Cloud Red

It had been so long since I'd been back here. I think the last time was during the eating-outside days of the pandemic. But I was lured back by a tasty-looking special on Instagram.A lot of things haven't changed. You order at the bar and sit where you want. It gets very crowded and you might have to chill out awhile. The drinks are priced maybe a little above average but the food is reasonably priced and portions are large.Delicious food btw. I went for the (un)stuffed cabbage soup special. It was inspired by a stuffed cabbage roll and had cabbage and ground beef and rice and all kinds of other goodies topped with a dollop of sour cream. It had great depth of flavor and I was told it's been very popular. I also had a grande shrimp taco (not pictured, sorry) that was also delicious.One thing that has changed is the wider selection of nonalcoholic beverages on the menu, which I like to see. I had a draft kombucha but there were multiple other items to choose from.While I don't drink alcohol anymore I do like to watch people muddle things, and they were making up some fun-looking cocktails as well.I'm glad I came back and will come again.

Food is amazing and a reasonable price. Portion was huge. Cocktails were also amazing about $15 or so each... beer ranged about $5-$10. Would recommend...again food and cocktails were delicious!

Despite this being one of our favorite dinner options, I realize now I've never actually reviewed them (outside of the brunch pop-up, which I still think should be a permanent on their menu).We went on the Saturday evening of St. Patrick's Day and it was jam packed! Fortunately it wasn't too long of a wait for a table. The back patio was open, but it seems they are no longer allowed to have heating elements back there, so on a chilly day, you will definitely feel it. They do have some blankets you can borrow if you choose to mingle in the patio.I got their gin and jam drink called Rude Barb and my husband got their Old Fashioned. The Old Fashioned was on the sweeter side, which he loved. My gin and rhubarb jam cocktail was out of this world! It was definitely a spring cocktail, which made me forget about the very much not spring weather outside.Between the two of us, we shared the buffalo cauliflower, the Brussels sprouts, and the produce root fries. The buffalo cauliflower is top tier. The buffalo sauce is incredible and the blue cheese dip it comes with gives it a really nice tang. The Brussels sprouts will make any vegetable hater double think their choices. It's piled high and seems endless, which is great because it will leave you coming back for more. The root fries were a new for us and it might be a new favorite. Each fry was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. We chose to get it with a side of cilantro crema and it worked beautifully. I would highly recommend this dish!There are also different board and card games available for you to borrow while you drink and/or dine. It's always a good time here!

Sometimes when you write reviews, it's hard to come up with original insights. That is surely going to be the case here, so here's a brief summary - food = great, ambiance and service = meh. I read a newspaper review that piqued my interest in Cloud Red, so my mom and I decided to try it recently. Being Shorewood, parking is irritatingly difficult to find. Several trips around the block will eventually pay off.Once you get into Cloud Red, a feeling of chaos envelopes you. It's hard to figure out what to do, how to order, what to do first, but given the crowds we settled on finding a place to sit ASAP. Once that was done (and we felt lucky to find it) we worked on figuring out the menu. There was one scrawled on the wall, but not super convenient. I got menus from the bar, but was told to be sure to hurry and return them since they were short. That's a little annoying - paper is no longer scarce, so maybe print a few more copies. They know how busy they are. Also we were told specials were posted on the bar wall, but we never did find them.We ordered at the bar, I collected our drinks and we waited for our food. The drinks were good, but the bartenders are not real quick. We watched a server wander, seemingly lost, with the same dishes, inside and out, looking for the right table numbers. Not too efficient. Also, it's so very loud. Extremely loud with the babble of multiple generations of diners and drinkers.We got our food and it all clicked into place. The Korean potatoes may have the closest thing to perfect balance in any dish I've had recently. They had sweet, savory, crisp and comfort. Huge fan. My seitan tacos were excellent, layered and fresh, blanketed in micro greens. My mom said her chicken taco paled in comparison, but it was okay.I will return for the food - it shone. The drink we had was excellent. But that ordering and "service" experience is not cool.

We've visited Cloud Red only a couple of times in the last few years. It serves flavorful and healthful dishes (with lots of raw vegetables in almost everything) at reasonable prices, and its cocktails are great also. Our 1st visit was in 2019, and we said to ourselves then that we would come back soon. But there have been so many restaurants to try in Milwaukee, and we finally paid the restaurant a 2nd visit recently. It hopefully won't take another 4 years before we come back again.

I have been wanting to try Cloud Red for a while now and finally had the opportunity. The food was very good - the nachos and hummus were my favorite. There are a lot of items on the menu that looked tasty and that I wanted to try. My one complaint about Cloud Red is that it is first come first serve, with no hostess helping. So if you go be prepared to wait and stale out a table.

If this was just based off food I'd lean toward a 5 star more because the nachos & hummus dip were great! The thing holding me back is they don't do reservations or a wait list, it's first come first serve seating and because they're in a fairly residential area it gets packed fast. Had to go twice because the first attempt people were arguing and pushing for seats and it just wasn't worth it, the second time we went we went at an odd time and still couldn't get a seat inside but the outdoor area is nice. Just something to be aware of because there's also not a good standing area while waiting so if it's full you're just kinda out of luck

I really enjoyed my experience at Cloud Red. It is a bit quirky in a way where it's order at the bar, but I like the ambiance and service of what they do. The food is spectacular. Super fresh. The concept works, and especially for the neighborhood. I can't wait to get back, bring more people in to show off a great gem and try more of the delicious food and cocktail menu. I also think you have an upper hand in diversity here -- burger and beer for those, while tofu and tequila for others. Everyone wins and you support local.

Cool restaurant/bar located on Oakland in the main strip of Shorewood. It can get pretty packed on weekend nights (as are most places) so just be aware. They have a nice craft beer list, and full bar menu. You order both food and drinks at the bar. Drinks you get right there, and food they'll bring out to your table. It wasn't super clear when I got there, but it worked, and we got our food and drinks pretty fast. I got the nachos, it's billed as an app but can easily be a dinner option, I shared some and still couldn't even finish it. They have indoor seating and a patio out back. There may be some heaters, but I'd still dress warm if you sit out there this time of year. They had several good food options, I also tried my friend's fried cauliflower, which I generally don't like but these were pretty good. My friends live near here so I wouldn't mind coming back next time I'm in town.

This is one of the best places in Shorewood. The drinks are unique and well made by the friendly staff. I personally like the unconventional ordering system for food. It's a smaller space so at times it's tough to find a table, but that speaks to how good the food and drink is. Would highly recommend to anyone that hasn't gone!