Old Milwaukee Club Saloon & Eatery

The Cliff's Notes is that the food was flavorless and the service was friendly but slow. The overall vibe is a country dive bar, which it is and the establishment itself is well-kept. The building itself is not an issue. Service at the bar was quick and friendly, and the overall selection at the bar was pretty decent. I would like a better variety of tap beers, but they had a good selection of cans and bottles. Whiskey was limited to call and rail brands, with nothing top shelf but again, that's to be expected with a dive bar. The best they had was Basil Hayden Toasted, which is fine. Those aren't the issue. We sat in the dining room and the servers were friendly and personable, but the service was very slow. I'm not sure if this was because of the bar or the servers, but the servers were slow to check on us. Several times we had people in our group sitting with empty glasses waiting to order new drinks (alcohol). When we ordered, it was upwards of 10 minutes before we got our drinks. I went up to the bar and ordered a drink, got the drink and went back to my seat in under 3 minutes. When it came to the food, we all ordered the all you can eat fish fry, with the exception of my wife, who ordered pizza. We went here with my wife's 70yr old parents who are not picky and have simple tastes, and even they were disappointed in the experience. The fish was flavorless. The breading was thick and heavy, and fell off the fish. There was no discernible seasoning in the breading or the fish. It was just not good..

This was an amazing meal for a "dive bar". I love the atmosphere and service. This thing just bursted with flavor. Honestly it was my wife's meal but I ditched my pizza to help her finish it. So good.

I recommend the steak and shrimp, oh was it good. Had a larger group in for dinner, our server was spot on. Never had a thirsty moment. Love the atmosphere, the interior lives up to the name. Highly recommend!

Visiting the Brainerd lakes area. Driving with my in-laws from the area. We decided to stop for a drink. What a find, Old Milwaukee club was typical looking for the area. Nothing special in the front. But don't let that change your mind. Go in and enjoy. Our bartender/server was attentive and accommodating. I liked her. She offered food and beer suggestions. We had cold beers, burgers, awesome chicken wings and onion rings. Everything was very good. We noticed people picking up to go orders and regulars. That tell you something. Next time when I come for a visit. I will stop by again for the food and drink. Thanks!

Great little gem in the middle of lake country. Good food, strong drink, and up north vibes for days.

Even an institution can have a bad service. Tonight was a confluence of old folks, kids, sun burnt resorters and imbibing locals all stuffed into this cobbled together handyman's bar/restaurant. Waited 30 minutes for a table for 2. Knew that we'd have to wait, but when you see open tables, wiped clean and empty, waiting can be frustrating.While being seated we ordered beverages literally before our butts hit the seat. We know these folks are busy and working in the most convoluted floor plan a presumably sober handyman could construct. We ordered before our beverages hit the table, one fish fry, one 12" sausage pizza. Salad starter rolled into a full plate of the fish, I continued to wait for the humble, simplistic pizza.The fish dinner disappeared as the world's slowest eater was full and there I sat, pizzaless. Our server finally came by and noted the pizza needed to be started all over. Somehow she "dropped" it. While we did not hear or see any commotion, we took her word and declined the pizza, we'd been seated for almost an hour. Walking out I expected to see the floor that caught my sausage pizza ... not even a hint of cheese or sauce anywhere. Our guess, they simply forgot. The lesson here, the Ol Mil is a sh!t storm on summer season weekends. $25 for a coke, fish & a cocktail reminded that I could have had a pizza at the cabin and skip the storm.

This place is exactly what it says it is. NO pretense just good solid food and GREAT service. They serve beer in mason jars. What is not to love? Well...a few things.- The fried chicken doesn't have much flavor.- Salad bar is slim pickings. Iceberg lettuce and assorted toppings like anemic peppers.The things I love:- Beer in mason jars- Whimpie Club: their take on the White Castle burger but you pay $20 for all you can eat. You get 6 initially. Father in law only made 6 and Husband only made 7. But they loved the burgers and the high quality (no sarcasm, seriously!) t-shirts.- The ribs. My nephew and mother in law both loved these. $14.99 on Thursdays for a full rack. Good deal!Go visit them. Good service and drinks in mason jars count for a lot!

Excellent meal and even better service! Both are hard to find around here. Husband had a burger and said it was really good. I had the walleye meal and one of the best I've had. Thankfully an option to not have the walleye breaded. So good! Place got super busy and our server couldn't have been better. Will definitely go back! Heads up, they prefer you pay by cash.

Free popcorn. Cold beer. The two make me happy. Was able to extend the weekend and went here on a Monday night. No special like their Friday night fish fry I opted for their half rack of baby back ribs. I ended up going with the salad bar which was ok. Carrots? Open up that plastic bag of mini carrots and dump them in a container. Cucumbers? Since their really big this time of season, lets cut em into big slices. Dressing? Cream based only, no vinegar and oil. Again, this was a Monday night so it wasn't completely stocked. I had the au gratin potatoes as my potato of choice and they were very good in a inoffensive sort of way. The sliced zucchini as my veggie side were also good. Both needed were needing something to make them zing. I had a feeling I should've asked but didn't and the ribs came out with sauce slathered all over them. Being a dry rub kinda guy and being in the northwoods, I should've known better but I failed to heed my instinct. Again, the sauce was ok in a inoffensive sort of way. Nothing really popped. The ribs themselves were fall off the bone good, but just over in Emily, I can get St. Louis style ribs that are amazing. Oh how I wish that rub would be used on these baby backs. The place has been around forever and by the looks of things, I bet I missed out on a great burger, maybe. Service and everything else about this place is fantastic. I just wish the flavors would strive for those same heights.

Ever sense Jeff bought the place, it has gone down hill. The food sizes just keep getting smaller, and the prize keep going up. Besides the food comes out cold all the time, and not fully cooked. Sheri is the worst server that they have, rude, yells at people saying such thing as get out of my way. This is not a place I'd want to bring my family and friends to make memories.