I was in Milwaukee visiting my brother-in-law for Thanksgiving and made it a point to visit the Sugar Maple because it seems to be the most popular craft beer bar in the city. Hugely disappointing. The non-bar seating is uncomfortable, the place is so dark you can barely read the menu, and the bartender the night I was there was so slow that we were ordering drinks halfway through the ones we had. The beer selection, while wide, is uninteresting. The taps were dominated by ho-hum IPA's with very few stouts or porters, which I find odd during the colder months. I expected the best craft bar in a city of 600,000 people to have something rare on tap. Until they decide to turn the brightness up on the lights and lively up the beer choices, I won't be visiting again. read more

Worst experience I have ever had at any bar in my life. Pros: Bartender guy was great! Bouncer was incredibly nice and professional. Atmosphere is very relaxed and comfortable. Good beer selection. Here's what happened though: A few friends and I came to this place tonight for some drinks after an event. When I arrived, there wasn't an open lounge seat available by the friends I was meeting up with so I asked a man behind the bar if I could borrow one of the several vacant bar stools and he gave me the most random shit attitude I have ever seen from any employee of any business ever. A simple "no" would have sufficed. Then, about a minute later, I noticed one of my friends tried to do the same thing and he REALLY gave her a shit attitude! Is that any way to talk to a lady I thought. I get it though, many people probably take the seats all over the place and that can be frustrating as an employee but he was just a little unnecessarily hostile about it, believe me. I wanted to say something right away but I figured maybe he was just having a bad day so I let it go. Later on, I went to the bar to order my first drink with another lady friend. She saw the same guy just standing behind the bar quietly so she kindly asked if he could help her. He replied in the most condescendingly passive aggressive tone humanly possible "I'm not a bartender!!" Not "I'm sorry, I'm not a bartender. I'm sure he'll be with you shortly". You know, something even remotely polite. My friend was besides herself for a minute thinking "did that guy really just talk to me, a paying customer, like that?" This is when I really became disgusted with this guy. Now, he has single handedly put me and two of my friends in negative moods on 3 separate instances after we were having such a great day. I decided to ask the bouncer if I could talk to the owner. He politely asked me to explain and after I did he said that's NOT the first complaint he's heard about that guy. He directed me to the owner. All I was hoping to do was hear an apology and let the boss know that one of his coworkers could be costing him business. You know what I got? **"Next time I'll tell my employee to be a push over. I have more important things to do right now!"** WTF?! I then told him nobody needs to be a "push over" just be a little more polite about how he engages customers (but clearly we see where the employee gets it from. Oh, turns out they're related. Shocking!). Realizing I wasn't even going to get an apology I asked if he could maybe at least get a complementary beer or something for my two friends that had the bad experience to make up for things. He scoffed, said "I'll think about it" and walked away never to return. Now...I've worked customer service for 5+ years and I've been a bartender at Clifford's and Summerfest. My family has also owned a pair of restaurants - Jack De Salvos and Spokes. I would be ashamed if I or anyone I knew treated customers the way my friends and I were treated tonight at Sugar Maple. We will never go back and I highly suggest not supporting a restaurant owned by such a self righteous muscle head that's so full of himself he has a 15 foot painting of him from his glory days up on one of the walls. read more

Ok, the ambience, the beer selection and the staff were outstanding. The clam chowder was definitely out of a can, though. It had NO flavor and the clam bits were rubber. Also, the music was kind of pretentious and little too jazzy. I was expecting Robert Wagner to show up, looking for Stephanie Powers. read more

I like Sugar Maple, I really do. I love bringing my favorite beer conosuer friends here, I like the chill atmosphere and the ample amount of comfortable seating. I also really like that this place is huge. I would give it a 5 except that I feel like they totally discriminate against people who don't drink beer. I LOVE LOVE LOVE a good beer, I love trying new beers, but recently had to stop drinking them because of allergies and whenever I go there looking for a different option I feel like if I am asking for anything other than beer that I'm not treated as well. I'm not saying I wont be back, but I will reserve the trip for when I'm will all beer drinkers! read more

Clean and laid back bar. 60 local beers on tap. Friendly & knowledgeable bartenders. Definitely a bay view gem.

I basically started drooling when walking into this bar because of how many taps they have. I was told there are 60 taps and are constantly changing them as I had a sour beer that wasn't even on their menu. They had all different kinds of beers, a good chunk of them are from Wisconsin which makes me happy. I was sad the only Green Bay brewery they had was Hinterland. The atmosphere is nice but made me uncomfortable at the same time as it should be for hipsters with graduate degrees and well groomed beers. There was a lot of art on the wall that just looked like smudges to me and the seating away from the bar were wood benches that went to the floor and had no backs to it. I'm glad I had a seat at the bar, I wouldn't want to sit on those benches. I would go here again based on the great selection of beers. read more

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This place had a very nice beer list with lots of space for groups to enjoy conversation and drink. The service was good and the crowd was an interesting mix of professionals, students and former students. The only downside is the lack of any food, but the area does have quite a few places within walking distance that would serve to fill the intestinal void. read more

I had never been to Milwaukee before, I was there for work, I love craft beer & I took a cab from my hotel to try the Sugar Maple & man, was I glad I did!!! Great beer! Awesome artwork!! Amazing vibe! Really good soup with WI cheese! Totally unique! Made my entire trip worth it! read more

In an area filled with dive-bars that you don't feel welcome at unless you're a hipster, Sugar Maple is a breath of fresh air. Sugar Maple still smells like a haunted house, which is cool and unique. The setup is awesome with a long bar then lounge-style seating all the way down. It's dimly lit , but not too dark - the perfect ambiance. The beer draft list is impressive and the bartenders are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. It's everything you'd want it to be - rowdy on the weekends, but chill and laid back on the weekdays. I can see why this is a lot of people's favorite bar in Bay View - it's definitely mine. read more

What a great spot. One of the best beer / liquor selections I have ever seen. The soups are awesome, cheap and eat like a meal. The place has a good crowd and friendly vibe. A must stop if you are in Bayview. read more

One Hoppy Chick loves that Sugar Maple has close to 50 craft beers on draft. The atmosphere is relaxed, they have a large bar and then lots of couches and seats to chill out and listen to live music now and then. What I really enjoy is the fresh soups and french bread they serve. Hoppy Girl Brewing will be adapting that service to her customers. The New England Clam Chowder Soup is not rich and creamy. The soup has big potato chunks and real clams as sometimes you get the grit (which comes from fresh clams) I enjoyed the Beall's HopSlam on Nitro!!!! read more

Awesome draft beer selection. Countless options so I was excited to see that they offered a sampler of four 6oz pours for $12, great deal! The ambiance/decor is a bit off. Long bar with a good amount of seating, but then there are a ton of awkwardly arranged lounge chairs and couches. The lights are dimmed so much that it is difficult to read the drink list of you aren't at the bar. The weirdest thing to me was that the second time I visited, it was a beautiful snowy night and the two giant (and only) windows facing the street had opaque curtains drawn, again. I also wish they served food, nothing that would require a huge production, but a few creative appetizers would pair well what with all of the beverage selections. Also had extremely knowledgable and personable bartenders both times! read more

I liked this place a lot! Huge selection of beers! A lot of sweets ones, tons of stouts, a couple of sour one that I didn't expect! But all great! The bar is really casual. It has a very long bar with some really cool bartenders. Otherwise there is bench seating too. Solid place to relax with a group or to chill out by yourself. read more

We went around 7 pm, so not to crowded. Good music, bar tender made killer drink. Super uncomfortable seating. To dark.

I visited Sugar Maple last winter for a Pecha-Kucha event. The "on tap" beer list was really impressive. I can't remember the exact amount of beer on tap, but the list filled a very large chalkboard. The prices were very reasonable too - ranging from $4.00-$6.00. My only gripe of this place was the interior set-up. I know the tables were set-up differently for the event, but just the decorations and overall ambience of the place wasn't doing it for me. Overall, it's not a bad place to grab a drink in the Bayview neighborhood. I would would be willing to go back for sure read more

Inspired regional beer selection! Airy and comfortable bar which has interesting live music! Friendly and knowledgeable bartenders...... just wish it was closer to Tosa. read more

You gotta try this plac,!! On a low key girls night out, we decided to venture out to Bay view. Tried couple of new places and since there were many good yelp reviews we thought of trying this place out. The interior is super cool. I love the low seating and the ambiance. The staff definitely looked like cast of duck dynasty! Everyone had long beard :) Staff was friendly, non pretentious and very helpful. I wanted to try out their beer flights and the guy at the bar helped me out and was very informative. Would return if i am in the area again. read more

Holly schnikies.... Why haven't I been here sooner? Beautiful, amazing n fun bartender. Great beer selections n good tunes. Dig it x10.... I'll b back much sooner. Thanx for a blast. read more

Oh how I wish I lived closer to this place!The tap selection is stellar and the bartenders are knowledgeable .

Easily one of the best beer bars I've been too. Great selection of hard to find crafts and knowledgable bartender.

Good beers on tap, cool vibe. Tons of open seating for big groups.

Really love a place with this many great beers on draft to try! I'd give it 5 stars, but the place always seems a little dirty to me. Or maybe it's just too dark and it makes me wonder if they're hiding the dirt.... read more

I recently visited the Sugar Maple and I was mostly pleased. I LOVE the non smoking environment. I went for that reason only since I don't enjoy beer. As a service industry person, I felt bad for the bartender cause that is a long ass bar. The atmosphere is cool. I guess the only bad thing I have to say is our bartender wasn't so friendly but hopefully I will get a different one next time. read more

Love this place. Clean, sleek. No smoking is wonderful. Terrific selection of beers. Sometimes bartenders could be a little more on the friendly side. Owner is super nice guy and VERY knowledgeable of the beer he serves! read more

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!! I have been to the Sugar Maple one other time and it was not great (again, bad customer service- bartender is selective on who to help next- mostly were helping out people who just walked in after I had been waiting to order a drink already 5 mins). After going back for a friend birthday, I never ever go back!!! The place was pretty empty so we found a large spot for our large group to sit. We found a corner spot with several chairs and couches, but would need to move them so we can all talk and mingle. Not knowing we could not move the furniture, we moved a table and started to move a couch. Promptly a barback ran over snapped at us that we cannot move the furniture. When our friend mentioned we had a large group, he barked at him "Not my f-ing problem, rent a f-ing hall" and stormed off back to the bar. As our friend stormed out he made sure to tell the backback how rude he was and how he lost out on over $300 since we (11 people) planned on drinking there for 3-4 hours (our friend used some profanity to express his angry in the HORRIBLE customer service) and that they lost 11 customers for life. The barback said "Good, I don't need a bunch of d-bags drinking at my bar". Before all of us left, another friend discussed this with a bartender and all he said was "okay, thanks for telling me" while another bartender said we were all a-holes to the barback. Clearly the people who work there think they are way too awesome and that they can treat people with no respect or manners. That is no way to run a business. read more

This has usually been one of my favorite spots, but that all changed last night thanks to an absolutely terrible customer service experience... We were standing around the corner from the bathrooms and one of the employees became suspicious and nearly attacked us, ripping my beer out of my hand saying "you're f***ing done". Really guy? If we were in a place we shouldn't have been (our group apologized) couldn't you say something (or simply ask), versus becoming belligerent and vulgar? I then asked to talk to the manager and the guy I spoke with seemed to defend his associate's actions. When I said he spilled half my beer when ripping it from my hands, I was not even offered a replacement. Worse yet, this so-called "manager" said, "what do you want, $3?" It's not the dollar amount, it's a principal matter! Will only return if management (at minimum) replaces my unfinished beer. I've seen several other reviews referencing this same employee, which further validate my unpleasant visit. The fact that there have been multiple situations like this with the same person, and he hasn't been replaced yet, is quite concerning. Steer clear of this place to avoid similar treatment. There are plenty of other establishments nearby with much better service! read more

This place could be good if they got rid of one very rude bartender. We came in recently with a large group to celebrate a birthday. I ordered a vodka gimlet that was wayyyy too limey. I asked the bartender if he could remake it or put more vodka in it to counter act the overpowering citrus taste. He said "it will cost you an extra $7 to add a shot". Now mind you I already paid $12.00 for this drink.....I was shocked. So, I basically paid $20 for a crappy drink! Not sure what he did but it tasted no different and I couldn't drink it. He didn't care and just threw the drink away & said "if you don't like how I make drinks, don't come in here"....So we left and took our business elsewhere. This man is in the wrong profession. He has no business being in the service industry. Order beer and you should be safe. read more

Great food and one of the most amazing beer lists you'll find. Nothing is on tap, but the selection of bottles and cans is great. If this place was just a bar i would be happy, but the food is just as incredible. Go here now! read more

60 beers on tap...something always changing...it's beautiful. The no smoking thing is fabulous, as well. Most bartenders are SUPER knowledgeable about the beers. I'm going to disagree with the "unfriendly" comments. As a fellow shy person, I know more "quiet" people tend to get the shaft on that one. Shy doesn't equal mean or anything. I've always had nice people help me out. Beautiful space, nice specials (those always change, too), you can sample things. Just a nice, laid back space with good beer and good music. read more

I'm torn between giving Sugar Maple three stars or four stars. I'm rounding down because while the beer selection is amazing, I just don't get it. The set-up is a little weird to me. It's really dark, and the chairs aren't comfortable. The place was pretty busy the times I've gone or I would have grabbed a couch. The bartenders were very knowledgable, but service was slow. We stood there for quite a while waiting for even the beer menu. But, yeah, good beer. read more

So my first trip to Sugar Maple was about 6 months ago. My best friend and his wife were in town from Illinois. Being that I just moved to the bay view area I decided to stick close to home and try some of the local establishments. I would usually take out of town guests to the downtown, eastside area for a for sure good time. Well I decided to take a gamble with going to the bay view area. First bar we went to was Sugar Maple. My hopes were not too high given their confusing and cheesy sign they have, but we entered anyways. Walking in, it was just weird. Lots of hipsters who gave the impression that they were just way too cool for school. To sum it up, the music was weird, the setup was weird (looked and felt, even smelled kind of like a bowling alley), lighting was dark and dingy and we just didn't feel comfortable. Second time around was last night. We started the night off getting food and drinks down the street at hamburger marys. After a nice little buzz we ended up walking down the street to Sugar Maples, giving it a second chance if you will. Expecting maybe a different feel being that it was Saturday night, me my wife and in-laws walked into a bar practically empty with mostly hipsters at the bar and a couple booth/seats filled. We had one beer and left, the place is just weird. While I respect their beer selection, I would much rather go to another bar with a great beer selection and comfortable atmosphere. read more

Stopped in last night to enjoy a nice time celebrating my niece's birthday upon arrivel WE were told no food allowed ( we were bringing in cupcakes ) i get that no problem just the approach was cold. Then while enjoying a beverage and sitting around what seemed like a bench was told N O siting on the table .not ten minutes later the birthday girl is taking a picture of some guests there and stood on the bench to get a better angle she was told to step down or I will punch your face in.The mom goes to talk to the manager and gets the same response. So the 25 of us left and went to Highburys were we spent a couple of hundred dollars and will never go back . As a customer service rep They need lots of help. read more

I love the beer selection and decor, but dislike the pretentious bartenders. *plop" here's your drink, then they walk away...on a night that wasn't busy. We moved 2 chairs over to the table and couch we were sitting at, to accomodate two friends who showed up later. The bartender walked over to us, grabbed the chairs and moved them back to where we got them from, all without saying anything to us. read more

Having been to Sugar Maple several times, this particular time was awful to say the least. My husband, brother-in-law, sister-in-law and I went on Saturday around 9pm and found the place crowded (not that we were surprised) and looked for a place to sit. We found the love seat at the very far end of the bar and looked for two chairs so the four of us could sit down. I bring the chairs over and walk around the bar to get a beer menu. I head back to the end of the bar only to find a bar employee pulling the chairs away, tripping me in the process. My sister-in-law tells me that he stomped from the back of the bar, barking "this ain't happening" and pulls the chairs away. After being asked what the problem was, he was so incredibly rude and tells us that we were in the way. All he had to do is have us relocate the chairs up against the railing where the love seat was and that would have been just fine. No, he was down right rude and unrightfully so. Since I had lost my interest in having a beer, I tossed the menu on the sofa. He stomps out from behind the bar, takes the menu and stomps back behind the bar. We were stunned. There was no reason whatsoever for this obnoxious behavior. He was behaving like a jerk, a spoiled brat. We decided to leave. He had come out into the main area and then was heading back as we were walking out. I make no attempt to walk out of his way and intentionally bumped into him as I headed toward the door. The bouncer or ID checker had no clue what was going on, or he just ingored this event. I have always had a pleasant experience here, but this guy has changed my mind. He is nothing but a black eye on this establisment and, from other reviews I've read here and on other sites, it seems like this guy had rubbed alot of people the wrong way. He must be a relative of the owner(s) to be still having a job at what USED to be a great place. I agree with Dude B wholeheartedly about the arrogance behind the bar. AND... we are 50+ in the age category. We were not drunk when we came in. In no way did we deserve to be treated like this. Sugar Maple.. get your act together. Or did you just decide to put on a good show when John McGivern came by... There are other establishments in this city that offer craft beers, microbrews, etc., without the lousy attitude. Next time, we'll just go the Cafe Centraal. read more

The bartender was just about the chillest person I've ever met (I saw her, without even meaning to I just chilled the fuck out). And the beer was plentiful and obviously intelligently chosen, only American (and Canadian? I think I saw Unibrue) craft beer. While lots of tap handles usually make me nervous (are they really keeping all that fresh?), I somehow have faith in this business. Everything I tasted, at least, wasn't skunky. A great bar, too, if you're only in Milwaukee for a bit and want to try a lot of local beer. I prefer the Palm, though, only because its atmosphere is a bit more relaxed. The space is a bit less palatial, a bit less aware of itself. read more

Skip this place. I've been here twice and was ignored by the bartender both times. The bar was not crowded but we sat for over 10 minutes as she talked to "regulars" and served others that came in well after we did. The few customers we encountered were underemployed hipsters that talked loudly yet had nothing to say...btw, I'm gainfully employed, cash in pocket, ready to spend. Finally, this is the first negative review I've posted on yelp...the negative vibe at Sugar Maple compelled me. read more

Used to love this bar and have been many times. After a great night a group of 10 of us were trying to leave when a bar back came to clear the table we were sitting at and rudely stated "today". He then proceeded to call us "fucking ignorant bitches". We are a group of young professionals who just finished our monthly supper club and wanted a beer in a nice quiet environment. We will never be back after such disrespectful treatment. read more

I can never stay in here more than 5 minutes because the smell makes me feel ill. Is it that the patrons haven't showered? Has the disgusting mustiness been ground in to every possible surface? I know people who really love this place and I would love to try it, but I can't get past the smell. I don't understand what it is that makes it so stinky and I wish the management would fix it. I've tried to go several times but can never get past the nausea long enough to get an actual beer. read more

I LOVE this bar. The bathrooms are the vault from the old bank that lived there before the temple. Every detail was thought out and executed beautifully. The bartender was really nice, but not in the overly chirpy starbucks way that makes me want to leave. She let me sample a couple of beers and explained what many of the terms meant. The whiskey selection was insane. read more

Best beer selection in Milwaukee in my opinion. Nice interior too. A little out of the way down in Bay View, would love it if it was a bit closer to downtown (this seems like the kind of bar that could do well in the third ward). But 5 stars for their beer selection. 50-some beers on tap. Awesome. read more