The Knick

Great breakfast and service, nice patio on the street. Happy hour menu looks fantastic and plan on coming back for it.

Joined friends for dinner here last evening. Fun place, comfy banquettes, full bar and a good solid wine list! Easy to find, reasonable street parking. Part of the hotel, condominium and restaurant complex. Definitely an asset from «old Milwaukee…» Would definitely go again and work my through the menu. Great place for before or after dinner walks near the lake. Put it on your list!

The décor is really fun and is very easy to park with a $ 3 valet. The cucumber sangria was amazing and strong, but in a good way. I had the short ribs and they were very flavorful and tender. My only issue was when we were sat as a group of five, it took over 20 minutes for a server to come over and check on us. Only after I got up and asked the hostess did someone come over and even then there was no service recovery attempted (i.e. Buying our group a round), just excuses were given. I hope they can work out the service issues so the service can match the great food.

A great brunch spot for those people that enjoy a mimosa or ten before church. The only draw back is that children are allowed. While I enjoy that fact that families can dine out and have a great time, I do not appreciate a kid throwing there half eaten food. Luckily, Grace our server made sure that my drink was never empty which in turn made my child tolerance go up. Great food and wonderful drinks! As someone that is spoiled with endless brunches in Chicago, this is a great spot to experience. Try their Irish coffee and most off all do their ice cream drinks.

I recently traveled to Milwaukee for a comedy show and visit a few museums and breweries along in the mix. The Knick popped up on my Unilocal search and I saw the photos to be mostly breakfast and brunch so I decided to dine in but sadly missed the brunch hour so I resulted for lunch. I ordered the Special Atlantic Salmon and let me tell you, it was delicious and the sauce and sauteed mushrooms and spinach couldn’t have complemented it any better. It made me forget about their brunch pictures that I wanted to try so bad. My best friend had the turkey club and enjoyed it very much too! Service and staff was very friendly, you are greeted with a big smile from the owner soon as you walk in.

Waffling on a three/​four star rating here, but I’ll round up because hey — no half stars, right?
Here’s the thing about the Knick that you should probably know about: on Thursdays, during happy hour, bottles of wine are HALF PRICE.
Yeah. You read that right. Half freaking price. So that $ 40/​btl of bubbles is now $ 20, and when you split that with a friend, it’s $ 10 (plus tip) but I mean, seriously, you guys. That’s a steal. Drink a half bottle of bubbles and catch-​up and gossip and hang w/​buds, all on the cheap! It’s a great idea. Thank me for it later.
The by-​the-​bottle offerings during this awesome special are solid — not wine nerd niché — but varied and thoughtful enough.
Also during happy hour (which runs M-​F, 3−6pm): FOOD SPECIALS! $ 5/​select apps
I tried the tots and the spin/​artichoke dip — both were pretty good… the crackers that come with the spin dip reminded me a little bit of communion wafers, but hey! FIVE DOLLAR artichoke dip.

Pretty solid place. They have a simple and good Brunch and a pretty good happy hour. On Thursday they have half off all bottles of wine and Mondays have half off apps later in the evening.
I wasn’t super impressed by the apps we got (tater tots & spinach and artichoke) but I would come back to try dinner. Also in a great, tucked away location near the lake.

Completely enjoyed my brunch here with a friend. Friendly service, huevos rancheros recommendation was appreciated and delicious. Orange juice was yummy and coffee/​water were consistently refilled. Atmosphere was chic and comfortable. Reasonable prices. I found a new brunch favorite!

Yeah you will want to go here. Breakfast or lunch or whenever, they know how to put good food on a plate. The burgers, just brace yourself for some great options to choose from. I could’ve eaten them all, and someday will be able to say I have.

Usually I’m not one to expect much from hotel restaurants, but the food at the Knick was excellent. We had reservations and showed up about 20 minutes early, and they kindly were able to seat us not long after we arrived.
They have a fairly varied menu, with some really decently priced options, especially among their burgers/​sandwiches. I opted for the Short Rib which was absolutely delicious. One of those dishes where both the main star and the sides were on point. The short rib melted in your mouth and the brussels sprouts were perfectly caramelized.
I’d definitely recommend that dish. We also had their after-​dinner dessert drinks, basically dessert martinis, and those are also very good. Overall, it was a very satisfying meal, with impeccable service.

I can honestly say that this was the best dining experience I’ve had in quite some time. I made reservations for dinner on Valentine’s Day at the The Knick two weeks prior via Open Table. We arrived about twenty minutes early only to find the restaurant packed and the waiting area/​bar full. Fortunately for my girlfriend and I they were able to find us a table almost immediately. My girlfriend ordered the short rib and I ordered the meatloaf sandwich. Both entrees were AMAZING. The short rib was more like a extremely large and tender portio of pot roast with assorted veggies. It was very juicy and tasty. My meatloaf sandwich was just as awesome. Their meatloaf included ground beef, veal, and just the right amount of sirrachi to give it some kick. It also came with seasoned waffle fries which are my favorite type. I’m not much of a desert person but once the waitress handed us the desert drink menu that changed immediately. I ordered the Great Maltini which consisted of the following:
VAN GOGH DUTCH CHOCOLATE VODKA, GODIVA CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR, IRISH CREAM, CHOCOLATE SYRUP, MALT POWDER, CHOCOLATE DRIZZLED MARTINI GLASS.
It was excellent with just the right amount of alcohol. My girlfriend ordered the Caramel Cappuccino which I was not too fond of. Overall it was an excellent dining experience. The restaurant itself was clean and had a classy feel to it. The music was upbeat but not obnoxious. The staff was courteous and competent, always available despite how busy it was that night. I am definitely going to return here next time I’m in MKE, especially to try the brunch menu. If you’re looking for a great dining experience in MKE then The Knick should be your destination.

Have been here for breakfast and dinner. Is really good.
Service was great.
It can be pricey though. I would give it $$$

This place has an extensive menu and I’ve never had a bad meal here. I especially like going here for brunch during the summer when I can sit outside. With that said, while the food is good, I think there are a lot more exciting options in the area with better food and a much better overall experience. Not sure that this is a place I would go out of the way for.

I have been here for drinks and occasionally appetizers before, but this was my first time in just to eat. I was overall unimpressed. The food was a little pricey. It wasn’t way overpriced, but it was a little expensive for what I got, especially considering the fact that I felt that the food I got was only okay, just okay. Plus, four dollars for a soda is for sure too much.
The place is really dark too. It might be nice if you are there on a date and want to cuddle up next to your partner, but it isn’t so hot if you are just there for dinner with a friend.
Even considering all that, it may have been granted at least three stars, but service was lackluster at best. My water glass was empty half way through the meal, and the server never refilled it. I might understand if the place was incredibly busy, but there was only two other guys at one other table. Every time the server stopped at our table, she always seemed in a rush to go elsewhere. My friend and I were both quite kind and very polite so I am sure it wasn’t us that made her want to run away.

The Knick has a big menu, and a lot of it looks awesome. It’s pretty good. But honestly I think there are better options in Milwaukee with a better experience. To me, The Knick is the equivalent of a nice chain.
The bloody Marys aren’t anything special and the special brunch and entrée items (like the french toast) can be found at other MKE places like Café Hollander.
That said I’m a celiac. They don’t have gf toast so I asked for fruit on the side — that cost me 4 dollars — so my omelet was upwards of 20 bucks + tip. Not worth it. Had I gotten something else it would have been a similar price for a mediocre meal. For a Sunday Brunch in MKE I’d rather spend my 20 dollars at Wolf Peach.

Dreary Friday during the winter of no snow, wandering through the afternoon while Christmas shopping in Milwaukee, Hunger strikes! It’s so close to Happy Hour but not quite, dilemma is where to go. We decide to swing through the Knick.
Happy Hour starts at 3 which is a little earlier than most. It’s just what we needed. The bar area isn’t the largest but with a view to the lake, over the back of all the bottles of spirits, it made for a fairly lively backdrop.
The Knick has a healthy amount of drinks available on the Happy Hour menu all at around $ 5. Beer, martinis, and margaritas. That works. What kicks it in the ass though is the Knick handcrafts all their pours. We had possibly one of the best margaritas I could have ever asked for. Lots of salt on the rim and fresh squeezed lime to boot. That’s what made it. Made it really, really good!
On to the food.
Happy Tots — six house-​made tots, chipotle aioli dipping sauce
Verdict: These should be called «not your mama’s tater tots» you could tell they hand make these things. Crisp on the outside and super soft mashed potato like on the inside. They were spectacular.
Ginger Dusted Shrimp — fried, served with sweet teriyaki sauce
Verdict: The shrimp were crisp tender and fried to perfection.
Beef Satays — sriracha aioli, peanut mustard and sweet teriyaki dipping sauce
Verdict — very dry, like seriously dry. There’s nothing that could’ve saved this one.
All in all the food we tried was great. The margaritas alone is the best possible reason to return. We will be back soon and try a full blown dinner. Items I saw coming out that made me drool was a Salmon dish that lay on a bed of asparagus and other well dressed greens. Being it was Friday I also saw the fish fry come out. It was presented well and I can only imagine tasted spot on. Unfortunately we only came for cocktails and apps and had to head home to our 4 legged buddy Ralph, so home we went. The Knick we will return!

We went for brunch on a Saturday. The place was about ¼ full and seemed to be staffed appropriately.
The atmosphere here is great: lots of art, alligator wallpaper covering, large windows. TVs available by the long, wood bar for sports. A mix of booths, tables, and hitops. Nice place.
We felt the service and food didn’t match up to the look, however. The server forgot to stop over to greet us; he said he forgot to check his section for new guests. Ok, fine. But then when we asked about the mimosas he didn’t know. And when we said can you find out, he went to the bar and didn’t ask the bartenders, but rather made up his own answer, and he was wrong. Ok, fine. Then we waited for awhile and saw the drink sitting at the bar for pickup, and our server was nowhere to be found. So, I went up and got them myself.
Food was really just bland. The eggs were cooked as ordered. The potatoes, too, though they seemed to be without seasoning. I ordered the bacon extra crispy and it came out undercooked (maybe the servers fault).
All-​in-​all, we’ll be going back to try one more time.

The Knick has THE. LARGEST. tater tots I’ve ever seen. They aren’t your typical side dish. You need a fork to eat them. They’re sprinkled with cheese and a lot of the kind of food that you don’t NEED to eat, but you’re in Wisconsin so yes.
Now, I’ve been here more than a handful of times and it’s hit or miss. I’ve had great salads and brunch items but also had some ok to not so great ones. Pancake specials have been consistently good. I wasn’t too hungry on a recent stop here and had the yogurt and fruit bowl which was a complete miss. I was disappointed that I paid for the sad fruit and granola sprinkled with a few spoonfuls of yogurt. Overall, it’s a-​ok. You’ll find some better places in Milwaukee and some worse.

I was SHOCKED with how much I enjoyed this restaurant. We checked it out on Tuesday for Downtown Dining, and made a reservation for 6:30 (unnecessary as there were TONS of open tables available). The interior is cool, if not a little… confused. There are neat glass «chandeliers» for lack of a better term, and the dark wood flooring is nice.
Downtown dining offered either wings or hummus for an app, four entrée options and either chocolate or carrot cake for dessert. I did wings/​artichoke ravioli/​carrot cake and joe did hummus/​cajun tilapia/​carrot cake. I seriously think places like this get skipped over when we judge and look for awesome wings. These were WAY up there with Girabaldi and JBRP for me. Seriously. The fry/​sauce/​grill combo is top notch — and the buffalo sauce was a perfect blend of flavorful and spicy. Joe’s hummus was good, they do make it in-​house, but it needed more garlic… it was pretty flat. It also only came with 4 pieces of pita which wasn’t enough for the generous serving of hum.
The artichoke ravioli was served with cherry tomatoes and spinach in a garlic olive oil «sauce». Joe’s crusted fish was served with rice and a lima bean succotash. His limas were cooked perfectly with a little bit of firmness still there and mixed nicely with corn. The rice was rice — and the fish was fully and totally covered in cajun seasoning. He seemed to really enjoy it. My ravioli was good as well — I was hoping it would have been homemade, but unfortunately it was not. The filling was a purée instead of nice artichoke chunks, and it did not taste like much. Luckily the pre-​made pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, the edges were a little chewy — yum! There was a ton of spinach and tomatoes, but the oil was pretty heavy. When I asked the server if it was made in house she said, «Well… it’s cooked in house». haha.
While I still had two raviolis left on my plate, she dropped off our desserts. I found this extremely off-​putting, especially because the place was dead and clearly we weren’t holding anybody up… maybe she’d just been cut? Joe respectfully waited for me to finish my dinner before we started in on eating our dessert… while staring at an empty plate of oil left from my dinner.
This carrot cake people… oh mah gah. It was moist and delicious with a healthy thick cream cheese frosting topping — seriously to die for.
Cocktails were spendy — about $ 10 a pop, so with a couple drinks and our meals it was about $ 80 with tip, still way cheaper than it’d have been otherwise to get the same menu items. It was good, and I’d come back for brunch.

Closing out my year end Unilocal reviews and thought I should mention The Knick. Don’t let my three stars fool you. Three is A-​OK. And this is A-​OK. I come here a lot to kick back, relax and share a cocktail or two with the husband.
Let’s talk drinks. This is my reason for strolling over most of the time. Now, if you look at my pictures from here you will see a wall of Vodka. Every Vodka you can think of except… peppercorn. Why does this matter to me. I like a bloody with a little peppery kick. Thus my three stars. The Knick often has a Bloody of the day, but it is tame. The bartender was sweet and ground in some peppercorn for me, but this isn’t the same. The ice cream drinks are not what you are thinking. These are mammoth scoops of ice cream with liquor on top. See my picture for reference. They are good but not Bryants good.
The food. Surprisingly good. Most is too salty for me but absolutely edible. Actually one of the best restaurants in a hotel for overall good quality and consistency. Last item I had was breakfast pasta! I was worried you would be too heavy but you were just heavenly! The scallops are also pretty good.
Overall a solid go to place for the husband and I usually on a Sunday when most other establishments are closed. You will have solid service, good food and drinks. Will you be wowed, no. But sometimes you just want to eat and know you will receive a decent meal.