Any good cheap eats downtown? (Milwaukee, Greenville: 2009, neighborhood, living)

[Milwaukee City]

And remember: "Control"

[ffknight918]

Someone already mentioned Real Chili which I love. Oakland Gyros is good as well if you like gyros. You definitely get your money's worth there.

[Sonrise]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Oh I forgot the SAFE HOUSE ON FRONT ST!!! ssshhhhh nobody say anything!!!

I just googled this place and then remembered having seen it on the Food Network years ago. Very cool.

Thanks, you guys are awesome.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by Ron Burgundy

Pizza Shuttle on Farwell!

Probably should stop in at Maders for some German food, but that would be a bit above your $20 max.

I'd pass on George Webb's. Went there once for the Brewers $1 burger special and I still felt ripped off.

plus one on George Webb's....terrible. It's so bad the college students up the street wouldn't eat it and it closed and is now a Qdoba.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by Sonrise

I just googled this place and then remembered having seen it on the Food Network years ago. Very cool.

Thanks, you guys are awesome.

People go to the Safe House for the gimmick and experience, not necessarily the food quality, fyi.

[firefly74]

The Public Market on Water Street at the south end of downtown has a wide selection of grab-and-go food that is reasonably priced and my favorite hot dog joint in town is The Dogg Haus. There's one on Wisconsin Avenue between Milwaukee and Broadway, but they have weird hours and there's another one on Brady up in the east side. Great Chicago style dogs for a couple of bucks.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Now this is a local favorite, go to the corner of Wisconsin and Water and look for the hot dog/ brat street vendor by the big Chase Bank Building(southwest corner).

Buy a brat from this street vendor, I don't know his name but damn if it isn't good!!!

This would be good advice...if it was April through late-October.

However, I strongly urge to the original poster NOT to pursue this street vendor. Believe me, I work literally a block or two from him, and have frequented him often - his dogs, brats, sausages, etc., are to die for. However, if the OP hits the vendor right now...he'll find nothing but cold, wind, and maybe some snow swirling around the Milwaukee River Bridge.

Quite simply - the guy doesn't work in winter here.

[EnjoyEP]

You know, I am actually fairly surprised at just how much I disagree with a lot of the suggestions here.

Not that they are necessarily *bad*, but a lot of them are a bit more of an uptick from what I would describe as "cheap eats" [eg: great cuisine - often with a regional flair - that is down home and down-home-cheap].

First thing first - Real Chili is a winner. It is somewhat a dive, somewhat a diner, but that call is winner all the way. If you are a respectable fan of Texas or Ohio style "chili" (eg: not the New Mexican chile pepper), then Real Chili is for you. You've got the local around Jefferson street by Cathedral Square, as well as the location near Marquette University (I would opt to go to the former). Cheap, unbelievably casual, and remarkably good (and uniquely Milwaukee).

Some other good options:

-Soblemann's (spelling????) on approximately 17th and St. Paul. This is a classic bar in the heart of a very industrial district (you'll be shocked it is there)...but it is cheap, a great bar/restaurant, with a CLASSIC - almost legendary - burger here. Only go there if you are up for a burger. If you like burgers though, it'll be tremendous.

-Miss Katie's Diner - near the aforementioned Soblemann's (spelling???). I have only eaten there once or twice, but it is a classic Milwaukee destination for even folks like a visiting president. Greasy spoon for sure, but good enough stuff.

-Mo's Irish Pub on about 1st and Wisconsin Ave. Decent pub style Irish cuisine - a great place to tip an accompanying Guiness - with relatively cheap, good, Irish and American cuisine.

-Lisa's (on Oakland Ave., just north of North Ave.) - This is a few miles away from Downtown, however, this pizza place - a relatively "hole in the wall" type of a place - is some phenomenal pizza and a friendly pub-style atmosphere to boot.

-What about a drive about 5 miles (or less) north of Downtown to the area of I-43 and Silver Spring (in the Glendale area) to Kopp's Frozen Custard? Legendary in this area, Kopp's is as casual as McDonald's, but has historic burgers, and if you aren't too familiar with Milwaukee frozen custard, good Lord, try some of this stuff for desert...it makes ice cream look like horse manure.

-A place I kind of like which is semi-bar along with restaurant is Buck Bradley's on Old World Third street near the Bradley Center in Downtown. An ultra long bar, decent pub fare (along with some surprises), and again, good cheap prices.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

First thing first - Real Chili is a winner. It is somewhat a dive, somewhat a diner, but that call is winner all the way. If you are a respectable fan of Texas or Ohio style "chili" (eg: not the New Mexican chile pepper), then Real Chili is for you. You've got the local around Jefferson street by Cathedral Square, as well as the location near Marquette University (I would opt to go to the former). Cheap, unbelievably casual, and remarkably good (and uniquely Milwaukee).

Agree completely. Real Chili is the closest thing that I have seen to Cincinnati Style chili outside of Ohio.

The Marquette location looks very unchanged from the 1930s and the atmosphere is really unique.

Good recommendation./

[quijote]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

You know, I am actually fairly surprised at just how much I disagree with a lot of the suggestions here.

Not that they are necessarily *bad*, but a lot of them are a bit more of an uptick from what I would describe as "cheap eats" [eg: great cuisine - often with a regional flair - that is down home and down-home-cheap].

A $20 maximum, though, is pretty generous. If the max were pared to $10 or $15, many places here would fall off of the list.

I like your added suggestions, though some (like Sobelmann's) might be hard to get to for out-of-towners.

Also, I'm still rather surprised that there isn't a Kopps or Culvers downtown somewhere. For the convention season in particular, it seems that such a place would be pretty popular--with burgers and other things for extra measure. Perhaps there's one in Grand Ave. Mall?