Bunkers

Sadly Bunkers has closed. It’s last day was Tuesday August 7^th :(

Bunkers offers a little bit of everything.
I want to begin by saying it has a overall classy vibe. but with a touch of Stallis. I enjoyed it. Check out the disco ball. (Do they ever use it??)
Service was excellent. Attentive, helpful, fast. We arrived early (at 4PM — right after they opened) so we didn’t have much wait at all. But be warned that you can expect a wait at prime time as it’s a very small space.
The menu ranges from burgers to BBQ to seafood entrees to sliders of the day. Like I said — a little bit of everything. It’s not an overwhelming big menu — which I like.
I got the Salmon dish. It was beautifully presented — with roasted red potatoes, cherry tomatoes and arugula. So fresh — and really quite delicious. The salmon was perfectly done.
I would definitely go back for another visit.

Last night nobody was willing to make a dinner decision so we went with the old throw some restaurants in a hat and pull a name out. You guessed it, Bunker got pulled. We had not been to Bunkers since the departure of Chef Brad and based on the 45 minute wait (we like to call before we leave to get our name on the list), it has definitely not impacted the business too much. We grabbed a drink upon arrival and waited for maybe 15 minutes before being seated. The menu looks very similar to the last time we were there only it has a larger focus on BBQ. I decided to try the Brisket and it was average. The meat was a hair on the dry side, but the BBQ sauce was very good. I don’t think I will necessary go back to the BBQ, but I was glad I gave it a try. The prime rib looked as good as usual and I will most likely be back for that next time.
Maybe the best part of Bunkers on this evening was Mac and Chez (Not the Kraft box for $.99… the band). Like usual Bunkers has a band play every Saturday with the low cover of 2 for none… FREE. It was nice to sit around for a few songs after dinner and watch an old couple dance/​knock over a few glasses and pitchers of water.
All in all I was pleased with our visit and will be back soon.

Food was fantastic! Seafood trio was perfect. Our waitress, Jenny, was very helpful and knew the menu and what was on it. Nice atmosphere, classy décor. The Ramaki was really good, especially the sweet and sour spicy sauce. A little small and it does get crowded, but it is worth the wait if you have one. We got there at 5:00 and got seated right away. We will be back!

I FOUND BUNKERS VIA A WEBSITE CALLED « Unilocal».
Fellow Unilocaler Jessica O. is usually right on the money so my girlfriend and I headed to West Allis on a recent Saturday evening. We arrived at around 6 PM and got a street parking spot in front of the restaurant. There were only a few other diners so we were seated immediately (side note: considering how small Bunkers is, what do they do for a waiting area?). Our waitress could tell by our studying of the menu that we were first time diners. I told her Bunkers was found on Unilocal.She had never heard of it this review site. Some bars have pretezels or peanuts for snacks, Bunkers has CHEESEY POOFS!
ORDERED: Tempura breaded mushrooms — $ 6.95, cup of Tomato Bisque soup — $ 4.25 and the Seafood Trio — $ 17.95
TASTED: The mushrooms were not a batch of small bites but four really large ones. They were very intense tasting (side note: a portobello is a mature cimini) and the marina and ranch, with horseradish added I suspect, were nice dipping sauces.
The soup was really hardy and thick served with a toasted slice of baguette with shredded parmesan on top. Really nice tasting soup! The seafood consisted of grilled scallops, shrimp and a white fish with roasted tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms with roasted garlic vinaigrette dressing. The presentation on a white rectangular plate was impressive. Perfectly cooked scallops.
DECOR: Did Genevieve Gorder design this place?! Black, sleek and modern.
SERVICE: Really attentive and knew the menu well.
WHAT’S IN A NAME: Bunkers is named after the owner.
WEBSITE:

I am DEVASTATED to learn that Chef Brad has left. I’m not surprised, though. We were there mid-​October and Brad wasn’t in the kitchen. I should have realized what happened when over half the menu was literally crossed out with a black marker. What a bummer. :(If anyone hears about him anywhere else, please update!
UPDATE: FOUND BRAD. He’s at Stubby’s on the East Side. Check Stubby’s reviews.

A great local eatery… One of my favorite to meet friends. This is not your usual bar with its upscale pub fare. Don’t miss the Happy Hour.

Excellent Food! I had these blue cheese mac bits. They were great.
They also have a pull tab drink special. You get a pull tab and some have special prices on them. My cocktail was $ 0.50.
They outside patio area is really neat. It’s like a TIKI party in downtown West Allis.
I’ve gone to other places in the area but never really saw Bunkers. It’s kind of hidden even though it’s on Greenfield Ave. They have really creative food and an awesome atmosphere!

Service is very friendly and the food is great. Its too bad there is something called winter because the patio area outside is ½ the restaurant. Very nice plants and stuff on the outside
I can see a lot of potential for this restaurants menu. Sorry if my expectations were low for a restaurant in West Allis.. .I was expecting you choice of meat (steak, chicken, fish) grilled/​fried served with a boiled vegetables and some mash potatoes.. .however, I found the menu much more modern.
I loved the pork belly. It is served with scallops which sort of makes the dish lighter. However, even though it was port belly, it did not seem greasy. There was a nice sweet sauce on top and the crisp green beans, nicely dressed salad and perfectly cooked potatoes were just as good as the protein.
We also had the mussels which were nicely prepared. It’s a good dish alfresco on a summer night. Not too heavy, but there were sausages in them so you could feel satisfied. The broth was good and I should’ve asked for a spoon so I could really taste it.
Our friends had the tenderloin. .. I tried a piece which was blackened and it was tender which a spicy kick. I could’ve eaten that too.
UPDATE: I heard that chef Brad left so I don’t know if it’ll still be a good place to dine.

3 words, WORTH THE WAIT! I had been wanting to try Bunkers for some time, but every time I was in the neighborhood the place was standing room only and about an hour wait for a table. Every time I’d jaunt across the street to Benno’s (pretty decent consolation prize if you ask me.), defeated. No more. Finally got there early enough and let the games begin. Started off with a couple cocktails and the rumaki appetizer which were delicious. For dinner I went with the Reuben, which was fantastic. Service was great as well and it’s almost shocking to find a place like this on Greenfield ave.

Very nice patio area. I loved sitting out there and enjoying a cocktail and eating the terrific food. The burger is the best quality I have had in a long time. I couldn’t put ketchup on it because it would mask the great flavor. It was cooked to perfection and I loved the onion strings. The Reuben was remarkable as well. I have to say that the server was a bit unclean and we saw her adjusting her underwear inside her pants. Pretty gross. Thank goodness she wasn’t our server.

I have been to Bunkers several times over the years. While there are definitely a few things I don’t care for, overall I’d say I’m a fan.
This place can be hopping busy, especially on weekend evenings, and there is usually a mixed crowd with people between early 30’s and mid-​fifties. Somehow it works. Don’t ask me. The atmosphere is dark and goes for a loungey vibe. I’m not sure it quite accomplishes it though. Music ranges from classic rock (such as Queen’s entire greatest hits catalog one night) to Rat Pack-​y to oldies of the 50’s & 60’s.
Likes: Tropical drinks, tasty food, birthday club, tiki-​themed patio and walls that are soft to the touch.
The tropical drinks include Mai Tais, Zombies, and a bowl that I forget the name of, but basically its fruity, is enough for two or more people to share, and comes with a flame on top! When it’s nice out, enjoy them on the tiki-​themed patio.
For the food, I love the Jerk Chicken sandwich and get it almost everytime. It has the right amount of spice for me without setting my mouth on fire. I’m sort of a weakling when it comes to hot & spicy foods and this is just right. Last night, the wife and I both ordered the Organic Chicken dinner, which is a roasted half chicken with roasted cauliflower and fingerling potatoes. The chicken was seasoned pretty standard, but was still really tasty. The chicken was moist and cooked perfectly. I really love roasted cauliflower and don’t see it on menus too often. Bunkers’ was pretty good. The larger pieces were pretty firm while the smaller were extremely soft. Somewhere consistent in between would have been better, but I prefer mine on the softer side overall.
And yes the walls have a pattern on them that is soft and velvety to the touch.
Dislikes: Being nickel & dimed and the seating (or lack thereof).
Seriously? 75 cents for mayonnaise that should have came with the sandwich in the first place? And NO free soda refills? Did I venture into La Fuente by mistake? Is it even legal to charge for soda refills in 2011? I’m a thirsty guy and made the mistake once of having several sodas with my dinner. Between the wife and I, our soda tab alone was $ 10! I can understand if I came in, sat at the bar, and ordered a soda. I wouldn’t expect free refills. But any reasonable person who orders dinner and sits in the restaurant portion of the establishment does. And maybe it’s just me, but servers who don’t warn you the restaurant doesn’t provide free refills deserves a few % docked on their tip.
Seating at Bunkers is tough. They make the best with what they can do, but it’s a small place. The tables are extremely close to each other and can be hard to maneuver through on a busy night. I also hate the fact that all but one table in the whole place are tall with stools. I prefer my table and chairs to be normal height, thank you very much.
Overall I really do like Bunkers and I know I will be back.

A hidden gem in ‘Stallis. Don’t let the row of poker game machines next to the bar fool you — this place has class! They buy meat and veggies from local growers! We went for dinner on a Sat. evening. I had the Bunker burger with cheese and my husband order the Barnbuster or was it the Bunkbuster? My burger was fantastic and his burger was INTENSE. A flavor explosion! The food is surprisingly good for ‘Stallis and the place was surprisingly classy for ‘Stallis. Apparently their Prime Rib dinner (Sat. nights only) is the stuff of legends so we will definitely be back to try that — everyone else around us ordered it and it looks amazing! We picked a rainy day and were immediately seated and our food came very quickly too.

First time at Bunkers last night, and I am now a Fan! Service was Great! Have nothing buy great things to say about my server! Everyone was extremely friendly.
The food was just as Excellant. Alot better than what I expected from a small, corner bar in West Allis. I have already picked out what I will be ordering next time I go.
I was told there is always a wait for a table It wasn’t too busy, but there was a Brewers game and it was the night before Easter. I can see how it could get crowded fast.
I only gave it 4 stars though because they have nothing on tap. Everything is served in bottles. And, we ordered a few different specialty drinks and there wasn’t much alcohol in them.
I will be going back soon!

I’ve been here 2 times and the 2 experiences couldn’t have been more different. The first time my wife and I came on a Saturday and waited in the extremely small bar area for a table to open up (they take NO reservations). After 20 minutes we got 2 seats at the bar. I ordered the prime rib dinner special and it was, by far, the best I’ve ever had. The potato dish was also exceptional. We returned with a group of 8 a few weeks later and was very disappointed. The appetizers were good but the entrees were disappointing. One guest ordered a wedge salad which was yellow-​ish (old?). My seafood combo consisted of 2 small shrimp, 2 small scallops and a very small piece of monkfish. Another in our group just ordered a hamburger which they forgot to make. After several minutes they brought out her burger which was seared on the outside and literally raw on the inside. Won’t be coming back anytime soon. The waiter was a comedian wanna-​be and wouldn’t stop talking at our table. I’m sure he thought he was entertaining but the group thought otherwise.

Some of the best deals in town, so you can’t go wrong. Love the food and great drinks. The patio is awesome!!! Make a trip down today.

My husband and I visited Bunkers for a Friday night Fish Fry. The smoke free atmosphere was a huge bonus. The staff if very friendly. The fish fry was very tasty and service was great. The only disappointment was I’m use to the 3 pcs of fish served at most fish fries. Bunkers fish fry only serves 2 pcs of fish. I was still hungry when I finished my meal. Although this helps with my waistline, I love a good fish fry and Bunkers servers it up a little short.

We went here on Friday night. Both the food and the service here were as good as the first time we went. The bar is definitely smoke free! Yipppeeeeee!!!
What we had:
Tomato Bisque — This soup was excellent. It was creamy without being overly rich and it had a nice texture to it. Not your typical smooth bisque it had chunks of tomatoes and I believe red peppers in it. Outstanding!
Sliders — 4 sliders with smoked cheddar cheese and bacon. The buns were a little too hard but over all they were good. The sliders came with a generous dose of onion rings as well which were great.
Fish Tacos — This was a special. Came with Cheesy Rice Pilaf.
Once again we were very pleased with our dinner and the service is always very friendly and attentive. I am pleased to see they have remained consistent!

Great lounge with very good bar food on main street West Allis. Fun atmosphere, great patio, good service, awesome drinks and tasty food! Their apps and burgers are fantastic. On a recent Tuesday we were lucky enough to experience the wheel promo — one of my dining companions got ½ off their dinner, the other one got their dinner free. I got an envelope to bring back on a Wednesday with a discount for my meal. Service was a tad slow but friendly and accommodating.

Great place to get a GREAT martini and a GREAT burger.
This is a riff of the old Bunkers that used to be across from State Fair Park… re-​opened and gobs cooler than you remember.
Awesome food, incredible bar and a great atmosphere.
They’re sourcing much of their meat and produce locally… it’s a great place all around. Go visit!!!