Stubby’s Pub & Grub’s Milwaukee River Views

Now that theseemingly endless construction project on the Humboldt Avenue Bridge has come to aclose, life is beginning to return to the neighborhood. Two restaurants, Bayouand Good Life, went out of business during construction, but their spaces won’tremain empty. In the spot of Good Life, a casual Mexican restaurant named BelAir Cantina is due to open in mid-September. The Bayou location has already reopenedunder new ownership as Stubby’s Pub & Grub. In Australia, “stubby” is slang for abottle of beerthe term is appropriate here, as the focus is as much on beer asit is on food.

Stubby’s interior isless formal than Bayou’s thanks to the addition of barn boards and some taverngames. At this time of year, just head straight for the spacious outdoor deckoverlooking the Milwaukee River. Although viewsmostly consist of condominiums and a McMansion across the river, there areoccasional surprises. A red fox has been spotted patrolling the grounds and oneday a green heron was seen stalking its prey. Nature meets the city on thisoutdoor deck.

Two menus willarrive at your table. The larger one is the beer list. Stubby’s offers morethan 50 beers on tap, mostly domestic microbrews. The alcoholic content of thetappers is listed, which is helpful since some of these approach 10%. The newLakefront Fixed Gear red ale, brewed just a short distance downstream, checksin at 6.5%. The other menu lists the food, which includes light fare plusentrees that dabble in a bit of barbecue.

The deck seems likea perfect spot for a platter of oysters ($14.95)a dozen raw oysters on thehalf shell served over ice. The selection varies, so you might find tinyKumamotos from the Pacific Northwest or larger ones from Maine. In addition to a standard redcocktail sauce is mignonette sauce, a French blend of red wine vinegar andshallots.

Asian-style beef($10.95) almost works. Thin slices of beef are served over an Asian cabbageslaw with crushed peanuts, cucumbers and carrots. But marinating the beef withextra virgin olive oil does not fit the “Asian” description, and the marinadestill leaves the beef a bit tough. The crab rolls ($10.95), described as“exquisitely seasoned,” hint that it might be best to bypass Asian food here.The rolls are served in crisp rice papers, but the filling is pureed slurrythat tastes like a starchy surimi. Skip it.

The sandwiches, onthe other hand, generally fare well. The catfish tacos ($11.95), a play on theMexican variety, include corn tortillas, blackened catfish, tasty pico degallo, cumin-chive crema and chopped leaf lettuce. The flavors make for aninteresting experiment. Be sure to try the shrimp po’ boy ($11.50), anappropriate hoagie roll filled with jumbo shrimp in a cornmeal crust, shreddedlettuce and balsamic marinated tomatoes. The addition of capered mayonnaisecompletes this compelling sandwich.

Stubby’s entreeshint at the Southern fare served by its predecessor, Bayou. The rack o’ ribs($17.95-$23.95), with Memphis-style preparation, feature very lean ribs coveredin a tangy barbecue sauce. That sauce also appears on the barbecue meatloaf($12.95), which is served over mashed potatoes. The slices of meatloaf aretopped with delightful, hair-thin onion straws with a hint of batter.

Sandwiches andentrees include a choice of side items. The coleslaw is fine with the barbecuefood, and the spiral pasta mac ’n’ cheese is good.

Overall, the foodand prices seem a little uneven. The onion straws are great and the shrimp po’boy is fine, but the crab rolls need improvement. A dozen kumamoto oysters for $14.95 is a good deal,but a $13.95 chicken wing appetizer seems too pricey. What is consistent,however, is good servicenot to mention a great outdoor deck and an excellentlist of microbrews.

Stubby’s Pub &Grub

2060 N. Humboldt Ave.

414-763-6324

$$

Credit Cards: AllMajor

Handicap Accessible

Stubbyspubandgrub.com