Decided to try breakfast after new ownership took over. The interior has been updated and looks nice. The service was fast and friendly. Because of the many dishes added I decided to try the chilaquiles with red sauce. The serving was generous but the price seemed to be inflated at 16.99 for the plate. This also came with a small side of beans in a bowl. Unfortunately the food was missing flavor, the rice was extremely bland almost like they forgot the salt. Everything else was ok. I want to go back but I'm not sure it is worth the increased pricing paired with the lack of flavor. read more

The Brass Key - Chilaquiles with ham - Diners Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

After an early morning flight to MKE, all we wanted was a greasy diner breakfast - and Aunt Deb knew just the place! This spot is divey, yet all the things I would expect from a Wisconsin diner joint. A cutesy interior - with wood paneling, plenty of booths and tables, kitschy linens and drapes - and the food is BOMB. We were seated at a corner booth, instantly brought over coffee and water and looked at the massive menu. I love diner food, so I opted for a loaded omelette with a side of crispy hashbrowns and toast - while my husband opted for traditional breakfast of two eggs (over easy), hashbrowns, toast, and a side of their famous pancakes. Everything tasted deliciously fresh, greasy and just what the doctor ordered. YUM!! Our server had the entire space to herself and handled it like a pro. She checked back with us often, consistently had our waters refilled and brought boxes without us having to even ask! Pricing is CHEAP. Like WOAH. Our whopping total came to just above $30 for 3 people with coffee and our entrees. I'm in love! When back in MKE, I WILL return! read more

1.the waitress could not explain the entrees 2.the Mexican food was bland 3. The waitress over charged us and when I brought it to her attention she argued with me until I showed her the menu. 4. When she corrected the charge the bill went up ten dollars 5. Then she started adding up the bill by writing on the palm of her hand. Then she grabbed several calculators to add up the bill. 6. Then I handed her a credit card and she had no clue what to do and how to use the card machine 7. This was all happening while the three of them were speaking Spanish to each other 8. I finally took my credit card back and gave them 50.00 and told them to figure read more

New owners and may still be getting their act together. Did a nice job of sprucing up the place. Menu still has all the old favorites but with addition of Mexican choices. Food was very good but prices have jumped from previous owner and nothing was added to the meal. No luncheon or daily specials... No chips\salsa offered at table. Red & green sauce was served in squeeze bottles and same bottles had to be shared with 3 tables...REALLY??? Heard a number of people say it was good but would not come back. Hopefully the new owners listen to customer wants. read more

We tried it recently. Service was slow. I ordered a meal that supposedly had prickly pear (which I had never tasted) and avocado. There was no avocado but I did find a small piece of lime. No prickly pear, but they did include boiled potato. The meat in the meal was very thin, dry, and tough. read more

It has changed ownership, it is now a mexican restaurant but they did maintain a lot of the previous dishes. This is the first time I went their with the new menu, I order a beef burrito, it consisted of beef, very little tomato wrapped in tortilla. The burrto was dry and tastless, the side rice again dry and tasteless. This is my last visit to the Brass Key. Would not recommend any more. read more

The Brass Key we knew and loved is long gone! Tonight's visit was terrible. We were taken to a table with this huge menu, then were told we could only order the fish or Mexican food. We asked what the soup was and were told no soup She said that is why she brought us chips. Then why the menu? Ordered the baked cod after a few minutes they came and said the oven wasn't working and so we ordered the pan fried fish which was actually deep fried cod. My friend said she would just like a order of fries and to put her check separate. Then we waited for our food a very long time. My husband had ordered coffee (3.00) and only received one cup the entire time we were there. when we received our fish fry (15.99) for 3 pieces of fish (deep fried not pan fried) and a small handful of fries! No coleslaw, bread, or lemon. Then the waitress disappeared never to be seen again till I got up to go to the bathroom she came back I asked for boxes. then they brought us the 2 checks. one was 15.99+15.99+3.00=34.98 tax was 2.98? so bill was 37.96. notice the strange tax amount. next my friends bill was 7.00 for a handful of fries plus .99for tax =7.99 strange way they figure out tax? also the restaurant was hotter than outside. restaurant was pretty empty for a Friday night . So sad ! food was just not the same :( read more

The soups were excellent. The decor is from late 80s with the mauve color. We ordered the lobster tail and fillet and it didn't mention that it was bacon wrapped which was a nice surprise unless you don't eat pork. They didn't mention that the fillet and steak would have mushrooms on top, which my wife and mother in law loved but I'm allergic and can't eat them. The waitress said " can't you pick them off" which I did but I asked for A1 sauce to kill any flavor of mushrooms and they gave me a knock off cheaper brand. The alleged butter for dipping our lobster tails was anything but real butter which I find to be SAD since this is the dairy state. Because I loved the soups I will give them another chance on their Greek and Italian foods which I should have ordered. Lesson learnt. read more

Stopped in to try their fish fry today. We waited for at least 5 minutes for a waitress to yell "Sit anywhere you want." We picked a table and waited again (at least 10 minutes) then one waitress yelled to another "did you get table #8?" the response was no and then we were finally given menus. The soup seafood chowder smelled so bad I had to push it away to not smell it. My husband upgraded to french onion soup-it was not made with carmelized onions and was overseasoned with oregano? The fish fry itself was good, I had a philly cheese steak which was very good although the bun was burned. It was not busy at all, we won't be returning. read more

My lamb shank was tender but I didn't care for the gravy it was in. What really left a bad taste in my mouth were the lies from the staff. We had a big party and took up two long tables. The waitresses (one to each table) were polite, until it came to the bill. One waitress said the first table could get their individual bill. The other waitress said we had to pay on one bill and that we had to round it to where there are no cents included. It took us a while at the restaurant to figure out the bill. Once I complained at the checkout about the difference of payments, both waitresses said the waitress for the first table charged two people for the entire bill. When I returned back with my family, they said they each received their own bill. I would have been ok paying on an entire bill if that's what is expected, but I am not ok with being lied to. Never going back. read more

I really think this place is underrated. Our friends go there often and know the servers. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a few cocktails before dinner. I had an old fashion. It tasted good but was a weird color It was pretty read and they did not muddle it. However we started off with soup. I had the chicken dumpling and it was the best I ever had. The others in our group had creamy broccoli and they all enjoyed it. I had the Greek salad. Loved the salad dressing. The others had the fried chicken. It was crispy, juicy and flavorful. My friend did say you have to know what to order. I do think the menu is way too big. Cut it down and quality would be better on all food. Service was good. We will definitely be going back to try other things. read more

Ambience-wise it seems a bit divey, but the food is at a fair price. Quite generous portions. They've a large array of menu options though obviously being a Jack of all trades, they're masters of none. Supposedly they're known locally for their chicken, so I got that. read more

Great "old school" diner with top notch service. The food was excellent. I ordered grilled pork chop and spinach pie and really, really loved the spinach pie. Can't wait to go back!! read more

Dinner for 32 people after a Memorial Service was exceptional. They were competent, timely and courteous. The food was done to perfection with large portions and tasty sides. Dessert was exactly what we asked for. Staff was so very kind and truly helpful. Thank you! read more

I attend a meeting here every month. Many of the attendees get there early enough to order breakfast prior to the meeting. Generally, the service and the food is good, the waitstaff is friendly, and all is well. Following a recent surgery, my appetite is considerably suppressed so today I placed an order for the smallest breakfast on the menu... 2 eggs any style, hash browns, and toast. I ordered wheat toast and the eggs poached. No, no, no!! Those eggs were NOT poached! They were more in fact wet, hard-boiled eggs without the shell. Grossly overcooked, both egg yolks were rock solid. I silently cursed and just ate them since there wasn't time to re-order before the meeting began but know this: a) I was extremely disappointed that the cook/chef didn't know how to poach an egg; and b) I'll never order poached eggs at this place again. You shouldn't either!! read more

I never knew this was more than an old school bar with your typical Greek diner on the right as you walk in so I thought I would try the breakfast. The place is half old school bar and half Greek diner and I had it bookmarked for the bar until I saw haw early they opened and wondered why they were open at 6 am so I looked at the menu and there was a breakfast menu so I'm there. The place has there own lot so parking is no problem at all. The place kind of looked like an old school steak house was my first impression so I didn't know what to expect when I walked in. There is a nice reverse E wood bar with the old school brass hand rail that wraps around it. Old school stools with the low back and a foot rest if the built in bar foot rest is too close for you. There is no transition from the bar to the diner, it's like someone drew a line in the room and one side is a bar and the other is a diner where you could film a two sided commercial in one scene. The diner is typical Greek style with the light wood, mirrors and purple pastel booths with music playing. The menu is not exactly the phone book Greek style but there is all the regulars with Mexican options also but I would have the Greek omelette for a change. The greek omelette was kind of the weirder ones because it is breakfast link sausage slices, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and feta cheese with the breakfast sausage out of place when gyro meat is on the menu which would make more sense but what ever. It comes with the generic three for toast and hash browns. The service was spot on at first and I was seated promptly and given a real glass of ice water and a menu, two people in the diner section all ready with there food so service should be pretty quick, nope my Greek omelette took over fifteen minutes to hit the table when I was the only person with an order at the time. My server never came back to see if I needed anything or if all was ok and when I was done a good 7 minutes passed before my check was dropped off so I sat there being patient wondering if she would ever return after dropping off my food. When the Greek omelette hit the table it actually smelled really good and looked pretty good with a crumble of feta poking out in the corner. The omelette was pretty tasty but gyro meat would have made for a better offering than breakfast sausage links that were skimpy and sliced razor thin, I think the fork was thicker and there was probably not one links worth of meat in the omelette, see my pictures. The omelette eggs were fluffy and moist, not one of those omelettes with the firm/dense eggs which I liked because it went well with the soft feta and the crunch of the veggies. The toast and hash browns were pretty average and I would have liked a more exotic toast offering like sourdough or something but Texas toast is a $1.95 up charge on the menu which seemed ridiculous when it's 25% of the whole breakfast that I ordered just for better toast, it was not offered as a standard toast option for my breakfast but it's in the extras section. Overall it's a solid average breakfast place with a menu that is a little quirky compared to most breakfast places and it hit the spot and worked but the skimpy razor thin sausage crap did drag the stars down. read more

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Ok, oh boy -- well, let me start by saying that you have to be careful what you order here. For an appetizer we orderd a spinach pie, it was SO GOOD even the plain rice was really good. It's worked out great as an app but I might get it as a meal next time. I made a HUGE mistake by ordering scallops, this isn't a seafood joint. They asked how I wanted them and I like pan seared. They were so soft and moist and not seared at all. Big, though. But scallops are a tough thing to cook, they have to be 100% perfect. And I don't get why a place like this even has scallops on their menu. Really, take them off if they can't be done to absolute perfection. Partner ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce was strangely sweet. He liked it, I'm not sure I would like a whole plate of the sweeter type of marinara sauce. WINE!!! Omg, it's $5 a glass!! :) The cheap stuff is $4 a glass!! I'll go back, but will be very careful to order something Greek (they seem to have that right) or very simple. read more

My husband and I came here because we've never been here and we heard from a lot of people that it's a good place to eat. When you first walk in, you see the bar which looks nice. When you turn the corner, it's like you just walked into somewhere completely different. The look of the bar and the way the restaurant looks do not mix well together. One of the employees working was leaning on the hostess stand and on a personal phone call. Neither she nor anyone at the bar acknowledged us. It took a minute or so for another one of the employees to see us and get us seated. After we ordered our drinks, I decided to use the bathroom before she came to take our food order. I was so disgusted with the bathroom that I decided to squat and not even sit on the toilet. Why? There was an odor that was not pleasant when I first walked in. Then I noticed no toilet paper on the toilet paper roll holder (it was on the back of the toilet). As I was walking to the toilet, I noticed something smeared on the toilet seat and I wasn't about to sit on whatever it was. *NOTE* I am not a prissy person but this was worse then bathrooms in corner bars and I have seen some pretty nasty bathrooms. Anyway, I do my business and wash my hands only to find there is NO paper towel at all so I had to wipe my hands on my jeans. PICTURES ATTACHED I get back to our booth and we ordered our food. It didn't take too long for them to bring us our appetizer (soup and salad). The salad my husband got was pretty good and the soup was alright. It was a chicken and rice with lemon in it. The only bad thing is the lemon flavor was a bit over powering. When our entrees came out, they looked and tasted good. The only complaint with my food (Shrimp Scampi) is that there was way way too much oil on the noodles and at the bottom of the pan. I felt like I was drinking a side of oil with every bite. The service itself wasn't bad and our waitress was friendly but I am not sure if we will come back here or not. read more

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Amazing fish fry, fried chicken, gyros, chicken kabobs, spinach pie and so much more! Everything is so good!

This is my first time at this place and I wish I could give it zero stars. We arrived at 11:15 and didn't they our food until 11:58. We were tired of waiting so we left money for our coffee and orange juice at the table and started to leave. As we were walking out the food came out. I ordered a sausage omelet and it was ok. My friend ordered eggs Benedict and gave it two stars. I wouldn't recommended this place at all. We tried to support local and regretted stopping here. read more

DELICIOUS!!! Hands down some of thee BEST fried chicken I've had in Milwaukee....Generous, extra crispy, and juicy 4 pc chicken dinner for under $10; perfectly seasoned dark and white meat..choice of potato..choice of soup or salad..AND dessert! Their Friday Fish Fry doesn't disappoint either; 3 hot and crispy pieces of Fresh white Cod, and a unique tarter sauce I was diggin' (haven't had any like it elsewhere). You just can't go wrong Their service has been exceptional every time I've stopped in , and although it can get busy, its worth the short wait. George (the Owner) is always there as well, and that to me as a patron, is reassuring of their quality as a whole team. I'll keep returning, and definitely recommend this place for some homemade, fresh, hot food with a welcoming vibe. read more

Ordered a steak here once... it was all gristle. I complained to the waitress who got the chef. He came out... picked it up with his bare hands and said " looks fine to me" flopping it back onto my plate and wiping his hands off on his apron. I have never gone back. read more

I have seen and passed the Brass Key so many times and it wasn't until meeting my family for a Sunday breakfast that I finally stopped in. Easy to get to, right down Forest Home, this restaurant is very cozy and friendly. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by the owner, at least we were who was very friendly and outgoing. There is a bar immediately upon entering and the dining room to the right. They have a larger banquet type room in the back. I have to admit, I would have much rather sat in the dining room area, seemed much more comfortable. The back banquet type room was a very "unique" color blue. I think it was to get the impression of water. It was very Blue, that is for sure. The wait staff was friendly and the menu (Breakfast menu) had many choices and even a build your own omelet section - very nice. Portion sizes are large and it is a good value for the money. Restaurant was clean. Now that we have been there, I would like to go back again to check out their dinner or lunch menu and see what they have to offer. I will keep you posted. read more

The owner has a real green thumb, late summer the home grown tomatoes and sunflowers surrounding the place are gigantic, very impressive. Inside, the decor is not just a typical Milwaukee diner, they must order their furniture from the same place as the diner on 27th (Omega), and a couple other diners I've been in. I'm not sure why this is listed as a seafood restaurant, maybe they bill themselves as such, but since it is a diner, stick to the diner food and you'll be okay. We stopped in here for an American high cholesterol breakfast and it was fine. I'm sure it's equally adequte for the early bird specials early evening, and it's a family-kid friendly sort of place. Service was good, they have their own parking lot. read more

The owner is very nice and the food and service and the prices are good too.It nice to Take a date if you like a small place to go. read more

I like how Brass Key has their vegetables growing around the front and side of the building. This is my favorite part of this place. Inside its like a typical diner. Paper placemats, plastic booths, elderly folks. I had a chicken dish that was on the healthy menu. When it arrived it was fried. Okay, maybe I don't get out much, but really? Fried on the healthy menu? Anyway, it was okay. I liked the stuff on top, chopped tomatoes, peppers, onions, olive oil and feta. The service was good. No complaints in that area. read more

Not too shabby! Good old neighborhood joint with greasy diner food that warms the soul. Good place to go hang out after church on Sundays or whenever because their food is pretty good and not pricy. Plus, the owner 'George' is an easy going guy and very welcoming. I like this place. Note: George is Greek so they have a lot of Greek stuff on the menu (which is delicious). read more

I have been here a couple of times. The food is okay - nothing spectacular - just good food. The servers are friendly. The cheesecake is weird - not what I'm used to. It's kind of like a jello, sort of. I don't know. Anyway, I'll definitely come back. read more

I have traveled to many countries over the last 15 years. I worked for a company that provided equipment to the meat industry in order to process beef and pork. I have dined at many establishments to the like of Ditka's and the Chop house and many other fine locations. When I took my Wife of 34 years to the Brass Key on 49th and Forest Home Ave, I was a bit taken by the old time atmosphere. There I met George the Owner / Bartender and his staff. Friendly is a word used lightly here. Warm hearted folks with your best interests at heart. We had the surf and turf special ... Bacon wrapped tenderloin and tail for 2 for 49.00. I will say as honest as possible...This was the best tenderloin I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. After a great dinner and drinks on this Wednesday 31st of October 2018 I can tell you if you pass by on this restaurant and their offerings, you will truly never have dined on the pleasures of fulfilling your sensory desires. 5 stars are not something your are given...They are Earned!!! Thank you to the Staff at the Brass Key for reminding me of how service is served well and with a smile. Lance S Franklin WI. read more

Love this restaurant! Great neighborhood joint for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Not necessarily an aesthetically modern place but the food makes up for it! Everything we've ever eaten here has been great. Unbelievable inexpensive prices too. Check it out. read more

It's an average family restaurant with lots of choices, something to keep everyone happy.

I had the Reuben and I'm pretty sure they used a Kraft single instead of Swiss cheese. My husband had the steak and ribs and started not feeling well right after eating. We had the cheesecake which was disgusting. The split pea soup and side salad: not good... Overall a really not good experience. Would never recommend. read more

We had lunch here today! Fantastic food. They even grow their own lettuce and onions for the salad. Needless to say the salad was fresh and bursting with flavor. The greek dressing was very good. I had the Mediterranian Baked Cod, with boiled potatoes. Both had great flavor and were cooked to perfection. My friend had the open face prime rib sandwich with french fries. The prime was huge and cooked to perfection! Came with 2 huge pieces of bread that melted in your mouth. The fries were crispy and delicious! The ice tea was very refreshing! Service was courteous and prompt. Will definitely go back! The menu had a great selection of Greek, American and numerous other dishes. Can't wait to try something different. Definitely a great place with great food and great prices. read more

Just had a baby shower today and everything went so smooth waitresses were lovely and very consistent food was soooo good we all were passing a piece of our plate around because we all wanted a taste of one another's food! I will most definitely be hosting many more events there. Also I seen pics of the bathroom while I was there the bathrooms were allll spotless and fresh. read more

The Brass Key - a cake with a picture of a woman on it - Diners Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Never eaten here for anything but breakfast. Always a good breakfast and awesome Serivce. Good prices and nice staff! A nice occasional treat for my sons and myself! read more

I've only eaten breakfast here a few times but I would say that I've left satisfied. Their biscuits and gravy with sausage is very good. Their service is not bad at all. I'll be back read more

Decent food at a decent price. Kind of a blue hair place but it is expected. I've been here many times over the years.... good fish fry.

Solid third shift bar. I worked night shift and always would come here after work for a Spotted Cow and omelette. Yum. Casual and fairly priced. What more do you need after a hard shift at eight am? read more

Have chosen this restaurant for waitstaff, and good food. We are a loud noisy group of 12+ people, and when it is my choice I LOVE THIS restaurant. Imagine the noise we make, and no one is ever sure of what we want, then there is the separate check business. The staff takes us in stride, and for that each and everyone of us leaves a generous tip. Thank you Brass Key, too bad you are not on the east side. Although, then I would not cook, and would gain lots and lots of weight going out for 2 meals a day. thank you. read more

I'm kind of surprised by some of the negative comments such as calling it a "blue haired place," etc. If I'm rating a restaurant, I take into account the type of place they are trying to be. So, I'm not going to rate a Family Style Diner with the same scrutiny that I would Sanford. This is an "old school diner with some Greek style food." I was in a group of about 15 who came here for an after funeral lunch. The people here were extremely warm particularly Tony who was our server. In our group, we had pre-teens, teens, young adults, middle aged adults and older adults. We appreciated the bar since many of us wanted an adult beverage. Menu is huge which you expect from a family diner. We were served very timely and all of us enjoyed our food and prices are very affordable. Personally, I'd love to see more Greek style food on their menu such as grilled octopus, etc. It might not be a bad idea for the owner to hire someone to do more marketing on social media. And, maybe they should reduce the menu to concentrate on the classics. But, I recommend this place and will return. read more