The Best Dive Bars in Milwaukee

Linneman's Riverwest Inn

★★★★☆ 4.3 (23) • $

"I'm going with five stars for Linneman's because there isn't an abundance of places like it around Riverwest. Some, for sure, but Linneman's has its own special brand of dive-bar music venue. I certainly haven't enjoyed every performer I've seen in here, but the place is always very warm and welcoming. The employees are friendly, and the beers are local and super cheap. I'm always amazed at how cheap even good beers like Lakefront are here (and in Mke in general, since I live in Minneapolis). Linneman's usually has a diverse set of acts that range in style, age and aesthetic. I usually end up here with my Dad because he's come here for years and years. The cover is usually reasonable, and you never know what sort of music might be playing. I most recently went to the John Lennon tribute, which was a fundraiser against gun violence. The performers played a song or two, maybe three, and then passed the baton to the next act. There was a kaleidoscopic spectrum of bands, some old, some young, some performing big Lennon-penned Beatles hits and others more obscure, or solo stuff. I heard some good versions of Beatles classics, some pretty awful versions, and some stuff you really don't get to hear live very often, like 'Happiness is a Warm Gun', 'How Do You Sleep?' and 'I'm So Tired'. The crowd was very diverse and everyone was having a good time. Linneman's just has a very cool vibe to it and it's run by people who obviously care about music, even if they're not hosting big-name bands or putting on the most top-notch show out there. They support local music, and that's just plain cool, no matter who is playing or how good they are. Linneman's is a good default place when you're not sure what is going on around town; they usually have something going on, and whether it's summer, winter, or somewhere in between, you will feel cozy and welcome within the friendly confines of this Riverwest Inn."

Zenda Tap

★★★★☆ 4.3 (18)

"I have only set force in this place during the dark of night -- and for some reason, that is so apropos.Zenda is a hodgepodge of modest homes a post office and remains like many other Southeastern Wisconsin rural villages, a collection of well-to do people and beyond the city limits, a horizon of corn rows, silos and farms.When driving into Zenda, you can barely make out the tiny sign of the Zenda Tap which features a retro 1980s design of a burger and a frothy and overflowing mug of domestic beer. I can tell because it is yellow in color and well, the beers inside are mostly domestic. You wont find Guinness on tap here but you will almost certainly find the cheapest damn domestics here. A beer will set you back about a buck and a quarter. I have yet to experience the food; burgers, fries, and other fried Midwestern delicacies, but I must say they were so cheap it took me by surprise. You literally can, as my mom and dad used to say from their youth, buy a beer and dinner here and still get change back from a Lincoln spot.Known as a biker hangout from as far away as Milwaukee and Chicago, this middle of the nowhere "tap" is about as rural as you can get, and while that may scare some big city types, the crowd inside will be nothing but friendly. On a trip back home last Christmas, they were having a holiday party and offered us homemade food stewing in crock pots on a foldout table covered in a cheesy holiday-motif cloth. Dart board in the back, casino-style one arm bandits, a pool table and well-stocked juke.Cheers for the Zenda Tap!"

Stella's: A Cocktail Dive

★★★★☆ 4.1 (34) • $

"I was enjoying a date night with my husband. We had been to a hockey game, dinner at the 3rd Street Market Hall, and then my husband had found this spot on Yelp and thought it would be the perfect place for a nightcap.It is the absolute perfect place for a nightcap.The vibes are warm, cozy, and candlelit. The bartender was outstanding. Their cocktail menu is surprisingly wonderful. We had a lovely time. I ordered a sazerac for my first cocktail. It was wonderful. It's a little heavier on the absinthe than some folks make it so something to note if you're not an absinthe lover. My husband got a Manhattan (which I tried) and it was pitch perfect.For my second cocktail, I got the revolver--coffee forward, strong, and delicious. My husband got a last word, which I also tried, and it was a beautifully herbaceous delight. Just when we think we've tried all the great cocktail bars in the area, one sneaks up and surprises and delights.Get to it!"

Dana's Fieldhouse

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (6)

"Dana's Fieldhouse is a dive bar in the best possible way.Any dive bar with their salt should serve up stiff, reasonably priced drinks.Their whiskey Old Fashioned is stiff, cheap, and most importantly huge (served in a pint glass!).The interior is casual and, while it's listed on Yelp as a dive bar, it's clean. They have a small(ish) room in back for small parties with a couple counters, a TV, and outlets (for crockpots etc). They don't serve food, this is strictly a neighborhood watering hole. But, you can bring food into their back room for parties etc.The service is predictably gruff (not in a bad way) and it's a strictly order-at-the-bar situation. There's bar seating as well as a few four-top high tops.It's the perfect spot for a casual night of drinking with friends. Get to it!"

The Stone

★★★★☆ 4.2 (33) • $

"Simple, chill neighborhood bar. Okay, lemme give it to you straight. This is basically the Southside Wolski's. There, I said it. Something about The Stone always reminds me of Wolski's. Sadly, no bumper stickers here. The Stone does have a pretty great beer list, great bartenders, darts and a really cool jukebox. Popcorn with all the delicious flavors of popcorn shaker thingies. I think that they're dog friendly too."

High Dive

★★★★☆ 4.2 (13) • $

"One of my favorite bars in Riverwest. High Dive, as the name might suggest, is a no-frills establishment with friendly bartenders and cheap drinks ($2 PBR tall boys!)Longtime RW bartender Jason runs the joint, and he clearly knows what he's doing. There's occasionally free food (specifically during Packer games!), which is a solid incentive. The live music they host is top notch, and it gets packed very quickly. If you're checking out a show, get there early!Pro Tip: before heading over to Mad Planet for an evening of dancing, hit up High Dive and pre-game with the super cheap PBRs."

Slice's Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (26) • $

"This little bar is tucked away in an unassuming area and doesn't look like much from the outside. Inside, a friendly staff, plenty of entertainment, cheap drinks and great food. Tried their fish fry Friday night and was blown away by the portions of perch vs the price. Flaky fish, light breading, perfectly fried, it was delicious! Old Fashioneds were spot on. Enjoyed the fact they have a breathalyzer so you can scientifically check how inebriated you are. It was crowded and there is not a lot of space so get there early."

Licari's Bar and Grill

★★★★☆ 4.1 (59) • $

"They won 2024 Cap Times Burger Week championship. Pull tab popper burger was the one that won the competition, and was available till the end of June. So stopped by to try it. It was a real flavorful burger worthy of the title. It even had 2 jalapeno poppers in it. The burger was flavorful with a lot of bacon and aioli. It was a big burger. Eating it was a messy affair. Had I had this burger during the burger week, I would have voted for it too. For side, I went for Frolic fries, which was funnel caked fried to resemble french fries. End of the day it is still funnel cake."

Mad Planet

★★★★☆ 3.8 (63) • $

"Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ! Mad Planet is a Milwaukee institution for late night dancing, and their Friday night retro dance parties and goth leanings can't be beat. Whether it's the annual David Bowie Night (RIP Thin White Duke), or one of their nights where they pit two artists back to back against each other, I love coming here to listen to music, dance as if nobody's watchin', and drink on the cheap. I was here recently for the Cure vs. the Smiths night, and everyone was a winner! The tribute bands Substance 101 and the Salford Lads Club also did a great job making the space live music friendly, on a previous visit. There's some nooks and couches, a bar in the back, tip your bartenders as they work their butts off here. See you soon at Mad Planet!"

Y-Not II Tavern

★★★★☆ 3.9 (66) • $

"This early morning bar that is the ideal place to wait for your car to be detailed next door at Metro. It's open late too, and reviewing the reviews, the closer you get to closing, the less friendly the bar is. I can't stay up that late so I won't ever experience that. Morning to afternoon the place is populated by neighborhood regulars, and the sun leaks in to reveal the dust. There's a picture of this place next to the "Dive Bar" entry in most dictionaries. I recommend parking between two much nicer cars than yours if you drive, but it's better to bicycle, walk, or take public transportation so you don't have to stop at one drink. However if you're waiting for your car next door at Metro, maybe you can order a Shirly Temple, but I can't guarantee that the bartender will know what you're talking about."

Kroghville Oasis

★★★★☆ 4 (7) • $

"This country bar is located about halfway between cottage Grove and lake mills off of highway bb. They have friendly bartenders,a long bar and 25 cent chicken wings on Sundays from ten till two. The bloody Mary had 15 different toppings,a three out of five for taste and a three out of five for value. It was good. I would stop in again."

Inn Between

★★★★☆ 3.9 (65) • $

"3 stars to mediocre at best food and not at all good service, but 5+ stars for location, location, location. This is a great place to have drinks on Lake Delavan on a sunny day, not a great place to come if you want good food. We'll be back, just not for a meal."

Bonnie & Betty's Bar & Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (5)

"Here is a small town tavern that packs a punch with its burgers and fish frys. Lots of locals but a most friendly place with great value for your $. We visit any time we are near Lyons and many times drive through that area to enjoy this spot."

Nicky K's

★★★★☆ 4 (5) • $

"Ok. Once again, I go to dive bars all over the world. This one has cracked my top 10 for sure. It is a total dive bar but the bartender Jenna and the day bartender that was not working along with the customers in the bar were AWESOME and treated me so incredible. I felt like i was gone in the south instead of the mud west. This place is a jewel!"

CJ’s Pub

★★★★☆ 3.7 (3)

"Super fun and super divey. Friendly people and ask about the special game that involves the ceiling fan and playing cards! Fun bar for a divey Sunday Funday on the South side."

Studz Pub Sports Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (30) • $$

"I love a corner bar with really good bar food and friendly company. Sometimes the guys can get a little too friendly but the owner Dean always tells everyone to respect my friend and I when we talk into the place. When we walk in Dean will say "these are my friends Lori and Nicole" and if you don't treat them right you will get kicked in the b***s lol.Not going to lie that I love deep fried "ditties" and this place has a ton of them on the appetizer list. I recently had the fish fry and I am very picky about them and Studz did not disappoint. I like that you can always get tater tots vs. fries or potato pancakes.The drinks are well poured and it's always friendly service. Plus if you can make their annual golf event it's a blast! It's definitely worth coming to and you might nowant to"

EJ's

★★★★☆ 3.6 (7)

"I know I'm biased already as I live down the road and this is "my dive bar"! foods decent, drinks are cheap, patrons are typical country folk, free pool on Thursday plus dollar tappers how do you go wrong! Has an odd smell and it won't win any beauty pageants! Jukebox is surprisingly very modern and new. Good time always, good video slots too but they pay out the next day! Love me some EJs!"

Koz's Mini Bowl

★★★★★ 4.6 (98) • $

"I found this tavern on a list of unique bars in the USA. They have Mini bowling with four small lanes. There are human pinsetters to set up the small bowling pins. What a cool place to experience in Milwaukee."

The Drunk Uncle

★★★★☆ 4.1 (96) • $

"What an interesting little dive bar. Nothing but beer, beer and more beer here. Beer me and beer me some more. Drunk Uncle rules the beer scene here in the Stallis with more beers on tap than I can shake a stick at. What makes it even more amazing is the price point. At 3 to 4 bucks for a proper pour it's just ridiculous they can pump out so many good beers for such a deal. We came here during the end of Stout fest so they had literally tap after tap after tap of killer Stouts! I was in heaven just for that. If this place were closer to me I'd probably frequent a bit more. It is truly a unique place with a slamming concept to crank out the goods."

The Bubbler

★★★★☆ 4.1 (36) • $

"tl;dr townie bar with amazing pizza place inside!This place is the best version of a divey and townie bar - as it has the cheap drinks and friendly bartenders, but is cleaner and more put together than a lot of others. There are two main reasons you'll see me here, as many things are very nice, but fairly average at this bar:1) I live pretty close by2) It has some of THE BEST thin crust pizza I've ever had hereThis sportsball-inclined bar has amazing pizza from Vinchi's (see my separate review of the pizza place for more explanation of this)... as it operates out the Bubbler kitchen and you can only pay with cash there. The Bubbler has plenty of regulars and friendly faces and you can get some other decent food on the menu, but I'm there for the pizza and a beer or two when I'm really craving some za."

Franky's Newport Lounge

★★★★★ 4.5 (37) • $

"I live nearby and The Newport offers delicious takeaway pizza. You can either make it at home or they'll bake it for you to go home. Or, eat at the bar too, of course. I though, had things to watch on TV and needed to return to my couch. Seriously. So much cheaper than a delivery pizza. Available late at night. A crispy Milwaukee cracker crust. I think I had a kiddie cocktail while I waited. Ohh yes, she even asked if I wanted the pizza cut into squares or triangles. C'mon. Squares. Obviously."

Regano's Roman Coin

★★★★☆ 3.9 (76) • $

"This MKE dive bar makes me smile! What a great little spot (conveniently located on Brady Street). I mean where can you go wrong with the cheapest of drinks, and the friendliest of staff. Oh, and dogs! I know not everyone is a fan of pups inside working establishments such as this one, but hey, they don't serve food here, so what's the harm.My fam was in town over the holiday and we were up for a little bit of day drinking on the sunny afternoon that it was. Along with the family, came their dogs, so this near by spot was a no brainer. We ordered some low keys beers, enjoyed a few games of pool, and met some other dogs (and their owners). Not a fancy spot, but a laid back one!"

Backdraught

★★★★☆ 3.7 (7)

"I was visiting friends and they took me here. Nice little dive-y place. I like that!They have a bar game, Shake of the Day. You pay $1 for 2 chances to roll a set of 5 dice. i don't remember the particulars, but I *do* remember that I rolled something that won me a six-pack or the option for 3 free drinks (since I don't live in the state, I chose option #2).A good night, a fun neighborhood place, lovely bartender (Theresa).Good times!"

Riverwest Tavern

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (6) • $

"This is my spot as it is just across the street from home. The bartenders used to be great and you can get a great drink at a fair price. The tavern has a pool table that is always ready to be played on. There are plenty of local pub players to make some runs against. The place also has a Jukebox and these guys always have a game on. All in all its a perfect neighborhood dive within stumbling distance to home!"

GM's Dog House

★★★★★ 4.5 (6)

"Good neighborhood bar. Sits smack dab in the middle of a block amoungst the homes. Classic shot and beer joint. But the old fashions are outstanding too. The owners are cool. Glen is a hoot. Melisa is so sweet. Come on in you'll be pleasantly surprised. We'll be back. We found our new hangout. Peace!"

Anticipation

★★★★☆ 4 (7) • $

"Not my kind of bar, but I love that they support Door County Sled Dogs! We were in town to move my son out of college and decided to see the puppers (we're all "dog people"). It was great to visit with the many different dogs that DCSD had there (they have a nice "yard" behind the bar) The food provided was tasty and plenty. Kudos to this establishment for being a supporter of a good cause. Cheers!"

Eagle Crest Bar

★★★★☆ 3.6 (40) • $

"Good breakfast , decent prices , service is what you want , attentive . A dive bar feel with yet clean enough for the family ,"

Patti’s Power Plant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (36) • $

"I'm re-upping my review to 4-stars, as Frank's is a good neighborhood bar with a wide selection of craft brews on tap and in the bottle, along with some nice mixed drink selection. Service is excellent. Bands in the back room are worth checking out. Another good option in Bay View, will this neighborhood stop being so awesome?"

Fin N Feather

★★★★☆ 3.6 (18) • $

"The Fin is my usual watering hole, so of course it's going to get 5 stars!Definitely a place where everyone knows your name. There are lots of friendly regulars as well as amazing bartenders. If the owners are there, they are usually good for a nice conversation. They also own Flappers on 76th and Becher, as well as Brew City Tap on 32nd and Forrest Home.The Fin n' Feather has lots of beer choices, great drinks, Emil's frozen pizza, and some of the best beef jerky you've ever tried.There are tvs everywhere, so it is a great spot to catch any game. They have two pool tables and five dart boards. During the warm months, you can get in some volleyball on there court out back. More recently they have also added a couple areas for horseshoes. You can also have them sponsor your softball team. Just ask your bartender!If you are trying to get to the Brewer's game, the Fin Flyer will drop you off and pick you back up right at the front doors of Miller Park.There is plenty of room to throw parties or just to hang out with friends for some drinks. Plus, you'll probably run into me from time to time!"

Falcon Bowl

★★★★☆ 4.2 (14) • $

"This place has been around for forever.(Cue that one kid from The Sandlot: FOREvvvvvvERrrrrr)& that's what makes it so great, honestly.Honestly: Honest folks at an honest-to-goodness neighborhood spot. No frills, no fancy plus a pool table and super old, old-timey bowling. Old + young and everyone in between, the Falcon sings Riverwest. Six-packs and snacks and it might be a little brighter than I'd like it to be, but this place is so super real it hurts (in the best way possible).Five stars for the Falcon!"

Still Shakers

★★★★☆ 4.3 (3)

"Cheap drinks, and a great place for a small group. Really nice bartender"

Wolski's Tavern

★★★★☆ 4.3 (148) • $

"Stumbled upon this place -- I think HONESTLY by just googling Bar. We spent many hours here. Only leaving when the popcorn couldn't fill the hunger hole any longer. It was so fun. I can't wait to visit again next fall."

Fat Cats

★★★★☆ 3.6 (41) • $

"This is a fun themed bar with a variety of fun drinks on their menu. The staff members were friendly to us and they wiped down a table and asked us if we wanted a larger area to sit. I'd definitely come back!"

Conway's Smokin' Bar & Grill

★★★★★ 4.5 (49) • $

"I love dark bars. Any bar you can walk into at 3pm and it seems like it's night out, I'm a fan. Better yet, there's a huge rounded bar in the center, with regulars, bartenders who've worked there for years, cheap drinks, and bar food-- that's as good as it gets. So yeah I'm dropping the 5 star for little dark divey gem. I saw some other reviews of this as more of a restaurant first, but it seemed to me like a bar first, with food options. First thing to note- cash only! Like many places we found in Milwaukee, no cards. The drinks, insanely reasonable drink prices especially if you catch the M-F happy hour (4-7) with $2.50 wells & domestic bottles. There's were other deals on different days, like a ladies night and weekend specials, but I didn't catch them since we were there on a Friday happy hour. The food, a kitchen in the back that's putting out some of the best Americans-greasy-spoon-bar food. We ordered the BBQ meatloaf sammie with potato salad and a grilled cheese with fries. The BBQ meatloaf was like a homemade mcrib but better - a thick slice of meatloaf, covered in bbq sauce. The grilled cheese was just your basic no-frills grilled cheese, but also amazing. No fancy cheese, just yellow American on buttery white bread perfection. The staff were also great. We rolled up with lots and lots of us for a pre-show meetup and the bartenders didn't miss a beat. They were all super nice and hustled to get everyone all their drinks."

Thurman's 15

★★★★☆ 3.6 (18) • $

"Thurman's: the first bar in MKE I ever stepped foot into (at an undisclosed age/time long past).Thurman's: the perfect first bar to step into considering the fact that, at the time, was a self-identifying "hippie." I was young and starry-eyed and I had my own apartment on Maryland and I thought I owned. Fast forward: labels are fo' suckas. That said, this is the type of spot that caters to the more laid-back, "granola" set: lots of Widespread Panic and Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead (shudders), lots of pale ales/IPAs, not necessarily the cleanest bar in the land, shuffleboard, etc...That said, I've been back a few times since then, and I don't ever have a bad time at Thurman's. It's fine. It's a respite from Brady Street nonsense.That said and more: There are definitely other bars on Brady more my speed. Thurman's is A-OK for what it is, and what it is generally isn't for me. That said, it might be for you!"