The West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe on Becher Street doesn’t fit one single mold. Instead, it’s a little bit of many restaurant types all rolled into one. Most people know it first as a retail store, and that is what it started as (I remember going there when I was young since we lived close by). But about six years ago, an eat-in cafe was added to the store. Now, it’s part coffee shop, brunch spot, bar and sandwich shop, and it wears all those hats effortlessly.
Breakfast and brunch items form the foundation of the menu and are served until closing time, which is late afternoon to early evening, depending on the day. The theme, naturally, is cheese. Breakfast skillets ($11.99) are covered in a thick blanket of melted three-cheese blend that oozes over the sides of the ceramic dish it’s served on. The basic skillet includes three meats, potatoes and eggs, while the deluxe version adds peppers, onions and mushrooms to the mix. Breakfast poutine ($9.99) is one of the more unusual items and makes a filling brunch on its own. Skin-on, crispy fries are topped with white cheese curds (of course they’re squeaky fresh), diced sausage, a heavy ladle of gravy and two eggs. Order your eggs over easy and let the yolk seep into the fries.
There are a couple items that don’t include cheese, but they’re plenty good without. The gravy served with biscuits and gravy ($9.99) is full of ground pork sausage and about as rib-sticking as you can get. (I’m sure they’d sprinkle some cheese on top if you asked nicely.) One of the lone sweet items is French toast made with Simma’s morning buns ($8.99). Those cinnamon sugar-covered morning buns are amazing but tend to be dry. French toast takes care of that problem.
For lunch, deli-style sandwiches are the star. A simple build-it-yourself tuna salad sandwich ($7.99) was one of the best I’ve ever had. Toasted wheat bread, cheddar cheese, a thick portion of tuna salad and some veggies was all I chose. But the construction and attention to detail were exemplary. The cucumbers were shaved thin and shingled on the sandwich; there were two slices of cheddar; the lettuce was used as a barrier to keep the lightly toasted bread from getting soggy; the tomato was completely ripe and the red onion mild. When you’re dealing with an item so simple as a tuna sandwich, you better get everything right, and they did. Even the homemade chips that come with every sandwich were crunchy throughout and seasoned with a light barbecue-type blend.
There’s also a long list of signature sandwiches to choose from, including a BLT ($6.99) made with bacon from Nueske’s (add turkey and a third layer to make it a clubhouse for $8.99), a grilled Reuben on rye ($8.99) and an Italian ($8.99) with five meats and olive tapenade. Nueske’s liver sausage ($6.99), a grilled roast beef ($8.99) with caramelized onion, garlic mayo and blue cheese and a homemade meatloaf sandwich ($8.99) are the more unique offerings. This is probably one of the few places you can still get the throwback grilled summer sausage sandwich ($7.99) with muenster cheese, brown mustard and onions on rye.
There are also monthly and daily specials, like the classic Cubano ($8.99) or Mexican chicken tinga with avocado and queso fresco. Many of these are inspired by the cafe’s cooks and are announced on West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe’s Facebook page.
An all-important “fried foods” section of the menu includes poutine ($6.99) in a smaller portion and without the eggs and sausage, a great rendition of deep-fried cheese curds ($5.99) and chili fries ($5.99). All go well with a Usinger’s bratwurst on a pretzel bun ($4) or a hot dog ($3).
For sharing, there are cheese and meat boards ($12+) that include various local cheeses, charcuterie, crackers and preserves. They’re great eaten with a group outdoors on the little patio.
And remember I said something about a bar? Don’t miss the opportunity to have a bloody Mary here ($9.99+). There are four different types, all made with a tangy house tomato mix. Garnishes include Nueske’s bacon, a whole hard-boiled egg, a grilled cheese slider, cheese and sausage kabob and those fried cheese curds.
While West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe is a restaurant with multiple personalities, they all come together to form a neighborhood spot that’s hopping at breakfast and lunch. There is a second location at the Milwaukee Public Market (400 N. Water St.), but, as the name suggests, the original location is where it all started, and where you should start your own cheese-filled adventure as well, and don’t forget to grab some cheese for your fridge on the way out.
