Hubbard Park Beer Garden

We chose this beer garden for its beautiful setting: right under the gorgeous trees, above the shimmering river, the geese and their goslings below us and the bikers on the bike path next to us. Couldn’t have asked for a better place to be on a warm afternoon, reconnecting with friends. I ordered white wine and when it was served the gentleman said the glass was so small that I could have refills! Which I told him I would definitely be getting. My friends ordered the bloody mary’s, and we all went to sit down. There was no one else in line, the place had a total of maybe 5 people in it. After chatting for about 10 minutes we began to wonder what was taking the bloody mary’s so long. We waited another few minutes and then we’d had it. One of us went up to ask, because we figured they must have forgotten about them. They weren’t busy so what could possibly take so long? WELL! She came back with these awesome bloody mary’s! We all said WOW, they had everything in them, olives, pickles, the works. So they were definitely worth the wait. What would have made this place perfect was if they offered what Humboldt Park Beer Garden has — a veggie hot dog! I’ll bet any money that will be on their menu some day, because if Humboldt Park can offer it, so can Hubbard Park! I’m always on the lookout for places that offer brats and dogs, to see if they have a veggie on the menu so I can partake, too. I’m always optimistic that some day ALL brat/​dog places will serve everyone because I LOVE me some brat/​dogs!!!

I can’t write this review without comparing Hubbard to Estabrook Biergarten. Personally, I love Hubbard more because it’s a shorter distance to bike from the Eastside. Hubbard has a more snug feeling due to a more enclosed atmosphere of trees. Estabrook is very open with soccor fields and dog parks, also meaning people can see you from the street. Hubbard has a more private feeling.
Be sure to stop at The Lodge on Sunday for one of Milwaukee’s hidden brunch gems. The Lodge is a giant cabin. Brunch includes a made to order omelet and pancake station, carved meat station, salad bowl, and limitless homemade doughnuts, bacon, sausage, and cheesy hashbrowns. Bottomless mimosas are served here. Adult brunches are $ 15, but you can easily get your moneys worth if you are hungry!

My friend nearly fell off the bike she was so excited and distracted by the beer garden! We had originally intended to stop at Estabrook, but there was a festival going on there and it was packed. We kept riding our bikes down the trail and when we got to Hubbard Park, someone threw out the idea to stop here.
It was a grand idea.
Things I like about this beer garden:
1. Can pay with a credit card
2. Other beer selections that are not imported from Germany like Sprecher’s Black Bavarian
3. Large pretzels with cheese
4. Trees! The canopy above makes for a nice shaded place to keep your cool during summer
5. Easy access by bike and bike parking
6. Root beer on tap
Estabrook really does get most of the attention. I ride past a lot on my bike during the summer and usually the place isn’t even half full.

This place is great. It has it all: beer, pretzels, beer cheese, and an amazing setting along both the oak leaf trail and the milwaukee river. On a crisp fall day there is nothing better than sitting here and enjoying good food and drinks with some friends.

This beer garden is A-​OK. It happens to be in our backyard. If it weren’t for the convenience, we probably wouldn’t drive out of our way to come here. Actually, I lied. It’s directly on the bike path. I guess if I were on a bike ride I would definitely make a pit stop for a beer and to hang out a bit. But that’s it. It’s pretty quiet, sometimes they have live music. The last time we went (today) they were out of several beers. The food is ok, they have a small variety of German food like brats and huge soft pretzels. I would suggest bringing your own snacks. They do have bike parking, and they do provide bike locks for free. There’s a $ 5 deposit for the glass beer mugs so make sure to save the poker chip they give you. You must give it back when you return the mug and you get your 5 bucks back. The beer garden is located in Hubbard Park which is right on the river and makes for a beautiful setting to admire while you down your beer! Cheers :)

Okay, it’s gonna be hard to go wrong with a beer garden in the woods. Hubbard Park Beer Garden is right on the Oak Leaf Trail between Locust and Capitol Dr. I saw it first during another bike for beer to Estabrooke this summer and knew I needed to check it out. Hubbard has your standard beer garden fair, big mugs of beer, pretzels and beer cheese, and sausages. The beer counter and garden are in the same clearing as the Hubbard Park Lodge, while we were sipping our beers there was a wedding party heading from the riverside into the lodge. I’ll be back to the beer garden sometime soon because they play the Packer Games, I assume projected on screens, and boy does that sound glorious.

Good beer at a good price. Nice view. Food is pretty bad, I have eaten there 3 times one times my food was raw, one time it was cold and the third time it tasted like it had been sitting for days. Go for the view not the food

Totally a hidden gem! Tucked away and, from my visit, a lot less crowded than other beer gardens. A few members of our party biked there, which was awesome, but one of the bikers did miss it, so make sure you have your eyes peeled! There’s a not insubstantial parking lot at the opening of the park if you drove.
They have Cider Boys on tap, which was awesome since this non-​beer drinker was able to hoist an amber liquid-​filled tankard with the rest of her friends and totally not feel left out. Also: they take plastic here, which is a huge boon to me. There’s a $ 5 deposit for your glass, and they’ll give you the deposit back in cash even if you paid with a card which I liked. We got a few giant pretzels to split, which were def heated from frozen but tasty nonetheless. If you’re a city mouse like myself, don’t forget the bug spray. There were a LOT of mosquitoes out there eager for tender flesh.

Super friendly staff and a good selection of beer and wine. This hidden beer garden is a gem in the city and is one of the best in the area.

What a gem! Nothing fancy but they had good beer selection and I loved sitting on a picnic table outside amongst the trees with a view of the river. Felt like a little escape from the city!

What a neat place to seat outdoors overlooking the river and enjoy a beer.
We ordered an Usinger bratwurst and giant pretzel which was good.
The bartenders were very friendly and made good recommendations.
Patrons were friendly and talkative.
The only suggestion would be to have a remote place to sit for folks who want to enjoy a fine cigar with their cold beer.

Great bike destination. Honestly I’m not even sure how to get here via a car, as my choice of transportation around town is a bicycle. Decent beer in glass steins a nice setting. No 5^th star as I feel this place a lot more potential. Maybe if they had more events or reasons to get here.
Plenty of bike racks located around the site. They have a small selection of soft pretzels and grill wursts complimenting the beer selection.
Definitely a hidden gem of a spot for a beer or two.

Such a beautiful place, literally located in a pocket of woods, in a majestic park, alongside a river, and right off the bike trail! PERFECT location for a beer garden. Staff were friendly, clearly enthused about being there, and about us being there. I felt like we could be friends :-) Great beer selection, reasonable prices. Can’t wait to go back!

Great place, great service, great ambiance!
On our first visit, we were treated like regulars. It was an off-​and-​on rainy day and the owner was extremely accommodating — offering the inside area for us to sit when it rained, and once it stopped he was out wiping down the tables and benches for us so our butts didn’t get too wet.
Overall, there’s a great view, plenty of room for our little one to explore, and a great selection of beers. We’ll definitely be back!

Today was fairly awkward there. Apparently they were having trouble with their credit card machine but it was really inconsistent. The guy before me was denied three times, my card went through, but my husband (who arrived after me with a friend) was denied twice (and we use the same the account). Then a woman’s card went through but the next couple didn’t (according to chatter around us). The location is sweet, but really what sets it apart from Estebrook is that you can use your card which is infinitely more convenient.

The pros:
–Located right off the Oak Leaf Trail in Shorewood — easy access when biking, running, or walking nearby. You can also park your car nearby — travel safely, bring a DD!
–Lots of bike racks — again, easy access for those biking in the area.
–Picnic tables — great for groups.
–Dog-​friendly. I love dogs. And I’m not allowed to have one in my building. So please bring yours. :)
–Good beer variety — some local, some not-​so-​local. Some crafty, some not-​so-​crafty.
–Takes credit card. Thank heavens. I’m terrible at carrying cash, so this saves me from pricey ATM fees.
–Serves food. I haven’t tried any yet, but the brats smelled delicious last week.
–Along the river. Nice views. Near a pavilion where local acts perform occasionally.
The not-​so-​pros:
–Maybe it’s just that I’m not an outdoorsy person, but because it’s so wooded, there are just lots of bugs. As in, I spend 60% of my time socializing, 10% of my time enjoying my fare, and 30% of my time brushing away daddy long legs spiders and dodging mosquitoes. They added torches recently, but the mosquitoes are pretty awful. My inner city gal would love to see something less bug-​friendly replace the woodchips under the picnic tables.
Things to know:
–There’s a $ 5 glassware deposit — you can also bring your own glass.
–Beers range from $ 5−6/half-liter and double that for a liter (of course).
–Open until 10 pm!
All in all, this is a great spot — if you’re into beer and/​or being outdoors in the summer, it’s worth a visit!

Another great beer garden on the Oak Leaf Trail–
Hubbard Park Biergarten is a quiet, more serene cousin of the Estabrook Biergarten down the trail. When estabrook has Polka, Hubbard Park has a guitar. The selection of beer here is more varied than Estabrook. The tables, less Bavarian.
They have old trees, lot’s of green grass, and an easy access to the trail.

Great beer garden to add to Milwaukee’s collection! Tell your friends and bring people here from out of town! $ 5 halfs $ 10 fulls, this garden has German and Wisconsin brews! What a great addition to shorewood.