Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Wisconsin

OpenTable

Updated 05 May 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Wisconsin? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Iron Duck

4.7

4.7 (195)

$30 and under

American

Green Bay

About the restaurant

Iron Duck was created with the idea of providing a space for the community which
is welcoming and accommodating. Our goal is to provide phenomenal comfort food with
an emphasis on local and cultural cuisine and unparalleled service. Set in one of the most unique buildings in Wisconsin, our aim is to provide an experience that you will never forget.

Top review

Mandi

Dined on 5 Apr 2025

Amazing as always! Great selection of cocktails, phenomenal servers and fresh house made food!

Bar Louie - Brookfield

4.7

4.7 (8)

$30 and under

American

Brookfield

About the restaurant

At Bar Louie, we're passionate about delivering flavor packed experiences. Defined by our award-winning handcrafted martinis and cocktails, our lunch, dinner and happy hours elevate the top-shelf bar experience. In a vibrant atmosphere energized by our local community, we serve all guests looking to create unforgettable moments - making us the go-to-spot for all occasions, from a spontaneous happy hour hangout to a celebratory spot for milestone events.

Top review

Lori

Dined on 15 Apr 2025

The food was excellent. We had the burgers that were the special of the day But it was very noisy due to the high ceilings

Palette Bar and Grill

4.6

4.6 (521)

$30 and under

American

Madison

About the restaurant

Palette provides a colorful dining experience with an American inspired menu and seasonally rotating cocktail selections with an emphasis on seasonal colors and flavors. With a patio on East Washington directly across from Breese Field we provide a lively pregame destination.

Located in the former Mautz Paint Company warehouse sharing the space with Hotel Indigo. We kept our buildings architectural features intact while updating the space with contemporary design elements and nostalgic touches. We wanted to keep the space faithful to its roots; filled with hues of colors and textures reminiscing of times when the East Washington corridor was a booming industrial area in the city.

Top review

StevenVIP

Dined 5 days ago

The service and food were very good Limited menu and some of the food was on the spicy side

Discover more

4.6

4.6 (85)

$30 and under

American

Verona

About the restaurant

Stone Porch is named after it's huge stone wrap around porch but we don't let that vibe end there. Comfort food, refreshing cocktails to warm up the insides and a great team looking to make your visit memorable. Our head chef, Jacob Goldsberry, believes that from scratch is always best and that brings an authenticity to each dish that will remind you of home.

Top review

Sally AnnVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Perfect for a casual family gathering and to experience great Wisconsin food and hospitality. Great bustling atmosphere, perfect portions and great service.

The Explorium Brewpub Greendale

4.5

4.5 (214)

$30 and under

American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Hip brewpub with a spacious patio pouring craft beer plus wine & spirits alongside American fare.

Top review

Ang

Dined on 26 Apr 2025

Happy to find a place that takes gluten free seriously! Thank you!!! This place is always a hit with anyone we bring here. So convenient with lots of parking and easy to get to. The food is great and always have had good service. This is a solid restaurant for people with food allergies.

Foxtown Brewing

4.5

4.5 (356)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Mequon

About the restaurant

Foxtown Brewing is steeped in tradition and driven by a passion for great beer. Once the Opitz Zimmerman Brewery in the mid-1800s, Foxtown is a reclamation of Mequon history. We’re not the biggest brewery around, nor the flashiest, but you’ll see that we take brewing very seriously. Every ingredient in every recipe is backed by reason. Our beer is good on purpose.

Top review

Joanne

Dined on 11 Apr 2025

Fish fry was great. Special was sliced beef on a baguette with au jus for dipping. Kind of tasteless. One of us had a Rueben which was good. Great beer choices. Overall the service was good, but really noisy on the enclosed porch. We’ve been here many times. Beautiful building, exposed timbers, beer caves below.

Motor at the Harley-Davidson Museum

4.3

4.3 (477)

$30 and under

American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

At the heart of the 20-acre Harley-Davidson Museum campus, MOTOR Bar & Restaurant is a destination for connection, community, and conversation. MOTOR offers bold and spirited food and beverage with a focus on local products, genuine hospitality, and memory-making events that will keep guests coming back all year long.

Our desirable location in Milwaukee on the Menomonee River, combined with the iconic history of Harley-Davidson, fosters a unique and inviting space for people to gather and connect beyond the plate.

Top review

Janet

Dined on 30 Apr 2025

Nice place. Sound level was good considering all the huge windows in a large space! Great cheese curds!

The Explorium Brewpub Third Ward

4.2

4.2 (113)

$30 and under

American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

We are a locally owned brewery and restaurant offering 24 taps of house-made beer in a comfortable family-friendly environment with two locations in the Milwaukee area. People love our comfortable environment, friendly staff, and expansive outside bar and patio. Stop in and see what we’re all about!

Top review

cathyVIP

Dined on 3 Apr 2025

Visited Explorium Brewpub in Third Ward for first time and service was amazing. It’s not all that common to get service like we experienced. They were friendly, checked on us often, and went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience.

East Town Kitchen & Bar

4.0

4 (527)

$31 to $50

American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Conveniently located on Wisconsin Avenue and Milwaukee Street, East Town Kitchen & Bar offers a classic menu, approachable vibe, and one of the best whiskey lists in all of Wisconsin. Come join us in our restaurant for dinner and locally-loved craft beers and cocktails!

Top review

Cody

Dined on 20 Apr 2025

We had the Easter brunch and all the different selections to choose from were amazing!!

The Social American Tavern

3.9

3.9 (96)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Wisconsin’s strong heritage of family-owned and small farms is reflected in The Social’s seasonal menu. We offer farm-inspired American food, prepared with local and sustainable ingredients obtained from a 200-mile radius. Traditional, rustic Wisconsin ingredients are given a modern interpretation by adding creative flavor combinations. Our mission is to serve honest, local ingredients, with informed service, in a comfortable setting.

Top review

Trish

Dined on 5 Apr 2025

Great drinks, fair service, decent to good food. Nice atmosphere but hard to hear.

Discover more

Experience

Happy Hour

Explore Diners' Choice best of Wisconsin