Milwaukee Sail Loft

Stopped in here during a weekend visit to Milwaukee. We all thought the food was totally average. My burger was overcooked and just not great. Menu items sounded really great but just weren’t executed very well. And it was raining, so there was no redemption to be had on the patio.

We usually come here for summer time drinking and snacks. Tried it tonight for dinner and I have to say it was very, very good! The prime rib (king and queen cuts) is offered on Saturdays but it is not on the menu. It come with broccolini and pesto mashed potatoes. Hubby and I skipped the potatoes and the prime rib was cooked perfectly! And I have say their wine list is pretty good, around 8 – 11 dollars a glass. I tried the Malbec, it was very good.

I have been here many times over the years. Had a death in the family recently which resulted in family members from out of town looking for a place to eat. It was late on a weekday so it wasn’t likely there would be many options. I called the Sail loft, explained the situation and they said they were winding down and the kitchen was about to close but if we came right down they could accommodate us. There were fourteen of us! We got there and saw they had a corner set up for us. The food was excellent, as always. This is not a food review but more an establishment review. They went above and beyond and it was greatly appreciated. Will be back often. Thanks for taking a bad night and turning into a bonding moment for the family. Good food, happy memories and great conversation at a great place.
. Thanks again.

I had dinner here on Friday night and was very pleased with the meal and overall experience.
The atmosphere is casual and nautical which is neat because it’s right on the part of the river where it meets Lake Michigan. It’s a great view, but it was raining so kind of dreary during our visit. They seem to have a nice patio which makes me want to come here on a sunny day for a drink. I was a bit p.o.ed that we made a reservation and still got sat at a bar/​pub table though… that was a crappy think to do Milwaukee Sail Loft host person! Don’t do that again.
The meals ordered were the Sesame crusted tuna, el diablo seafood mix and a mussel appetizer. The food was delicious, my only complaint is a $ 1.50 charge for (2) extra slices of bread to go with the mussels. Really… are you hurting for extra cash that you need to charge for that? Our bill was over a hundred dollars soooo there was really no need. We shared the Key Lime Pie for the dessert, apparently this was made in house, I don’t care where it was made… it was delicious.
Overall, the place was a bit pricey, but we were happy with our experience and may return.

What a treat! Fantastic Family foodie night out! We LOVED everything about our experience– the food was «a disco in our mouths» the bartender created my wish cocktail– yummy! Kayleigh our server was «top notch» — EXCELLENT customer service!!! We WILL be back and it will be soon! Cheers to a spectacular night!

Wonderful service! The food and drinks were great. I made a small mistake with how I ordered my drink and they apologized and even lowered our bill. Much more than I could ask for. Alex and Jeff were the best!

The Sail Loft still is one of the most special places. The staff is the best and make me feel like your at home every time! As MKE breaks out of the slumber of winter and begins bustling again at any given moment we decided to step into the Sail Loft only to find and abundant crowd enjoying the warm windy evening. It was the perfect place to be because it was alive.
Sail Loft is one of the very few restaurant/​bars in town that gets what a true Happy Hour is. It runs till 7. Not only did we enjoy some great drink specials but I swear the best chicken wings in Milwaukee. We also ate dinner and for me personally, I enjoyed one of the best fish fries in the area. The perch was delicious and all the sides perfectly accompanied it.
Again Sail Loft did not disappoint one bit!

Went for a birthday dinner with a group of 15 people last night. I’d like to start by saying the server was great but the food was horrible! My husbands grilled chicken on his salad was RAW and the sever brought him a new piece. The second piece was the worst grilled chicken ever. I think they use a George Forman to grill. Over priced and bland food! Yuck! Won’t go back! If it wasn’t for the deserts I think we’d would of left still hungry!

Best Friday fish fry in Milwaukee. Batter is light and crispy. Nice beer selection too. Tuna tower and snappy shrimp are also wonderful.

Stopped in for lunch and really enjoyed their variety of appetizers. The bacon wrapped scallops were delicious, as was the tuna tower. The hummus plate had a nice selection of veggies though hummus itself wasn’t the best I’ve had.
The place was deserted, which was surprising. They have a nice outdoor deck overlooking the river, which looks like it would be a great place for happy hour in the summer.

Ordered Milwaukee mule, tasty, location, great! Shrimp DeJonghe, skip it. Bland. Shrimp tossed into a bowl, covered in too much breading. Needs some lemon, garlic, cocktail sauce, diced fresh local tomato? Something.

From what I understand, they serve food here at the Milwaukee Sail Loft. It’s probably pretty good.
Thanks for reading my review.
***
Just kidding, sort of.
I don’t go the Sail Loft for the food. I go for the setting. The style. The vibe. They’ve got the latter in spades.
If you want a great and genuine Milwaukee experience, park between the Sail Loft and Red Lighthouse. Walk the Lakeshore State Park circuit (feel free to extend your stroll to the north around the Milwaukee Art Museum and Veterans Park – it’s all good) and then chill at the Milwaukee Sail Loft. They’ve got a Milwaukee River view that’s exquisite in the setting sun and a view of the Hoan Bridge that reflects electric when the rays hit it. The music’s chill too – a playlist that’s contemplative, melodic, and relaxing.
The beer selection is small but solid – there’s a style for every beer drinker – and plenty of moderately priced wines for the fan of fermented grape juice.
In good weather, go al fresco and grab a table riverside. You’ll feel like you’re a part of party action as pleasure boaters and Milwaukee sightseeing cruisers pass by. In inclement climes, inside is open and airy and will (almost) make you feel like it’s summer.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m penning this review from Milwaukee Sail Loft’s outdoor bar and I’m so chill that to waste one more moment tapping on a smartphone in the setting sun’s glow (while John Mayer’s ‘Waiting On a World to Change’ plays) would be criminal.
Ah. Totally chilled.

This was one of the stops on a kayak bar crawl a friend and I made one Friday afternoon. We started at Pere Marquette park and the Sail Loft was where we turned around to head back. When we arrived there were a few tables of people outside and only a handful of people inside, yet it took a very long time for us to get a drink at the bar. Once we got our drinks we took them outside to the patio, which is huge and definitely allows you to take in the sights. The location is the only thing saving this place in my opinion.

Tried to order the scallops and ya they did not have any first thing on Saturday for lunch. Mind you not late in the day but first thing … What? Really? Isn’t this a seafood restaurant? Also wanted to mix the tacos and was told NO CANT do that either you order the shrimp or fish taco and that’s that! Really? NOT customer friendly at ALL. Be ware it’s a great place to be on the water but there are plenty of restaurants on the water that will cater to your needs and this is not there priority… where your appreciated as a customer for your business! Not here! So sad really!

Great food, awesome atmosphere, a bit pricey with the family, but perfect with the wife and friends.

sat for 20 minutes without a waiter/​waitress. Got up to leave and the manager caught us on the way out. We decided to stay and eat. He comped us a free app and drinks. Food was really good. Then it took us another 20 minutes to get our bill paid for.

This is a great place to eat. The food was really good, the view is fantastic and the live band rocked. I really enjoyed myself. This is a great date night place. You can even go on a boat ride. Nice!!!

We had 19 people for a birthday celebration and let me say they were very accommodating. Our waiter Alex was fantastic! He was patient, attentive, and funny. He continuously checked on us, and kept the drinks flowing.
My friend and I shared 2 appetizers, and 2 courses. The crab cakes were ok, but the sauce surrounding them made them nice to eat. The crab dip was amazing, and came with tortilla chips, very good. For entrées we split the shrimp Po’ Boy and the pork tenderloin. Both were fabulous. The po’ boy had alot of flavor and an ample amount of spice, so if you do not like heat skip this dish. The pork tenderloin had an AMAZING sauce to go with a tender piece of simply spiced meat. Potatoes and Brussel sprouts for a side were very flavorful.
If you have a birthday to celebrate I would highly recommend, and the prices were very reasonable for the location.

They have a decent sized space. I’ve been here a number of times for work dinners and social meetings. Relatively pricey. The location is in the third ward, but it’s way south of everything, even past the summerfest grounds.
This only gets two stars based on relatively shorty service from waitresses and price points.
They do have a boat tie up spot of you are lucky enough to a. Own a boat, 2. Have time to use it on Lake Michigan near downtown, and 4. Want to call ahead for food, this is the spot for you.

Stopped in late on a Saturday night and sat outside on the back patio.
Cool views of the river. Now granted, I know this place is outside and on the river, but its like they never saw a cobweb duster for all of the spiders. I know if you cleaned it before the evening starts, you would have to clean it again the next day, but why not take this extra 10 minutes to provide a spider-​free environment?
Other than that, we throughly enjoyed ourselves. Food was good.
Service was a little slow at the end as we wanted to get our bill, but this wont deter us from returning again.