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Milwaukee is a surprisingly fun city on the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s got lots of attractions, historic sites, and scenic spots to discover.
Introduction to Milwaukee
Historically, several different Native American tribes have called Milwaukee home. French missionaries and traders passed through the area in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The first resident of European descent was Alexis Laframboise, who built a trading post in 1785.
The city is a combination of three settlements. First, in 1818, French fur trader Solomon Juneau (1793-1856) founded Juneau’s Side, or Juneautown, and began attracting more settlers. Byron Kilbourn (1801-1870) then established Kilbourntown west of the Milwaukee River. It became a major rival with Juneautown. He was followed by George H. Walker (1811-1866), who claimed land to the south of the Milwaukee River in 1834 and built a log house in 1834. The area became known as Walker’s Point.
The rivalry of the three towns was intense, culminating in the Milwaukee Bridge War of 1845. Finally, on January 31, 1846, the towns combined to incorporate as the City of Milwaukee. Solomon Juneau was elected its first mayor.
The influx of German immigrants brought Milwaukee a strong brewing tradition. By 1856, there were over two dozen breweries, mostly owned by Germans. It was the largest beer producer in the world until the 1980s. The city also grew as an important tanning and manufacturing center in the 19th century.
Today, Milwaukee is a city well-known for its brewing industry and as a center of German-American heritage. It’s got a great cultural and sports scene and has some excellent restaurants. My experience with Milwaukee, however, is limited. On a short weekend trip with a group of 8 friends, we ended up spending the day eating and drinking at a few different places.
Diversity in Milwaukee
Huge waves of immigrants from Germany began arriving between 1845 and 1855, followed by other waves between 1865 to 1873 and again from 1880 to 1893. By 1900, 34% of the city had a German background, and Milwaukee became known as the most German city in America.
African-Americans migrated from the South and Chicago throughout the 20th century. There are also strong Polish, Italian, Irish, Greek, Croatian, Serbian, and Mexican communities, among others. Despite the high level of diversity, Milwaukee continues to be one of the country’s most segregated cities.
Lakefront Brewery
Our main stop in Milwaukee was Lakefront Brewery, where we were able to try several different beers as well as take a brewery tour. There’s also a restaurant serving all kinds of sandwiches, sausages, and snacks. We enjoyed both the beer and the tour with our very enthusiastic and funny guide.
Tours cost US$16 from Friday to Sunday and US$13 from Monday to Thursday (as of October 2024). We went on a Saturday, and because they aren’t in production on weekends, we were able to go through the entire brewery. The tour lasted about 45 minutes and included a free pint glass and 4 six-ounce beers – a great deal! Kids are welcome on the tour but must be accompanied by an adult. You can book ahead on the website.
Where to Eat in Milwaukee
You’re guaranteed to find some great restaurants in town.
Sobelmans
After driving up from Chicago, we all met at the original Sobelmans, a popular bar and burger joint at 1900 W. St. Paul Ave. They’re famous for pub food, gigantic Bloody Mary drinks, and burgers.
We started off with some appetizers and each of us got a Bloody Mary. The drinks were amazing and bigger than we ever imagined. Mine was the “smaller” Masterpiece and included a slider. John had the biggest one, The Beast, and included several bacon-wrapped chicken skewers and cheese balls, sliders, veggies, and shrimp. It was so big, people were coming from other tables to take pictures. For another US$5, however, he could’ve gotten The Bloody Beast, which comes with a whole fried chicken.
Our burgers were just ok. We were expecting better for all the hype. I had The Loser while others chose the Double Sobleman, The Big SOB, and The Hangover.
Five O’Clock Steakhouse
For dinner, we visited Five O’Clock Steakhouse, which has been around since 1946 and offers some of the best steaks in Wisconsin. The best part for me is that they refuse to cook steaks well-done, as stated on the menu. Most of us had the ribeye and we were all satisfied with both our meals and the appetizers.
Mad Rooster Cafe
We had planned to eat breakfast at the Mad Rooster Cafe in West Milwaukee, but by the time we got there it was an hour long wait. Unfortunately, we replaced it with the IHOP down the street.
