Harp Irish Pub

If I could give this bar a 0 star I would’ve. It’s swamped with under age patrons. I’m surprised Milwaukee county hasn’t taken more action against this place. The environment is half ass at best. The bouncers are assholes and only respect and nice pair of tits and a nice body. Stay sway!

Absolutely rude staff.
Trying to close out our tab at bar close and a bouncer gets roid rage then takes my drink and throws it on the ground to kick us out.
As others have mentioned, they have very hands on staff that uses excessive force as compensation for their lack of brains and people skills.
Harp is a dirty bar that only has the location going for them. Trinity across the street is a much better run establishment owned by the same company.
Harp will always have the drunk college student business, but have lost the respect of many Milwaukeeans.

We have been to The Harp a few times. Good burgers, but on the small side and the fries are an extra charge. That said, they have those crispy skinny fries, hubby’s favorite.
The patio is nice for warmer days. Not much to see on this part of the river, but fun nonetheless.

A fantastic looking bar where you can be in the bar and outside and quite literally touch the bridge. a great view of the Milwaukee river while drinking and enjoying the weather along with a great indoor patio and indoor bar. This is really an underrated bar that serves great irish beer and one of the better bars in the downtown area. I’m surprised by some of these low Unilocal as this place seems really cool, clean, and friendly.

I wasn’t sure if I should have drank beer out of the draft or to order a bottle. Everything was filthy, dusty and dated. There were dead bugs in lights over the bar LOTS of dust on light fixtures and ventilation. Service was pretty lackluster, bartenders didn’t even say anything to us. I don’t think I’ll be going back next time I visit the area.

Last night i show bouncer my id he lets me in i walk inside i get surounded by 3 bouncers telling im’e banned i ask why they reply only thing that matters is your banned so ignorant just stay away

Had a great time here. Went looking for some dinner with wife before Garth Brooks concert. All the restaurants around the venue were packed but this place had a couple spots at bar open. Clay, our server was wonderful. He got us our drinks when we needed them, took our food order and was real friendly. The food was really good, I thought the portion was a little small, but the price was good so it wasn’t a big deal. They have a patio out by the river that looks really nice. Would be a good place to have a few beers and have a meal while enjoying some good weather. I think this will be my go to place when I go to Bradley Center for shows.

HORRIBLE! The staff is arrogant and rude. I have never been somewhere with such horrible service. I kindly asked a waitress for help and she acted like I asked her to save my dying child. DO NOT COME HERE. The worst bar ever. Everyone is rude. Very attractive patrons though!

Having moved to Milwaukee less than a year ago, I haven’t been out on water street or the surrounding area very much, but after going to Harp I feel like I have a good idea of what exactly it entails.
I went with some friends shortly after the Badgers had just beaten Kentucky. Everyone was obviously in a very good mood and lots of fun was being had. The place was packed with college aged sports fans, also known as bros, and the wait for drinks was quite long. Luckily for me my friends knew one of the bartenders and we were able to bypass the lines and the ridiculously high prices. If this had not been the case, I probably would have left much earlier.
Overall I had an okay time at Harp.

Classic spot on the river with a great staff. Been a favorite for many many years. Solid bar food, excellent draft selections, and again the people. It’s all about the great management and staff that makes this place so special.

Seems like this has been a problem for Harp as of late. I also had an issue with their bouncer last night. I have never been to Harp, as I do not usually care for Water Street… its a little too rowdy for me. However, I ended up in line at Harp around midnight. We had been waiting in line for more than 20 minutes, and were fairly close to the door. The ropes the Harp uses to manage the waiting line are easily tripped… you could lean on it and it would snap back. This seems to be what happened. Someone in line tripped the rope, not myself, I just happened to be on the outside of the line. This must’ve been reason enough for the bouncer (male, 5’5″, red beard) to violently grab me by the shoulder and drag me out of line. I was so taken aback by what happened, that I couldn’t even speak. Being grabbed with that much force led me to think that I was about to be assaulted! The bouncer then screamed in my face that I would not be let into the bar. Keep in mind that I was not some drunk girl falling on the ground, that needed to be removed from the line. I was patiently standing in line to go inside. The force by which I was removed from the line was very inappropriate. I am a small girl… barely over 5ft, I did not appreciate being manhandled… I was rubbing my shoulder for a good 30min after that. Needless to say, I left, without saying a word. I walked over to the corner and waited for my friends to leave the line.
As someone who has worked in the service industry for quite sometime, I know that dealing with drunken 20something’s is quite annoying. But, the way the bouncer grabbed me was unnecessary… especially since I was not being disruptive in any way possible.
I do not plan on returning to Harp. It is never okay for a grown man to use force like that on a woman. It was just so inappropriate, on so many levels.
I hope for Harp’s sake that the bouncer was from a temp agency, because this reflects so poorly on the business.

If I could give it negative stars, I would. Went in here to get a drink and maybe some bar food. One of the waitresses shorts were so short that her butt cheek was hanging out. Now, I am no prude but this was just yucky. We went out to the patio and had a seat. We would have stayed outside, but I didn’t want to share my table with the bird poop that hadn’t been cleaned up in I don’t know how long. We went inside, and the alternative was sharing my table with a dirty band-​aid and a hat that I imagine was from the night before. We actually stayed (not sure why) and each ordered a Guinness. When they finally came to the table, my glass had thick pink lipstick stuck to the rim of the glass. I have no idea how they didn’t see it when they were pouring it, because I saw it before it reached the table. That was it. We walked out and will not return.

Walked in at 5pm on a Friday. They were not very busy so we sat on the deck. It took a while for a server to come to the table. She gave us the happy hour specials and we ordered our drinks. 10 minutes later our drinks arrived and that was the last we ever saw our server.
We wanted to order food and more beers but we sat for 20 minutes with empty glasses and no menus. I ended going up to the three servers sitting behind an empty bar and asking for our check. 10 minutes later a different server came to the table and asked what we had so he can write up our bill.
We were there for over 45 minutes and just got one round of drinks. Pathetic. Only good thing was $ 2 beers during happy hour.

What can I say, I love this place. The patio in the summer is amazing, add live music on Sundays and if it were possible I would never leave. It all depends on what you’re looking for, but if you’re looking to get hammered drunk and play some bar dice with your friends you’re at the right spot. This place is packed on Saturday and Sunday, with everyone drunk and having a good time. If you want something low key, don’t come here on a weekend night or Sunday after around 3. The bartenders here are the shit, strong drinks and all super friendly. Bottom line is if you’re looking for a rowdy place to get fucked up with your friends… look no further.

No way. Just left the Harp. Should have been sitting there on this beautiful day for at least a few more hours…
First of all, the service was HORRIBLE. Absolutely ridiculously horrible. We had a table of 12 at 4:00 on Friday afternoon and NOBODY was there. We were out on the deck and all we wanted was drinks, drinks and more drinks. I guess that was a huge problem for our server who had a the personality of a dish rag. I ended up going to the inside bar to get a drink. $ 8.00 during happy hour. wow. Was never told that there were specials… or that there were happy hour prices. When I flagged down our oh-​so-​happy server to get another round, she charged me $ 9.00 for the exact same drink! Guess it was that extra effort she put in to walk over to the bar. Seriously. We would have spent a shit ton more money than we did (our bill was almost $ 80.00 for the short amount of time we were there)… but she was such a buzz kill that we needed to move on to another bar.
Also–
Some DOUCHE BAG server came over and picked up an empty PBR can off our table. It was from someone’s canoe and we were looking for a garbage can. He threw a FIT! He actually walked up to our table of ADULTS and said «Does anyone else have a PBR can, so I can kick you all out of here?»!! Wow. Nice attitude guy. What the hell was that all about? We then asked to close out our tab and paid the bill and left. We had just ordered a pitcher and we just left it sitting on the table.
I know I will NOT be going back to the Harp any time soon. The servers are total a$$holes and have no idea what customer service is all about. The drink prices are ridiculous and are random prices depending on which angry, customer hating server you order from. Never again. No thanks.

I always feel like a jerk doling out the «meh.» Meh almost seems worse than «eek» in a way, you know? You feel me, Unilocal nation? Meh is so… disaffected.
But two stars seems just about right for the Harp. Yes, they do have a killer patio right on the river, this is true. And for me, this is right about where the redeeming qualities end.
If you’re into sports, this is a solid place to watch a thing… if you don’t mind being surrounded by tons of people that may be younger/​act younger than you. *cough getting old and stodgy cough*
I shouldn’t be like that, so I’ll rephrase: Yes, this is a college bar. It’s a college-​y type bar just off Water St. So while it feels sort of like Water Street, it also feels a little, oh… I don’t know… better? Better-​ish? It does. It’s better, I think.
The patio rules. Requisite domestics and imports on tap/​in bottles. They have food, but I’ve never partaken.
Go and see for yourself, if you’re into the college-​y/​sportsy/​Water St.-esque type vibe. As a one-​off, it’s honestly not terrible. You just have to be in the right frame of mind.

Descriptive phrase: loud, crowded college bar.
Water Street isn’t my scene, so the few times I’ve been to Harp Irish Pub I’ve been dragged there by friends.
Let’s break it down:
On its own corner and bounded by the river, Harp’s in a neat spot. During the summer they have a fantastic outdoor porch on the water, and during the winter this is closed in and heated. There’s 4 bars spread throughout the joint, which allows for relatively easy access to continued libations. The space itself isn’t anything special, but also isn’t too grungy to turn you off. The inside area is very dark, but the porch is well-​lit. Drinks aren’t outrageously-​priced.
My main issue with Harp, and most of Water for that matter, is how ridiculously-​packed it gets every weekend. The patio usually has a tiny bit of space, but if you’re inside you literally won’t be able to move. Then there’s the music; it’s so ungodly-​loud, which would be okay if you could dance but there’s nowhere near enough space to even wiggle.
The clinetele is all college-​aged (or close to it). On the one hand this means they’re not as pretentious as people on Cathedral Square; on the other hand it means they get way drunker and rowdier. Harp is usually a tad tamer than other Water Street haunts, but still crazy compared to most parts of Milwaukee.
I’m giving Harp a 3 because it’s a good spot if you’re into their scene, but that’s just not my style.

What?
Wow!
First time here. Impressions — College bar. Guys playing music on nice riverside back patio… felt like they never wanted to leave the good old HS days of practicing tunes in the basement, even though they are now pushing 50. Loud and all about the buckets of Corona.
Stepped inside — mind you it was 5:30 on a Sunday– one drunk woman sitting on the floor next to the bar. One very hairy big guy laying on the bar so his GF could do a shot off his jiggly belly (see photo and assistance in steadying the shot glass by bartender). Regretfully, this started a trend of drunk –way past their frat days 30 something– guys laying on the bar shirt up for GFs to take shot. Oye.
Very telling was the very bewildered group of older touristy looking folks standing out front, who thought they were going to pop into a quaint irish pub but instead found a mix of porkies, david lynch and dr seuss.
There is plenty of beer in this town, no point in going there again.

Five stars for the most perfectly poured «Black and Tan» that I have ever had in my life. Really. Check the picture.
And a fantastic deck with a great sunset view.

We came here for some drinks on the river after a Brewers game (no food this time around!). The drinks were fairly priced (definitely cheaper than Chicago, no surprise). The patio outside is definitely the best part. It’s right on the river with plenty of seating, and a bar right outside so you don’t even have to go in. It’s definitely more of a chill place (no like a club with lots of dancing). I was pleased!