All the food I've ever tried here is just okay and lacking in flavor. I think the beers were good.

Arrived around 4:30 on a Saturday with two friends, not expecting a long wait given the time of day. We waited over 40 minutes for a table, only to be told at seating that we needed to be finished with our table by 6 pm because it was reserved at that time! One of my friends was in town from Denver so we were looking forward to a leisurely dinner and catching up. We questioned this policy and our waitress checked and confirmed that we needed to be done by 6. None of us had ever experienced this lack of hospitality at a restaurant before. We left and went to the 3rd ward to Stack'd, where we were seated immediately and stayed for hours. Won't be returning given this poor first impression. read more

Let me start by saying...GET THE LCD CHEESE STICK!!!! Seriously dream about eating them all day, everyday. They also have a great selection of beers that are delicious! But seriously, get the LCD cheese stick. read more

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - a plate of food and a drink - Pizza Near Me - Greendale, Wisconsin

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This order of cheese curds was $15!! I get inflation but come on! Buffalo chicken flatbread barley had any chicken. I love the beer but this order of food made me not want to come back. Very disappointed read more

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Cheese curds - Pizza Near Me - Greendale, Wisconsin

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Update 2/16/18 - I came back a couple of times now and have to say my review below may have been a little harsh. I wanted to give this place another star and say that I would now recommend this place to others. --------------------------------------------------- I was here not too long after it opened and thought I would try again. There wasn't a wait but service was still slow. It took probably close to 10 mins just to get a water. And, when we told our waitress what beers we wanted for our flights she still didn't ask us if we wanted any food, she did ask the next table though. I ordered the Jenny Burger, which is a turkey burger, without the red peppers. All I can say is it was ok, I would not order it again. My boyfriend ordered The Bomb, which was better than the Jenny Burger but still not that great. I don't think I would order this in the future either. Out of the 10 beers we tried we liked a couple. We have tried a lot, and when I say a lot I mean a lot, of beers and to only like a couple is pretty disappointing. In the end I wouldn't recommend this place to others and wouldn't be in a hurry to go back. read more

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Everything is great and they have GF beer!! Solid whiskey selection.....relaxing atmosphere!!

Located in Southridge mall, this locally owned brewery/restaurant has exploded in popularity over the past few years (for a good reason) and has a ton to offer. Explorium, which brews on-site, has 24 delicious beers on tap, a large menu and a fantastic atmosphere. We had the Fish Fry & Buffalo Chicken Flat Bread which was so so so good! Our personal favorite beer (and we tasted quite a few) was the original Lost in the Sauce - a New Ingland IPA. It's super juicy and hazy, just like I like it! Be sure to make reservations because weekends are busy! read more

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We went for dinner at 7:30 pm on a Monday. The atmosphere is rustic and relaxing with a great patio with fire pit and outdoor bar. The service was fantastic! I drink a lot of water and the waitress brought a bottle of water, second glass of ice and lemons and made a few recommendations per my request. The burger was cooked to perfection and the fries were crunchy. The baguette was good, the ingredients were fresh but it lacked the flavor I was hoping for. I would suggest some kind of seasoning or spread to accompany the fresh ingredients. The beer list was a few short pages that had a wide range. My fiancé had porter which was the reason we decided to check this place out and I had the triple Belgian which had a soft Carmel after taste- delicious! Overall great experience, we will be back! read more

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Pizza Near Me - Greendale, Wisconsin

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Great service, some of the best cheese curds anywhere, one of the worst Rueben Sandwiches ever. The meat on the sandwich was heavy cut, thick, dry, and like biting a stick. My teeth couldn't cut through it. The knife barely cut through it. All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!! read more

Putting a brewery in a mall has got to be one of the best decisions made. Getting ready to do holiday shopping? Stop in, drink a beer, start your shopping. Exhausted after all the crowds at the mall, stop in, have a beer and food, relax. In all seriousness though, I love The Explorium. Good, quality beer on tap and delicious food. When I can eat, I can drink more. Explorium has an impressive tap beer list with like 18 beers on it. There is literally something for everyone from cream ales, to a sour to their peanut butter stout and delicious Tiramisu stout. I'm barely scratching the surface here. For food, their grilled cheese is amazing. So reasonably priced. $8 gets you a grilled cheese that comes WITH bacon and tomato. That's right, not one of those where you pay like a $1 extra for bacon. They know you want it, so you get it. For my side, I went with the cheddar mashed potatoes. Such a good choice. I've actually been here 3 times in the past 8 days because the beer is so good. Beers rotate on the menu so it makes sense to stop in often. Also, they sell amazing candles that have their beer in the base. They smell so wonderful. read more

Food and beer was great. One issue was not resolved regarding a discount for American Homebrewers Association members. They claimed they were no longer honoring that. Didn't want to create a scene as we were with a friend. Emailed them later off their website but it has gone unanswered. read more

Decided to try this pub after doing a little shopping at the mall and so glad we did. This place was clean and well put together. I loved that you can see how they make the beers in the dining area and that they have so many new and cool flavors of beers to choose from! We tried and took home the 32oz of orange creamsicle and a peanut butter ale. Both were so good! The food was amazing as well! We ordered the grilled wings and a steak salad. The dressing on that salad was so awesome!! It was so flavorful and the wings were on point. The veggies that came with the wings were fresh and crunchy as well. I asked for medium for the steak on my salad and it was just a tad bit tender instead of soft but overall a really good salad, and one I would get again. The hospitality could have been a little bit better in the dining area but overall our waiter was okay. I liked that we had options of taking beers home in different size cans. That was a really cool touch! We would still come back to this pub for their good food and cool beer options!! read more

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So apparently when someone doesn't close out their tab The Explorium likes to add tips for themselves. I don't know if this is common practice but that's BS. read more

I swear this place has so much potential. Very odd experience. Half of my order was excellent and half was bad. Five star items: Perch in the fish fry Dips that come with the pretzel Smash for the stash pale ale Fries Grilled cheese They have Pibb extra Really bad items: The coleslaw was awful The pretzel was very room temp and doughy The dip with the fries was pretty gross The potato pancakes were kind of wet. I dont know how else to describe them. The old fashioned that comes with the fish fry was basically water. And came before the fish fry arrived. Overall it was a decent experience. We had a really nice and helpful server, however, very very slow service. Seems like some quality control could really take this place to greatness. I'll try them again. read more

The beer is excellent with a lot of varieties. Whatever your beer palate, you'll find something that you'll like or even love. However, their vegan options leave a lot to be desired. Eat before you meet your friends here and only plan to snack. read more

This place has always been excellent. Recently the service been a tad slow but that's because very under staffed but the food been great. Last night I had the brick burger and omg I loved it. read more

Fish & Chips were ok Fries were ice cold. Coffee was old..Service could of been better to review the quality of the food. No compensation offered for the complaint. Will not be returning soon. read more

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Pizza Near Me - Greendale, Wisconsin

I have been there twice now and I was unimpressed by either visit. The food is just ok and the beer they make is about the same. We won't be back read more

A wonderful addition to Southridge Mall, locally-owned Explorium is a decidedly different destination among Greenfield's world of chains restaurants. I stopped in - dropped in, really - literally - on a Saturday afternoon. I was exhausted from a move and had to fuel up fast to avert a crisis. I sat down and was amazed by the astonishing number of hand crafted beers this place is putting out. Some of them looked delicious. Tiramisu stout? Oh my. It had my number, but I don't drink, so I selected a Sprecher root beer on tap. How refreshing and delicious. I enjoyed it thoroughly! For an appetizer I ordered the cheese curds. They were marinated in a sauce made with one of Explorium's beers (awesome) and were tasty. I figured kids would enjoy this appetizer because they came with sword skewers to spear them up. I ordered my namesake burger - the Jenny - because who has a burger named after them?!?! It was a juicy turkey burger topped with mozzarella cheese and roasted red pepper, served on a brioche bun and with lettuce and tomato to put on top. I wish I hadn't been so hungry because I would have savored this burger slowly on a different day. I had it with a side of homemade potato chips that were crispy, crunchy and yummy. I can't wait to go back to Explorium and try more delicious food. Service was on point, staff were friendly and treated me well (always a bonus when flying solo) and I had a wonderful experience! read more

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Cheese curds appetizer - marinated in a sauce made with - of course! - beer - Pizza Near Me - Greendale, Wisconsin

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Great food! I have been there three times now, and the food as well as the service have been great!

We would have liked to enjoyed the Explorium but never got the chance because of an ill-tempered "manager" with any shred of customer service skills. We went with a group of 4-5 families of 2-4 people mid-Saturday, inside was pretty empty. The waitress was happy to seat us in an empty area on the right. In a few minutes the manager (? taller guy who appeared to be the barkeep too) came out in a huff telling us to leave saying he already told an earlier family "we can't accommodate a party of your size" and we would have to "eat off a limited menu", "we don't take baseball teams of 10 families" (huh, we had like 15 people?). He was very upset...we got up to leave and the guy had already called mall security on us (seriously). Any manager with customer service skills would have explained why he couldn't accommodate (e.g., we are short staffed, we've had issues with large groups before, we can't do separate checks) - a good manager would just ask us to seat in the same area but at separate tables. Nearly every manager would accommodate and not turn down business. Maybe he was having a bad day but easily the worst (and most baffling) service we've ever had at a restaurant. read more

The first time I went there I had the fish and chips and thought the whole meal was outstanding. The breading on the fish was super lite, tasty, and very crispy. The French fries were cooked to perfection and the coleslaw was so rich and so creamy. I loved it!! For the past two weeks I keep going back at least 4 times a week ordering the same thing hoping to get the same quality as day one, but unfortunately the dish keeps getting worse each time I go there. Tonight was my last time ordering this dish. I couldn't eat the whole thing. The fries were still good, but the fish was horrible. The breading was too thick and overcooked. It was soaked in grease and very mushy. The fish was hard, a little slimy, and tasted way different than the first time I had it. I will keep going back, but I'm ready to try something different read more

Awesome food and great original beers. Tucked away in a mall this place is one of the best spots in the Greendale. Get a giant pretzel, maybe the deep fried meatloaf and crush some top notch local beer. Grab a growler on the way out. read more

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Pizza Near Me - Greendale, Wisconsin

Excellent food and service. Love smoking cigars after dinner at the firepit with a nice bourbon. Great whiskey and bourbon selection.

The beer = 5 stars The food = 5 stars So let me talk about the service = FANTASTIC! I walked in from the back entrance (to the patio). I came in alone, appeared very much like a visitor (which I was! Never been to this mall or town lol). Immediately a server walked up and greeted me/welcomed me. She was very kind and friendly :)! Then as I was trying to decide on where to sit (bar? Or table?), The manager walked up and talked me. He was walking around making sure the customers are being taken care of AND his employees are doing great. This is a big brewery/restaurant. Managing place like this gotta a be a challenge, but they did an exceptional job. Good job guys :)! If I live in the area, I'd for sure become a regular! read more

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Three saints bay imperial stout - Pizza Near Me - Greendale, Wisconsin

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Explorium doesn't look like it will be much since it's in the mall. Don't let that deter you! We first went here on a tour. It's nice and short, but full of information. And they make sure you are topped off during the tour, so you won't get thirsty. Their beer selection is pretty big, so you'll find something you like here. They'll even give you tastes if you're not sure, or if you're like me, they have flights. The food is solid, though I wish for a little more healthy variety but what can you really expect in a brewery? Explorium is definitely worth a try! read more

TL;DR creative, freshly prepared dishes and fantastic beer selection but slightly overpriced. Absolutely worth a try if you like jazzed up American cuisine and beer. You've made it past the TL;DR. Great! Let's get to the meat and potatoes of the review (of my meat and potatoes). We went on a Thursday around early dinner time. Wait staff was friendly and there was no wait for seating. We started with a beer flight and the calamari appetizer. Flavors were great but we didn't care for the surprise banana peppers which seemed to overpower the dish. I ordered the bacon wrapped meatloaf and my parter ordered the chicken pasta. Both dishes seemed to take longer to arrive but once in front of us you could see why. Even though traffic was slow both dishes were fresh made. I have a ton of respect for wanting to make sure each dish is done the best it could be. To me it justifies their higher-than-average prices (based on style of food and the location). I didn't care for the style of bacon (likely uncured, thick cut) my entree was wrapped in and the BBQ sauce didn't compliment the dish as well as I would've hoped, but it had redeeming flavor and onion tangles created nice contrast in texture. Tried a bite of the blackened chicken pasta and it was incredible. Great seasoning on chicken and deliciously rich sauce. All in all I would definitely say go if you can afford the prices. The beer is worth the trip alone, but the food is good enough to warrant a return to explore the rest of their menu. read more

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I went here with my husband and his family over my Christmas trip home. When we walked up to the hostess station to be seated, it took about 5 mins for anyone to acknowledge us. After we were seated the waiter was nice enough and came back to check on us. I got the Friday fish fry and really enjoyed it, it was the classic Wisconsin fish fry I was craving. I potato pancakes I got for my potato choice were gigantic. The only complaint my group had about the food is that the soup was not very warm. The vibe was the run of the mill, Millienial brewpub, but it's a nice addition given the other antiquated chain restaurant choices at south ridge mall. read more

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Good food. Great beer selection of their own as well as other local favorites! Upgrade your side to truffle fries... you won't be disappointed read more

What a great meal!! Hostess and service staff were extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Food absolutely on point! And their beer will rock your world!! ...And did I mention the ambiance is beautiful and sexy, but still relaxed and comfortable! Very very impressed... If you have not been, get your arse over here to check it out! ;) Cheers and Happy New Year! read more

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Pizza Near Me - Greendale, Wisconsin

Amazing service so that's a plus. The management is fast, willing to help their waitstaff, etc. The waitstaff is good so they don't really need the extra help but it's nice to see supportive mgt. The beers we had were weak. Not a whole lot of flavor and very watery. Was disappointing for a brewery but maybe if I would have tried the stouts it would have been better. Got a big pretzel - good. Shared a pizza and calzone. There was more than enough there, especially with the pretzel. Only issue was the sauce was a little more sweet for my liking. Due to this and the weak beers, a 3, maybe 3.5 read more

I could not be happier with my first experience with Explorium. Quite a drive for us, we ended up showing up about 10 min before they actually opened but we're welcomed into their amazing atmosphere joyously. The bartender shared some knowledge, some of her favorites, and talked beer with us while serving up some ridiculously good brews. The amount of taps and variety of styles they had on for how short they had been open was pretty unbelievable but only surpassed by the fact I didn't have a bad beer in the batch and we tried about 12 of them! With a trip to Iron Grate on the schedule, we opted for an appetizer instead of a full meal but the giant Milwaukee Pretzel Company was pretty much a meal itself giving me an excuse to go back sooner than later. Congrats Kyle and team on a job very, very well done. I can't wait for my second visit! read more

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New spot in Greendale It's at the mall, but locally owned. Great beer! Come taste. Im a fan of captain Kidd's IPA. They have a nice menu of good apps, and other bar food and entrees. I had a nice chopped salad. They support local festivals and schools so we should support them! read more

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Very impressed with this place. Didn't expect much from a place inside the mall. Another case of don't judge a book by its cover! Great food and drinks. Brussel sprouts are awesome, and I don't even normally eat them. Great drinks and friendly staff. read more

I visited The Explorium Brewpub in Greendale (in Southridge mall) today, 5/14/22. I visit craft breweries as a hobby (or an example of existential dread). The weather was very nice today so they had a busy outdoor dining section. The Brewpub is attached to the mall, but does have its own egress to their outdoor section. I arrived at 1250pm and it was still busy with lunch patrons. I sat at the bar and was served quickly by my bartender, Mike. I ordered a flight of four including some new selections, a golden ale, marzen, and was provided tastes of a ginger beer and lambic when I asked. Mike was an excellent server and was knowledgeable about their beers. I noted that that they also have a long list of hard seltzers. I enjoyed my selections. One selection had a surprising orange finish I didn't expect. I ordered a soup of the day which had cabbage and ground beef, as well as their fried meatballs appetizer. I was satisfied with the food; the soup reminded me of rolled cabbage rolls, while the meatballs were very well cooked and unlike anything I'd had before. The meatballs (coated and fried) were paired very well with the two sauces that came with it. Wi-Fi was easy to connect and stable. Mike provided me with several brewery stickers when asked. I was very satisfied with my visit, especially in having some unique food choices. I would recommend a visit. read more

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I had a table of ten people. We had dinner tonight around 6pm. Our server Claudia was the best. Highly recommend the Big Ass pretzel, so good! Truffle fries were amazing as well. Will definitely come back and ask for Claudia. read more

We liked pretty much everything! We opted to split food since we wanted to try appetizers and drinks. Brussels, truffle fries, and pizza were all good. I got a manhattan, my partner got a beer, and we shared a flight so we could try a couple different things, it was great. I can't remember the day of the week but they had trivia so it was nice to guess answers to the questions while we waited for food. read more

This was a nice little stop during my Milwaukee trip kind of surprised me too. First I really liked the atmosphere. Inside is fairly classy. Personally I really like the use of the outdoor patio. I wish more malls would do something like that. It gives the place more space for more patrons. Food quality met expectations, and the place was well kept including the restrooms. No gripes there either. Waiter was attentive and service speed met expectations. Drinks, price, and menu options were all pretty average. This place won't knock your socks off, but I'd still take a date here. Mmmmm yeah, I'm a fan. - 4 stars read more

Stopped for lunch (first time at the restaurant) on a Monday at 1:45 p.m. We waited over 5 minutes to get a table even though there wasn't anyone waiting because the hostess took a phone order that came in after we had been standing in front of her for several minutes. Our server, despite being the only one, was very good - she had an 8-top and several 2-tops inside, and several 2-tops outside. However, we waited an hour for two sandwiches: a burger that was served well-done despite being ordered medium and neither of us got the pickle spear advertised on the menu or the soup we ordered. Worse yet, the food was marginal. We won't be back. read more

This new by 5 years Restaurant/bar is a great place to go any day of the week..Great food, great atmosphere and nice outdoor firepit. You can go there with your family, friends or your 4 legged friend (dog).. They brew their own beer right there in the same building. Don't forget to check out the live entertainment read more