Milwaukee has a pretty great selection of restaurants across the board, but here are a few of our favorites:

Thainamite: Combination Thai restaurant and sushi bar - Ben's go-to takeout spot

Maharaja Indian Cuisine: Also a frequent takeout destination. The garlic naan is heavenly.

Blue Star Café: Delicious and insanely cheap Somalian food. Standouts are the chicken sugaar sandwich and the beef sambusas!

La Casa De Alberto: Small family-owned Mexican restaurant with very cheap margaritas and the best mole we've ever had in the US!

Damascus Gate: Family-owned Syrian restaurant; proceeds go to supporting Syrian refugees in Milwaukee. Their falafel is out of this world, and the dinner platter is enough food to feed a literal horse (or 8+ people).

Zaffiro's Pizza: Best thin-crust pizza in Milwaukee, and their cheesy garlic bread is extra heavy on the cheese.

Sweet Diner: Great breakfast/brunch place near the public market. The wait is always long and you have be there to put your name in, but it's worth it.

Blue's Egg: A bit outside the city, but high-end brunch food at pretty great prices. The wait will be long, so call ahead.

Milwaukee Public Market: Tons of local options, all amazing! Thai food, deli sandwiches, designer candy, seafood, bakeries and more.

Café Benelux: Popular MKE chain serving Belgain-inspired food. Nice outdoor/rooftop seating next to the Public Market.

Colectivo Lakefront: MKE-based coffee chain; this one is located in a historic building right on the Lake. Worth it just for the view, and the coffee is good too.

Frozen custard is a Milwaukee staple, and definitely worth trying (likely multiple times) before you leave.

Leon's: Widely regarded to be the best custard stand in Milwaukee, which is saying something. Literally every flavor is great.

Kopp's: Like Culver's, but better. Check out the rotating flavor of the day calendar on their website.

Milwaukee, as expected, has quite a few excellent bars to choose from. However, the breweries are the real standouts here. We also included a few cocktail bars if beer isn't your thing.

Lakefront Brewery: Our favorite cheese curds in Milwaukee + great beers across the board. Grab a couple and sit along the Milwaukee River, or walk across the street to Kadish Park for a great view of the MKE skyline.

Good City Brewing: Brand new building with plenty of outdoor space, right next to the Bucks' stadium.

MKE Brewing: Also brand new - has a chill atmosphere with a big outdoor patio and cornhole! Their brewery tour includes all-you-can-drink for 2 hours, if that's your thing.

Mobcraft Brewing: Really unique, good local beers that change often. They were also on Shark Tank, if that means anything to you.

Sprecher Brewery: Best known for their root beer and cream soda (although they do make beer too) - and you get unlimited soda on their brewery tour!

Bryant's: Cocktail bar with a classy speakeasy atmosphere. Over 450 drinks, but no menus - give the waiter your preferences and let them come up with a drink to match.

Foundation: Tiny tiki bar located in a remodeled house. Their drinks are excellent and the ambience is definitely something you won't find elsewhere in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Art Museum: Right on the lake, tons of different collections and iconic architecture.

Discovery World: Technically a children's science museum, but honestly pretty enjoyable at any age. Also includes a nice freshwater aquarium.

Potawatomi Casino: Massive casino located inside the Milwaukee city limits. They've had pretty extensive COVID restrictions, so check their website before heading out.

Mitchell Park Domes: Three massive, clear, horticultural domes right in the middle of the city - one is desert themed, one is a rainforest, and the other is seasonal.

The Riverwalk: Section of the Milwaukee River that has nice paths on both sides, with lots of water-facing bars and restaurants. A good way to see a lot of the city in short order.

Veterans Park: Sprawling park right on the lake, between the art museum and Colectivo.

Grant Park: Lakefront park south of the city. The 7 Bridges Trail is probably the most beautiful spot in the Milwaukee area.

Schlitz Audobon Nature Center: North of Milwaukee, but has easy and accessible hiking trails that are particularly amazing in fall.