Best of Milwaukee 2025 Winners: Out and About

All-Ages Venue/Live Music Venue/Rock Club

Cactus Club

cactusclubmilwaukee.com

Once a meeting place for an Italian anarchist book club and Prohibition parties, Cactus Club is an artist-run, queer-owned performance venue and cultural hub in Bay View celebrated for its deep community ties and commitment to inclusive values. (Ben Slowey)

Arcade/Gaming 

Up-Down Arcade

updownarcadebar.com/milwaukee

Up-Down Arcade is a bar that leans heavy into eighties and nineties nostalgia with more than 60 classic arcade games, Nintendo 64 gaming, skee-ball alleys, pinball machines and more spread across two levels with a patio. The bar offers decent pizza along with a typical menu of beers, cocktails and a handful of non-alcoholic options to pair with a night of games and friendly competition.  (Caroline Dannecker)

Art Studio/Classes:

Cream City Clay

7105 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis

creamcityclay.com

Curious about the process or want to resume your creative urge? Cream City Clay offers a beautiful studio, quality equipment and a contagious creative environment to create ceramic art, pottery and sculpture. The studio provides a space where students and studio artists can grow artistically wherever they are starting from in a fun and friendly atmosphere. (Blaine Schultz)

Attraction for Out of Town Guests

Milwaukee Art Museum

mam.org

The soaring spire of the museum’s addition by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava became Milwaukee’s symbol. The Milwaukee Art Museum has a strong permanent collection at its base, spanning the ancient world through just yesterday, and hosts significant traveling exhibitions throughout the calendar year. (David Luhrssen)

Axe Bar

AXE MKE

axemke.com  

AXE MKE wins one of our more niche categories, Best Axe Throwing Bar. The lumberjackian facility has crafted a bar experience wrapped around this Northern recreational forte, serving up brews and bites alongside twelve axe-throwing lanes. Located on the East Side, AXE MKE offers regular events such as their blacklight Glow & Throw sessions, party reservations, as well as league axe throwing at their sister locations. (Julia Watt)

Bar on a Budget

The Newport

facebook.com/TheNewport/BayView

Meat raffles, charity events, block parties—for over 20 years The Newport has been a good neighbor in the heart of Bay View. Need a review? “Great service by some great bartenders at a place that doesn't cost a fortune. Really easygoing friendly crowd plus there's a great outside patio area.” (Blaine Schultz)

Bar for Quiet Conversation/Cocktail Lounge/Romantic Bar

At Random

atrandommke.com

Its retro-sophisticated vibe underscores the fun of a visit to this evening only lounge (5 p.m. if you’re checking the time). Since 1964, At Random has been providing drinks made with its secret ingredients. (Harry Cherkinian)

Bar with a Patio/Mocktail Selection/Old Fashioned

Boone & Crockett

boonemilwaukee.com

"Pretentious Drinks Without the Pretentiousness" is the motto at this north woods-themed cocktail bar in Walker's Point, whose large outdoor patio with DJs and a taco truck and beautiful view of the Milwaukee River make it the perfect summer destination in town. (Ben Slowey)

Bar to be Seen In/Hotel Lounge

The Bar at Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel

saintkatearts.com  

A repeat winner for classy imbibing, The Bar is nestled conveniently in Milwaukee’s Theater District, making it an ideal choice for a pre-show beverage. They host a rotating lineup of specialty cocktails, local coffee, THC seltzers, fine wines and craft beers. Enjoy live music every night of the week starting at 5 p.m. (Julia Watt)

Bar to Watch Soccer

Nomad World Pub

nomadworldpub.com

On Saturdays and Sundays, the Nomad World Pub is open early for Premier League soccer. That should offer an indication of the pub’s dedication to the sport known as football to the rest of the world. Originally a Schlitz tavern, since 1995 the neighborhood mainstay has anchored the corner of Brady and N. Warren streets, hosting block parties during the World Cup. (Benjamin Dover) 

Beer Garden

South Shore Terrace

southshoreterrace.com  

South Shore Terrace gives German biergartens a hearty nod and takes our local beer culture up a notch, pairing Milwaukee-inspired food with local and imported drafts. Perhaps above all, South Shore Terrace is just far enough from downtown to offer a beautiful vista of Lake Michigan and the scenic Milwaukee skyline, graced by sailboat flotillas from the neighboring community yacht club. (Julia Watt)

Bloody Mary

Sobelman’s

sobelmanspubandgrill.com

Sobelman’s Bloody Marys are a drink and “meal” with those over-the-top toppings: Colby jack cheese, a pickled Polish sausage, a pickled mushroom, a pickled Brussels sprout, an asparagus, a celery stalk, a green onion, and on another toothpick a shrimp, a lemon wedge, and a grape tomato. (Harry Cherkinian)

Brewers Shuttle/Sports Bar

Steny’s

stenystavern.com

Brewers, check. But Steny’s will also shuttle you to the door for all Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Admirals and Marquette basketball home games. On game days the Walker’s Point corner tavern offers drink specials as well. The sports bar serves a Friday fish fry, brunch on Saturday and Sunday, as well as apps until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. (Blaine Schultz)

Brewery Tour/Milwaukee Tour

Lakefront Brewery

bakefrontbrewery.com

As one of Milwaukee's most renowned breweries, Lakefront Brewery attracts more than 80,000 people a year for its tours alone. It’s fun, friendly environment feels like peak Midwest hospitality, serving quintessential Wisconsin comfort food like fish fry and cheese curds at its very best. (Ben Slowey)

Car Show

Downtown West Allis Classic Car Show

Robert Klug’s 1970 AMC Rebel Machine took Best in Show at 2025’s Downtown West Allis Classic Car Show. With over 400 classic and custom vehicles displayed along Greenfield Avenue between 70th and 76th Streets, the afternoon event offers music, food, vendors and fun and games for the whole family. (Blaine Schultz)

Comedy Club

ComedySportz

cszmke.com  

Milwaukee’s ComedySportz, the mothership of all 20+ CSz locations, wins Best Comedy Club. Established in the 1980s, ComedySportz specializes in short form gamified improv comedy in which players compete in teams for the most laughs. These matches are complemented by in-show food and drink service right to your seat. The club also hosts a variety of long-form improv and sketch comedy shows and runs classes year-round for aspiring comedians. (Julia Watt)

Country Bar

Nashville North

nashvillenorthmke.com

While the name implies country music, Nashville North runs the gamut. The ghost of the Up and Under Pub gets conjured when blues legend Leroy Airmaster takes the stage; Tuesday’s Bluegrass Whatevers evenings feature members of Chicken Wire Empire and The Milbillies with a rotating cast of the Midwest's finest bluegrass and Americana musicians. Every Sunday evening Don Woppert handles a revolving open mic and jam night to wind down the weekend. (Blaine Schultz)

Craft Beer Selection

Sugar Maple

mysugarmaple.com

The tap beers are endless, with plenty of booze-based drinks available as well. Contributing to its low-key vibe, Sugar Maple features even features hemp-based drinks. From Slip-N-Cider to Three Sheets, if hemp is on your menu, Sugar Maple serves it up just the way you like it. (Harry Cherkinian)

Dance Club

Mad Planet

mad-planet.net  

Mad Planet returns for another victory over the Best Dance Club category. Known for their Versus Nights and Retro Dance Parties, the club fosters an inclusive environment in a funky space. Club-goers can indulge in a variety of imbibing and dancing options, with two fully stocked bars adorned with quirky mementos and trinkets, a multi-level dance floor and several comfortable lounge areas to choose from. (Julia Watt)

Happy Hour/ Trivia Night

Blackbird Bar

blackbirdbayview.com

This quaintly decorated Bay View watering hole is a great spot for team trivia, pinball, pizza, loud music and birthday parties - they've even got a photo booth! (Ben Slowey)

Hookah Lounge

Casablanca

casablancaonbrady.com

Casablanca serves some of the very best in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. And there’s literally something for every type of appetite, Casablanca does it. And the hookah lounge completes its Middle Eastern vibe. (Harry Cherkinian)

Import Beer Selection at a Bar

Cafe Hollander

cafehollander.com

Cafe Hollander is all about the beer. Or make that “bier” in the Lowlander European tradition. That means botanical breweries using a variety of herbs, spices and fruits. CH takes the art of “bierology” quite seriously. The choices suit every possible taste, including white ales, IPAs, porters. There’s even a winter white IPA using spruce needles. (Harry Cherkinian)

Irish Pub

County Clare Irish Inn & Pub

Ccuntyclare-inn.com/irish-pub

County Clare earns top billing for Best Irish Restaurant and Best Irish Pub. While of course patrons can split the G on a pint of Guinness, County Clare’s pub is well stocked with an assortment of Irish drafts, whiskeys, and warm boozy drinks. Their restaurant serves brunch and dinner, mingling Irish classics like bangers & mash and corned beef platters with local standbys, such as an excellent Friday fish fry. Enjoy live Irish music every Thursday and Friday. Sláinte! (Julia Watt)

Jazz Club

Caroline’s Jazz Club

facebook.com/carolinesjazzclub

For those seeking the cool, retro nostalgic atmosphere of live jazz, Caroline’s is where you want to go. Local performers combine with an intimate atmosphere to make it all upbeat and personal. (Harry Cherkinian)

Karaoke Bar

Amped

ampedmke.com

Amped offers private suite karaoke and spaces for meetings and events. Amped also programs Game Show MKE where you can live out your daytime television fantasies, compete in trivia and tests of skill. (Blaine Schultz)

Margarita

Botanas

botanasoriginal.com

Botanas has been serving up all manner of Mexican cuisine on Milwaukee’s South Side for over 20 years. And given its extensive menu, there’s always something else to try with each return visit. Their superb Magaritas are the perfect complement to a great Botanas meal. (Harry Cherkinian)

Martini

Blu

thepfisterhotel.com

Shaken? Stirred? This is the readers favorite martini go-to high up on the 23rd floor of the Pfister Hotel. Blu has all the necessary ingredients whether you like it wet or dry. And then there’s those amazing views of Milwaukee and Lake Michigan. Sit back. And sip the night away. (Harry Cherkinian)

Microbrewery/Taproom/Pet-Friendly Establishment

Ope! Brewing

opebrewingco.com

This West Allis craft brewery leans into Midwest culture and charm with a massive taproom and dog-friendly atmosphere. Serving lagers that hit “like a Packers touchdown,” Ope! has made itself a community hub with its rambunctious trivia nights, live music and rotating schedule of food trucks. (Ben Slowey)

Nature Center

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

schlitzaudubon.org

Milwaukee's 185-acre north-shore nature center features six miles of hiking trails through prairies, wetlands and forests in addition to tons of educational programming and various environmental conservation projects. (Ben Slowey)

New Bar (opened in 2025)

St. Francis Brewery

st.francisbrewery.com

St. Francis Brewery is back. And with a beer-forward food menu and unique beers brewed in house, it tops the list for New Bar—as well as New Restaurant. The beers on tap are reason alone to visit again and again. Try Uneven Sidewalk, a lager brewed with melon rind and honey, or Permit Pending, a pale ale featuring grapefruit and pine. Throw in some beer braised beef or beer can chicken, sit back, Dig in. And enjoy. (Harry Cherkinian)

Place for Family Fun 

Wisconsin State Fair

wistatefair.com

It was not all cream puffs and racing pigs in the early days of the Wisconsin State Fair. The Fair debuted in 1851 on a six-acre plot along the Rock River in Janesville. Admission was 10 cents and attendance reached between 13,000 and 18,000. It was the largest reported gathering in Wisconsin history at the time. As a cultural melting pot, today’s Fair is among the best people-watching events you will find. (Benjamin Dover)

Travel Getaway (Best Way Out of Town)

Mitchell international Airport

mitchellairport.com

It’s been over a century that air travel has been possible in Milwaukee. Mitchell first started out as Hamilton Airport in 1920. By 1941 Mitchell Field had landed, eventually becoming General Mitchell international Airport in 1986. In 2024, 6.3 million passengers used the airport. And we’re pretty sure a lot of it has to do with getting out of town when the snow flies for where the sun shines. (Harry Cherkinian)

Whiskey Selection at a Bar

The Vanguard

vanguardbar.com

This Bay View restaurant and bar brings an elevated approach to Milwaukee's beer-and-brat tradition, offering house-made sausages and shareables with vegan options as well as an extensive brew, cocktail, bourbon and whiskey list. (Ben Slowey)

Winery

Cooper’s Hawk Winery Brookfield

chwinery.com

Founded in 2005, Cooper’s Hawk Winery fully immerses its patrons into the “Napa style” experience: think on site tasting rooms, experienced staff helping with selections and wine clubs. But to complete the experience is the opportunity to add in some casual fine dining along with all those tasty tastings. Focusing on seasonal ingredients, the winery also provides a wine bin number for each dish to ensure “the perfect wine match.” (Harry Cherkinian)