Photo Credit: High Stakes Ribbon-Cutting by Melissa Miller
A wave of new restaurants is ushering in Downtown’s next era of momentum. From luxury lounges and upscale steakhouses to casual cafes, several much-anticipated destinations recently opened their doors or are set to welcome their first customers by early fall.
Add these new dining destinations to your next visit!
80 Proof Milwaukee
782 N. Jefferson Street
With an expected debut this fall, this chicken and seafood restaurant will bring Southern-style entrees, sandwiches, and sides to the former Experts Only and Barrel Burrito spaces.
The Back Door
767 N. Front Street
Known for its craft cocktails, this newly opened speakeasy located in an alley off Mason Street, is a luxe lounge where guests enter using a door code. Personalized codes are sent to reservation holders, while walk-ins can request entry through the intercom.
bb.q Chicken
222 E. Erie Street
Activating the former Char’d space in the Historic Third Ward, this popular Korean fried chicken chain opened its doors in early September.
Café Colada
782 N. Jefferson Street
Opening this fall in the former Classy Girl Cupcakes space, this Cuban-inspired coffeehouse will serve coffee, breakfast, and lunch by day before transforming into a Caribbean-style bar at night. Its all-day menu will include burritos, croquetas, empanadas, and more.
Clutch Sandwich Co.
275 W. Wisconsin Avenue
A new addition to 3rd Street Market Hall, Clutch Sandwich will bring deli-style sandwiches to the food hall by mid-September.
Green Thumb Salad Spot
275 W. Wisconsin Avenue
Also opening at 3rd Street Market Hall in mid-September, Green Thumb Salad Spot will offer customizable salads and other signature blends to customers seeking healthy fare.
High Stakes by Bartolotta
1030 N. Water Street
This much-anticipated Bartolotta Restaurants steakhouse, which opened on September 17, delivers on old-school charm and new-school flair and is building more momentum in the Water Street corridor. It opened in tandem with the Peacock Lounge, the restaurant’s pre-and-post dinner cocktail destination.
Il Ponte
818 E. Mason Street
The Lupi & Iris team of Chef Adam Siegel and his wife Daria Aitken-Siegel’s New York-style Italian restaurant opened on September 15 on the first floor of Northwestern Mutual’s North Office Building.
SportClub
750 N. Jefferson Street
Now under new leadership and ownership, this popular sports pub hangout reopened in late June.
Streamer Coffee Co.
325 E. Mason Street
A new coffee shop is opening in the Colby Abbot Building as Streamer Coffee’s first location outside of Japan. Known for its latte art, the company will bring baristas from Japan to train employees in free-pour techniques.
Until Mae
801 N. Jefferson Street
Anticipated to open in early fall, this contemporary steakhouse will offer fresh seafood, house-made pasta, and a familiar focaccia recipe across from Cathedral Square Park.
UPPA YARD
1123 N. Water Street
This family-owned restaurant opened its doors in August at its larger downtown location, where it continues serving authentic Jamaican cuisine.
The Vig
909 E. Michigan Street
Opened on September 12, this 1950s-themed sports parlor debuted on the second floor of The Couture, marking the Chicago-based Legacy Hospitality Group’s first Milwaukee venture.
Wella
217 N. Broadway
The Historic Third Ward welcomed a modern twist on Thai cuisine with the addition of Wella in the former Bavette La Boucherie space in early September.
