Graffito

Gave this place a try in Milwaukee just because my favorite restaurant was closed that week.
Bad Service. We felt ignored. Waitresses/​Hostesses seemed clueless and had a lot of attitude. They obviously weren’t hired for their skills.
Mediocre food/​uninspiring menu.
Overpriced for the (lack of quality)
On the plus side, the location was great. We enjoyed the view on the patio, but that’s about it.
I don’t know much about the baseball player owner guy, but I think he should stick to baseball.

Try their version of buffalo wings! I would come back for this dish & try something else ! Not much else to add since I’m here with a large group on a fast paced food tour getting only 1 dish to sample. Best tasting I had tonight.

My husband and I went to Ryan Braun’s Graffito on a Tuesday afternoon for our wedding anniversary. Overall it was a good experience.
We had drinks at the bar and arrived around 5:30. The place was pretty empty. They have a fantastic happy hour — $ 5 certain specialty martini’s and $ 2 list of tap and bottled beer. I had a pear martini and grapefruit martini, both delicious. It’s a very large bar in a square with all of the liquor being kept in the middle island so there is room for many bar patrons. Really neat cement bar top.
Our server was extremely attentive and did not hover. She did say «everything here is made from scratch, noodles, meat, cheese, everything». If the restaurant can make meat from scratch they are geniuses! Their bread and olive oil is heavy no the olive taste but still good, and the bread was warm and soft. We shared the pretzel bites and calamari. Pretzels were soft and the cheddar cheese was full of flavor. The calamari was not overly greasy, had a nice lemony-​y tase and the dipping sauces were unique.
I would have given them five stars but our entrees weren’t the greatest. I had the Pappardelle: Duck Ragu, Duck Prosciutto, Cremini Mushrooms, Parmigiano, Fresh Herbs. When I think of ragu I think of a thicker sauce … the sauce was very thin and lacked flavor, as did the duck (though the duck was tender). The noodles were not noodles as much as they were dumplings. My husband had the spicy ravioli — however it was basically stuffed ravioli and pulled chicken doused in Frank’s Red Hot Sauce — not impressed.
We’ll be back to try more, overall the service was great as was the atmosphere.

I just can’t bring myself to give this place more than 3 stars. I would normally not pick this spot — the parking, for one. Oy vey. I also think it’s in a weird spot that makes it hard to find. But anyway, I went for a surprise birthday party of someone I admire a great deal so these things were easily overlooked. I will say — we had our own party room, complete with our own VERY ATTRACTIVE waiter, and that was all well and good. We had a couple pricey drinks, and then moved onto dinner. I had the chicken parmesan, and it was decent. Not earth shattering, but good. But at the end of the night, I spent $ 50+ and didn’t have the stellar kind of night $ 50 could get me elsewhere in this town. I doubt I’ll be back– and judging by the less than half full dining room on a Friday night — it looks like others may feel the same.

Loved everything about this place!
Service: 5 stars. Hostess offered coat check and pulled out my chair. Server was very knowledgeable, not pushy, and left us alone to take as long as we wanted. We were there til 10:30.
Food: 5 stars. Everything made in-​house, and they try to get their food locally. We ordered the Mozzarella in Carozza ($ 7 or $ 8) to start (yum), not knowing that we would be getting bread with this amazing olive oil/​chopped olive tapenade dip. For my entrée I ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca ($ 18). The prosciutto was crispy (how I like my bacon) and it was good but could’ve used more. The polenta was pretty creamy. Chicken was flavored well. Was full but had room for dessert. Ordered the chocolate and hazelnut ($ 7). Perfect combination of flavors. They are also now having a fish fry so I will be back to eat and review that!
Drink: 5 stars. Ordered a pinot grigio to start ($ 8) — very good. Towards the end of the meal I ordered this vodka/​rhubarb/​limoncello drink ($ 10) — they put their homemade rhubarb jam in it– so good!

I am obsessed with the carmel apple bread pudding here. When I go out to other restaurants, and the dessert menu sucks, I go «Screw it… we’re going to Graffito.»
And then that’s exactly what happens.
I had it for the first time two weeks ago, and I’ve been back twice since. If this goes off the menu, I will die.
That is all.

I could not have had a better experience at Graffito.
The location is right on the southern border of the Third Ward with a deck overlooking the river. I can imagine that this would be a top notch location to dine in the summer.
The interior is an unique blend of upscale class with highly colorful graffiti style artwork on the main walls. The result is a very difficult to define in terms of style. It’s romantic, and also trendy.; upscale, with a touch of urban. Very difficult to define indeed.
Our waiter was extremely respectful, helpful, attentive, and personable. He came off as very genuine and didn’t give us that cliché «Hi welcome to _​_​_​_​_​, my name is _​_​_​_​_​_​i”ll be your waiter this evening» crap that everybody hates. He talked with us, told us what on the menu he liked and why, and was very helpful in our decision making process. I don’t know what the management at Graffito and 8 Twelve (sister restaurant) 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 table decided we would order several small plates and share one of the main entrees. Below is an itemized review of everything we ordered.

Small Dish
1) Bruschetta — The Bruschetta was good, not great. A simple plate of 7 – 8 Ciabatta Crostini’s with two bowls of spreads; 1) tomato jam 2) chilled Ricotta, Basil and Chives. Not much to be said, Bruschetta is a simple dish and a nice way to start off any meal.
2) Calamari — This was my first attempt at Calamari, and I was extremely surprised. It was cooked just right, not raw, and not too chewy. Proper cooking plus a light dusting of Parmigiano, Crème Fraiche, and Red Pepper Coulis gives you a dish that explodes with flavor without overwhelming your palete. I will definitely be ordering this plate again.
3) Gnocchi — Potato dumplings, Arrabiata sauce, and fresh herbs. easily the best Gnocchi I’ve ever had. This dish proves that there is no comparison for fresh homemade pasta. The dumplings were perfect, the meatballs were perfect, the seasoning was perfect. I want this Gnocchi all day everyday.
4) Lobster Risotto — White truffle Risotto and cuts of fresh lobster. Easily the best Risotto of any kind that I have ever tasted. This is another dish that is very difficult to get just right. There is a fine line between the perfect consistency and being too soft or too tacky. Graffito’s absolutely nailed the Risotto and the fresh lobster was some of the best I’ve ever had.
5) Cheese Pizza — We ordered this off the kids menu for my little nephew. He did not seem to be in the mood for it so I helped myself to a couple slices. ⁵⁄₅. Cheesy, flavorful, good consistency. Another dish that proves that even simple foods made from scratch can surprise and amaze you.
Entrée
6) Swordfish — crispy potato, asparagus, and Tomato Basil butter. This dish was another big surprise for me. I am not a fish lover by any means. I don’t even like my Cinnamon Toast Crunch to get mushy so… why would I want that from at a $ 25 dollar entrée? The swordfish was cooked in such a way that it simply. melted in your mouth. It was not chewy, nor tough or mushy, it’s texture is not something that I have the vocabulary to describe to you. The best I can do is to say… when you take that first bite, you say to yourself «This is how fish is supposed to taste». Now I must recommend that once you get this dish, let the Tomato Basil butter melt just a little bit; this adds a whole new dimension of flavor that you would lament rushing past. Let the fish cool, let the butter melt.
Dessert
7) I had a chocolate-​hazelnut mousse, a velvety dome heightened with a sprinkle of sea salt with a salted caramel gelato served around a chocolate rice krispy bar. We’ve all had these items individually, I do not need to attest to how good they are. All I’m going to say is, when you get the perfect combination on your spoon… and put that aforementioned spoon into your mouth… oh my god.
(The perfect combination is 40% gelato, 40% chocolate mousse, 20% crispy treat.)

We came here on a Thursday night a few weeks ago and it was so dead! I think there were two-​three other parties. However, I think some of that reason was due to the fact it was like –10 degrees outside and New Years week. But anyway…
Our waiter was a little annoying. He was trying to make conversation which was just lame. But I don’t really care about that. He did make a point to tell us everything was homemade, like the pasta and even the bread, which I found amusing. The homemade pasta is definitely special for Wisconsin. But bread? Really?
We started with gnocchi and calamari. Both were really great. The calamari came with two interesting dipping sauces which was a nice change from the traditional marinara. It was very fresh and not too chewy, just like it should be.
I wanted something light so I had the pasta with clams in wine sauce. It was very fresh tasting and light. My brother had the lobster risotto which he raved about. My sister had the duck ragu which was also really yummy and a very generous portion. My husband had salmon which was light and came with garlic fresh spinach.
We didn’t save room for dessert but I don’t remember being too excited by the dessert menu.
Overall a great place. It would definitely be nice in the summer as it’s right on the river.

Went here with a group of 13 guys this past Saturday under a reservation we had made a month in advance. Not being from the area, I didn’t know anything about the restaurant other than it was Italian and owned by a pro ball player from the Brewers. When I got there I was a little confused as to what the restaurant is — there is a weird mix of casual and fancy. The tables all are white linen with wine glasses already set up so it appears classy. But then I see all the people working there wear completely different outfits — some shorts and t-​shirts, some pants and t-​shirts and a manager in a tie.
As for dinner, it took a little over 2 hours and was pretty slow/​spotty on service. I realize we were a big group, but we had one server the whole time and they weren’t that busy. Not to mention, they had a month to know we were coming. There was a wedding party there as well (bride in gown kind of wedding party) — I am guessing they have a banquet room in the back.
For all this, I would say it is 3 stars and I would be reluctant to go back here. However, the food was actually pretty darned good. The apps we shared– shrimp, gnocchi, and carpacio were all great apps, albeit a bit too expensive. I am the last person you would call cheap, but I think $ 12 for 3 shrimp is a little ridiculous. I had the hanger steak which was cooked perfectly rare and was flavored very well with spice and sauce. And they have a decent wine list that ranges from $ 30’s to $ 100’s. Everyone else at the table seemed to really enjoy their food so it was a bit of a let down that the service was so miserably slow.

We had a late lunch here and both ordered the hamburger. It was definitely one of the best burgers I have ever had. The handcut fries were outstanding! It was pricey, $ 12 bucks for a burger, but I knew going in it wasn’t going to be cheap. I liked the décor as it felt comfortable to me. Of course, I am a huge Brewers fan, so that makes it fun as well. They have there own Lake Front Ale 8, which was a whet beer. It was very good.

I would give it 5 stars except I’m really confused by the décor and what the restaurant is trying to be.
I understand it was a steakhouse that they converted into a «nicer» Italian restaurant, but it seemed like they stopped halfway through converting it. The walls still had a steakhouse feel with big, graffiti inspired artwork and a bar right in the middle, but then the tables had cloth tablecloths and napkins.
But I digress. If you can look past the décor the food is fairly delicious. The homemade dipping sauce for the bread is made at the table and is quite tasty. Also two thumbs up for the calamari and especially the dipping sauces that come with them. The pizza is big enough for two, however the gelato was fairly disappointing. I’m pretty sure I’ve had better ice cream from a tub.
Overall I’d go back again, hopefully at which point maybe the restaurant will have figured out its identity crisis…

I like that outside Graffito has that casual chill-​outside-​on-​the-​river feel and inside Graffito has that upscale tiny-​lamp-​on-​your-​table feel. However, I think the food is really hit or miss here.
This time I had the shrimp scampi. Honestly, the scampi sauce at Red Lobster is 20 times better (Graffito’s had something in it that I couldn’t put my finger on – saffron maybe?). It was not garlicky enough for me. And it came with tiny shrimp (I should’ve known as the menu said «rock shrimp.» My bad). Also, tried the calamari — just ok.
My buddy did like what he ordered — pasta/​duck/​something deliciousness. And the HOT bread with tapenade was excellent.
Our server was very friendly, but she didn’t seem confident in answering our questions about the menu items, thus she talked very quiet. Whispered even. I had no clue what she said. Maybe she was new. Also, they have a real issue with utensils. This might be me being picky, but our small plates were cleared with our utensils and then our pasta came before we got new ones. So, we waited. And waited. Finally, we flagged someone down. Same when we got dessert — nothing to eat it with! What kills me is they have food runners — as in their only job is to bring the food to the table, give it to the correct person who ordered it, and make sure they have freaking utensils. It’s in the details, Graffito. I know I’ll be back, but probably to try the more casual chill-​outside experience and not the tiny-​lamp experience.

Took my grandma and mom for mother’s day. No special menu :(
They stopped carrying the delicious prosecco that I ordered and pictured on Unilocal last time.
Appetizer: caprese salad. BARELY ANY balsamic, BARELY ANY fresh mozz — Way to RUIN it, dumb-​asses! Leave out all the good shit!
Grandma got risotto with pecans and mushrooms. She liked it ok/​decent. I had lobster risotto, came out lookin like porridge with NO garnish. Oh, and barely any lobster at that. (RULE #1 IN THE RESTAURANT BIZ: WE EAT WITH OUR EYES FIRST!!!)
Mom liked her shrimp scampi. Oh and we had a steak and eggs order at the table, that was the nicest steak I’ve seen that goes with eggs!
Our server was really nice, too. so a couple good points. overall, disappointed.

On my first trip to Milwaukee, my sister took me to this restaurant, and man was I impressed. The atmosphere is something that cannot be beat, the staff is amazing and the food was to die for.
Atmosphere: Located right on the water with a small view of downtown, this place is ideal, especially towards the evening. Get a seat outside if you can because it is so serene and as the sun starts to set, they light tiki torches to set the mood.
Staff: All the staff from the bartender to the hostess and waiter were excellent! We truly felt welcome and were waited on from beginning to end.
Food: Amazing! I had a duck pasta that was delicious, and my sister had a risotto which was one of the best dishes I have ever tasted! We also had appetizers and dessert, which were all exceptional.
Overall, this place is a GREAT pick when in the Milwaukee area for exceptional food and a true Milwaukee atmosphere.

I reserved online and it asked what the occasion was for the reservation. It was for my sisters 50^th birthday. So it was a way cool treat to receive the menus stating Happy Birthday!
The service was slow. The drinks were delicious. The apps were ok. The dinner was disappointing. The sauce was very sweet for my taste. One person denied the dinner., it was comped. The other person had to send the Salmon back, the inside was still jelly like.
Overpriced.

Average food
Average staff
Way over priced

Wisconsin LOVES the Brewers. It’s too bad I don’t feel the same way about Ryan Braun’s restaurant. — The food was good, but there were some things that Graffito did so awkwardly, it kind of ruined my dinner experience.
1) Awkward Portion Sizes: The 7 of us ordered the Bruschetta appetizer to share. So what were we supposed to do when it only came with 4 baguette slices?
Actually, there wasn’t enough bread in general. Our bread basket came with a Tapenade, and we also ordered a few other appetizers that needed bread for dipping. The dip to bread ratio was out of control, and we had to keep asking for more. It just got to a point where I felt bad because it seemed rude… but really… JUST BRING MORE BREAD!
The Watermelon & Beet Salad was not much of a «salad» at all. For $ 7, I expected more than just a few pieces of chopped up beets. It was SO tiny! Good thing I filled up on appetizers!
2) Awkward Service: Our waiter tried to take our plates from us several times before we were done. For example, we ordered the House Mozzarella & Tomatoes, and he tried to take it away with about half the tomatoes still on there! He was really friendly and didn’t seem to want to rush us, so I couldn’t understand what the reason for this was.
Everything else was fine– The Duck Ragu Papardelle was flavorful and served with house-​made pasta, and the desserts were amazing. The décor is colorful & fun, and the outdoor patio that overlooks the river is beautiful. I just hope they fix the slip-​ups!

Solid performer. The plates were gorgeous and had taste to match. I had the Hot Wing Ravioli and the Beet and Watermelon salad and would recommend both.
There is plenty of outside seating, but the indoors is nice, too. Service was great.
I’d go back.

I was a little concerned when we walked in and the place was nearly empty but it was Monday night so it’s not the busiest night for dining out. But my concern was quickly dismissed when our server, Rachel, introduced herself and started what was one of the better Milwaukee dining experiences.
We started with the meatballs. The sauce and house made mozzarella were a nice balance with the meatballs. Probably the 2^nd best meatballs I’ve had. Marcella’s in Columbus, OH still holds that title. For our entrees, I choose the Strauss veal. It was excellent and the black pepper pasta was a great compliment to the dish. My partner had the hot wing ravioli, which did give him some pause before ordering it, but all reservations were gone after his first bite. Both of us scraped the last remnants off our plates. Since everything was so good, we had to give them a shot at dessert. I choose the tara mi su copetta and my partner choose the chocolate & hazelnut cake. My dessert was a cross between a sundae and taramisu. While it was okay, the lady fingers didn’t work well with the gelato. As for the chocolate & hazelnut cake, he declared it the best dessert he’s had in a long time.
Our server, Rachel, was incredible. Hope she’s working every night because she is an excellent person to represent the best Graffito has to offer. Everything came together perfectly and made for an excellent dinner.

Disclaimer: This review is based on my experience at Graffito’s preview lunch, therefore, it’s not *exactly* representative of a straightforward experience. That being said, I feel as though I can most certainly review Graffito, as I did feel that I got a good overall impression of the restaurant, their menu, etc., etc., etc.
ALSO! Ryan Braun is a baseball player, and I don’t follow baseball. I do, however, know that in the immortal words of Ron Burgundy, he’s «kind of a big deal.» I’m unsure as to why Ryan Braun’s name is so prevalent, as the restaurant is now owned by the SURG restaurant group. Idk.
I’ll stop rambling now and move on to the meat and potatoes of this thing.
From scratch Italian food is their thing. It’s casual, yet still hints at upscale. I like the concept, I really do.
The menu? Awesome offerings. Some really cool stuff. My friend really liked her duck pasta. I liked my pizza a little less so. (I think it was just the prosciutto that I didn’t like… there was a lot of it, and it had this sort of iron-​y aftertaste. I think I would’ve liked any of the other pizzas a lotthough, as the crust was pretty magical.)
Our shrimp app was flavorful and well-​composed, but a bit overcooked. The rhubarb dessert was pretty freaking delicious.
As Stephen said, the service was a bit eager, but I have a hunch that that end of things will chill out as the restaurant officially opens and the staff gets more comfortable.
*I do hope they ditch the whole tableside smashing of the garlic and incorporating of the cheese and tapanade in olive oil thing that’s supposed to go with bread. It was really awkward to just sit there while he fumbled with two forks and a bowl that was too small for what was to be contained in it. Just sayin’.
I think Graffito will be good. I think that they have an interesting menu and a great location, and it will be interesting to see how they progress in this incarnation of the space and the restaurant.

The second incarnation in as many years is now open at 102 N. Water St. New ownership, the successful SURG, has much more promise for a gorgeous location that has seen some under-​acheivers in the past. Rather than another steak place, we’re seeing Italian-​inspired small plates, pizza, pasta and entrees. Everything made from scratch in house, from the pasta to the sauce, from the pizza crust to the desserts. Oh yeah, there’s a huge patio too.
This is not formal or stereotyped talian. No chianti bottle with a candle, Lady and the Tramp music, or meats hanging from hooks over the bar. There’s a contemporary style that is very inviting, and a bar big enough to invite a lot of friends. Also, once someone remembers to turn off the winter switch, that patio is going to be killer.
The menu samplings thus far have been pretty solid, with my favorites being the tagliatelle pasta and the bianco and sweet potato pizzas. The meat and cheese selection is pretty solid too. Absolutely not your typical OG selections. The «house-​made everything» standard is awesome. Knowing the mozz is handmade, or that each pizza is a scratch component, made consistently each time, demonstrates skill and attention to detail that you’d expect to find at a corporate level.
Service, well, it’s not even officially opened yet, so that will have to wait a bit to update. Eager is a definite, and anxious would be applicable as well. There’s always a pressure to succeed, especially when you’re in a spot others have failed within. But there’s a solid confidence, as it’s just a matter of time and repetition. There are definite bright spots on the service staff, as with any new place. It’s just a game of catching everyone up to the the leaders.
I like the bar style, with tap and bottle beer, a small, predominantly Italian winelist, and a medium range of spirits. Wine by the glass is an easy win with 7oz cortino pours, and there are nearly twenty available that way. Bottled beer doesn’t have the same variety as the taps (Hinterland, Lakefront, Milwaukee Brewing Co) but that, and the liquor selection, are apt to change based on requests over time.
Cocktails are geared towards craft style, although not nearly so far as sister-​property Distil. Try the Scratch Eight for something a bit schmancy, or tone it simple with the No-​So Old-​Fashioned.
In all, this place has all the tools needed to succeed. It’s geared to a varied crowd spending on the high or low end. Given time to see consistent execution and proper training of staff, I think the Third Ward has a bonafide winner.