Juliet famously wondered, “What’s in a name?” Well, the patrons of Lee’s Luxury Lounge (2988 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.)—the most aptly named bar I’ve ever visited—would have a pretty good answer.
Let’s start with the “lounge”: Lee’s features one of the most laid-back, positive atmospheres of any watering hole in Milwaukee. This is in part because of the way it’s laid out, with three tiers separating the bar. The lowest tier is where you’ll find the bar and the jukebox; the middle tier has several tables and a ridiculously comfortable L-shaped couch; and the upper tier serves as a sort of game room, with darts, two pool tables and a couple of Skee-Ball machines available to help patrons pass the time. The Skee-Ball machines, which spit out tickets based on the thrower’s score, has been a huge draw for myself and my friends—we’re all saving up tickets for a T-shirt, although the more casual player can redeem tickets for candy or free drinks. However, if games of chance are more your thing, the bartenders are always up for a game of bar dice. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been to Lee’s and not been privy to at least one tense game.
If you’re going to Lee’s for the luxury—maybe lounging is a secondary concern for you—then I’ll suggest you have a seat on the aforementioned L-shaped couch, after grabbing a drink, of course. Lee’s boasts 10 taps and around 80 bottles of beer—mostly American microbrews with some British and Belgian thrown in for variety. They consistently feature brews from established Wisconsin stalwarts like New Glarus Brewing, Central Waters Brewing Company and Ale Asylum, but have also been giving over taps to solid up-and-coming breweries like Bay View’s Enlightened Brewing Company. They will cheer you with hard-to-find beers on occasion—this summer, I was pleasantly surprised to see a 2013 vintage Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale draft at a reasonable price! Lee’s is not the first place a beer snob might think to visit, but between the surprise of a classic beer on tap and a bottle selection larger than your grocery store’s, it’s a spot absolutely worth keeping an eye on.
Of course, any review of Lee’s would be remiss in failing to mention the décor, which manages to be both luxurious and give off the unmistakable feel of a lounge. The wood-paneled walls with old beer signs and weird paintings give an evening at Lee’s a fun drinking-in-your-uncle’s-basement vibe that’s perfect for a relaxing night out, or, as Juliet might put it, a slice of “dear perfection.”
