On a cold Midwestern night, nothing is better than “comfort” food. To a Milwaukeean, comfort food will probably include cheese, beer, and a good ole’ fish fry. Milwaukee does food right – you can see it anywhere you go – and there’s nothing that makes us think of our city more than these iconic foods in Wisconsin. What food is Milwaukee known for? Hands down, these ones:

1. Fish Frys
County Clare Irish Pub / Facebook
No Friday is complete without a fish fry. A meal with the community consisting of delicious fried fish, cole slaw, rye bread, and french fries or potato pancakes is a Milwaukee staple.
2. Beer (obviously)
Third Space Brewing / Facebook
This is Brew City after all, but there’s simply nowhere else that you can find beer in the quantity and quality like you can in Milwaukee. We have over a dozen craft breweries in the city alone. It just doesn’t get better than this.
3. Frozen Custard
Best Food Milwaukee / Facebook
Although the sweet treat wasn’t technically invented here, it might as well have been! With local favorites such as Leon’s, Kopp’s, or Kitt’s, frozen custard will always remind you of MKE.
4. Butterburgers
Solly's Grille / Facebook
It might sound gross, but they’re actually amazing! Milwaukee is known for butterburgers, which is basically a burger cooked in a lot of butter. If you’re looking for a butterburger, there’s always the fast food route with Culver’s which is solid, but Solly’s is hard to beat.
5. Cheese Curds
Camino / Facebook
You can’t go wrong with a classic. Cheese curds pair perfectly with nearly any meal, and they’re a staple in the diet of any true Milwaukeean.
6. A sub sandwich from Cousins
Cousins Subs / Facebook
Cousins Subs started here in Milwaukee in 1972. When two cousins couldn’t find a sub shop like their favorites in New Jersey, they started Cousin’s, and now these sub sandwich shops feel more like Brew City than NJ.
7. Brats
heyrocc / Flickr
Nope, no hot dogs here. Just a mouthwatering brat on the grill!
8. Real Chili
Randy E. / Yelp
Real chili is hard to find sometimes, but here we have Real Chili. Since 1931, Real Chili has been feeding college students and everyone alike. Their recipe has been the same for over 75 years, and you can’t find anything like it elsewhere.
9. Cream Puffs
girlwparasol / Flickr
Whether it’s State Fair season or not, you can always find a cream puff at most local bakeries in The Good Land.
10. Bloody Marys
Sobelmans Pub and Grill / Facebook
Here in Milwaukee a Bloody Mary isn’t simply a drink you pair with Sunday brunch. In Milwaukee, a Bloody Mary is the entire meal.
11. Beer Cheese Soup
Thomas Cizauskas / Flickr
There’s nothing that says Milwaukee like beer and cheese together in hearty soup. This is one dish that will make you feel at home while keeping you warm throughout the tough Midwestern winters.

Do these foods make your stomach grumble? What food is Milwaukee known for in your heart and soul? Share your ideas with us in the comments!

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What Food Is Milwaukee Known For?

Tori Jane | September 29, 2022

What food is Milwaukee known for?  

If you’ve never been to Milwaukee, you could totally pretend to visit by eating some iconic foods Milwaukee is known for, and if you’re in Milwaukee, you can simply indulge in every single one of them because, hey, when in Rome. Perhaps the single most famous food Milwaukee is known for – the one thing that’ll come up first no matter who you ask – is, of course, cheese curds. You CANNOT go to Milwaukee – or enjoy life in Wisconsin at all, really – without sampling as many cheese curds as you possibly can.  

What are some famous Milwaukee foods?  

Of course, the list doesn’t stop at just cheese curds (though honestly it totally could, and we wouldn’t judge); there are plenty of delicious delicacies that make Milwaukee a special place for foodies. If you’re a fan of desserts, you can’t miss some good old-fashioned Milwaukee frozen custard, a delicious, ice-cream-like treat you’ll be instantly hooked on. We’re also huge fans of a good fish fry, and you can’t miss a good cream puff, either.  

What are some of the best restaurants in Milwaukee?  

At the time of this writing, there are tons of amazing restaurants in Milwaukee that one could argue are all the “best”. According to rave reviews by hungry restaurant-goers, the best restaurant in Milwaukee is the incredible Brazilian steakhouse known as Rodizio Grill Milwaukee. To say it’s “good” is to do it an enormous disservice; it’s one of the best places to eat in Milwaukee if not all of Wisconsin. The Original Sobelmans on St. Paul is another must-do when in the Milwaukee area, and we’re also hopelessly obsessed with Oscar’s Pub and Grill (on Pierce Street). People don’t peg Milwaukee as a “foodie town”, but perhaps they should – there are hundreds of options, and the vast majority of them are out-of-this-world fantastic and worth a bite (or ten).  

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