The Best Brewpubs in Milwaukee

Gathering Place Brewery - Tosa Taproom and Patio

★★★★★ 4.8 (4)

"Gathering Place Brewery's Tosa Taproom has tables (with games), a bar, and a patio in back (I think). There's no food and not a lot of atmosphere, but if you're looking for outstanding beers, this is the place. I've sampled 5 beers on 3 occasions, and all of them were winners. And...if you're looking for cheap, Gathering Place's happy hour scores high on the patented, "Kvatch's Scale of Happy-hour Happiness." If you're hungry try the new pizza joint next door, and bring your food back to Gathering Place. You'll be glad you did."

Sunshine Brewing Company

★★★★☆ 4.3 (23)

"You walk in to the warm yeasty smell of brewing beer and upbeat music (not so loud you can't hear yourself think). All the tables are high tops, there is a comfortable couch/ chairs area in the back room. The bartender is super friendly.We ordered the sheet pan nachos. Fresh, flavorful and plenty to share!"

The Lone Girl Brewing Company

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (287) • $$

"Stopped in after a bike ride on a Sunday afternoon. We love the one up in waunakee but it's kinda far for us so glad to have one here in Madison. The beer was delicious I had the Love train, great IPA it was so good I went for seconds. Same with the pizza so good we had to get another one. We just ordered the sauce pie with shredded mozzarella essentially a cheese pizza then we got the Sausage Thyme pizza to go both were excellent. I'm more of a red sauce gal which had visible chucks of tomato. Can't wait to go back and try more pizza and enjoy more delicious beers on tap. We sat on the patio and my toddler loved waving to the pedestrians and people watching. They had a couple tvs in the bar and some gambling machines including pull tabs. 5/5 recommend if you like pizza and beer!"

Wisconsin Brewing Company

★★★★☆ 4.3 (105) • $

"Great place to get together with friends and chat! Good beer selection for all taste buds. There is a merchandise store with great gear as well. Both indoor and outdoor areas are puppy friendly!They only sell drinks, but you are able to bring outside food. There are plenty of tables for you to eat at."

Big Head Brewing

★★★★☆ 3.9 (60) • $

"Nice spot to hang out and enjoy the neighborhood and chat with locals. You'll see bicyclists, joggers and people walking their dogs or puppies. These healthy folks deserve this brewery. Although I do have to keep quiet about my Bears loyalty whilst here. I can't wear, let's say a Bears shirt or my Bears hat. Lol!!They have a very good beer selection and you'll notice that they rotate their line-up which means that sometimes, there won't be a sour beer that's available. But that's ok, they still have a lot to choose from. And I've never had a bad beer here. There's plenty of seating inside and two tables outside. They have pinball too. I guess my only complaint is I took home two crowlers and after a couple of weeks, one of the cans popped and leaked all over my dining room floor. I then put the second can and put that on my kitchen counter and that too popped (I'm such an idiot, I should have drank that second crowler), on its own and that was the second mess. I say all that to say - drink your crowlers as fast as you can. Although I had never experienced that before?? I missed out on two great beers (see pic)."

Wizard Works Brewing

★★★★★ 4.6 (57) • $$

"Everyone close to me knows I don't drink alcohol. However, I was with a group of friends that do and we were in Milwaukee killing time.Very cool place in a basement that is hard to find but is a Treasure, apparently, when you do.Well, they brew root beer! I was so happy I had three mugs of this stuff. It wasn't too sweet and very unique.All of my party enjoyed all their beers. All of them had beer flight samplers.Also, the Brewer is a magician, and he might share some cool things with you .Definitely give this place a visit you won't be disappointed whether you drink alcohol or you don't."

Hop Haus Brewing Company

★★★★☆ 3.5 (71)

"This place was so spacious and lively! There was lots of seating and an area to play slots and darts with tvs everywhere.We got seated super fast and the service was really attentive and friendly. We ordered the beer flight, nachos, pastor tacos and cheese curds.Our favorites were definitely the Sour beers and the pastor tacos - although everything was incredible. They give generous amounts of food and everything was great quality. Highly recommend!"

Layman Brewing

★★★★★ 4.6 (28)

"This was a great hole-in-the-wall find! The people were really nice, great atmosphere, super friendly bartender (Ian), and the food was fantastic. We will be back!"

Inventors Brewpub

★★★★☆ 4 (89) • $$

"This place has its act together. We went on a Saturday evening during the dinner rush. Expected to wait a long time for a table and then wait for food service. But that didn't happen. We waited at the bar and before we finished our first drink, we got seated at a table. Service was super prompt, and very polite. Food was excellent and the atmosphere was great too. It was a warmer fall day, the garage door windows were open and the view was beautiful - a dock with lots of boats. IHighly recommend."

Pilot Project Brewing - Milwaukee

★★★★☆ 4.2 (99) • $$

"Okay so I will start off by saying we aren't drinkers, and we just went for food because it was close to our hotel. But we had a really great experience here, and would visit again. The live plant wall? So cool. If you're a plant lover, you'll enjoy this place definitely. Our server was super kind, and never left us needing anything. The portion sizes were huge, and everything was super tasty. My husband did try an NA IPA that they had and said it was tasty. The only thing I would have done differently is asked for extra dressing on the salad! Honestly, no complaints about our visit. Definitely would be a fun hangout for a group."

Faklandia Brewing

★★★★☆ 4 (47) • $$

"I've been to Faklandia once before for their fish fry and apparently forgot to leave a review. No worries, cause it was good enough to come back for and gives me another chance to review it. My to go order consisted of the large fish fry and mozzarella sticks.Italian breaded mozzarella sticks are very good. So are wonton mozzarella sticks. Combined, those two types form the greatest mozzarella sticks known to mankind. The Italian breaded wonton mozzarella sticks at Faklandia are heavenly and a major reason why I will go out of my way to eat there whenever possible.The beer battered cod has an excellent ratio of batter to cod, but a little more beer in the batter would be nice. Since a large order contains three pieces, I assume a small order contains two, but why mess with only a two piece when three is an option. I don't mind getting cod if I have to, but I wish they had other choices like perch or bluegill.The potato pancakes are the other reason that I hold Faklandia's fish fry in high regard. These are the crispiest pancakes I've ever had and they have an amazing balance between potato, onion, and pepper. I LOVE these potato pancakes and wish I could have them more often."

Foxtown Brewing

★★★★☆ 3.9 (138) • $$

"Great venue to host a gathering! I attended a family-friendly event that consisted of about 50 people of all ages at this brewery. They accommodated us in a party room that was very accessible to all. (There were a few stairs involved in getting to the space)The environment was lovely and perfect for our gathering for people to either sit and eat or walk around and mingle. I had the Featured Burger, which was a Poutine Burger and it was very good! I highly recommend this location for your next gathering or to just to check out for dinner in your in the area and looking for a good restaurant to try!Enjoy!"

Torzala Brewing Company

★★★★★ 4.8 (6)

"Torzala Brewing Company in the Lincoln Warehouse (2nd floor, old Component Brewing space) is an incredibly welcoming environment with a dedication to old school brewing techniques. We visited during Gallery Night and wouldntcha know they were slammed! But service and help guiding the menu were still 10/10, all during our visit. European recipes are their forte with a nod to Milwaukee's Polish heritage with some Polish hops and beer names. The Doppleback was absolutely out of this world, but there wasn't a stinker in the lot. Tore-ZAH'-luh, say it with me!"

Central Waters Brewing Milwaukee

★★★★★ 4.5 (38) • $$

"We are out of towners without the kids!I had the Honey Blond Ale and enjoyed it a lot. Not too strong but very flavorful. Husband had the HHG and said it was very good. His second beer was Rift. The layout is super cool in an old German Methodist church. It's bright and open. The bartender was friendly. Food is a separate place: Troublemakers:They have a good option with Mexican style options. We order the loaded street corn fries and they were amazing. I got the shrimp taco special-very good because anything with pickled red onions is a win!"

Cercis Brewing Company

★★★★☆ 4.1 (26) • $$

"This is such a nice place to hang and have a really nice pint of beer! The service was fantastic and the beers were great. I also had a glass of Pinot noir which was pretty darn good. They have done such a nice job at creating a nice atmosphere here where you really want to hang out and enjoy the space. We didn't order any food however what I saw coming out to the other tables looked pretty darn good. We will absolutely come back here if we are ever in the area again. Also Carlie the bartender was welcoming and super professional!"

Dirty Dog Taphaus

★★★★★ 4.8 (14)

"What an incredible experience! We ended up here to use our token from the New Glarus Brewery and it was sooo worth it! The employees couldn't have been any nicer. The variety of options was fantastic. The concept of getting a card and pouring however much you want is great. You can take smaller pours until you find the right option. I personally loved the New Glarus raspberry beer. There is free popcorn as well as a food menu. The beer garden to the side is super cute and perfect for a summer day. There was even live music the day we were there. The live musician was very talented and elevated the experience. Thanks Dirty Dog Taphaus for the fun experience!"

1840 Brewing

★★☆☆☆ 2 (2)

"Went 4 times, and each time the beer selections dwindle. We're down to if you like only IPA, seltzer, and something called "sea foam ", this place is for you. So wanted the place to succeed, but if you like real craft beer, you will be increasingly disappointed. The darker beers are totally gone."

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale

★★★★☆ 3.8 (401) • $$

"Another 3 star experience. Bar area outside was full so we sat at a table on the patio and only ordered Bloody Mary's. Their Bloody Mary was solid and the patio was nice. Server was sweet but drinks took a very long time to come out."

Vintage Brewing - Cross Plains

★☆☆☆☆ 1 (1)

"I got food poisoning with 12 hours of vomiting and diarrhea. Suspect it was Bacillus cereus or Staphylococcus aureus (bacteria)"

East Troy Brewery

★★★★☆ 3.6 (108) • $$

"We arrived on an 80 degree Sunday in late October an hour before they closed, we were welcomed warmly by a young gentleman. The patio was full and a lot of dogs just chillin out- I had to try their Octoberfest beer which did not disappoint, it is full of flavor and did not disappear after going down- I had the Americana burger which was full of flavor and grilled to perfection- the bun was not overpowering- all of the help paid extra attention to Calvin and Persey, which as a dog owner, they definitely won me over- The interior is super adorable and the bathrooms are clean and updated- Definitely a place to spend your money- We will be back!"

Cary Ale House & Brewing Company

★★★★☆ 4.4 (319) • $$

"The restaurant was fairly PACKED on a Thurs night. The bartender was so sweet and made sure to take my order before the rush of people sat down.The DetailsChicken and Waffles Bites --- These were PHENOMENAL, MUST haveWinter Garden Salad w/ Shrimp -- This was alright, the shrimp was on the saltier endAnyways, I definitely recommend y'all stop by and check out this little restaurant if you're in the area."

Kenosha Brewing

★★★★☆ 3.7 (100) • $$

"My husband Robert and I took a short one hour trip away from home for 11th wedding anniversary. We decided to stop at Kenosha brewing Company because it looks like an interesting place with some good food options. There is plenty of free parking. When you walk in the restaurant to the left there is a gaming area. There are two large banquet rooms (that were both being occupied). There is a nice size bar and they brew their own beer here so there is a lot to look at. Most of the tables are high table but there are a few low. I was not able to take many pictures inside because the lighting is very dark so the food looks way better in person. We started our order off with the nacho appetizer. It was huge but very tasty they use both liquid cheese as well as shredded cheese and the pork pieces were large and very yummy I loved how they added lettuce which made them taste so fresh and delicious. We split a Reuben sandwich. It was delicious and my husband normally does not like warm sandwiches but he loved this one. We ordered the Cajun potatoes as our side and highly recommend them. It also came with a pickle. If we are out this way again we will definitely stop here without hesitation and highly recommend you give it a try."

Perspective Brewing

★★★★★ 4.6 (22)

"Great craft brewery to meet with a date or small group. Beers were good, espcailly when there are $10 flights on SundaysHad a Mushroom Stout, Beer Flight"

Black Lung Brewing - Fox Lake

★★★★☆ 4.4 (14)

"Kitchen is open. The day one menu was smashburgers and jerk chicken sandos. Good food, great variety of taps, great people. Talked to the owner, lots of cool stories and lots of heart. The whole idea of Black Lung is that his grandpa was from the coal mines in Kentucky. My family are from the area so it's a cool connection. The chef's parents stopped in for opening day too. Lovely. And there's a great view of the lake!They are not canning yet, but they are filling growlers. And they have an outdoor beer garden on the lake. Local authorities have been complaining about people walking around with open containers. Keep it respectful, people! We want a beautiful place like this to thrive. Right now the staff will bus your beer to help keep authorities happy.My favorite current taps include their Oktoberfest. It's light and refreshing and gently spiced. I also loved Left Fork, a Kentucky Common. It's is a brown beer, halfway between a brown ale and a schwarzbier if that helps.Locals over and over keep walking in and yelling for "the closest thing you have to Miller Lite". Love that you're participating but c'mon. It's like taking your kids to a restaurant and they order McDonald's. They have a few taps in the range of an American Lager or a Blonde Ale, depending on your tastes. They have a big menu that describes all the taps. Or ask for a sample flight! The staff will be happy to work with you. And they have so many other choices! Find a new favorite. Plus right now the Oktoberfest is very good, and pairs amazingly with the food."

Water Street Brewery Grafton

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (289) • $$

"I left the last star off because while this was a really good meal, it did not show me anything spectacular, but just really good. And the service was just fine except we got our requested water after we finished eating.After beach combing at Lion's Den Gorge we stopped for lunch at about 1:30 on a Sunday afternoon. We were surprised at how busy it was which tells us the food must be good. This is correct and all four of us enjoyed our meals. We had never tried the Scotch Egg so gave it a try. Interesting taste but not anything we felt we needed to spend the $ on next time. But the burgers, grilled cheese and Short Rib Panini were all great choices. And the fries are great! The servings are generous and even gave us some leftovers for snacking at home later. And be sure to try the house-brewed root beer- really great tasting!Over all we were satisfied and will consider returning when we are in the area again. Lots of parking and wheelchair accessible.I took pictures as we started being served and then forgot because when the food came I was too hungry to think of anything but eating! But the dishes were a nice presentation."

Central Waters Brewing Milwaukee

★★★★★ 4.5 (38) • $$

"We are out of towners without the kids!I had the Honey Blond Ale and enjoyed it a lot. Not too strong but very flavorful. Husband had the HHG and said it was very good. His second beer was Rift. The layout is super cool in an old German Methodist church. It's bright and open. The bartender was friendly. Food is a separate place: Troublemakers:They have a good option with Mexican style options. We order the loaded street corn fries and they were amazing. I got the shrimp taco special-very good because anything with pickled red onions is a win!"

The Explorium Brewpub Third Ward

★★★★☆ 4.2 (211) • $$

"What a super great place for eats and a HUGE selection of drinks!! And merchandise galore!! The staff was super kind and friendly!! You owe it to yourself to stop here!"

Dead Bird Brewing

★★★★★ 4.5 (49) • $$

"Wanted to check out a couple of breweries in the area, and this spot was a nice, low-key start. The service was decent--the bartender was friendly, though they didn't offer much info about the beers or their unique qualities. I liked that they had games to play while enjoying some brews and good company. It's a relaxed place to hang out, sip on some solid beers, and enjoy some old-school games. Good spot to chill!"

Water Street Brewery Lake Country

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (178) • $$

"We stopped on a week night, and the place wasn't exactly hopping. We sat at the bar and was waited on by a very pleasant bartender who promptly gave us menus. We ordered a couple salads and a Buffalo cauliflower appetizer. Cauliflower appetizer was large. Food was okay, nothing outstanding. We also had a good pale ale from their extensive beer list."

Tumbled Rock Brewery & Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4 (217) • $$

"Stopped by Tumbled Rock after a day of hiking. Both the Kitchen and Brewery side were packed as it was colder weather and no one was on the patio. After checking in, we were told the wait would be 20-25 minutes. Our buzzer went off after 8 minutes! Score! After perusing the drink menu, we tried a variety of beers as well as a local white wine. The fan favorite beers were the Oktoberfest and Triple IPA. The white wine was really well received as well! For food, we got a variety of handhelds. I got the BLTA which the bacon wasn't cooked as requested and was missing the aioli sauce. My mom got the Hot Chicken Sandwich which was not spicy at all. Meat was flavorful and the sandwich was huge. My dad got the Birria Torta which was also huge and had great flavor. My fiancé got the Wagyu Burger which was straight forward meat patty, blue cheese, and a bun. He wished there were more toppings to enhance the flavor. While I am rating my visit a 4/5, I would still highly recommend making a stop to try out Tumbled Rock. It's a great spot in the Baraboo area and is great for any time of year."

Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (227) • $$

"This is a 3.5 star place, there are so many options of foods on the menu that it can take you a while to figure out what you want so it's a lot more. And it did take some time to get our food with one of our guests not receiving his food when all of ours came out. It was not too busy but I think as everyone says the service is about 3 star. The location and ambiance is good, not like State St. But the large portions and options are there. Fried cheese curds were ok. I think this place makes sense to loyal Great Dane patrons and those that want a simple but not quick meal."

Rebellion Brewing

★★★★☆ 3.9 (37) • $$

"Fantastic! Thank you Yelp fam. These Bloody Mary's rock, spicy and excellent! Oh, they include beer tasters, too. So we got to taste and that Speaker of the House IPA is great! The music is excellent classic rock, the free popcorn with multiple seasonings, the indoor and outdoor restrooms, the ample riverside seating and the lovely service, we will be back. Thank you!"

Full Mile Beer Co & Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4 (140) • $$

"Our biggest question after dining here was: "Why didn't we come here sooner?!" This is an excellent brewpub in Sun Prairie, an easy trip for us on the east side. Our server Kacy was the BEST! Friendly, attentive, and provided great suggestions. We got the cheese curds, pickle burger and french onion soup! The cheese curds here might be my new fave, light, crispy, and melty cheesy goodness.Excellent tap list and cocktail list. We definitely enjoyed our flights. The Lazy Bones coffee cream ale was the best!"

Third Space Innovation Brewhouse

★★★☆☆ 2.5 (6)

"I live very close to this new place. It was promoted in the news before it opened that it would be a nice sit down restaurant. Its not. Its primarily a bar with 17 kinds of beer on tap and a very small bar food menu. While the food was good we were disappointed in the small selection. Its not a sports bar with only a few small tv's. Whats worse was the seating. This is primarily a beer bar that will make (or not) its money based on customers sitting and drinking for awhile. Not too many are going to hang out on wood seats and benches that have no padding and are uncomfortable to sit in after about 30 minutes. After eating i was happy to get up and go! And no servers. You want something you go up to the counter and order it. Someone will bring it to your table. But its not what we hoped for or expected. If you like drinking beer and don't care about your comfort then this may be the place for you. Menomonee Falls has had some nice sit down restaurants in the past. Sadly they are all gone with the exception of Olive Garden.I wish this place luck. After the newness dies down it will be interesting to see if it can survive the negative aspects of seating, small menu, and no servers.If you want a brewhouse with a great menu, servers, and comfortable seating try BJ'S Brewhouse on Bluemound Road."