Lucky Ginger

We stopped here for dinner around 9:00 on a Saturday night. There weren’t too many people there for food but the bar was decently busy. We loved it! The prices are totally reasonable for the amount of food you’re getting. We got the veggie and pork egg rolls, phở, and chicken pad thai. Everything was delicious! They ask you how spicy you’d like your food based on a rating of 1 – 5, 5 being «no refunds!» I asked for my pad thai to be a 3 since I do like a little spice in my food. I probably could have gone with the 5! All in all, it’s a great place and our server was so kind and attentive. Highly recommend!

After receiving FB tipoff from a friend, stopped in a on a Saturday night after the dinner rush. Artsy ambiance, pleasant, not too bumpy synth/​techno tunes and not loud at that time.
Our server, Anita, was very attentive, informed, friendly and cute. We ordered Chicken Satay appetizer, Michele had the Chicken Red Curry (heat setting 3) I ordered Pad Thai (as my friend Lee called it «best in the city», heat setting 2).
Michele had a red wine, which she said was good, and I had mixed pineapple/​orange juice, both arrived quickly, my juice was NOT watery (yay!).
The Satay was tender, tasty and came with a smooth and only slightly kicky peanut sauce (yay!).
Our entrées arrived about 10 minutes later.
Michele loved hers, although she said next time she’ll «…have it set at 2, not 3».
My Pad Thai was quite good, the veggies therein fresh and crunchy and I found my heat setting of 2 was tame enough to boost it with the peanut sauce I saved from the Satay and a bit of the house made pepper sauce side Anita had provided upon arrival (I didn’t have to wait and request it– YAY!). The portion was large, with above average shrimp count, so I ended up taking the remainder home– a VERY rare event for me (Yay!).
Anita checked back several times, but we were all good. She had also provided an empty saucer for the shrimps’ tails fins (my personal preference is for the shrimps to already be de-​finned, but I know many folks like to show off how they de-​fin their shrimp with their teeth and lips, as in «native», and then take ‘em home for the cats– so, no demerits).
Summary: We were very pleased with the entire experience and will definitely return, despite the downtown parking.

Simply outstanding… great food, great service and awesome ambience! Couldn’t be more happy and full!

The lucky ginger has very cute wooden décor and is located right on the river, which is nice. I got the lunch special of the «drunken noodle» with tofu, a side of the Tom kha soup, and a Thai iced coffee.
The Thai iced coffee was okay — it could’ve used a bit more coffee, the taste of condensed milk was a bit overwhelming. The Tom kha soup was absolutely delicious, and it was great to have that option as a side instead of a spring roll. The drunken noodles didn’t really taste like the standard ones I’ve had in the past but they were still really delicious. Portions were a good size for lunch and the service was great. I’d definitely come back here again if I’m in town.

Decent lil Asian fusion place but be careful of what you order because some dishes are good while others are subpar. Sushi burrito (available Sundays) is great though make sure to ask that they keep the seaweed wrapper as crisp/​dry as possible before serving. Drunken noodles were also good and they do a good job preparing their tofu. Red curry though… Skip it altogether. Not authentic, far too watery, and nowhere near as flavorful as it should be.

Food was excellent, group of six and we all enjoyed our drinks, appetizers and meals. They were not serving desert because someone was taking time off however!
Entry not impressive but back seating area was comfortable and if sun was not so bright would have had a good view of river

I stopped into Lucky Ginger just after 9pm on a Friday. I took a seat at the bar next to someone who was a regular at the place. It was pretty quiet, which the server told me was rare for a Friday. I stared off with the veggie egg rolls which were delicious. Seriously hot when I got them and I burned my lips a little (:() but I just didn’t want to wait to dive right in for a taste. I liked the addition of the noodles in the egg rolls and the crunchiness of the shell lasted even after I allowed them to cool a bit. For the main event I ordered the drunken noodles with beef — highly recommend! I could actually taste the flavor of the vegetables because they wasn’t doused in sauce, which I prefer. The vegetables were also still very crispy, so it didn’t feel like just a mush of flavors in my mouth. The portion was also the perfect size, pretty filling all its own. I could’ve even taken some home for a snack the next day, but it was too good to stop eating. The one minor down side was the globs of oil that I noticed at the bottom of the plate once I finished, but hey I guess that’s how they tasted so good.
On top of the great food, the server/​bartender Drea (not sure if I got that right) was super sweet and welcoming to me at the bar, making nice conversation while I wanted for my meal and definitely made me feel welcome in the place.
Tldr; I would definitely recommend Lucky Ginger for a great Asian meal while in the Third Ward, either for a solo meal and great conversation at the bar, or with friends.

I feel so happy to write this review! This was my first experience at Lucky Ginger, an Asian fusion restaurant. SO FAR SO GOOD.
I arrived right at 11AM– right when the business opens on Wednesday. Instead of ignoring me or making me feel like an inconvenience, they greeted me with a warm welcome. The staff apologized for still doing small opening tasks. Normally, if I arrive at a restaurant right when it opens, I see some despise and glares. None were given– extremely humble. The staff member asked me if I wanted a table or booth. I answered with booth. He then preceded to walk me to the window booth that overlooked the Milwaukee River– so beautiful. You might be asking myself, why the detailed synopsis of the first five minutes? First impressions matter, along with every detail!
I ordered a Thai tea and the Pad Thai with a spice level of 3! AMAZING! The Thai tea was sweet and creamy! The Pad Thai was flavorful and filling! The spice level 3 was the perfect amount of spice– not enough for me to sweat, but enough to feel it! If you aren’t used to spice and want some zest, try a 2! My friend had the Curry Fried Rice and loved it. She also mentioned that she previously tried the Ginger Bowl and loved it, too! We ended our meals full will lots of left overs! My friend and I split the bill and it was $ 13 each. Our waiter was attentive and friendly with us! Our waters were always refilled.
Some people complain that Lucky Ginger is more expensive. Yes, but that is the price to pay if you want to eat in the Third Ward by the River. I don’t mind paying a little extra for a great experience, yummy food, and a staff that is so welcoming.

Well, definitely Unilocaled this place for our Sunday Funday dinner!
Honestly, I have been looking for a restaurant that serves Sushi Burrito and this is the 1^st one I have seen in Milwaukee.
So, this place is located downtown; hence, parking will be a challenge. However, my family and I went on a «Sunday,» and parking was no problem. We parked right in front!
As we entered, we were greeted with a bar and smiling friendly staff, which is a great sign that the employees are happy to be working there. Plus, it’s Sunday! Be nice!
We were seated by our waiter, Joe!
Our waiter, Joe, was pretty awesome! Very friendly and served us very well! I did inform him that we came for the 1^st time just for the Sushi Burrito. To our luck, he informed us that they only serve Sushi Burritos on Sundays! Yay for us!
Btw, my family and I came after 5pm and it was happy hour with ½ off drinks!
We started off with Tum Yum chicken soup! It has been a while since I had that from elsewhere and it was pretty good. Spicy but not too much. Then, we had the crunchy squid or calamari! That, I have to say, was absolutely bomb! Best calamari! I wish it was more, but size was enough.
Finally! Our main dish, the Sushi Burrito! My son and I had the regular all three salmon, tuna, & I can’t remember the other fish, but it was perfection! I and my family were satisfied! Definitely coming back to Lucky Ginger for more of this healthy burrito!!!
We all ordered the big burrito and pretty pricy for one is $ 20, but it was pretty big cuz we all ended up taking our other halves home. So, not bad!
Then, to top it off, after dinner, we went for a walk at the river walk behind the resto!
Love this place!

Tried this place after seeing a review of a Sushi Burrito. Being a sushi lover, I knew I had to try! They only have the sushi burritos on Sundays which is a bummer, but it didn’t stop me! Arrived and didn’t see the sushi burrito on the menu but was able to ask for it. I also got the Phở Bloody Mary, the toppings were good but probably wouldn’t order it again because the flavor was a little odd. Besides the Blood Mary, I also ordered vietnamese ice coffee which was very good. Lastly, I ordered the Phở which was definitely one of the best bowls of Phở I have ever had! Would defiantly visit again for the sushi burrito and phở.
The menu also offered a large variety of other foods that I would like to try out.
The only downfall was the service was kind of slow and the waitress didn’t seem very knowledge on the food menu.

Was excited to try this place as the neighborhood desperately needs some good Asian food. Lucky Ginger is kind of a pan-​asian joint. They do phở, korean short ribs, poke, pad thai, dumplings etc.
We started off with some of the pork dumplings to share. They have notably thicker skin than most dumplings I’ve had. As a result, they have less of that crunchy/​crispy texture that is so great about potstickers. Upon biting into them I was surprised to find an ample amount of juicy goodness along with the filling, which was savory and just the right bit oily.
I ordered the ginger noodles, which is basically their version of bun cha gio. Its a bowl of vermicelli topped with some vegetables, grilled pork and egg roll. Usually its served with a small bowl of fish sauce with lime and is definitely what binds an otherwise not heavily seasoned dish together. I’m not sure what Lucky Ginger uses instead, but it tastes like a tamer much more watered down version with none of the pungent flavor of the fish sauce or the acidity of the lime. As a result the dish doesn’t hold much promise from the get go. The vermicelli was way overcooked and had a mushy and slimy texture to them. The pork and the egg roll are good in their own right.
I sampled some of my friends curry fried rice which had great flavor and heat. I also tried another friend’s pad thai, which was probably one of the stranger pad thais that I’ve had. The best way to describe it was that it felt like there was literally an ingredient missing. The noodles were dry, as if they were not stir fried in any sauce and there was no sourness to the dish. Maybe they omitted the fish sauce or tamarind.
Overall, some good, some bad. Probably not enough good to warrant a return trip unfortunately.

Everyone — get here!
This place is pretty great. A nice manageable menu with all kinds of good stuff that is sure to please everyone’s stomachs: pork stuff, fried stuff, raw, noodles, soup, fish, phở, curry, rice, salads, gluten-​free, etc. I said it’s small but it’s also varied!
The place is long, there are bar seats in the front and tables in the back. Open concept kitchen for the bar seats.
I had the salmon (not tuna) poke and also the dumplings that may take up to 25 mins. It’s worth it for fresh preparation, folks.
Also tried a cucumber basil «gimlet» cocktail but had them leave out the lemonade. Tasty. I began chatting with one of the staff and was sold on trying the sangria made with lychee fruit, brandy, Cabernet, etc. it was quite good!
There are also some «secret» menu items. I’m not telling until I come back to try them myself, first! Hah!
I am excited about returning.
Great place!

Really excited to have Thai in the third ward! Super delicious and true to Thai food!!!
We had delivery so I can’t speak to the dining experience…
Something was wrong with the phones and couldn’t get through when we first called

I consider myself a phở enthusiast… And I cannot give enough praise to lucky Ginger. The customer service is outstanding the staff members always smile when you walk through the door, and don’t even get me started on the food! I have been to this restaurant 3 times this past week bringing new people each time just so I can share how awesome this place is with my friends! Amazing Phở & pad Thai! Don’t waste your time anywhere else, #LuckyGingerForever

Checked out Lucky Ginger with another Unilocaler last night for the first time and had a great experience!
The beer list is decent and features local brews from Lakefront and Brenner Brewing. The cocktail list included at least 6 options and all were under $ 10.
You can sit and eat at the counter, where you have a view of the open kitchen, or you can sit in the back dining room overlooking the river. A hostess will seat you when you get to the dining room.
We started with the egg rolls (which I call fried spring rolls because of the wrapper used) and dumplings. The egg rolls came as an order of 2 for $ 4.00. They were just a bit oily on the outside, but to be fair they just came out of the deep fryer. They were hot (temp wise) and really good, filled with a lot of pork, not just veggie filler.
The dumplings came as an order of 5 for $ 6.50 and are filled with pork. They were excellent! Slightly crisp in some spots and slightly chewy in others, but the flavor was great and the pork filling was ample. The menu says to allow for 25 minutes for the dumplings. The reason is that they are steamed first and then fried in a pan or on top of a flattop grill. However, ours arrived freshly cooked after about 5 minutes, so I suspect they keep a couple of orders steamed and ready for the fryer to help speed up delivery, at least as much as they can without wasting product.
I ordered the phở because I was curious how they would make it, even though I just had phở the night before at Bamboo. There are four options for phở: Meatball ($ 10), Meat ($ 10 and made with Flank Steak), Veggie ($ 9), and the Special ($ 11), which includes meatballs, steak, and brisket.
The phở broth might be the most flavorful I’ve had in Milwaukee! I added nothing at all to my phở because I loved it as is. The noodles were soft but hard to separate initially; the meatballs were somewhat firm and nicely seasoned; the brisket was fairly tender and very lightly seasoned; and the steak was a bit tough and dry in spots, so it was overcooked a bit. The phở also contained slivers of onions that were properly cooked, so they didn’t overwhelm with flavor and crunchy textures, unlike the phở I had at Bamboo. This phở was done right!
Our server, Ari, was great! I enjoyed my dinner so much, I decided to place an order to-​go so I could have it for lunch the next day. I narrowed my choices to two and she helped me make the decision to choose the Curry Fried Rice with chicken ($ 10) because she thought it would reheat the best between the two.
I took a fork full of the Curry Fried Rice with chicken when it arrived fresh, so I could taste and compare to how it would be today for lunch. Last night, it was great! I loved the curry flavor and it wasn’t overwhelming. Today the flavor was still good, but the texture softened up. I still wouldn’t mind eating it the next day again. The more I ate, the more I noticed a slight kick building up from the curry, but it didn’t get too hot (I ordered it mild). It contained pineapple chunks which helped offset the heat from the curry, as well as onions and whole cashews.
I’m definitely a fan of Lucky Ginger and looking forward to future visits to try other menu items!

Lucky Ginger is an awesome place, the service, the food and the location. Really nice view of the river in the restaurant’s main area. Menu is full of interesting Asian inspired items from all over. I had the Korean Short Ribs. Tastes even better than the image I included. The fried egg on top was a nice touch.
Kids had the Chicken Pad Thai, which I also tried, they are very picky, both loved it. My favorite was actually wife’s dish, the curry chicken fried rice, soooo much flavor. If you haven’t been here, you must try it out. I’m now a regular.

I would give this 3 stars for food and 4 stars for service.
Any restaurant which gives cloth napkins wrapped around cutlery gets extra points from me — especially if it is otherwise a casual spot.
I wanted their mussaman curry, which was in their menu, but they said they did not have it at that time.
So, I ordered red curry.
If you are going to order Red Curry, don’t bother ordering the soup.
It was a bit liquidy — like soup — so you should ask for a soup spoon to enjoy it.
It tasted fine. I had the chicken version. This was a rare occasion that in any thai place that I noticed that there was not that many chicken pieces in the curry. Most people give abundance of chicken — given the cost of chicken being low. At lucky ginger, almost all of the contents of red curry is bamboo shoot. I mean. ridiculously too much of bamboo shoot. with some chicken and a little of green/​red capsicum thrown in. Who would ever want to eat all those bamboo shoots? Not I! I hope they will reduce the bamboo shoots.
This was the only dish I tried. The fried rice looked good, at my neighbour’s.
Probably a nice restaurant. while I am not yet really a fan, I thought I should be kind to give them 4 stars. People were very friendly and nice.

We got diverted on our way to sushi and wound up here. Nice spot. The menu is pretty simple, but solid.
We had the Tom Yum with shrimp and Tom Kha with shrimp, both of which were good but we preferred the Tom Kha. We then tried the beef salad, which was delicious – I would totally recommend it. I asked them to make it spicy and for me it made it even better! It was a good portion for the price.
We then had the Korean Short Ribs, which were served as two large slabs. I loved it; good amount of fat for flavor, the meat had been marinated overnight, and it was cooked with a little char for that amazing taste. It had a small side salad of cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes and a side of rice. It would be difficult for me to eat this entrée if I had any appetizers – quite big. Oh, and the dish was served with a fried egg on top. Good value!
There was no wine list and had a minimal bar.
Looking forward to visiting this place again in the future.

I have waited a while for this place to open and it was worth the wait. I have visited twice so far since they have opened and both times the food was fantastic. The wait time on the food may be a little slower, but that is to be expected for how new it is and wasn’t something I was worried about. Once everyone is familiar with the menu it should speed up.
Tuesday I had gotten the fried squid which was perfectly breaded and fried. The squid was nice and fresh and the breading wasn’t salty like you find at a lot of places that typically have fried squid. They paired it with a great sauce that left me wanting more if it weren’t for all the other food in front of me.
I then got the Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodle) at a 5 spice level (spiciest). It was hot, but it wasn’t overpowering hot and it came with lots of flavor to it. For being something I never had before, I will definitely be getting that again.
Today for lunch I had the Phở Special which came in a nice large bowl. The broth was perfect and had lots of flavor to it as well as the meat. I added all the extras that they provide for some more flavor. The portion was just the right size leaving me feeling full but not too full.
A must visit location if you like a fusion of Asian cuisines!

I’ve been walking by the building for months and peeping in through the windows to see their progress. Finally they opened this week!
Nice job of transforming the space. We were coming from working out and got carry out. Ordered the red curry with chicken. The chicken was tender and the curry had a nice little heat to it and wasn’t super salty (definitely a plus). We also got the ginger steak. The steak was cooked medium rare and also super tender and flavorful. The steak came with a cucumber salad, asparagus and some sort of green hot sauce. I dipped everything into the hot sauce, that’s how yummy it was.
Everyone was super friendly. The owner was there and took time to chat with us while we were waiting for our food. I’m so happy Lucky Ginger finally opened up, the area needed a place like this. Can’t wait to go back and try their Phở.