We were happy to find parking super close to the front door and then dismayed to find out we had a…read more45 minute wait time with nowhere to sit or stand without being in the way of servers. We got lucky and had bar seats open up after about 5 minutes which allowed us to grab cocktails and relax. After a bit we ordered some Brussel sprouts as an appetitizer and before they could show up our table opened up. My wife chose the 2 piece cod fry with chips while I opted for the perch fry with fries. Everything was spectacular. The bartenders were jumping around each other to keep people happy at the bar and the rest of the staff get people's bellies filled with food. If you go keep in mind there are no reservations and will probably be a wait, but they will take great care of you and serve you some awesome fish!

I was heading to the Downer Theater after work for a movie on Friday night and of course wanted a…read morefish fry beforehand. I surprisingly don't have many options in my "MKE - Fish Fry" collection that are near downtown, but Swinging Door Exchange was one of them. I was pressed for time, so I placed a to go order rather than dining in. I got the combo fish fry (two pieces of cod, two pieces of perch, and three fried shrimp) with potato pancakes. I was also very easily talked into the half rack rib appetizer. The ribs were good, even though I prefer sauce that's more sweet and smokey. Their sauce was on the tangy side with a tease of spice that really only became noticeable when the majority of the half rack was gone. If I were in the mood for ribs as my main meal, I'd consider getting theirs as an entree. The two potato pancakes weren't homemade; instead, they were premade hash brown patties that some other restaurants also serve with their fish frys. These were perfectly acceptable in lieu of homemade pancakes. The cod tasted great, but the breading didn't hold up very well. Either the fish itself was too wet or the two block walk back to my car allowed for condensation to wreck it or possibly both. The perch was not yellow lake perch but probably something like pike perch. Even though both kinds of fish and the shrimp were all good sized portions, $29 feels like a lot. I wouldn't say no to it, though, if I were dining in next time and avoid the extra cost of their takeout fee. Shout-out to the bartenders working that night. The bar area was absolutely packed, but both of the ones I talked to about placing my order were friendly and helpful even with being super busy.

Rex was absolutely amazing! It was our first time and he knew all of our questions and gave amazing…read more10/10 service!

While visiting Milwaukee, we thought we'd try Don's TV & Repair before heading out for the evening…read more The exterior of the building definitely indicates a repair shop and restaurant. Once inside, the friendly host staff will ask you for the password. Heck, if I can figure it out, anyone can. Then we were shown to the table. The ambiance is certainly 80's feeling with the music and the relics of the era. Even though the menu is limited, the restaurant still offers great options. Riley, server, had greet us shortly after arriving. My friend order an Old Fashion (when you're in WI...) and I had ordered the Shamrock Shake with a shot of whiskey (we visited Milwaukee near St. Paddy's Day). Both of us ordered the Fish Fry. The drinks were delivered within a few minutes. The Shamrock Shake was certainly well worth it. Then few more minutes, the entrees were delivered. The three pieces of fish were very meaty and great crust. The well seasoned fries were very tasty. Riley had checked in couple of times with us. Great service, great food and great 80's music. Enjoy!!

The brunch was superb. The honey badger iced coffee gave me life again. Make sure you get a slice…read moreof pie for the road. (Milwaukee Mud was ) We will absolutely be back! The service was amazing as well. I love that they promote causes that protect and empower women!

Ughh I had high hopes for this place. Decided to get some breakfast before heading back to…read moreMinnesota, and I was super excited that they had a vegan options. Not only once but twice we found hair in our food. We asked to speak with a manager and she was kind enough to pay for the meal. Just really disappointed that this happened. My sister felt like her food was very plain as for the vegan options it wasn't terrible. But that was the most worst experience I've ever had at a restaurant.

Okay, I'm going to dish in a second. But overall - Maxie's…read moreis a super cool vibe. The colors, the well-placed low lighting, the appropriate volume of cajun music ... all done in excellent taste. The waitstaff is INCREDIBLE. They all seem to be having a great time, when it's slow, and when it's busy, which is important to see; plus, they help each other out. Waiters, bartenders, bussers, hosts, food-runners - they're often smiling and helpful to anyone. Not only did our waiter Scotty take amazing care of us (a group of 10 on a Saturday night, all arriving at different times; and he had many other tables besides us), but his teammates helped bring drinks, clear the table, and our deliver our food. Everything was timely, fresh, and as far as I know, no errors were made with drinks or food. We were all quite satisfied with our meal. The reason I give 3 stars is, for some reason I do not understand, near the end of our meal, we heard a man yelling quite loudly from the kitchen area AT OUR SERVER. The man (manager I assume) was insisting that Scotty was not attentive to us (and I can't discern a single reason why this would be claimed). Even if he noticed something we didn't -- it could have been a moment of quiet criticism, but this dude turned it into a screaming fit. And he could not have been more wrong. In fact overhearing this exchange (right around the corner, within full earshot of us and the back half of the restaurant) was the ONLY thing that soured our otherwise amazing experience. We then watched who I assume was the same guy (red-faced and angry) sit down at a table very close to us, and our server return a moment later somewhat shaken up. It was awful. We made sure to congratulate him loudly on his impeccable service after that. I don't know if the manager heard or not. But one can hope. This was not my first time here, but it was the first time I've experienced anything like this. Like I said, the team seems solid, our service is always timely and kind (and often, incredibly FUN) even when they're PACKED, the food is bangin', the oysters are fresh and delicious, and EVERYTHING is well priced & spiced! So we will be back. But we really hated seeing our waiter treated like that. For anyone who doesn't know - waiters in WI currently make $2.33/hour. This is below the federal wage rate of $7.25/hour for the same job. They survive off your tips. If they're good, they're great, and GOD BLESS THEM - they must do what they do because they love people. This manager did not seem to appreciate what he had right in front of him. But we did!!!! GO SCOTTY GOOOOO

My husband and I were lucky enough to snag a last minute, late-evening Valentine's Day reservation…read moreat Maxie's, which happened to also be during their week-long Mardi Gras celebration. Needless to say, it was crowded and lively, but our table was waiting for us and we were sat immediately. Our server was friendly, attentive, and very helpful with our menu choices, which were limited due to their Madi Gras-only offerings, but also plentiful and varied. My husband decided on the jambalaya, I went with the crawfish étouffée, and we split the roasted Cajun cauliflower as an appetizer. While it's hard for this kind of stew-like, saucy, veggie/sausage/seafood over rice mixtures to present beautifully, everything looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. The jambalaya had a little more of a kick than I prefer, but my husband loved it and my crawfish étouffée had the perfect amount of spice without being spicy. The roasted cauliflower was cooked to perfection and was the perfect way to start the meal. Not pictured is the bananas foster bread pudding that was the perfect way to end it. We both left with extra food to take home and the memory of a wonderful meal and great experience.

I went here for a Friday fish fry and it was delicious! I got the Canadian bluegill and it was…read moreperfect. The side of brussel sprouts was also delicious. Highly recommend. It gets busy, so either get there early or be prepared to wait 45min-1hr.

Typically MKE bar with upgraded bar food. But…read moreThe food is very good and the Monday $5 burger special is worth a trip from burbs for sure. It's a half pound of perfectly seasoned and prepared ( med rare for me). The service is friendly and appropriately responsive. You will catch me there at least twice a month.

Eight years after my first review here, still a huge fan of Goodkind. I might even love them a…read morelittle bit more after this last weekend. In addition to the still impeccable cocktails and delicious food, this past weekend they were serving up a sanctuary daiquiri with the proceeds heading directly to the Immigrant Law Center in Minnesota. Also, if you didn't know, any evening, you can 'plate it forward' for $20. The food is always delicious and the drinks divine. Offering all this deliciousness and avenues to help? Magical. Get to it! And, order the chocolate stout cake for dessert. You won't regret it.

Another great experience at Goodkind!…read more Our zero-proof beverages were fantastic - we tried the spicy pineapple mock marg and the garden gnome, which was so good I had 2. The food was really good - came out very quickly. We had the Brussels sprouts salad (fantastic), the sourdough with salted butter (so good!), the chicken, the beef cheeks (yum), and the spicy crab pasta. We shared a mini gateau basque for dessert with some coffee - really good! Our server was excellent - friendly, helpful, accommodating with a food allergy, and just generally pleasant. The vibes are great - cozy, laid back, and comfortable. I especially love all the plants mixed in with the eclectic decor.

I've been here before, but I don't know that I've ever ordered as well. The special was a giant…read moreburger that my new friends at the bar were splitting, but most of the menu is set up more family style - divided by plate size. The waitstaff will walk you through how that works your first time. We started with some of the taste & share plates - showing off WI cheese to the out of towners - and then a few people shared some gnocchi and beef tartare while a couple people got burgers. We had maybe 4 bites leftover, and no room for dessert, it was a personal victory. I'm sad I didn't get photos because I love the feel of each unique area that's here. The restaurant is bigger than you think because it's subdivided into smaller rooms. We had a group of 7 for a work event (which meant I kept my phone put away) and were in a cozy little nook in the back by ourselves, I'd never even noticed this little spot. What a fantastic time we had!

I really love Story Hill, the only reason I knock it down a star is that despite being good food -…read moreI still feel like it's a bit over priced. It's a great environment with a lot of good drink options. I always opt for the Parker rolls which are tasty but again expensive for the amount you get, I typically order the trout (which until coming here I didn't realize was essentially the same as salmon). It's very good and the potato pancake is a nice touch. Over my visits I've also enjoyed trying the short rib gnocchi, butter chicken, and brussels. They also have a small party room which I have attended an event in before which is always a nice touch. It's secluded and of course much quieter than their main dining area which can get pretty loud!

Service was outstanding, extremely friendly and attentive. I hadn't been to their new building yet…read moreand was pleasantly surprised to see some really cool retro pictures, hand stitched artwork, and classic wallpaper. It's a fun space and felt very welcoming. The chilaquiles were fantastic! They make their own hot sauce in house that was a good addition to the dish, along with chorizo. Highly recommend this one. It was also a huge portion and ended up feeding me for two meals. Make sure you get here early to avoid the extremely long lines; we planned to be there right when it opened and by the time we left, there were already people having to wait outside. Worth the wait though!

Huh. I've heard good things about Honeypie and I'm confused now. I tried to get brunch with my…read morefamily at another area spot, but the wait was too long so we opted to try Honeypie. We reviewed the menu while we waiting for seating, which took far longer than we wanted, more than 30 minutes standing in the cramped lobby area with a bunch of other people. Hats off to their host for being friendly and even a little entertaining and I like that you can order coffee at the register area and drink it while you wait. Too bad you can't get a cocktail out there. The menu sounded great and we were ravenous so we were excited to order. By the time we were seated we were limited to about 40 minutes to get to a ticketed event, all in. I told that to our waitress so she could pace the meal accordingly. While I understand that she can't control the kitchen time, I don't think she showed any expediency or attention to my statement. Spoiler alert - we were late. Two of us ordered the biscuits to start with jam. I was happy to try them and they were good. My coffee based martini hit the spot, but it was spilled a little when it hit the table and our server didn't say anything or wipe it off. My mom liked her bloody Mary and it was decent. When our food came I was immediately disappointed by the appearance. My chilaquiles looked like they had sat under a heat lamp for ages - the egg was dried and over firm. My chips were spicy, but 100% soggy and nasty. My black beans were - meh. Not a good dish overall. My mom actually didn't find fault with her Honeypie Benedict. I tried the hollandaise and it was fine. My cousin did not enjoy her Hopple Popple skillet at all. (Potatoes, bacon, caramelized onion, mushroom, bell pepper, cheddar, two scrambled farm eggs) She found it difficult to find any egg, as it was apparently shrunk into tiny bits. The potatoes were like fries and it was overall bland. Not a winner. We certainly won't be back. The dishes don't live up to the interesting descriptions of them and the hype seems to be from an earlier, better time for this restaurant.

I had some time to kill before an appointment and decided to stop into Coach's for the first time…read more. and I'm so glad I did. I was honestly blown away by the hospitality. As soon as I walked up to the window, I was warmly greeted and asked if it was my first time there. I was offered a sample (which alone is a win), and she even asked about allergies, food sensitivities, and whether I minded my food touching..which made me laugh because my sister is that person. That level of attention really stood out. I sampled the mac and cheese, greens, and yams, and while I was eating, she took the time to walk me through menu options and current specials without rushing me at all. Once I placed my order, the great service kept going, she asked if I wanted ice in my drink, checked how much sauce I wanted on my rib tips, offered condiments, hot sauce, and made sure I had everything I needed. I usually don't tip on takeout orders, but I absolutely did this time because the hospitality and customer service were that good. The food was delicious, but the experience is what really sold it for me. It's hard to find genuinely good customer service these days, and people are quick to leave complaints but slow to give praise. So this is my shout-out. I enjoyed the food, the hospitality, and the overall experience, and I can definitely see myself coming back.

This spot was recommended while I was in town. It's in a food court. Not sure about parking as I…read morewalked from my hotel. The owner was friendly and welcoming. I just got sides. I ordered Mac and cheese and greens and a samples the yams. All the food was good. I enjoyed what I ordered. I would return to try other menu items. Good customer service. Nice menu variety.

On the tail end of my summer trip where I completed visiting all fifty US States, passed thru…read moreWisconsin on the way to Chicago to fly home back to California. The Odd Duck was where my friend and I grabbed dinner one night. Street parking. I didn't buy a lottery ticket but lucked out and found a spot across the street. Didn't have to do laps or pay. Always a good start when going out anywhere. Place was busy. No reservation. However, the luck continued as a table opened up in the bar area - window seating to boot. And though busy, service was attentive, friendly and great. Food was great! See pics. There wasn't a dish I didn't like and I can say that I'd definitely order the same line up again. Though I'd definitely like to try other menu items. It wasn't just about presentation - ingredients, flavors all just hit the spot. These are tapas size dishes so I could have eaten everything myself. Know that so you order accordingly. If you're looking for a cool, fun spot with good food and drinks, make a reservation and head over. If I lived in the area, this would definitely be a spot I'd regularly hang out at.

Odd Duck has been one of the top places I've been wanting to go to for a while…read more The vibes were 10/10. This is such a cool place to take your time eating at. The servers here know the menu very well which was super helpful when deciding what we wanted to order. The food was good but out of the 4 dishes we ordered the Tempura Nori Roll GIMMARI was the only memorable item to me and our server said it would be rotated off of the menu. I can tell that there has been a lot of care and detail put into the experience here and I can really appreciate that.