Evolution

This review is solely for the bald bouncer at the door. If I could give negative stars, I would.
Visiting Milwaukee for a work trip with 3 of my coworkers. My friend is from North Carolina, born and raised there. Apparently people use fake NC ID’s here a lot, so the bouncer spent extra time checking her ID (doing his job, yes). She was prepared to have it rejected because she had to show more proof at other places, so she had previously taken a pic of her passport (hard to get a fake of that) and she showed it to him and she still got rejected. He then proceeded to give so much attitude when we asked for the ID back respectfully and he had the audacity to confiscate it and tell us to call the non-​emergency police line to get it back (mind you that we have a flight to catch the next day). The bouncer pushed my friends out of the door even though we were respectful people, and there was absolutely no reason to do that. We were not violent at all. All we wanted was the freakin ID back so we can leave and not give this place our business. We called the line and the police officer (who was nice enough to look her up and understand her license is real) asked to talk to the bouncer, bouncer again gave attitude and said «well who’s the officer on the line?» And eventually stopped being stubborn and answered the phone. 30 seconds later the bouncer says nothing and just hands the ID back.
A few «thinking out loud» questions:
–Like HELLO, who would actually call the cops on themselves?
–did he really think she faked her passport as well?
–why can’t the bouncer do his job and actually KNOW what a fake/​real ID looks like?
–why couldn’t management step in and help?

Thanks a great experience. We came here with a group of ten and started to play table tennis and have drinks. The very kind waitress physically removed the paddle from my brothers hand and said the table was «reserved.» That would be fine if a) she wasn’t a complete bitch about it, or b) there wasn’t three open tables the entire time we were there. Sorry for trying to spend my money at your establishment… rest assured it will not happen again.

Stopped in mid-​afternoon on a Tuesday. We were the only ones there, but at least we were able to get our ping-​pong on! Even being the only two there, we could tell the space is conducive to good vibes, great energy, fun and games!
We played a half hour game for $ 8 and decided to eat elsewhere. Had we opted to indulge in any of the offerings of the Evolution Bar and Snacks menu or the Brass Alley full menu (can order off either or both menus), we’d have played a game of Jenga, too.
Def plan to go back, probably during peak hours when I’m sure it’s lively, packed, and ping-​pong tables have to be booked in advance.

I want to set the scene here but I’m not sure that my words can accurately portray how terrible my experience was last Sunday.
Pong is my main objective when I go to evolution. Here is my experience, enjoy. I entered and asked a worker to turn the lights a little brighter Because it was nearly pitch black with strobe lights. He could not figure out so he opted not to say anything and just let it be dark. So we asked again, he informed us he tried, so we insisted he maybe ask someone else for help… What a novel idea. The lights turned on finally.
After figuring out the lights, all the lights went out 5 minutes later. We waited a few minutes and then they finally turned back on. We repeated this one more time. At this point I was losing patience.
Shift change occurred and another guy took over that was very attentive. Then he disappeared… No he really disappeared for 20 minutes after working for 30 minutes. There were two people waiting for 20 minutes while he was on «break». When this guy came back he was so high out of his mind I do not even have the ability to describe the next 20 minutes of my experience.
In 20 minutes this guy learned how to use tonic water from the bar gun, get a receipt in the payment book, and deliver a drink to a table. Watching this man try to function after clearly using hard drugs was a trip. I sat at the bar with my jaw hitting the table for the full 20 minutes. Unreal. Good luck Milwaukee

Evo was awesome when it was in the Third Ward, but my trip there on Old World Third left much to be desired. It was jam packed when we arrived for our table reservation at 5 which was fine, but it was nearly impossible to figure out what to do to actually get a table. At old location there was a check in desk; new location I had to hunt down one of very few wait staff (?) in a sea of people. We never saw any staff the rest of our 1.5 hour table time, and we again had to hunt them down when our time was up (we could have easily kept playing or just left without paying), and the waitress couldn’t figure out how long we had been there (again, I could have shorted them a few bucks by lying). Overall the old location was much cleaner, better organized, had a nicer atmosphere, and was more enjoyable. I’m not sure I’ll come back.

The new place is a definite downgrade from the last location in the third Ward. Not only is it way smaller, but the service seems to have changed. getting a table was near impossible. When a private party challenged us to game, the staff came over and quickly kicked us off the table even though we were invited over. Weak sauce. Not overly excited about heading back.

Went for a work party. Lots of fun and great environment. More intimate than the last location! Highly recommend for parties!

Have been to Evo prior to them moving locations. The new location is much much smaller, but has a more intimate feel. It wasn’t very busy for a Friday night. The bar was small and requires a $ 10 minimum for credit cards. This would be a neat space to rent out for an event. Not quite sure if I like this location better then the last location. There were pong balls everywhere and the lady made some attempt to clean them up. I love the concept and I hope this place makes it. I would consider renting the space with a bunch of friends/​family

I was here for a company event. This place is big and is able to hold a big group.
I believe we were in the VIP room where there were 3 ping pong tables. We had a great friendly competition amongst us. This was one of my first times actually playing the game and I enjoyed it!
As for dinner, they served salad, pizza and breadsticks. Salad was plain and only one dressing option. Pizza was bland. :(I suggest not to eat here.

Wow, do I love this place! The last time I went to EVO we were with a group of 24 people, we reserved 3 tables for 1 hour. I love the fact that you can go with 24 people or just 1 other person and still have the same great time. There is a full far and they also offer food. If you feel like getting fancy there are private rooms that can be reserved. I only wish I lived closer to this place so I can go more often!

Evo
I am fan of evo. I wonder why havent i stopped in sooner? When you walk in the door you walk up a flight of stairs to the hosts desk. You will be asked if you have been here before and if you want to rent a table. Renting a table is required to play ping pong, well unless you are with a person who has rented a table. The prices are like 8 bucks for a half an hour before 9 and after 9 its like 12 bucks an half hour. This comes with a bucket of orange balls and a couple of paddles.
The colors are bright. There is a full service bar towards the rear of the bar. They have daily drink specials. There is a lot of room. I havent had so much adult fun in so long! Another plus for me was the music. The selection was on point. I heard A Tribe Called Quest, Puff Daddy, Ice Cube/​NWA. It was like they had the best of the late 90’s on que!
You dont want to play ping pong? Fear not… well maybe you should try to play and if you really insist, you can play pool, darts or jenga. Oh yes jenga… life sized jenga.
They have private rooms toward the rear with ping pong tables and a wet bar. They serve food which for me was too expensive besides the apps. Which were tasty and reasonably priced. I had the fries (5) and cheese curds (6). Both equally on point. Evo you would have gotten 5 stars but the food took it down a notch. I cant justify paying 20 buckalinos for a thin crust pizza, im sorry.
I will be going back to Evo. This place is an awesome place and a great collective idea for a gastrobar.
Well Done Evo, Well Done.

Went on a Sat. afternoon with our 2 sons (ages 17 and 18) after going to the Harley Davidson Museum. Food was great and beer was cold! There were only abt 10 other patrons in the bar, but the visit was back in Feb of this year, on a cold sunny Saturday.
Service was great, friendly staff. Would definitely go back. Was great to find a place where we could go with our older teens and all have fun.

I feel like this place would great for groups and parties because of the large space and areas in back you can rent. The concept of gastropub meets ping pong is extremely fun. Everyone’s in a good mood, having a great time, and the energy is excellent. The problem really lies in getting what you pay for. $ 24 to rent one table for one hour, plus I paid no less than $ 8 a drink for vodka and club soda. It’s an expensive night. Again, maybe you get a deal when you’re in a group, but if you’re looking for a place to hang out with 1 – 2 people, it can get expensive quickly.

We booked the VIP room. It was anything but a VIP experience. Our server was so busy serving the rest of the joint we rarely saw her. The hostess was surly, and we waiting a half hour after she took the paddles away to get cashed out for drink tabs.
Save your money the VIP room is not worth $ 175 for 2 hours.

I’m terrible at ping-​pong … ONE star. Just kidding, this is an adult activity center with ping-​pong, billiards and darts; if they added a shuffle board I would never leave. They even have a ping-​pong table in the center of the room with bleacher seating to give the epic showdowns the appropriate viewing area.
I went during a fundraiser and they had a great DJ that was able to fill the room with some good tunes. Bar staff was friendly, but they seemed to have tap problems with Spotted Cow (and in Wisconsin, you just can’t do that to your patrons… not serve Spotted Cow!). Aside from the main room, they have a ‘VIP’ area with ping-​pong tables that appear to have a wood-​finished surface to play on. Very classy. The décor in the area matches the upscale vibe too.
I knew this location as SPIN, not sure why it changed over. It remained mostly the same from what I can tell. Even down to the ball caddy that went around the room scooping up stray ping-​pong balls. Great for groups, appropriate for kids (before 9pm — I think kids are allowed, I’m not really sure though).

Been here a few times, including back when it was Spin. Always fun! I love the table-​top Jenga and of course the ping-​pong. Their prices are really reasonable. I love that you can get your heart rate pumping while you sling back a couple of brews with some friends in a fun, uniquely Milwaukee environment.
This was the place that I first discovered honey whiskey, which has become my favorite go-​to liquor. The bar staff are friendly and accomodating, always.
They have a really tasty catering menu, including cheese curds and sliders. I could eat that stuff all day!

Really fun place. I haven’t tried any of the food, but the atmosphere is nice. Waitresses are pretty friendly & overall it’s a good vibe. I’ll definitely be going back!

We just played ping pong and drank, so I can’t speak to the food at all. Drinks and ping pong is more than enough for me: 4 stars!

I attended a presentation meeting in a side room. Fun place. Great place for a party or large group gathering. Good food and drinks are decent and the service excellent.
My only disappointment (based purely on being there for a business meeting in a side room) was that it was super noisy. It was nearly impossible to hear each other because there were many people out in the bigger space playing ping pong and screaming cheers. I’m sure they were having fun but the space was useless for the meeting. I’d recommend for group social gatherings only – don’t try to have a meeting here.

Went there with visiting relatives over the holidays. It was a good place to entertain all the different age groups. More fun than just sitting somewhere watching a game.
Lights made it harder to hit the ball or maybe that was just me being 40 years older than the last time I played ping pong. My one complaint was that I could never get anyone on the phone when I called to see if they would be open-​nor on email. Luckily they were open when we drove downtown and just stopped in. Also have to take them down a star because they were short staffed and messed up my food order. But that is fixable and the uniqueness of the venue still makes it a worthy place to try.

We stopped here on a Saturday night with the expectation that this is an ADULT bar where you could have some fun and play table tennis… I feel like we were SHAFTED…
We arrived around 8:30pm on a Saturday night and there must have been around 40 kids under the age of 10 running around like the place was Chucky Cheese. I have nothing against kids… hell I have two myself and I love to take them to restaurants, activities… but a bar on a Saturday night is no place for children. And if you are going to bring children to a bar… CONTROL them. There were at least 15 kids playing on the pool table, 10 – 15 kids knocking Jenga blocks all over the floor, and a 3 month old baby being held right behind me when I was playing table tennis… obviously not ideal.
As far as the location, service, and concept… I loved it. The servers were very attentive and the drinks and food prices were very reasonable. They were even having a competition that if you play a professional in a TT game and score 4 points you get a shot (which I traded for a beer). We also tried a veggie quesadilla which was very good and came with sour cream and salsa. Renting the tables themselves were a little pricy but reasonable for the fun. They also have a DJ that plays some good music starting around 9−10pm
Overall, I would definitely have given one more star if it were not for the children. The place is a great concept and would be fun to go to have some drinks and has a lot more to ofter than the standard bar scene.

I heard so many amazing things about this place but it was honestly disappointing. I came here for a private party. There was no one at the hostess desk to great us and tell us where to go (there were 2 parties going on during the time of my visit). There was one server taking care of our larger group. She was trying to keep up but we definitively needed at least 2 people tending to this party.
There was another private party occurring simultaneously. My fiancée got yelled at by an employee for taking the wrong food and then had his plate taken away and thrown into the garbage can even though he offered to pay for it.
All the waitstaff, bartender, etc, was very rude because we weren’t with the fancy-​pants party. They even refused to serve us at the main bar because we were with another party. My fiancée was so angry at the waitstaff and their unwillingness to serve us that he told his friends not meet us.
We did end up ordering food (quesidilla and a turkey burger). It was good. Not out-​of-​this-​world amazing but decent. Worth the money… meh, it was overpriced. Espeically since the service was so crappy.
Would I go out of my way to come here again? No. I would only come here if a friend was having a party of sorts here. Even then I might be hesitant and suggest something else…

First time here on Monday nite (11÷11÷14) at the behest of a buddy. Our purpose was (definitely) not to play ping pong, but to have a couple of cocktails and a bit of dinner and to check out the location, as a family member of my pal works there.
We were served at the bar by «Sarah,» who was efficient, friendly and graciously responsive to all the questions we had about Evolution, an apparent «spin-​off» of the previous occupant, «Spin.»
Cocktails were good. I ate a grilled chicken sandwich with a side of sweet potatoe fries; both good. My pal had the filet sliders. He said he liked the sliders, but from what I could see, the portion of what looked like «pulled» steak was pretty meager and underwhelming for the price ($ 14.00).
The location is like a huge warehouse. We took a walk around the facility and saw that there are several rooms that are obviously set up to be utilized by large groups of folks, perfect for a group event; i.e., retirement party, Xmas parties, etc.
All-​in-​all, this location is perfect for large groups of folks who want to meet and have some fun playing ping-​pong; otherwise, Evolution would not be anywhere on my list of destinations for a cocktail and something to eat.

Went here for a Rotoract event. We had a private party room. Perfect for our group although it can get loud in there if your trying to have a short meeting.
Overall This place seems really fun to come to even if your not with a big party. I would come back for sure.

Descriptive phrase: trendy ping-​pong bar.
It’s a Ping Pong bar (now called EVOlution, or something). That’s their hook. Roll with it.
This place is HUGE inside; there must be nearly 20 tables, plus pool and giant Jenga. There’s a few bars scattered around, and drink prices were $ 3 on a Tuesday night (woot woot for Sprecher Abbey Tripel on draught). My companions ordered food while we sat in their small, almost hidden dining area. It all looked fine, and I thought having Gardetto’s on the app menu was a great snack idea for ping pong.
Tables were $ 20/​hr, and they’ll give you as many balls and paddles as you want. Plenty of TVs around too to watch the game. Concept is unique and can be really fun, but it’s too specific for me to come more than once in a blue moon.

I really love going to spin to play ping pong and I always bring new friends here. Makes me a good customer, right?
2 stars update. Why? Cause the customer service is HORRIBLE.
1) no one who works there EVER asks of we want to know the basics on the game of ping pong, it’s a unique game. At least have informational sheets out for people if your staff isn’t going to speak to guests
2) every time I have to go searching for the ball boy to bring more balls. Often end up picking up my own balls off the floor…
3) this past weekend I had to go searching for the server to ask if she could bring us drinks… Isn’t this backwards ?
4) this past weekend we were told we had to leave because they weren’t busy enough. I had 4 in my group. We were having a really good time. The place is supposed to stay open until 2 or something but they wanted to close 1 – 1.5 he’s early — BUT! We were. Customers! We wanted to stay! Guess if they ain’t packed everyone else is chopped liver.
If customer service was satisfactory, it’d be 5 stars all the way.