20 Foods And Drinks You Have To Try In Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is known as "The City of Festivals" and "Brew City." You'll find incredible museums and universities among its busy streets and plenty of green space. Not to mention, the theaters and parks offer educational opportunities and unforgettable evenings. And no spring afternoon is complete without taking in a Brewers game. But perhaps most notably, Milwaukee's must-have food and drink list is full of delicious, comfort-loving food that will make you fall in love with this midwestern town.

Here, you witness those brutal Wisconsin winters and brilliant leaf-changing falls. You'll also have your choice of dozens of different breweries dreaming up delicious drafts perfect for soothing those workweek woes. Fancy a bowl of warming soup to complement that stunning IPA? Milwaukee has you covered there, too.

Milwaukee's cuisine honors its past while welcoming changing times and tastes. With everything from herring to cream puffs, these Midwestern bites are somewhat eclectic, though primarily humble, and their choices are nothing short of scrumptious.

Cheese curds aren't just one of the best ingredients in poutine; they are also a Wisconsin staple. And as stated by Milwaukee Magazine, they're as iconic as lobster rolls and key lime from other parts of the country.

If you're new to the world of cheese curds, you may wonder what these oddly shaped cheese pieces actually are. Cheese curds are pieces of freshly curdled milk. While that might not sound appetizing, cheese curds are not only unreasonably delicious, they also make their own music. That's right: Fresh cheese curds should squeak. Though strange, the reason why cheese curds squeak is simple. When the calcium and protein meet your tooth enamel, those curds should make a squeaking sound. Unfortunately, a non-squeaky curd could mean that it is no longer fresh.

One of the best places to find fresh cheese curds in Milwaukee is the Wisconsin Cheese Mart. There, you'll find cheddar cheese curds in various packs in various sizes. It even ships throughout the country if you're hoping for some of that Milwaukee taste delivered right to your door.

Milwaukee knows how to whip up a great brew, but it also houses some fantastic sangria. Sangria comes in many different varieties, but what's really in sangria is simple, since most recipes consist of wine, fruit, and herbs or spices.

In the early days of the Roman empire, this fruity wine drink was essential for the safety of the drinker. Since the water was unsafe to drink, watered-down wine became a little more palatable with some fresh fruit and herbs. In 1964, the drink made its way to America during the World's Fair in New York City.

Hotel Madrid offers some of the best sangria in the city. On the menu, you'll find red, white, and seasonal sangria as well as a flight option. Milwaukee is also home to the Lost Whale, a bar run by Daniel Beres and Tripper Duval. Together, they created the company Odyssea Sangria, a canned sangria you can find throughout Milwaukee and Wisconsin as a whole.

Perhaps no brunch is complete without a Bloody Mary. A traditional, tried and true Bloody Mary typically includes vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper, and celery salt. You'll also probably get some garnish on the side that includes celery and lemon.

In Milwaukee, your Bloody Mary also probably comes with a small chaser of beer and some elaborate garnishes. Steny's serves up a pretty traditional Bloody Mary with the fun addition of a pickle and cheese curd for the garnishes. Wicked Hop, on the other hand, includes mozzarella whips that look like long cheese strings, shrimp, pickles, mushrooms, and even a beef stick. But if you're really looking for a unique Bloody Mary, head on over to Sobelman's. Even its signature Bloody Mary includes such fabulous garnishes as cheese, Polish sausage, mushroom, asparagus, green onion, lemon, and tomato. But for an extraordinary experience, order the "Bloody Beast" which is a Bloody Mary that has a whole fried chicken on top.

One of the odder Milwaukee favorites is that of the cannibal sandwich. Wisconsin Public Radio explains that some call it other interesting names like tiger meat or wildcat, but the premise is basically the same. Made traditionally, a cannibal sandwich is a piece of bread, rye bread, with raw beef smeared on top with slices of onion and salt and pepper on top. For many in Wisconsin, it is a long-loved tradition during Christmas time.

In all honesty, the cannibal sandwich is primarily a spin on steak tartare, which is chopped steak that has been seasoned. It's often mixed with Dijon mustard, capers, and even pickles with a raw egg on top.

Edible Milwaukee says that Bunzel's Meat Market in Milwaukee is a popular provider of the very lean ground sirloin for a perfect and safe cannibal sandwich. The owner, Jeff Zupan, takes great pride in the meat he provides to his loyal Milwaukee clientele, and Bunzel's even sells salted rye bread for your cannibal sandwiches.

DiLuigi Foods explains that German sausages brought to America were the origin of American hot dogs, but brats actually became popular right in Milwaukee. In 1954, the first brats were introduced during a baseball game at the Milwaukee County Stadium, and now, American Family Field's brat sales outpace hotdog sales.

While you can find brats throughout Milwaukee, some places should be at the very top of your must-visit list. For one, the Milwaukee Brat House offers brats from a few different companies, and all the options are available to you under one roof. Not to mention, you'll find great local beer and the popular cheese curd appetizer. For some of the most beloved brats in the city, go right to the source and check out Usinger's. These brat recipes have been around since 1880, and Milwaukeeians have loved them for over 140 years. Be sure to look for Usinger's on menus throughout Milwaukee and by visiting the sausage shop.

As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explains, this popular Sunday staple has either German roots like brats or possibly Polish roots. Either way, the dish grew in popularity when butchers and bakeries offered promotional deals. The best part about the hot ham and rolls dish is that it feeds quite the hungry crowd. For this reason, churches in the area especially like to offer hot ham and rolls to their parishioners.

Reflecting that Sunday tradition, you can order a Hot Ham and Rolls Thru meal from Aggie's Bakery & Cake Shop on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Be sure to bring a few mouths because you'll get a pound of ham and six rolls with this order. For a spin on this staple, Blue's Egg offers ham and pretzel rolls made fresh by Black Shoe Bakery. Be sure you order ahead by Wednesday for a Friday pickup.

Great Lakes Fisheries Trail shares that Lake Whitefish has been an important part of the fishing community in the Great Lakes region for thousands of years. Native Americans used the fish to make powder for stews and soups, as well as fish pies. They even mixed that same powder with Native fresh blueberries. The fish has been such an important part of the area for so long, the Milwaukee Public Museum explains that some Ojibwe bands used the Whitefish as a clan name within their kin relations.

Today, the Whitefish is the biggest income generator for commercial fisheries in the United States. And for good reason, because this fish has a taste that even those not particularly fond of fish can enjoy. You'll find Lake Whitefish in supermarkets across Milwaukee so you can pick some up and prepare it exactly to your liking, but you will also find Whitefish as a frequent offering on menus throughout the city.

It's no secret that Wisconsin can get pretty cold throughout the year. With these brisk temperatures, some of the best beer in the country, and incredible cheese, the next step may seem almost too obvious: Combine beer and chees to make soup.

While beer cheese soup may sound stereotypically Wisconsin, according to Wisconsin Cheeseman, beer cheese soup really comes from German cuisine. Although more difficult to find in Germany today, you'll find beer cheese soup throughout the United States, especially in the Midwest.

Though obviously known for its brats, the Milwaukee Brat House is also well known for its delicious beer cheese soup. This soup also uses the locally crafted Lakefront Brewery's IPA to ensure that perfect hoppiness comes through the cheddar. Not to mention, it is also cooked with hickory smoked ham and roasted red pepper. You can even dip a large bavarian pretzel in it for even more soul-warming carbohydrates.

West Allis, a suburb just outside of Milwaukee, hosts the Wisconsin State Fair each year. Full of food, fun, and festivities, the fair also offers one delicious treat that many Wisconsinites consider a non-negotiable when attending the fair: the original cream puff. This pastry is a crusty shell that has been filled with heaps of sweet, fresh whipped cream. It's flaky, sweet, and deliciously messy.

Shepherd Express reports that the cream puff was created by Charles Kremer in 1924. Then Governor John Brane requested that Kremer come up with a treat to celebrate the dairy industry's popularity in Wisconsin. Since Kramer's family owned a bakery in Milwaukee, he was a reasonable choice. And from this bequest, the original cream puff was born.

Even though there are over 200 different food vendors at the fair, the cream puffs still draw a large crowd. Each year, the Wisconsin Bakers Association runs the operation and serves roughly 350,000 puffs throughout the fair.

With a city as steeped in the tradition of brewing great beer, perhaps it's not too big of a leap to imagine that root beer would also be quite popular. This tasty soda is often served right alongside the beers on tap, and offers a great option for your kids and anyone avoiding alcohol. Many popular breweries in Milwaukee offer root beer, including Lakefront Brewery and Titletown Brewing.

However, Milwaukee's favorite root beer comes from Sprecher Brewery. Its founder, Randy Sprecher, fell in love with German brewing while serving in the military in Augsburg. After bringing his love of German beer back to the states, Sprecher attempted microbrewing in California before deciding to make his way east to Milwaukee. Initially, he worked at Pabst before leaving to establish his own brewery in 1985. Today, Sprecher is best known for its root beer, but it also sells a host of other beers and drinks, including cream soda and even blueberry soda.