Late Night: Restaurants Open 24 Hours in Milwaukee
1. Ma Fischer’s Family Restaurant
2214 N. Farwell Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414-271-7424
Like a Phoenix rising from the literal ashes of a kitchen fire, Ma Fischer’s has again become an after-bar favorite for the East Side crowd since its grand reopening in 2003. Entrees are a little expensive, but the management seems to take advantage of the fact that the place is one of the few full-serivce 24-hour restaurants in town. The basic hamburger is a good deal, as it comes with a bowl of soup for under $6. The crowd sometimes gets rough and loud on weekends, and you’ll have to pay in advance for your food after 11pm, but you’ll rarely have to wait for a table. Both the smoking and non-smoking sections are large. Ma Fischer’s has reduced late-night dining to a science but still kept the hallmarks of the diner genre, including the brightly lit pie case near the door.
2. George Webb Restaurants
812 N. Old World 3rd Street
Milwaukee WI 53203
414-278-0225
Use the “locations” feature to find your closest George Webb: www.georgewebb.com
A Wisconsin tradition since 1948, George Webb restaurants (known affectionately as “The Webb”) are located all over Milwaukee. Blanketing the city with breakfast on demand, 24 hours a day, George Webb is your basic greasy spoon diner. It’s popular with the post-bar crowd, the off-the-street homeless set, and crotchety old men who hog the counter seats. The makeup of your local Webb depends on your neighborhood and the time of day you visit. There are nearly 20 locations just in the city of Milwaukee itself, so you’ll never have to drive (or stumble) too far for your late-night patty melt and hashed browns.
3. Node Coffee
1504 E. North Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414-431-9278
www.nodecoffee.com
It’s not really a restaurant, but it still deserves a mention here as a viable 24-hour hangout with internet access. If you want a vegan snack or a decent cup of coffee, plant yourself amid a predictable but amusing crowd of Mac-using art students and brooding smokers. Although you’ll have to deal with high school outcasts on occasion, the clientele is usually a mix of angsty Riverwest denizens and disaffected East Siders in their 20s and 30s. The fare options are limited to pastries and snacks, but they are surprisingly delectable (considering that many are prepared without the use of animal products). Node is also a place for fair trade coffee, which can sometimes be hard to come by in Milwaukee.
4. Paul’s Omega Family Restaurant
3473 S. 27th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53215
414-645-6595
Because it’s on an elongated commercial strip, the Omega is not a place you can walk to easily. That said, it’s a good alternative to George Webb for residents of Milwaukee’s South Side. Offering regular diner fare plus (as the name suggests) some Greek options, this place is one of those diners with a giant, multi-paged menu full of greasy goodness. With decent service but relatively high prices, you should stick with the Webb if you’re trying to be cheap ’round-the clock.
5. Dunkin’ Donuts
701 W. Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53233
414-347-1599
www.dunkindonuts.com
We all know that Dunkin’ Donuts is not a “real” restaurant; however, they do have tasty donuts along with a few basic soup, bagel, and sandwich options. The warm glow of the pink and orange Dunkin’ Donuts sign will beckon you to the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and 6th Street in downtown Milwaukee. There is also a 24-hour location near Mitchell Airport on Layton Avenue, but the downtown “DD” is far more entertaining, especially at off-hours. Near the Greyhound bus terminal and only a few blocks from the edge of the Marquette University campus, Dunkin’ Donuts attracts an odd crowd, but the establishment is a relatively clean and bright place for a late night snack.
6. Denny’s
4925 S. Howell Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53207
414-744-7101
www.dennys.com
Ah, Denny’s. If you’ve been to one, you’ve been to them all. This 24-hour Denny’s is located across the street from Mitchell Airport, so you’ll find airline employees downing coffee and pankcakes at all hours of the day and night. The restaurant can be lively in the evening, especially if you enjoy animated flight attendants who share their stories loudly enough for the whole place to hear.
