This is do not miss place - somehow I have missed this on every trip to Milwaukee...including at least a dozen on the same street! How does this happen? Thanks as always to Yelp for finding OGBH - because this place is AWESOME! We wanted to sit at the bar, but the bar was busy, so we grabbed a table in the other room and the bartender came to us about 4 minutes later and said there were 2 spots at the bar! So, we moved to the bar and thoroughly enjoyed the next 3 hours - we might still be there, if it wasn't for the Brewers game we had tickets to! We enjoyed several different beers on tap, talked with the bartenders - specifically Mitch and Sarah and of course the other people at the bar. We enjoyed the OGBH Brat - for sure the best brat I have ever had. The bun is perfectly warm and toasty, the brat is delicious and full of flavor and of course, it's snappy! We even tried the bavarian pretzel with the yummy cheese! I love this place - I don't have to search for anywhere else to go now that I have found this gem! read more

Old German Beer Hall - Hefe Weizen - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I love OGBH! Whether it's a sporting event night in downtown or just a random night, it's a great place to stop in for a (root) beer or two. I'm not a beer drinker myself, so I always go for a liter of the root beer. I'm not even a huge root beer fan, but it feels fitting when I visit here. I love their chicken schnitzel tenders. The ranch here is so well-flavored and compliments the thin breading on the tenders. read more

I visited Old German Beer Hall for lunch and really enjoyed the main draw -- their daily special where you buy a liter and get a free brat. That's a solid deal, especially if you're hungry and thirsty. The brat was well-prepared and the liter pour generous, which felt like a true "beer hall" experience. Inside, the atmosphere is old-school and welcoming -- wood-paneled, a little noisy in a lively way, and with plenty of communal seating that makes it feel authentic rather than pretentious. The staff was friendly and efficient at lunch, even with a crowd. On the downside: I attempted to use the rewards program through the Toast app, hoping to get the deal or benefit I'd heard about. That turned out to be frustrating and confusing. It seems like the perks tied to the app only apply to "mug members," which wasn't clear upfront. If you're not a mug member, the rewards system feels pretty disappointing -- so don't count on it unless you know exactly what you're signing up for. All told, I'd go back for the food and beer. The daily lunch special makes it worth a return visit, so long as you go with realistic expectations about the app and rewards system. read more

My boyfriend and I love coming to the German beer hall whenever we want a pretzel or a fish fry. Their potato pancakes are the best but I wish they came with apple sauce. They come with maple syrup and sour cream instead. But still some of the best potato pancakes. The pretzel was warm and soft, a little bit too much salt for us not it's not hard to just brush some off. Fish fry was classic and filled the craving. You order with a QR code at your table and pay through the app. However one of the workers there was nice enough to check in every now and then even though we were ordering through the app. read more

Old German Beer Hall - Giant Bavarian Pretzel - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Easy street parking on a mid day weekday, don't remember if there meters Upon entering the interior is very woodsy & dark, aka a true bar vibe We opted for the sidewalk patio outdoor seating Staff was extremely professional & hospitable We just ordered draft beer & a pretzel to share w/ some famous cheese sauce dip I don't care for German draft beer drinks so I ordered what sounded like the lightest one & it was drinkable The pretzel was warm, soft & chewy The dips were a nice compliment Prices average & actually lower than LA I perused the menu & was tempted but we didn't have plans to eat dinner here I'll definitely recommend & return for sure. Due to the outdoor seating option & the dark boozy bar vibes read more

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1. For what it was, they were great, bratwurst and beer, keep it simple. 2. My team came here and had a great discussion among ourselves for work. The waiter respected our privacy and was awesome. I would go back here. read more

Pros: draft maibock & chicken schnitzel with mushroom gravy = absolutely incredible Cons: this may be the loudest restaurant I've ever been - the volume of the music was extremely loud. Took forever to get our check. Server was MIA for much of the meal. But dang, that schnitzel is delicious, y'all. read more

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Busy loud German beer hall close to Fiserv Forum. Had a couple cold beers. Friendly service. read more

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Enjoyed the happy hour liter of beer with a tasty brat for $14. German beer hall ambience with super friendly and accommodating bartender. Great location one block from Fiserv Forum. read more

Old German Beer Hall - Bar area - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Very friendly staff (and customers!) Sausage selection all tasted good with the saurkraut. Meat and cheese platter wasn't bad...cheeses standard. Beers naturally good. It's a German beer hall style with long tables. We were just a little worried about the person who's had 65 steins of beer by the 14th of the month..... read more

Old German Beer Hall - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

1/2 off litres on Sundays = $7 for a gigantic beer! I opted for the Dunkel and man o man it was amazing! It was a two handed stein for sure! What a bargain! The bartender was so kind and friendly. The smoked bratwurst had really good flavor, but the potato salad fell a bit short for me. I've been to Germany many times and that just wasn't it. Needless to say, I would return! read more

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This place was definitely better during and pre pandemic but the food is still really good. They have at least one really good bartender a taller brunette lady. The rest of the staff when we were there seemed kinda crummy, and really didn't care who was enjoying their visit except their regulars. Good music especially when it drowns out some of the old man bar convos. The pretzel is AMAZING, maybe enough for 3 or 4 to split. And the chicken schnitzel is super tasty, splurge and get the mushroom gravy with it too read more

Old German Beer Hall - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

My husband brought us in for the hammer game! Disclaimer: I had NEVER played the hammer game before. It was so simple and so much fun! I was kind of dreading this stop because I had my daily plan all set and my husband was pushing for this stop. I am glad he did as it was fun! I mean our 3 and 13 year old got in on the fun as well. But the adults really just kept at it. (Pretty simple- there is a wood stump and a special nail you get at the bar. You get your nail started in the stump, then you go around in a circle taking turns taking one wack at the nail. Men can only use one hand, women can use two. Whomever gets the nail in first wins!) I can't say much about the establishment as it had just opened, I did not have food or drink, I just hammered! This review supports the hammer. read more

Old German Beer Hall - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Old German Beer Hall is a decent stop for some German food in Milwaukee. They have indoor and outdoor seating. My only complaint is that there are no lights for the outdoor seating so you can't see what you are eating if it's after dark. The food was good. If you get any of the schnitzels, definitely get the mushroom gravy they offer on top. The gravy really made the dish. I made a user error and didn't add sauerkraut to our order and the manager was kind enough to get us that side for free and within a few minutes. They do have staff to take orders but also offer ordering through a QR code. Overall a good experience and I would come back just for the gravy on the schnitzel. read more

Solid spot if this is what you are looking for.... - Dive bar'ish vibe, check! - Cheap beer, check! - Cheap food, yet great quality, check! In short- the vibe + service + cost + service was spot on! Give this place a shot! read more

Great beer on tap, excellent food.... Just waiting for someone to take my money... maybe it's free?

This was a long time bookmark and the new restaurant of the week so I stopped by for lunch. I have been craving Jagerschnitzel and spatzle so I said let's drive downtown, pay for parking and go, smash that crave. I got lucky and I found an open meter at the end of the block and put 12 quarters in it so I didn't have to pay lot prices. The place is long and narrow with a huge nice bar as you walk in with tables in the back. The bartender seemed nice enough who seemed to know the 4 people at the bar, regulars day drinking. The menu has some nice options but I was on a mission for jagerschnitzel and spatzel. Based on the bartender suggestion I ordered a 1/2 pint of a dark beer which was good. I'm excited and I place my order only to find the guy come back from the kitchen to tell me that they don't have the mushroom sauce, seriously you can't make your signature German dish and you are the German beer hall. What ever I'm already here so just give me the chicken schnitzel. The schnitzel comes with frys and the spatzel was a side option. The spatzel wasn't seasoned so I went to dig through the table fixings and there was no salt or pepper in it. The spatzel was good with nice texture. The frys were seasoned nicely and cooked to order because the were still crispy and had some heat left in the so probably a couple minutes old and good. The chicken schnitzel was crispy and paper thin cooked to order and probably the thinnest schnitzel I have ever had, see my pictures next to the thin cut frys. Overall it's very disappointing to drive downtown and deal with parking hassles only to find out that the one menu item you specifically came for from the menu isn't available. read more

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Stopped on a Thursday afternoon. Nice and quiet. Good beer, great pretzel and good service. Kinda nice to enjoy the German feel without the Oktoberfest party all the time. Not saying I'd love to come back at night, but mid afternoon was very pleasurable! read more

Old German Beer Hall - Dunkel and Amber - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Great small town bar in a large city. Live accordion music. Great food. Great service. The cheese is not what you expect. It's more like a butter for your pretzel. read more

Old German Beer Hall - Giant bac Giant Bavarian Pretzel Combo - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I really wanted to go here because I saw some photos and thought it was like some of other Hofbrau locations throughout the US, but I was quickly corrected that they are not a "franchise", so I was even more excited to try out and independently run beef hall that serves the fantastic Hofbrau beers! The menu is a little limited, and we were just in for drinks, but the chicken schnitzel looked amazing and one of the staff behind the bar made some cheese curds that, in his words, would ruin cheese curds forever... Next time, we'll have to order food. The beers were all amazing! You can get a .2 liter, half liter or liter and the half/full liters are served in branded Hofbrau mugs. I had the original, dopplebock, marzen, dunkle and dunkleweizen. I'm very familiar with all of these beers, but it certainly is a different experience to have them fresh on draught. The bar staff were all amazing and held up a decent conversation with the entire bar, so it was a really fun time! The space itself is pretty amazing... very much "old world"... The area down from the bar has communal seating and looks like it could hold a good crown for some German singalongs, but I don't know if they do that... An awesome place for sure if you enjoy real German beer! read more

Went for Daily Lunch Special Food - 5/5. The restaurant's food was a perfect example of how the simplest cooking methods with high quality ingredients can yield the most incredible flavors. Bratwurst had a rich, savory flavor that was balanced out by their use of spices. It was firm yet tender with a satisfying snap on its skin. Bread was toasted well, creating a good texture balance with the bratwurst. Mustard was the only condiment needed to boost the sausage's natural flavor. Sauerkraut had a mild sourness, acting as a palate cleanser. Spatzle had a good bite with a simple butter coating that made it easy to taste its savory and slightly nutty flavor. The cheese curds were amazing. This was our first time having cheese curds in Wisconsin, and it was a phenomenal experience. There is a springy bite to the cheese that is so satisfying and fun to chew, with each bite gushing out an umami flavor. Despite being fried, it was not very heavy, with the batter adding a subtle crispy texture that balanced out the softness of the cheese. Ranch provided a tangy creaminess, which was a prefect fit for the richness of the cheese curds. Service - 5/5. Friendly with a relaxed demeanor that felt very true to the Midwestern culture. When we informed the server it was our first time in Wisconsin, he insisted that we have to try the cheese curds and offered it to us on the house. He was happy just to see our initial reaction to this amazing dish and we are thankful that he took the lead to create this memorable experience. We replied the kindness later in our bill, but there was no expectation of a trade, and their genuine kindness was very much appreciated. Value - 5/5. They had a lunch offer where a bratwurst is included with the purchase of a liter. Liters were priced in the $10-15 range with a bratwurst being $8. Beer is very entwined with the local dining culture, so it was a great deal to try two local favorites. Prices in general were very reasonable with appetizers in the single digits to low $10s, and side dishes being $4 each. Excellent location to try local Milwaukee favorites! Parking - Street (Metered) read more

Old German Beer Hall - Bratwurst, Spatzle - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Full disclosure....I am a wimpy beer drinker.. That being said ...the beer here is excellent...just too filling for me... True German beers. And on Friday afternoon..they tap a FREE keg ....when it kicks... Then you have to pay for beers. Manager was super nice, very knowledgeable, great recommendations It's a German style bar/pub restaurant...the brats were very good and now I know what spaetzel is supposed to taste like...it was delicious.( All of my previous spaetzel experience was apparently horrible) Typically this is not my type of place.. just due to beer intensity However..if this is your thing check it out... I'm just trying to get the whole Milwaukee experience and this place was great. read more

Old German Beer Hall - Smoked brat and great spaetzel!! - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Pretzel excellent. Feeds 4. $20 wurst platter excellent. With red cabbage, German potato salad, sauerkraut. read more

We love the beer and Olivia, she is a stupendous waitress. I eated food and drinked beer. Ohio. read more

Old German Beer Hall - Us enjoying a yummy meal. - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This review is based on my experience with OGBH at Germanfest this past weekend. They have the BEST pretzel I have ever had. I'm pretty sure I will dream of this pretzel for years to come. Perfectly baked exterior, light, fluffy and inviting interior. Just chewy enough, not tough at all but won't fall apart easily. Paired with their cheese spread, this is a match made in heaven. Also, this pretzel is HUGE. Easily split between 3 people. My sister and I basically had this for a meal. Won't speak to the atmosphere and service since this was at the festival. Great experience overall. read more

My favorite kind of beer is German and this place has it goin on. I always start with a Hofbrau Dunkle. Then I work my way over to a Hofbrau original. Slim always seems to be my bartender when I'm there. Also, I signed up for the permanent mug, and I hope that this thing comes through to give me more reason to show up and enjoy my Hofbrau beverage. Also, I partake in a nice stomach settling shot of Underburg. They have some neat flare on the wall and it's definitely a place y'all need to check out. It's a slice of Germany/Milwaukee put together!! read more

Old German Beer Hall - Swinehoffen - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Great place, good people, cold beer. Always fun, try and get nailed while you're here. read more

Old German Beer Hall - Great place, good people, cold beer. - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Place is small, quiet and good. Fantastic beer. Good Brat. Nothing lacking. I will revisit read more

It was a decent spot. The food was good, the barkeeps were all fun. Chatty until they couldn't be (the place filled up). Decor is a nice facsimile of a German Beir Hall. They have a very heavy Hofbrauhaus theme, TJ the point where I wonder about trademark infringement. I stopped in because I was headed next store to the Milwaukee Brat House but they were packed and as I love the HB I thought this was an HB as well (nope). Great little "Germantown" area. As they serve HB Beirs (seems exclusively I will go back because I love the beir and the full pint mug. read more

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First timer, go into bar and see on "thursdays it's buy 1 Get 1.. I order a beer and she charged me for 1 beer but didn't offer the second one free? It's 530pm! Not sure if this is a promotion or I am just wrong but i will never know Bc I'm not local! overall expected more but hard to expect a lot nowadays with people wanting to work!! WurstplAte was GREAT!! Also male bartender/Food runner was great! Very nice! I just wish they asked me if I had been here before Bc I had no idea about specials or anything? Do I sit down and order? Go to bar and take it outside? Just no direction and with Covid every restaurant is different! read more

Old German Beer Hall - The Marzen Beer - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Fun and lively place to have a beer and watch soccer! Classic German beers are available as well as some rotating American/local ones. The food is also excellent. I've had their pretzel, corned beef with French fries, and sausage platter. All are delicious. They have live polka music on Friday evenings along with free drinks from a keg of beer they tap at 6pm (first come, first serve until the keg runs out). It's street parking, which can be a pain depending on the time of day and what else is going on in the Deer District but I've always been able to find something. read more

Old German Beer Hall - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Four of us came on a Friday noon not because the name of the place attracted us, but because friends recommended the platter of German specialties. Four Wurst and a Kassler (smoked pork chop), each different and all from Usinger's across the street), Rotkraut, Sauerkraut, Potato Salad, Spaetzle, Marble bread and butter and Ubatzda, a Bavarian cheese spread. All for $30. Three of us shared this and one person had a Kassler plate with Rotkraut and Potato Salad for $17. The OGBH Platter was a deal, not because it was an authentic preparation, but because it was reasonably priced. For a "Beer Hall," other places in Milwaukee will offer a larger German draft selection (Von Trier has triple the number). If you're not German or a chef and are looking for some of Milwaukee's German tastes and textures, this place is worth a stop. (The only dessert is a Strudel which is an adaption to true Austrian/German layered-dough, but is very good!) read more

This is my favorite bar in Milwaukee. Everything about this place is perfect: the atmosphere, the food, and, most importantly, the beer. When you walk in the door, you almost feel like you've been transported to an intimate bar in Germany. The best table in the house is right next to the front window and door. The seating is bench style at a long table with ample space for a big crowd or room for you and a few friends to really spread out. The second best spot is right smack dab at the bar with one of the friendly bartenders. Although if there is a band and you're in the mood to get the party started, move further into the space and grab one of the long tables. Don't be afraid to sing along and maybe play a round of hammerschlagen (in the corner). The entire menu looks great, but my favorite item is the pretzel. A frosty beer and pretzel cannot be beaten here, and I implore you to follow my lead and indulge. These pretzels are perfectly salted and are huge. I can barely finish a quarter of these things, but my friends and random people at the bar are always willing to help me out. The beer selection is fantastic, and they also have a full bar if you prefer a mixed drink or shot. That reminds me... If you have a group of friends or make a new group of friends while you're there, then opt for the shot-ski. I recommend Rumpleman's for the shots it's refreshing and really gets you going! 10/10 Lederhosen .... Prost! P.S. Don't forget to kiss the goat & ring the bell! read more

Old German Beer Hall - Prost! - Pubs Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Second time here and I most likely would not return. Pretzel is as average at best. Beer options were good. The service was where I was very disappointed. A young waitress was very rude during the entire interaction. She did not return to ask us if we wanted another round and failed to clean up any part of the table. When we found her to get another round she forgot one of our drinks and when we reminder her, she dropped it off and rolled her eyes. After we started our second round, she said "I'm gonna grab the check for you guys" when we were nowhere near done with our drinks. We found an added 20% gratuity on the bill which is fine as we were a large group, but I would hate to think that was the reason for the below average treatment we received. read more

Authentic & cool, this beer hall feels like a piece of the old country on Old World Third Street. They got outdoor seating in the summer, & beer mugs as big as your head!! If you like smoked meats, you gotta try the landjaeger. It's $6, but so satisfying & unlike anything you can get otherwise without import fees. The staff has always been nice, & I'm pretty sure they got beer tastings as well as live music sometimes. If you are in from out of town & you want to find an authentic german experience after usinger's or after a Bucks game, you really cannot go wrong here. read more

Great Beer and Great Brats! Staff was not only really caring but very helpful and Fun! Lovely Bavarian dive bar.

Great Service, Great Beer and Food, Old world ambiance, cozy and friendly place to enjoy a few brats and beers with friends. Everyone I interacted with was awesome! read more

Very good, traditional German food. Variety of German beer to go along with it. Beer Hall atmosphere with good service.

I was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the RNC convention 2024. Before my flight back home I wanted to do some sightseeing and go to a German restaurant to taste their hot dog. I found this place in downtown Milwaukee. Very pleasant outdoors seating if you want to be outdoors and there's also the restaurant indoors. The food was good as expected. Atmosphere was inviting and friendly food servers. Very close to the Riverwalk. I enjoyed it very much. read more

The bar tenders were awesome, and the ambiance was fun old German-American. All of the staff were friendly, entertaining, and attentive. We were there late on 4th of July so the kitchen wasn't serving everything. We were able to get a pretzel which was big enough to feed my wife and I. Will definitely go back if I have time on this trip or am in town again. read more