blowing. Tons of selections on the menu as well as a well stocked bar and beer selection. read more

We ordered the Friday special which was all you can eat Fish fry. The fish fry was a bit oily. The tea cake on the side and the tartar sauce were good. The place was buzzing though read more