Mikey’s

Well ummm yeah. This place. What to say. You walk in and it seems like a upscale trendy dining experience, but they put a grill on the wall to let you know it’s a bbq place. The setting was weird, but the ladies who guided you to your seat and waited on you were friendly and pretty, so it didn’t bother me much. The music was also kind of annoying, but oh well. I came for downtown dining so I had a 3 course meal which included pig wings, mac and cheese, potato salad, ribs and pork shoulder. The menu is what you’d expect from a bbq place, spare ribs, brisket, chicken, chicken wings along with burgers and a few sandwich choices. Prices weren’t bad on the normal menu, which seemed like you you’d pay $ 12 to $ 20 depending what you got or how many meats you’d get. I’ll start with the good. My dining partner got cheese curds, they were excellent. I got pig wings, they were wonderful! The pork shoulder was very good, Luke warm, but tasted good. The ribs had way too much pepper on them, but they were tolerable. I would recommend the normal bbq sauce they have, it’s really really sweet, but I liked it. Also the potato salad was excellent! So good appetizers, a few good things for the main entrée, but for the rest of it, it was pretty eh. They had the worst mac and cheese I’ve ever had in my life. It was not good. The brisket my friend had was pretty boring and wouldn’t get a second date from me if it was a woman. I also got some cheesecake and it tasted like I was eating butter. I didn’t enjoy it. Overall the staff was incredibly friendly, the appetizers were fantastic, and you can tell this place is trying really hard, but with places like Smoke Shack around, this just doesn’t cut it for your bbq needs.

Excellent bar-​b-​que earlier in the evening. Make sure to try the Carolina sauce, it is AMAZINGLY good! And I don’t even usually like this type of sauce.
Mikeys is also a fun bar later at night known for bombs. For those not familiar, that is a shot in a small glass of red bull.
If you a daring, have the jaquila shot. One half tequila, one half Jameson.

Yikes! Not a good experience at all. We came in on a Tuesday during Downtown Dining week, so we expected it to be busy. When we arrived only three tables were occupied, so we were pleasantly surprised and hoping for a great evening. Plus, since we were so early, we were excited for the added bonus of happy hour drink prices! We each ordered a beer and received them about 15 minutes later. The service went way downhill after that. I ordered a second beverage following our appetizer, taking advantage of the fact that I was able to catch the server, who promised us that she «had not forgotten about us and our food would be out shortly.» After 40minutes without seeing our server, entrée, or my drink (at this point we were also out of water), I flagged down another one the servers hoping she might be able to check on the order and refill our waters. She apologized saying that the bartender was very busy. Upon observing the bartender at that time, I definitely did not notice that she was too busy or overwhelmed. Our food finally came out at 7:00, almost 90minutes after seating.
Food was alright. The cheese curds were good & the ranch that is served alongside was a great complement to the hot, gooey, fried goodness of the curds. BF had the pork wings as an app-​he enjoyed them very much and the BBQ sauce that coats them had a great, sweet, tangy flavor with a tiny kick of spice. We had the brisket and ribs combo platter with sides (sadly, never got the cornbread that is supposed to come with it, but never had the opportunity to ask our server for it) and our server left without saying «enjoy» or offering any sauces. Thankfully, a man who I presume is a manager or an owner came over and asked if we had dined in the restaurant before and asked if we wanted the sauce bottles to try. He took a few moments to explain the sauces to us and left us to enjoy our dishes. The sauces were definitely appreciated-​I really enjoyed the Carolina mustard BBQ.
In the end, the food was pretty average and the service was horrendous (with the exception of the manager/​owner — He was the only employee who checked in to see how we were enjoying our experience). Unfortunately, my drink never came out, but I was charged for it, twice, and without the happy hour pricing. Our bill was incorrect on top of that, which seemed to a common issue, from overhearing two other parties question their totals with our server. Thankfully, the manager/​owner fixed the mistake.
You definitely get a LOT of food for your order, so come hungry, but be sure to leave a very large window of time to complete your meal and do not expect much in terms of the service on the part of the servers.

Downtown Dining near disaster. Ten minutes before we were served our first drink. Appetizers were good, but then waited ½ hour before our meals arrived. 20 minutes or more to get our second drinks. Staff did not know how to change stations on their TVs. What is up with that. The waitress had to apologize two or three times. They were running out of items. Which I guess can happen when you are slow smoking things. Then I notice that the bill was not added correctly. Only a couple of dollars on a $ 75 bill, but still. I can recommend the food, but don’t expect good service.

We had a reservation at 7:15 and did not get seated until 745, not a big deal it was downtown dining week so we figured it’d be backed up a little bit.
We sat at the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. The jack in the bar? Tasted like it was watered down, very flat tasting.
The lemonade with jack in it, I can’t remember the name. But that one was good.
The burban mule was not too pleasing to the taste buds.
When we finally got to one of the many open tables thirty minutes later, they were out of two of the meats. We got the wings and cheese curds for an appetizer which came out in a reasonable amount of time. Both came out hot and they were both average for what they were. Nothing bad but nothing spectacular.
Then we waited for our main course for about 40 minutes after we finished the appetizers, yes you read that right. In which the waitress never came back to check on us or tell us how much longer the food would be.
We got the smoked chicken which was mediocre and Luke warm at best. The spicy sausage had a good taste, but again it was luke warm so I did not finish either.
The pork was pretty good, pretty good sauce. Unfortunately it was also luke warm
The Mikey’s burger had been sitting a while too as it was not hot.
We are unsure why food took so long if it was not even hot when it came out and the table next to us who sat after us and had six more people than us got their food first. They got their food At least five minutes before us.
The Mac n cheese was the best thing there. The fries were decent, and the beans were nothing special. But at least they were hot.
The cheese cake was hard to swallow. We took two bites of it and we only took the second to try to figure out why the first tasted so badly.
I would not recommend this place.

Skip this place. Service was bad: the server could not give any information or recommendations about the food on the menu, never refilled empty water glasses. Food was mediocre; sauces and flavors felt like something out of a can. Top 40 music sounded like what I hear all the time at the gym.

I’ve visited Mi-​Keys for night life a few times over the years, most recently 2 weeks ago for a friend’s birthday party, but they serve food and this review is mostly about the food.
First, I’ll say that if you’re into the «club feel» in a lounge with a DJ and drinks flowing, then you might enjoy Mi-​Keys. I had fun because I was with friends and the bottom line is a fun experience is about who you are with, not so much where you are. If you go during dinner hours, you won’t have the loud music and «club scene» happening. It’s more relaxed.
Now on to the food. A year and a half ago, Mi-​Keys brought in a new chef, and he revamped the menu offering a focus on Texas style smoked BBQ. Somehow, I just found this out a few weeks ago. Shame on me!
I had amazing BBQ at Iron Grate over the weekend, and last night I had some more amazing BBQ at Mi-​Keys!
There were four of us, so the chef served us family style, and we feasted on delicious meats and including pig wings (from the pork shank), spicy smoked sausage, chopped pork shoulder, spare ribs, and beef brisket. The spare ribs had rub that was packed with flavor and the meat had to be pulled off with you teeth, as proper smoked ribs should be. The brisket didn’t have the smoke ring I hoped to see, but WOW was it moist and tender! You could cut it with a spoon. There was just a thin layer of fat for flavor, but most was meat. All of the meat had their own flavor profile and all were delicious! Also, the meat is locally sourced from the SURG Group’s Hidden Creek Farm (HCF).
The mac-​n-​cheese is served with cavatappi noodles, which we were told holds the cheese better. The chef also adds cheese curds! The greens were good, but the fried corn… OMG! With diced peppers and finished with heavy cream and a little sugar, it was the best side dish of corn I’ve ever tasted!
Then as we entered a food coma, the chef brought out the Beef Ribs. The meat stood 2 inches high above the bone! The rub was amazing and I just couldn’t even. I mean, damn! I’ve never seen a beef rib that big and I’ve never had one that was even remotely close to the level of deliciousness (is that a word?) as this one!
Our server was attentive, clearing away dirty dishes and bringing clean plates and utensils, as well as keeping the water glasses full.
The chef makes four sauces to choose from if sauces are your thing, but the meat doesn’t need sauce.
The menu also includes sandwiches, burgers (including a black bean burger and a pesto portabella sandwich for the veggie people), meatloaf, chicken gnocchi, soups, salads, and appetizers such as wings (grilled and fried), cheese curds, fried pickles, and a smoked whitefish dip.
Mi-​Keys only serves dinner, but may be adding brunch some day.
There is no question the BBQ game in Milwaukee has been elevated. I’ve been to two rock-​solid joints this week. I have two more BBQ vendors to try before I’m ready to anoint a crown to my favorites, but Mi-​Keys needs to be in the discussion for some of the best BBQ in the city! 5 Star BBQ served here!

Friendly staff, but 40 min for appetizers? I guess I’ll try this place again next time I have three hours to spare. Not lovin it

After stopping in and buying a $ 30 round of drinks i got talked down to like i was a five year old for wearing a baseball cap. Will never visit again.

We visited Mikey’s on a Friday night in November. Nothing special was going on downtown but we assumed we would be waiting regardless of where we went since it was Friday night in downtown Milwaukee. When we got there, we were seated right away. We were one of 2 tables in the whole place. We were excited to see that they offered various options of beef brisket-​our fave. The waitress let us know that the menu was new so she had to check with the kitchen on a couple questions we had, which was fine. I ordered the brisket sandwich. When it came out, it was kind of a grayish color… not really appetizing. I tried it anyway and it was pure fat. You can get a better brisket sandwich at Dickie’s BBQ. I’d recommend that any day over this place. Don’t waste your time. Ick.

I dined here during Milwaukee’s downtown dining and had a horrible experience. I went in for lunch and know that they aren’t usually open for lunch but that’s no excuse for the horrible food and slow service. Because it’s downtown dining week you could only order certain items so no excuse for poor execution. My water was never refilled, portions were awful, food was bad. The only thing that was good were the French fries. I will not be eating here again. It’s not worth he hassle of downtown traffic and parking. The hostess had the shortest shorts on that’s she had to tugging at. Sorry but if you are adjusting shorts near your parts wash your hands please. Might be a good place for drinks but eat somewhere else.-

Don’t order me to take off my hat when I can see 4 other guys in the bar wearing hats. I’m not some thug, I’m a well dressed small business owner respecting your Milwaukee establishment. Focus more on controlling your crowd of d-​bags & creepy older men. I don’t care enough for your place to deal with that kind of isolated discrimination. You have scantily dressed bartenders, dollar bombs, & mediocre top 40 music. That’s it.
Icing on the cake: Waitress tells me my drink is $ 10. I give her $ 15 cus I have no singles, she doesn’t bring me back change. Enjoy your stolen $ 5 tip.

Descriptive phrase: too loud, too-​cramped yuppie lounge.
I stopped by on a Saturday night around 11 at Mikey’s. I won’t be doing that again. The place was packed, yet they still kept out these big high-​top tables that just forced everyone to bump into each other. The service was doing an admirable job behind the bar, and I could see there was a kitchen and event space in the back, but we left almost immediately due to the crowd and ear-​splittingly loud music. It’s a see-​and-​be-​seen kind of place for the young professionals in the area, but don’t expect to breathe or hear. Why is there a line for this place sometimes?

Blech. Snooty waitresses dressed like um. Can I use those words here? And a half hour wait for a crêpe. Sorry, no thanks.
And the crêpe was filled with spinach dip…
Mmm. Not.
FYI — this was from Bastille Days 2013.

While staying in the area overnight, we decided to find a nice lounge or bar near our hotel. After searching for a few reviews on Unilocal,we decided to take a walk to check them out and stop at the one that was the better fit. Mi-key’s was the ticket!
This spot offers plenty of seating options, nicely dressed staff (bouncers included), great music and an awesome décor. Seating options include the bar, private booths, tables and chairs and outdoor seating. The weather happened to be perfect, so the doors were slid open to have an outside and inside feel. We grabbed a table inside but the doors were open so we had the benefit of feeling like we were outside but in nicer seating.
They offer several signature drinks and an extensive lists of beers on tap. We loved the energy and mixed crowd this place attracted. Most patrons were between 25 – 55. There is no dress code. Some people were dressed in casual wear, club gear and business attire. …And we all partied together. If you are in the area, I would highly recommend you stop in.

The atmosphere is ok, but the food is not so good and probably over priced for Milwaukee. I had some steak that was over done, and some creepy sweet potatoes that looked more like dried fruit. I don’t even know how they could have possibly prepared them like that. I wish I would have kept one because it was so unusual, plus it was so dried out I’m sure it wouldn’t have spoiled.
The person next to me ordered a burger that looked like a dehydrated black puck, with no cheese. He sent it back and got a less creepy looking burger, but the second one looked slightly better.
The house wine was pretty reasonable though in price and taste. I’d probably return to drink the wine, but I’d have to be really hungry to eat there again.

When you are self employed, you tend to drink more. Use to be a real hard time finding a place that had any type of crowd on Wednesdays.
Well no more, THIS IS IT! The best place to be in MKE on a Wednesday.
One Dollar Bombs (that don’t taste like total shit, drinkable) brings out the huge crowd. There is a DJ usually spinning the typical music you would find at places such as Whiskey Bar. While not everyone dancing, it seemed like everyone was at the very least having a good time talking.
You know its pretty popping when the a couple of Brewers players show up. Well there goes my pick of the ladies :(
Usually a decent crowd, or semi-​classy, I saw a bouncer not let in a few folks due to the way they were dressed, or acted.
This place is more for the booze then the food…
Again though, usually this place is not packed at all but Wednesday nights this is the place to be. No where comes even close to touching Mikey’s.

I used to live a block away from here, but still had only in the past visited mikeys to a) use the bathroom or b) buy a drink during jazz in the park, bastille days, etc
It is a little bit ‘generic trendy bar/​restaurant’ for downtown, but I liked the exposed brick and fireplace. It was aright.
I had a blood orange (I think?) Mojito that was way delicious. Just the right amount of alcohol. I had a salmon Caesar salad… salmon was cooked perfect but rest of salad was sort of meh… they give u a nice bread basket with different kinds of butter. And I was less than thrilled they wouldn’t accept my expired groupon for face value. But whatevs.
It’s alright, menu has a little of everything. Overall I’d say stick with this place for drinks, not dinner so much.

I thought the food was very good. I had the pork shoulder (Door County cherry BBQ sauce) and it was the favorite at the table. My daughter had 4cheese mac and even I thought it was excellent. My wife’s poor man’s lobster was pretty good but not excellent.
We sat outdoors and very close to the Louise’s tables. We didn’t like how there was smoking allowed out there, and being right next to another restaurant we had no one to complain to. Indoors looked fancy, which was a stark contrast to the metal tables outdoors. Table clothes were needed and the table was sticky.
Overall I would recommend. That block has several choices of similar quality and niceness. Can’t go wrong.

First visit: waiter was inexperienced, did not provide us with knives, forgot our drinks, served food to a table that sat down 30 minutes after we did. Food: ehhh. Lasagna was mostly sauce, very little pasta and almost no cheese. A woman at another table sent hers back because the inside was frozen, so we know it’s not fresh. Drinks are overpriced.
Second visit (2 weeks later): was informed, after attempting to order, that 3 cocktails were no longer available and that the menu hadn’t been updated. On first visit I attempted to order a cocktail and was told it was unavailable that day. Other items on menu had also not been updated. Food was better. Apple crisp was very good. For the amount of food I had, it was far too expensive. Bar tenders dress, no joke, like hookers. Definitely not child appropriate.