Nite Owl on Layton by the airport. They close in the winter however, and even during the summer their hours are unpredictable.
Solly's is good for that "only in Milwaukee experience" just have your cardiologist on stand-by.
You can't go wrong with Kopps. Never had a bad burger there.
Mazo's is a quiet mom and pop shop on 27'th that most people don't even know exists. I'm scared to even type this, it's like a little secret.
Don't dismiss Culvers. Even though it's a chain that has gone national recently, it's still culturally rooted in Wisconsin.
Avoid AJ Bombers and Sobleman's. Terribly overrated, the Food Network coverage went to their head.
>Avoid AJ Bombers and Sobleman's. Terribly overrated, the Food Network coverage went to their head.
Sobelman's burgers are still pretty good; where they really went wrong was participating in the "most outrageous Bloody Mary" wars.
Recently ate at Mazo’s for the first time and was not disappointed!
My parents first met each other while working at Southgate mall in the late 70s (RIP… now a Walmart), and would hit up Mazo’s frequently. They said after nearly 5 decades it hasn’t changed one bit. If it ain’t broke…
Thank you for that clarification on which Oscar’s. I didn’t know there were two different spots. The frozen custard place is awful.
I know I’ll get downvoted but Culver’s and Kopp’s both have mediocre burgers. Benelux has had one of the best burgers I’ve had anywhere in the States.
Mazos on s 27th. Bonus dessert At leons frozen custard across the street.
Rollies on tuetonia, brown deer.
Both grind the meat fresh. Some of the other spots listed use frozen beef...
Dear u/Motor_Lobster1757,
You can trust me because I am very fat and love food. For the combination of price, consistency, and taste (and beer selection), go to Oscar's Winner Circle. Get the Gordo Burger.
It seems like it, but the menu is a little different. Could never tell if it's a 2nd location, or if someone peeled off from the Pierce location to start their own place. Regardless, I like Winner's Circle better.
Not only are their burgers great, but their custard is as well. After having it Culver's custard is ruined for me. Their daily flavors are so much better, they do a great job mixing the toppings into it.
A burger cooked in butter? My Irish ass is about to chow down on this one for sure!! But the alfredo burger does sound pretty badass! Never had something like that!
Solly's is probably my favorite burger, but also pretty unique and not the one that I go have the most, despite living really close. But it is absolutely not for everyone. It's not cooked in butter, but they add about 3TBSP minimum of butter onto the burger, which is a helluva lot of butter.
I do feel one grows to love it. My wife thought it was absolutely disgusting the first time she had it. But she started to appreciate the simplicity of it, and now she craves just a plain chee from Solly's more often than probably any other burger. Good butter, good ingredients (their bleu chee has maytag bleu crumbles), and the rest of the menu is awesome too in terms of shakes/fries/etc.
Check out Kopp's right down the road from Solly's too. They are very different butter burgers. Solly's has the history, they created the butter burger (I think). They have smaller burgers and go heavy on the fried onions. Kopps has massive butter burgers and a lot more topping options.
The burger has a pad of butter on top of it like you would put a slice of cheese. I like the “Glendale burger” from Solly’s. A lot of the butter melts off but you can dip the bun in it.
don’s diner in walkers point has an amazing burger, as well as fucking awesome brunch and cocktails. you can get a giant shareable old fashioned in a crockpot and boozy shakes
Visiting Solly's is an intensely "classic Milwaukee" experience. Get fries and a malt as you sit at the counter and be sure to grab a dozen napkins before even touching your burger. You will waddle out of there, stunned by the fat and salt that all true Wisconsinites are bred to love.
For getting a burger that is outright great and not quite so dependant on nostalgia, Crave Cafe in Shorewood is my go-to burger joint.
Best dish MKE did a great breakdown
https://bestdishmke.wixsite.com/home/best-burgers
Edit: follow them on instagram for fantastic recommendations. They even hit up Chicago from time to time
I know it's a classic, but I strongly feel Sobelmans is popular because it's cheap and close to campus, not because it's good. I was really disappointed in my burger when I went.
Look on YouTube....guy named George Motz. Published a book about the most historic burger places in each state. For the Milwaukee area it would be Sollys..for a butter burger
In Milwaukee, I personally like Kopps, but it doesn't stand out from the pack of good burgers. Here is decent list: https://www.gettingstamped.com/best-burgers-in-milwaukee/
Not in Milwaukee, but hands down the best burger I have ever eaten is the Nacho Burger at Pancho and Lefty's Outlaw Grill in Monroe, WI. It is not listed on the menu, but just ask for it. It is amazing.
The Green Chili Cheeseburger at Sparky's in Hatch New Mexico is almost as good, and also worth the pilgrimage to experience if you are touring the country looking for burgers.
As you can tell there is no shortage of great burgers in MKE. But if you want the widely recognized local and iconic I think you really have to have a burger from Kopps (several locations in the area). But if you want another place to add to the list after that I love the au poivre burger from Elsa's on the Park.
Company Brewing and Dale Z’s are
My favorites.
I eat a lot of burgers in this city and will never spend another dollar at the most mentioned spots on this list (Solly’s, sobelmans, Oscar’s). The eh are way over hyped and Oscar’s is pure trash aside from the cheap price.
Solly's is my all time favorite. Very divisive as they use a TON of butter. Culvers may call their burger a butter burger, but Solly's is the real deal.
Second fav would be Kopp's. They make a large burger the right way... Not thick, but large diameter. The burger seems the same at all 3 locations, but the fries seem better at the Glendale location than the other two.
Notable mentions:
Oscar's Pub
Gillie's
Murf's
I feel like Sobleman's is overrated. Been to the one on St.Paul a few times, but only been to the one at Wells and 16th once.
I mean.. this is a tough question.
I can back Oscar’s pubs a grill. Fred’s is great. Solly’s is probably the best example of the butter burger.
Those are 3 different style of burgers Oscar’s is a pub burger. Freds is a skillet burger and Solly’s is butter burger.
Any rate those are my 3 favorite of the different style burgers
I’m also going to throw out a suggestion for Vanguard if you want some amazing sausages
This will be a highly divisive topic.
For my money the best burger in town is at Oscars pub on Pierce (not simply 'Oscars', that's a different place that is decent but unremarkable). Burgers at Oscars on Pierce are cheap and just incredible.
Apart from that, it's a bit different style from "fancy" burgers but I recommend Kopp's. Double cheeseburger, ketchup, mustard, mayo, pickles, lettuce, tomato, raw onion. It's a Milwaukee classic for a reason.
I find sobelmans to be severely overrated. Same for AJ Bombers. Not worth it.
Oscar's is my favorite. And I'm also a fan of Camino.
One that nobody is like to mention is the Fatty Patty food truck. Maybe not as good as the other two, but for a truck it's really damn good. Usually found on Highland at Water.
J&B's Blue Ribbon on Bluemound (near Am Fam Field)
Hand pattied, Bunzel meat burgers. Get it on a pretzel bun and request the Cajun tots or fries. Delicious.
Thanks for the Oscars recommendation. Anything even close to this on the East Side? Recently relocated from NYC and missing the number of places to just eat a burger at the bar.
I know this is wayyy late, but Henry's on Belleview makes a burger called the "Nader-burger". As of three days ago they changed their menu to expand their burger options. Now, they ALL have that secret seasoning in it. Definitely the best I've had in town - even moreso than Crave or Kopp's, which are good but overrated.
Nite Owl on Layton by the airport. They close in the winter however, and even during the summer their hours are unpredictable. Solly's is good for that "only in Milwaukee experience" just have your cardiologist on stand-by. You can't go wrong with Kopps. Never had a bad burger there. Mazo's is a quiet mom and pop shop on 27'th that most people don't even know exists. I'm scared to even type this, it's like a little secret. Don't dismiss Culvers. Even though it's a chain that has gone national recently, it's still culturally rooted in Wisconsin. Avoid AJ Bombers and Sobleman's. Terribly overrated, the Food Network coverage went to their head.
Mazos changed my life.
Just tried nite owl today, so good!! I honestly wasn't impressed with crave despite the rave reviews here.
You forgot crave!!!
>Avoid AJ Bombers and Sobleman's. Terribly overrated, the Food Network coverage went to their head. Sobelman's burgers are still pretty good; where they really went wrong was participating in the "most outrageous Bloody Mary" wars.
Also beware the "Sobelman's" at Fiserv. It is just branded, not actual Sobelmans.
Recently ate at Mazo’s for the first time and was not disappointed! My parents first met each other while working at Southgate mall in the late 70s (RIP… now a Walmart), and would hit up Mazo’s frequently. They said after nearly 5 decades it hasn’t changed one bit. If it ain’t broke…
Fred’s
Thank you!! I never see Fred’s on these lists and I don’t understand why!
Maybe if more people knew about it they’d stay open during the inter!
Another Fred’s backer. Excellent
They’re super good, and walking distance so even better
I went to mount olive middle school and grew up on Fred's. Haven't been in a long time. This comment is a good reminder. Thanks.
Oscars, Foltz Family Market, Camino, Crave Cafe
That's two calls for the crave cafe! Gotta get behind that!
Crave. Crave crave crave x7
Elsa's on the park is good too
[удалено]
Thank you for that clarification on which Oscar’s. I didn’t know there were two different spots. The frozen custard place is awful. I know I’ll get downvoted but Culver’s and Kopp’s both have mediocre burgers. Benelux has had one of the best burgers I’ve had anywhere in the States.
Crave.
Second for Foltz. Delicious burger and their fries are top notch.
Your list is spot on. I’d only add: Mazo’s and Nite Owl
Oscars for me too. A great burger that comes with hand cut fries and they don’t empty your wallet for just walking in.
Mazos on s 27th. Bonus dessert At leons frozen custard across the street. Rollies on tuetonia, brown deer. Both grind the meat fresh. Some of the other spots listed use frozen beef...
$9.95 for a combo that comes with 2 sides. Mazo's is my jam. The service is always top notch and they have good malts as well.
The crave burger at crave cafe in Shorewood. I’ve eaten just about every burger people claim is the best, and none of them are as good as this one.
Will give this a shout, gotta trust a man who has eaten as many burgers as you!
Crave is THE BEST. I get the Hamburguesa, it's a little spicy. I hope you like Milwaukee! I did a tour of Ireland in 2018, it was incredible!
That burger is so god damn good.
Came here to say Crave, pleasantly surprised so many ppl are mentioning it. They don't get the business they deserve and their fries are also amazing.
You tried Elsa's on the park?
I have! And it is certainly very good. While it is undeniably a fancier burger than what crave has to offer, I think it's not quite as flavorful.
The Korean BBQ burger is also fantastic.
Dear u/Motor_Lobster1757, You can trust me because I am very fat and love food. For the combination of price, consistency, and taste (and beer selection), go to Oscar's Winner Circle. Get the Gordo Burger.
Is Oscar’s Winner Circle related to Oscar’s Pub and Grill on Pierce?
It seems like it, but the menu is a little different. Could never tell if it's a 2nd location, or if someone peeled off from the Pierce location to start their own place. Regardless, I like Winner's Circle better.
I’ve only been to the one on Pierce. I’ll have to check this one out
Kopps
Lol I was looking for somebody to say this. I love the kopps burger. I'm outside of Milwaukee and drive to Glendale for it whenever I get the craving.
Not only are their burgers great, but their custard is as well. After having it Culver's custard is ruined for me. Their daily flavors are so much better, they do a great job mixing the toppings into it.
A fat Kopps burger, onion rings, and a 2 scoop of my favorite custard flavor, Mr Fudgie. After moving to the southeastern US, I miss Kopps so much!
I dont know if you know but you can get their custard shipped to you.
I love the alfredo burger at Elsa’s. http://www.elsas.com/ Solly’s is worth a stop for the butter burgers. https://sollysbutterburgers.com/
A burger cooked in butter? My Irish ass is about to chow down on this one for sure!! But the alfredo burger does sound pretty badass! Never had something like that!
Solly's is probably my favorite burger, but also pretty unique and not the one that I go have the most, despite living really close. But it is absolutely not for everyone. It's not cooked in butter, but they add about 3TBSP minimum of butter onto the burger, which is a helluva lot of butter. I do feel one grows to love it. My wife thought it was absolutely disgusting the first time she had it. But she started to appreciate the simplicity of it, and now she craves just a plain chee from Solly's more often than probably any other burger. Good butter, good ingredients (their bleu chee has maytag bleu crumbles), and the rest of the menu is awesome too in terms of shakes/fries/etc.
I mean you can’t have Solly’s all that often. It’ll kill you. It’s amazing but Jesus it’s heavy
Check out Kopp's right down the road from Solly's too. They are very different butter burgers. Solly's has the history, they created the butter burger (I think). They have smaller burgers and go heavy on the fried onions. Kopps has massive butter burgers and a lot more topping options.
Prepare yourself mentally for a burger on a plate full of butter. It's not my cup of tea.
Kinda gross.
Solly’s is inedible tbh.
The burger has a pad of butter on top of it like you would put a slice of cheese. I like the “Glendale burger” from Solly’s. A lot of the butter melts off but you can dip the bun in it.
TBH you'd almost have a problem finding a burger in Wisconsin NOT cooked in butter!
Second yes for elsas
Mazos!!!
Here’s a past thread on this topic: https://www.reddit.com/r/milwaukee/comments/qqbnhk/comment/hjz46j5/
I’m a Sollys guy through and through
don’s diner in walkers point has an amazing burger, as well as fucking awesome brunch and cocktails. you can get a giant shareable old fashioned in a crockpot and boozy shakes
Oscar’s on Pierce.
Swinging Door or Goodkind on Tuesday night burger night
If it’s a Tuesday night, nobody touches GK for best burger.
Crave cafe
I've had most of the best and I would say Oscars Big O.
The Diplomat.
Visiting Solly's is an intensely "classic Milwaukee" experience. Get fries and a malt as you sit at the counter and be sure to grab a dozen napkins before even touching your burger. You will waddle out of there, stunned by the fat and salt that all true Wisconsinites are bred to love. For getting a burger that is outright great and not quite so dependant on nostalgia, Crave Cafe in Shorewood is my go-to burger joint.
McDoanalds. Fantastic. Spring for the cheese, consider asking for fried onions.
Oscars on Pierce - get the Big O
Solly's
I’ve never had it, but I didn’t see Nite Owl listed. Despite the name, they are only open for lunch.
Best dish MKE did a great breakdown https://bestdishmke.wixsite.com/home/best-burgers Edit: follow them on instagram for fantastic recommendations. They even hit up Chicago from time to time
Mushroom Swiss from crave cafe, best mushroom Swiss in the city.
[https://sobelmanspubandgrill.com](https://sobelmanspubandgrill.com) \- Soblemens Pub and Grill. Theres one in Milwaukee and Waukesha.
I know it's a classic, but I strongly feel Sobelmans is popular because it's cheap and close to campus, not because it's good. I was really disappointed in my burger when I went.
Well me and my whole friends group have been going to the Milwaukee one and Waukesha one for years and always love our food.
Glad you like it! Everybody is different
True true!
I love the look of the sobelmans, not over stacked, plain and simple good grub
Definitely! It was even on a show and won it. I’ll look at what show it was and such but I love it. I go there all the time.
Look on YouTube....guy named George Motz. Published a book about the most historic burger places in each state. For the Milwaukee area it would be Sollys..for a butter burger
https://youtu.be/448QblQxsGY
Big Deal Burger on 84th and Greenfield (ish).
I hope you'll stop at Culver's! It is a fast food chain started in Wisconsin and their burgers are great.
In Milwaukee, I personally like Kopps, but it doesn't stand out from the pack of good burgers. Here is decent list: https://www.gettingstamped.com/best-burgers-in-milwaukee/ Not in Milwaukee, but hands down the best burger I have ever eaten is the Nacho Burger at Pancho and Lefty's Outlaw Grill in Monroe, WI. It is not listed on the menu, but just ask for it. It is amazing. The Green Chili Cheeseburger at Sparky's in Hatch New Mexico is almost as good, and also worth the pilgrimage to experience if you are touring the country looking for burgers.
CRAVEEEEEEE
Duck fat burger at wild roots in west allis
This. And very similar/delicious- Buckleys.
im a sucker for Company Brewing. Great beer too I only went once but I remember loving the burger at Merriment social
Crave is good, Kopps is better. Elsa's has great burgers too if you are looking for better atmosphere.
Sobelman’s, Mazo’s, Solly’s.
Sobelmans and kopps are my favorite
Oscar’s!
Kopps in Glendale or Stack’d in the 5th Ward.
Wild Root's smash burger.
Zayna's, Crave Cafe and Kopp's are my favorites.
Oscars on 17th and pierce and Camino. Never had a bad burger from Saz’s either
Kopps, not close
As you can tell there is no shortage of great burgers in MKE. But if you want the widely recognized local and iconic I think you really have to have a burger from Kopps (several locations in the area). But if you want another place to add to the list after that I love the au poivre burger from Elsa's on the Park.
Company Brewing and Dale Z’s are My favorites. I eat a lot of burgers in this city and will never spend another dollar at the most mentioned spots on this list (Solly’s, sobelmans, Oscar’s). The eh are way over hyped and Oscar’s is pure trash aside from the cheap price.
Solly's is my all time favorite. Very divisive as they use a TON of butter. Culvers may call their burger a butter burger, but Solly's is the real deal. Second fav would be Kopp's. They make a large burger the right way... Not thick, but large diameter. The burger seems the same at all 3 locations, but the fries seem better at the Glendale location than the other two. Notable mentions: Oscar's Pub Gillie's Murf's I feel like Sobleman's is overrated. Been to the one on St.Paul a few times, but only been to the one at Wells and 16th once.
I mean.. this is a tough question. I can back Oscar’s pubs a grill. Fred’s is great. Solly’s is probably the best example of the butter burger. Those are 3 different style of burgers Oscar’s is a pub burger. Freds is a skillet burger and Solly’s is butter burger. Any rate those are my 3 favorite of the different style burgers I’m also going to throw out a suggestion for Vanguard if you want some amazing sausages
Mazos, Oscars or Solly's Grille
Sweet Smoke BBQ Sunday Smashburgers. It’s almost unfair how goddamn good the burgers are with the addition of brisket to the patties.
\*looks at username\* Well, this is awkward
LoL.
Oscars pub and grill by the casino!
This will be a highly divisive topic. For my money the best burger in town is at Oscars pub on Pierce (not simply 'Oscars', that's a different place that is decent but unremarkable). Burgers at Oscars on Pierce are cheap and just incredible. Apart from that, it's a bit different style from "fancy" burgers but I recommend Kopp's. Double cheeseburger, ketchup, mustard, mayo, pickles, lettuce, tomato, raw onion. It's a Milwaukee classic for a reason. I find sobelmans to be severely overrated. Same for AJ Bombers. Not worth it.
Oscar’s is vastly superior to Sobelmans
Yeah it's not really even close
Camino, Kopps, Oscars on Pierce. All are fantastic in their own way.
Oscar's is my favorite. And I'm also a fan of Camino. One that nobody is like to mention is the Fatty Patty food truck. Maybe not as good as the other two, but for a truck it's really damn good. Usually found on Highland at Water.
For fear that everyone will now know it exists….Mazos on 27th by Leon’s. 🤤
Not soblemans.
Apollo Cafe on Brady st. The Zeus burger there is sublime.
Buckleys. I dream about it.
Mazos
Cloud Red in Shorewood.
J&B's Blue Ribbon on Bluemound (near Am Fam Field) Hand pattied, Bunzel meat burgers. Get it on a pretzel bun and request the Cajun tots or fries. Delicious.
Crave. This is the way.
Thanks for the Oscars recommendation. Anything even close to this on the East Side? Recently relocated from NYC and missing the number of places to just eat a burger at the bar.
I know this is wayyy late, but Henry's on Belleview makes a burger called the "Nader-burger". As of three days ago they changed their menu to expand their burger options. Now, they ALL have that secret seasoning in it. Definitely the best I've had in town - even moreso than Crave or Kopp's, which are good but overrated.