The young Fiserv Forum has been a generally well-received addition to Downtown and is sparking some of the revitalization that everyone hoped for. Throngs of people head to games, concerts and other events at the arena and adjoining entertainment block, and many are looking for places to get a drink beforehand. Next time you're thirsty, head to one of these bars and restaurants within a two-block radius of the Fiserv. This spring, two more places will open in the area, Drink Wisconsinbly and The MECCA.
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Photo Credit: Kelsey Lawson
1983 Arcade Bar
1110 N Old World 3rd St, City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203Arcades have grown up along with the millennials that frequented them in childhood. Now, they all have bars so you can drink while you wax nostalgic and beat the high score in Galaga. At 1983, the drink menu is inexpensive and spans from Hamm's to Toppling Goliath's Pseudo Sue. Cocktails and shots are sweet and brightly colored, and there's a supply of Red Bull so you can hop from pinball machine to Pac-man all night.
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Ale Asylum Riverhouse
With a large covered patio overlooking the river, Ale Asylum Riverhouse is a great place to spend the afternoon enjoying the breeze. Brews from Madison-based Ale Asylum are on tap, but if you're more of a hard liquor fan there's more than 40 whiskeys, a couple dozen bourbons and a selection of Wisconsin spirits. The gastropub menu features a popular meaty poutine and steak frites with homemade steak sauce.
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Buck Bradley's Saloon & Eatery
Buck Bradley's feels homey and comfortable, with its brick walls, plush banquettes, and famously long wood bar. This building and saloon has a long history, and you can feel it in its atmosphere that's unique in this strip of bars. Dining rooms and pool rooms are separated from the main bar, sometimes by red theater curtains. The food and drinks may be no-frills, but it's all made with care and better than average.
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Cantina
The best spot for tequila lovers in the vicinity, Cantina has more than 100 tequilas and smoky mezcals. Try them in margaritas—both on the rocks and frozen—cocktails like palomas, or choose from a number of different flights highlighting various aspects of the spirit. Tacos make up the bulk of the food menu, with flavors from a Greek Freak-inspired wonton version to jerk seasoned pork carnitas.
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Carson's Milwaukee
301 W Juneau Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203If you're feeling swanky before a Bucks game, Carson's should be your first stop. The sleek bar area is upscale but not pretentious, so you won't feel out of place sipping a martini in your #34 jersey. A happy hour menu includes substantial plates like a quarter rack of ribs for $5, plus deals on beer, wine and martinis.
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Photo Credit: Nick Kudrys
Glass + Griddle
Glass + Griddle is a modern beer hall in the Milwaukee Brewing Co. complex. A live plant wall, atrium skylights and huge garage door windows give the effect of being inside a greenhouse. About half of the 20 draft beers are MKE Brewing, while the others are mostly local. A small cocktail menu is mostly classics, with Manhattan and old fashioned variations. Food spans everything from pizza dip to falafel sandwiches.
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Mader's
Everyone knows Mader's as the place to get great German food but don’t forget: you can stop for a couple of drinks. The bar, which feels a bit like a castle, even has its own name, Knights Bar, thanks to the antique suits of armor in the window. You can't go wrong with one of their German beers, but there's also a primo cocktail menu and even ice cream drinks like grasshoppers.
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Major Goolsby's
340 W. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203If you're looking for a no-frills, hardcore sports bar near the Fiserv, then Major Goolsby's is your place. It's been around since before Old World Third became a hangout strip and will get crowded before and after events at the Fiserv just like it did with the Bradley Center. There are about a million TVs tuned to many different channels, so no worries on whether you'll be able to see your obscure team. Pitchers of macro beers are the norm, but there's some local micros too. Big, flat burgers and all sorts of deep-fried bar snacks are crowd pleasers.
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Milwaukee Brat House (Downtown)
As with most of the bars on this stretch of Old World Third, the Milwaukee Brat House is long and narrow, and dimly lit because of it. A tin ceiling, lots of worn dark wood and stained-glass lamps give this spot a vintage, collegiate feel. Plenty of TVs above the bar and great happy hour specials attract more than just late-night bar hoppers, as does the crowded shuttles to various sporting events. The namesake brats from Usinger's across the street are hard to beat, especially when topped with jalapeno popper mac and cheese.
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Oak Barrel Public House
1033 N Old World 3rd St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203Sophisticated but far from stuffy, Oak Barrel tends to be more mellow than some other bars on this strip of Third. Whiskey is the drink of choice here, whether it's in a cocktail, straight or in a flight. There are drink specials every day of the week, including a $4 weekly craft beer pick. The food menu is long, including whiskey-battered cheese curds and beer mac and cheese.
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Old German Beer Hall
If Mader's is the refined German bar, then Old German Beer Hall is its raucous, energetic cousin. Everything emulates the Hofbräuhaus in Munich, from the heavy glass liters of beer to the personal steins for regulars. Order some wurst from the traditional menu and wash it down with a beer and soda cocktail. The more you drink, the better you get at hammerschlagen.
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Point Burger Express
An outpost of Point Burger Bar, the Express location features a small bar area surrounded by TVs plus a side room with bar games. The menu has received the fast-food treatment, right down to an order counter topped by electronic menu boards. Sixteen taps are available along with growlers to go and a full bar. Milkshakes with alcohol added like the macadamia nut mocha are a sweet treat.
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Punch Bowl Social
Billed as an adult playground, the Denver-based Punch Bowl Social is spread out over two floors in the entertainment block. The huge space includes multiple bowling alleys, arcade games, karaoke and ping pong, with numerous bars to keep customers hydrated. Craft cocktails and shareable punch bowl-sized drinks are the norm but there's also a focus on non-alcoholic beverages like "mocktails" and kombucha.
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Tavern at Turner Hall
The Tavern inside Turner Hall is a swanky, old-school retreat for sports fans. The centerpiece of the space is the Palm Room, which has high wood ceilings, antique upholstered leather couches, and the "SIDNEY HIH" sign that used to grace that building. A frenetic happy hour includes $1, $2 and $3 drink specials in intervals of over an hour. A large international menu has plenty of shareables, burgers and entrees.
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The Loaded Slate
1137 N Old World 3rd St., Milwaukee, WisconsinNo matter the day of the week, Loaded Slate will have a drink or food special for you. This is a feel good, play games, hang out all day type of bar, with every surface coated in sports and pop culture ephemera. A weekend brunch makes this a good spot for non-primetime events, plus the extra-long happy hour goes until 7 p.m. or later.
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The Pub Club
1103 N Old World 3rd St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203A pub and restaurant by day, Pub Club turns into a full-blown dance club at night, complete with DJs, LED dance floor and fog machines. The backdrop for all of it is the color-changing, windowed keg cooler behind the bar that help sets the mood. A drink menu is made up of crowd pleasers like mojitos and sangria, while the food menu focuses on playful shareables, sandwiches and a giant corn dog for good measure.
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Trio
Trio gets its name from the fact that it takes up three floors. The first is a relaxed restaurant and bar, the second is a lounge with ping pong tables and the third is a rooftop bar and patio usually rented out for parties. Besides a typical beer menu and some sweet cocktails, there's also frozen drinks like blue Hawaiian, lending it a party-like, high-energy atmosphere, especially late at night.
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Truth Lounge
Truth is where you go when you're looking for something to do after a Fiserv event. The lounge hosts DJs, karaoke and “anything goes” art performance nights on the regular. And if there's no party swinging, there's hookah and bar games. A large menu of signature cocktails and a small menu of bar food favorites like wings and spinach dip are available.
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Uber Tap Room & Cheese Bar
If cheese is what you're after before an event, head to Uber Tap Room, an extension of the Wisconsin Cheese Mart that's often overlooked. Loaded grilled cheese sandwiches and numerous cheese boards complement the 30 tap beers and six nitros. Drink specials are offered every day of the week, including a happy hour with $2, $3 and $4 prices. Digs are simple, bright and comfortable.
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Ugly's Pub
1125 N. Old World 3rd St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203On the main floor at Ugly's, you'll find an industrial-chic modern bar, complete with Edison light bulbs and horizontal wood paneling. But the real magic is upstairs, where a second bar is encased in a greenhouse-like room that opens on to a large, lounge-like patio overlooking Downtown. As long as there's not a blizzard, the patio is one of the nicest spots on Third.
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Who's on Third
It's not uncommon to see a table stacked with empty PBR tallboys at Who's on Third, especially before a Brewers game when customers use this as a stand-in for tailgating and hop on the shuttle. Unlike some sports bars, the memorabilia decor is more restrained, and you'll be able to view a TV from anywhere in this bar. The drink menu is utilitarian, but the food menu is large, including some very good crispy cheese curds.
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