8 Twelve MVP Bar & Grill

My 3^rd time coming here and it is usually good but this time our group had the worst waitress. We tried to be nice to her but she kept interrupting our conversation every 3 minutes and she referred to the woman in our group as «my lady» every chance she had. Super annoying.
As for the food, I usually get the scallops and am never disappointed but this time I went with a NY Strip. It was just ok and was a little over done. Dessert on the other hand was excellent. The rhubarb pie is the way to go!

When I think Bar & Grill, this is not what I expected. I find the name to be misleading. Luckily I was smart enough to check out the menu before going to scope out what I may want.
8 Twelve is more of a casual fine dining restaurant. We went with friends and they are much into sports and we were very surprised when the focus was not on sports but more of the «farm» theme as confirmed by our waitress. They focus on homegrown produce from the gardens in upper Wisconsin and local products. I like that they support local, all for that.
Décor was confusing because it seemed fancy but yet there are pictures of cows and fields on the walls.
Food was very good. I was a bit disappointed on the appetizer sizes for the money though. Our table had sandwiches and a short rib dinner. Short ribs were delicious and tender and well worth the $ 26. I had the Chicken BLT with homemade chips (which is just a plate filler for me since I wont eat them) $ 12 was a bit steep for this. The chicken was pounded so this that you couldn’t taste it all all, the ciabatta bread overpowered it all. There was a pork sandwich and a burger in our party too, both were good but the pork sandwich was excessively messy and fell apart before you could even get started because of the sauce and slaw on it.
Service was good, drinks were weak, food was tasty but overpriced, restaurant was pleasant but if you are looking for bar & grill or sports bar type place, this is not that kind of place.
It wasn’t a bad experience but there is really nothing that I would run back to have.

SO confused by this place. When I think of a Rodgers/​Braun restaurant I think of a place where someone could watch a game. Not exactly the case at 8 Twelve. There are TVs in the bar area, but not one in the dining room. The restaurant is supposed to be a «nice, upscale» place, but the whole theme is weird. The place has a farm theme and in the dining room there’s large pictures of various farm settings. It just doesn’t work for a restaurant owned by athletes. I saw people in there with packer shirts on and they just looked out of place, which really shouldn’t be the case in an Aaron Rodgers restaurant. I was hoping the food would make up for the terrible theme, but it didn’t. It was overpriced and and not very good. I had the pork chop, which was overly spiced with pepper. I had to scrape most of the pepper off so I could eat the meat. Definitely won’t be returning.

I flew in from Cali Sunday night and had to find a quick place to eat. This was right across the street from where I was staying and walked on over, as the front desk suggested them. The bartender, around 845−9pm, was so helpful. He suggested about everything I ate and even the local beer which I loved. I definitely would recommend this place.
One problem I have, I forgot to get a receipt for my expense report, so I called the next day around 8−9pm, and I assume the hostess answered. WELL, she was rude and didn’t seem helpful at all. And despite paying cash, and saying you cannot look it up, maybe at least suggest to write one out, just to help out a customer who happened to tip MORE than I think I should of due to my conversation with her.
Overall, I would come back.

Descriptive phrase: pub and grille with too much focus on «trendy.»
8 Twelve MVP Bar & Grill (8T) should be great. It’s got star power from the two most sought-​after men in the state (sorry Fonz), it’s got location out in the burbs where the money can be spent, and it’s got foodies behind it who’ve set up success in the past. But their own view of themselves is perhaps their downfall.
8T occupies a space on Bluemound that’s been a million different restaurants over the years. They’ve done a nice job making it look attractive, with an open patio out front facing the road that connects to the entrance area/​bar. The bar is a large rectangle that you encounter right when you walk in. The décor is a mix between club and rustic barn, but works better with the dark shades and wood than you’d think. We came on a Saturday night and it was packed. The Brewers were on, so this could’ve been part of it.
The clientele was extremely varied, which tends to happen in the Milwaukee suburbs. There were hardcore fans in their Brewers gear and thirty-​somethings dressed to impress, as well as the supper club older crowd.
Someone showed us to our table near the back of the dining area and then disappeared. There was no drink menu on the table, and no server came for around 10 minutes. We were left to twiddle our thumbs. At one point someone we thought was our server came by to fill water glasses, but he just did so while staring awkwardly at us then left without a word.
When our waitress finally came she was very nice and accommodating, but it was weird having to wait the way we did. The menu is fairly short for Brookfield joints, but if you have good options then that doesn’t matter.
I started with their own version of the old fashioned, the Old School ($ 8). If you like old fashioneds, don’t bother. Watered down and tasteless. Katie K. was also upset they didn’t have Spotted Cow on tap. This is Wisconsin!
Our table split the Cheese Curds ($ 10). This was the highlight of the meal. A cup of barely-​breaded and lightly fried cheese curds served with ranch and mustard. Absolutely delicious, hot and creamy.
I opted for the special that night, 12oz Prime Rib ($ 25) served with twice-​baked mash potatoes and only available rare or medium-​rare. I have to say that you get your money’s worth in size of the cut. It had to be more than 12oz, closer to 15 or 16. And in terms of it’s cooking, it was perfectly medium-​rare. But it still just wasn’t good. They must not use the best cuts of meat, because it was tasteless (with the exception of some charring on the outside) and unremarkable. The potatoes weren’t much better.
There are a lot of great-​sounding dishes on the menu, and the place itself seems swanky but approachable. But I think 8 Twelve just assumes everyone will love whatever they throw at them because of their owners and the ambiance. In my own experience, the food isn’t good and the drinks are plain bad.
I can’t even be generous and give a 3, because I honestly wouldn’t recommend it.

Sad just sad. The cheese curds were good, the rest could have stayed in the kitchen. The staff was something else. The bartender was not happy cause I ordered shirley temples for myself and my pregnant friend (god forbid no booze), the hostess was cold and didn’t or couldn’t speak and the waitress was the same as the bartender if you weren’t laying down money she had no use for you. And so goes the meal. Would never go back. And the whole theme of the restaurant was just confusing and odd.

This restaurant was all over the place. A group of 11 of us went to celebrate a birthday. Before we even hit the door — days before we even hit the door — we were almost turned away because the group was «too big.» When threats were made to just go elsewhere, the manager stepped in and accommodated. I should say they sort of accommodated, because we were crammed in room with other large groups and we could not even maneuver our way around. It was tight, and uncomfortable. On a positive note, they put a special birthday message in the menu for the honored guest — that was a nice and unexpected touch. They describe themselves as «farm to table» which would make sense with the barn-​like ambiance, but nothing about the menu felt farm to table. With only two beers available on tap, I just stuck to a soda. My friend ordered an «Old School» and sent it back — it was that bad. They did make it right — but hows about gettin’ it right the first time? That would be cool. As for food, we loved the gouda stuffed tots and my squash soup was decent. My chicken, though? ACK is all I can say. Two bites in and I gave up. And I took it home to be nice, but threw it in the garbage before I went in the house. So all told, I was underwhelmed and am just thankful I had some fantastic company to make up for it.

Wonderful food– great service & atmosphere.
Signature items: cheese curds, homemade butter, prime steak cuts.
We had shrimp & grits (two thumbs up from this southern), cheese curds, filet medallions with brussel sprouts & mushrooms. Delicious! And reasonably priced.
Service was great! Waitress wasn’t pushy at all. She timed the delivery of our food perfectly. And when the food runner came with the wrong sides, she promptly yet politely sent him back to correct it.
A+ experience. Will return next trip.

Get Over Yourself!
Unfortunately the credit for my low marks goes to the staff. I had a couple colleagues in town and we wanted a nice dinner on a Monday night so I made a reservation via Open Table for 6:30 last night. I arrived before my colleagues so I sat at the bar to be greeted by the bartender who took away some bar flyers saying «happy hour is over». I replied it sure is good I didn’t come here for happy hour but this being a bar can I get a drink anyway while I wait for my party? Hmmm?
Then at dinner we had an exhausting waitress. I’m sure she’s a very nice person but she really needs to lay off the Red Bull. Way over explained the place, the menu and their steaks. The steaks — she ask us if we heard of some special type of steaks they serve. We all said no — she replied with «Really? Really? You never heard of this? The way she came off was «How dumb are you guys?» Then she went into a full irritating explanation of their steaks. We would seriously all cringe every time she came back to check on our table. It’s too bad because my Salmon was actually pretty good. BTW, none of us ordered the steaks.

Tell me why a place that totes the laundry list of local purveyors still uses bagged salad? I challenge 8-​Twelve to prove otherwise. The chopped salad was massive, even for the «small,» but it was a mix. When it’s cheap, you can use a lot of it and not flinch. What about Growing Power? Hook up with them and get some stellar greens for your salads. I guarantee the taste will improve exponentially. Then, maybe only serve one medium-​sized version. My crab cakes were on the delicious side and tasted very fresh. Unfortunately, I was so disappointed by my salad that I couldn’t fully embrace and enjoy my well-​prepared patties. I wonder how one item could be so poorly made and another so well. I like consistency and believe that every course should be equally important. Salad should not be an afterthought.
Aside from the salad debacle, the evening started off on a bad note. My fellow Unilocaler, Jess O., and I stopped at the bar for a beverage. Since it was still Happy Hour, we asked the bartender what he recommended on the cocktail list. He said that the blue curacao drink was his favorite. Well, Jess ordered that only to find that it tasted like blue Kool-​Aid and came from a tap or other quick dispensing device. The bartender was back so quickly that we could only assume as much. I would highly recommend that the bar offer a few craft cocktails, as opposed to fraternity-​quality concoctions. For a place that is all about Wisconsin and its «exports,» why not infuse a drink with Door County cherries or wild blueberries from Superior? If you are going to do it, do it all the way and do it right.

Where and how do I begin? The experience was unlike any other Bar & Grill I’ve been to in my lifetime. While this is not fine dining, after all it is a bar & grill, yet, it is a first class operation.
Originally, we had reservations at Graffito, a sister restaurant, but they had a building disaster that necessitated closing temporarily. We were contacted by a Jane, the Graffito representative, who offered apologies and the opportunity to be booked anywhere else in the city. Since we knew about 8 * Twelve (via Unilocal (TY, Zach)), we chose that option. It was all handled professionally, including contact with 8 * Twelve personnel and confirmations. I reconfirmed the details for dinner with a representative (Jennifer, I think), as this was a special birthday dinner for my friend. Frankly, I had some trepidations because of other reviews for 8 * Twelve.
We arrived and were immediately escorted to our table, seated and approached by Michael, our waiter. He conversationally welcomed and acquainted us with the menu, wine list, briefly explained and recommended some of the dishes and drinks, gave us a little history and background on the restaurant and accepted our drink order. He returned quickly with our drinks, saw that we had not looked at the menu yet and excused himself to give us time. As he had other tables, I noticed that he discretely checked them and he seemed to anticipate their needs before they tried to get his attention. He did this throughout our entire time in the restaurant and made us feel like we were his only responsibility.
The food… ahh, the food. What a joy to receive exactly what we ordered, perfectly cooked, appropriately seasoned, nicely plated and «close your eyes» pleasurable to the taste. We ordered the Lobster Crab Cakes appetizer to share. Taste, presentation, garnish of small noodles and spinach with delicate crispy waffle chips and a delightful tarragon crème fraîche dressing was inspired. The plating was visually enticing. The lobster was not overwhelmed by the lump crab meat, as can be the case from time to time, and the seasoning was very well chosen to accent the lobster yet, still convey the taste of the crab.
For our entrees, my companion had the Pan Seared Day Boat Diver Scallops. She claimed they were the best she’d ever had (and refused to share a tiny morsel with me). Her comments are best summarized by saying the creamy alfredo like orzo pasta, roasted squash and candied hazelnuts elevated the entrée to deliciousness, that the combination of ingredients wove a tapestry of tastes. I ordered the House Smoked Baby Back Ribs with bourbon baked beans and a uniquely created coleslaw. The meat fell off the bone, the barbecue sauce and bark was melded to a bold and rich flavor accentuating the beef. An adroit choice of bourbon baked beans further enhanced the entrée. The accompanying light coleslaw salad was pleasantly understated, not to sweet nor too vinegary. Both entrees overall were credits to the Chef and were well worth 5 stars.
As I, again, was too full, I could not partake of desserts. My friend was presented a Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee (with a small birthday candle — an unexpected touch) topped with black raspberries. She reported to me that she thought the dessert was wonderful. Looked pretty good to me, too.
We found the noise level to be slightly loud, but it did not interfere with our time here as we were readily able to converse with each other.
In summary, the Bar & Grill is a top flight establishment with a true Chef, well trained and responsive staff including, a wonderful waiter and a general manager who was unobtrusively ever present in the dining area, welcoming customers and making sure that everything was to their satisfaction.
As a footnote, the printed Menu was personalized for my companion and presented as a memento of our evening — another pleasant and unexpected surprise.

I was a little disappointed in 8 Twelve.
When I discovered that Graffito and 8 Twelve shared an owner, boy was I thrilled. Graffito is in my top 5 favorite restaurants in the country and I love it… with all my heart. I went to 8 Twelve with high expectations for a high class, laid back environment, and food that knocked my socks off. I was let down on both counts.
The bar area was top notch. It is classy and spacious, the drinks were good and affordable (during happy hour), the bartenders were very friendly and personable. everything about the bar area is fantastic.
The dining area is very warm and inviting in most aspects. I am especially partial to the combination of dim lighting and deep brown and red walls. Something about those colors relaxes me immediately. There is plenty of space between tables so you never feel crowded or encroached upon. I particularly like that the dining area has been divided up into several smaller seating areas. It keeps the noise level down and gives the restaurant a very personal atmosphere, very smart.
The entire staff was wonderful. Our bartenders were cool guys and a lot of fun to banter with. Our server was attentive and sweet and VERY good about dealing with my 2 yr old nephew and his peanut allergy. I can not say enough about the service. I don’t know what the management at Graffito and 8 Twelve do to keep their staff so happy and positive, but I have never experienced customer service in food or any other industry that compares to the staff at these restaurants. ⁵⁄₅.
My rating is low for two reasons:
1) There are way too many pictures of cows. Graffito has a really elegant mix of fine dining and urban mural artwork. It clashes but works together perfectly. 8 Twelve just does not live up that to that. I gotta have less cowbell baby.
2) My family and friends all loved their food, and what I tasted off other people’s plates was as sumptuous as can be. But my plate was a Greek tragedy. I ordered the Wood Grilled Pastrami Spiced Pork Chop with a side of Braised Red Cabbage. The cabbage was terrible, it just left this unpleasant bitter taste in my mouth. The pork chop was… I have no words. It was a barbaric assault on my taste buds. The only flavor that stuck to that piece of pork was a slight char of the grill. Imagine eating a completely unseasoned piece of chicken cooked directing on coal.
I plan on visiting 8 Twelve again and trying a different dish, hopefully the next visit will be more fruitful and I can tack another star and a fresh cascade of compliments onto this review.

As a fair warning, I did not order an entrees, so I may have an update later on. Stopped here for drinks and apps on a Sunday night. The bar is fairly large so we didn’t have a problem finding a couple seats. The bartenders were all pretty friendly too. I ordered one of there specialty martinis which was about $ 9 and my other ordered KK whiskey on the rocks which was about $ 12. As someone used to downtown prices, I thought these were high considering we were in the suburbs. For food, he ordered calamari which I heard was about 3 stars (I don’t like squid) and I ordered the tater tots (quite excellent) and the beet salad (so-​so, pretty skimpy on the toppings though). The menu is pretty limited, with about 3 sandwiches to choose from and 10 entrees,
Overall, for the tab being about $ 70, I would say you can definitely find better food for the money… you are paying for the novelty of being in the Rodgers/​Braun restaurant. The barn décor is interesting, not sure it works with all of the sports memorabilia. And the painted portraits of Rodgers and Braun on the wall are creepy and seem egocentric (though i’m sure it probably wasn’t their idea) and this is coming from a fan.

I was looking forward to going to 8 Twelve and my daughter made reservations 2 months in advance. I was disappointed. I expected a full menu and bar. There was no beer on tap, and the menu was limited and over priced.
A friend of mine suggested the medallions, however, the waiter suggested the the filet was very much worth the extra $ 12. I ordered the filet. It was undercooked, and flavorless. It also appeared to be about 6 oz. instead of the advertised 8 oz. the truffle mash potatoes were very good on the side, however the sautéed mushrooms were not.
All in all, I would not return to this restaurant, as the food is sub par and overpriced.
I will say that our server, Alex, was very knowledgable and did a nice job.

I came here tonight with a group from my husband’s office and I thought everything was amazing! I started off with a glass of Riesling, and for $ 7, it was a pretty hearty pour. They don’t have beer on tap, which is a bit of a bummer, but they had a decent selection of bottles.
For appetizers, our delightful server Alex suggested the calamari and cheese curds, so we went for it. The curds weren’t the biggest portion, but they were perfectly battered (in Spotted Cow!) and came with a buttermilk ranch dipping sauce that was way better than your average ranch. The calamari had a slight onion flavor to the batter and the fried jalapenos were a nice touch. I enjoyed both appetizers.
My husband and I split a wedge salad, which was an incredibly generous portion. The dressing was great and it was topped with blue cheese and bacon. For my entrée, I went with the fillet and a side of truffled mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. My steak was cook perfectly but a bit too salty for my liking. The sides were amazing. My husband’s boss got the roasted squash and I tried a bite and it was the best squash I have ever eaten. It had a brown sugar glaze that was so, so good.
My only complaint would be that my Old School (basically an old fashioned) didn’t really have any brandy in it. It was pretty weak. So the next time our server came around asking about drinks, I went with a glass of wine.
I thought the service was impeccable and our waiter was funny, knowledgeable, and made some great recommendations for the table. I don’t often find myself in Brookfield but I would love to go back!

A friend and I stopped at 6:00 pm on a Saturday night. We were told the wait would be 45 minutes. After a bit two seats at the bar opened up. The bar staff was friendly and prompt, checking on us a few times.
From here the evening took a down turn. The sports bar décor, along with Quiet Riot and «light» hard rock/​heavy metal playing didn’t seem to jive with the farm to table food concept and farm tools around the restaurant. However, this would be merely quirky if not for the snooty service and terrible food. After being sat by a girl who did not say a word the entire time, our waitress was overly friendly until we ordered off the less expensive «left side» of the menu. After that we were treated with the scorn of those who are on a budget when eating out.
We ordered the gouda tater tots to start with which were absolutely delicious and worth every penny. If you have a hankering for tater tots only, please go to 8 12.
The rest of the food was bland, luke warm, and served at strange times. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and left 90% of it on my plate. The waitress didn’t comment on this at all… probably because she stopped checking on us after we ordered. However a manager walking around did notice and asked me why I didn’t like it. I explained that it tasted like chunky pork from the oven (overly pork tasting) with a drizzle of BBQ sauce. Reading the description of the sandwich I thought it would be a BBQ pork sandwich. He responded, «Well, yeah. That’s how it’s made.» He did offer to get me something else, but I was in a brain fog and didn’t ask for more tater tots.
My table mate ordered the beer cheese soup and a small chopped salad. The soup was brought out during appetizers as the waitress didn’t ask when she wanted those served. Beer cheese soup was overheated and had curdled. Her chopped salad had little dressing and macaroni noodles amongst the wet tomatoes, bacon, and iceberg lettuce.
Won’t be going back to 8 12… unless I need some delicious tater tots served with scorn.

Great place to watch a Packers game. Solid food, but service problems with bartender who was unfamiliar with the computer used to input orders and issue billing tabs. Appetizer order was goofed up and we received another party’s bill. Bartender was nice enough, but could probably use more training.
Hear that this place is swamped on Friday and Saturday nights. Go there on a Sunday when it’s barely crowded at all.

The latest from the Surge family of restaurants is… eclectic, and may be worth stopping in, depending on what you’re looking for.
Imagine if you took an upscale bar… let’s say the Knick in Milwaukee. Now let’s say you took a sports bar, let’s go with Champs in Brookfield. Then take some of your favorite dishes you loved when you were 5 and make them a bit more grown up. Now, cram all of those things in a blender, strain out the truly odd bits and what you’re left with is 8 Twelve MVP Bar & Grill.
Here’s the breakdown:
The Good — The food is pretty tasty. I highly recommend the calamari. The lemon aioli is almost like a hollandaise and is just outstanding.
The fried chicken is different from any that I have had. It is as though it was pressure cooked, then breaded and deep fried. It is fall off the bone tender. i wish the coating had a bit more flavor, but it was still quite good. And the mac & cheese side was pretty good as well.
The servings are generous and the waitstaff is friendly. You will feel most comfortable if you are dressed on the upside of casual.
The Bad — Well it’s really noisy in the bar and that’s where we sat. The waitstaff was very busy, and probably had more tables that they should have had. Still, ours was pleasant, just wish she would have been around a bit more.
The Ugly — It’s an expensive place to get a dinner and a drink. If you went to Champs you could get the same kind of meal for $ 4 – 5 less a plate. And the drinks make the bill skyrocket if you’re not having one of the specials.
Final thoughts — It’s a Brookfield kinda feel to what wants to be a sports bar, but prices itself closer to a nice restaurant. The menu is limited, but the food that is there is good. Give it a try.

Nice concept, I’m not a sports fan so I went to support the local WI products vibe. Décor is kinda barn like with tvs. A little odd.
Happy hour drink specials are ok. Options are a bit generic.
Food is very heavy and smoky. Not many light or veggie options. Lots of heavy meats and cheeses.
Crab/​lobster cakes missing the lobster. Other things also missing, like sauces mentioned on the menu. Food was just ok, nothing very memorable.
Parking also sucks since you share it with one of the damn strip malls on Blue Mound Road.

We stopped here the second night they opened and had a pretty good experience. I stayed in the bar and arrived at 4pm which is when I think they opened. The bar quickly filled up as news got out that the restaurant just opened up. We weren’t allowed to start ordering food until 5pm but that was fine as we enjoyed happy hour drinks which included 5 different specialty cocktails for $ 5 and 5 different wines for $ 6.
The place was jam-​packed by 5pm and we put our order in. They have a «Brauny Burger» on their happy hour menu that included a beer for $ 10 (normally $ 11 without the beer) so I tried that along with the pulled pork sandwich. Both sandwiches were very good but the burger stood out more. It was very thick and juicy and tasted perfect with the smoked gouda and pretzel bun. I’d definately go back for that.
The bar itself was not very sportsbar-​ish although huge TV’s did surround the room. It’s called a «bar and grill» but I think the menu more resembles a regular restaurant’s. I’m worried that the dinner menu will turn off many patrons because there are too few bar-​type options on it. The dinner menu only has 3 sandwiches and the entrees ranged in price from about $ 18 all the way up to $ 30-​$ 49 for some steaks and seafood. I could hear grumblings from some of the patrons as they waited at the bar about how «pricey» dinner options were. Along with the crowd looking for a more upscale dinner there was also the gym shorts and Brewer T-​shirt crowd looking for a traditional sports bar and I think they were disappointed.
I’ll certainly be back for happy hour but I think it would be nice to see a separate bar menu that offers less entrée options for dinner. They certainly promote watching Packers and Brewer games here (happy hour prices during both) but I can’t always see myself enjoying grilled lobster tails or a bone-​in ribeye during them.