Roadfood_ Revised Edition - Jane Stern [179]
Milwaukee, WI
BLD | $
Real Chili serves bowls of chili mild, medium, or hot, with spaghetti or beans, or spaghetti and beans, the latter arrangement known as the Marquette Special (to honor the many Marquette University students who are frequent chili eaters). Atop this heap of food, you can have your choice of sour cream, cheese, or onions, and on the side, you’ll get some oyster crackers to crumble on top or to eat as a palate-cleanser between bites of chili.
This déclassé joint is the kind of beanery you once could find in big cities throughout the region. With the exception of Cincinnati, the Midwest has lost most of its chili parlors, and although heartland chili gets little respect from gastronomes who prefer the southwestern kinds, Real Chili is a true culinary adventure. Sit at a counter or at one of two communal tables with backless stools; uniformed waitresses dole out second helpings at half price, and the preferred beverages are beer or cherry Coke. If you need a bumper sticker for your car, you can get one here that says, “Real Chili: It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore.”
Serb Hall
5101 W. Oklahoma Ave.
414–545–6030
Milwaukee, WI
D Fri only | $$
Serb Hall is the largest fish fry in the United States. The chandelier-crowned eating stadium seats 950 people at hundreds of four-tops and dozens of big-party tablelands as a loudspeaker voice reverberates above the dinner din with announcements of birthdays and anniversaries and clusters of diners cheer from a hundred yards away. By 6:00 P.M., the South Side banquet hall is filled and the line of people waiting outside stretches for city blocks.
Fish fries are the only meal regularly served, fifty-two Fridays per year, Good Friday being the big blowout when over two tons of fish are served along with a ton-and-a-half of French fries and seventy-three gallons of tartar sauce. Most people come here to eat Icelandic cod—thin-crusted blocks of soft white meat served in a plastic basket with French fries, tart coleslaw, and rye bread on the side. Beer-battered cod is frequently available, its hopsy coat shoring in an abundance of cream-rich fish juices.
When we inquired about Serb Hall serving hours, our very busy waitress took time to carefully explain that the doors close precisely at 8:00 P.M., but customers already seated are allowed to finish eating and drinking.
Solly’s Grille
4629 N. Port Washington Rd.
414–332–8808
Milwaukee, WI
BLD Tues–Sat | $
Here is the great butter burger of Milwaukee, a city where burgers are a passion and butter is the staff of life. It is a fairly thin patty of beef, cooked through, served on a bun literally dripping with butter. Not margarine, not flavored oil: pure, dairy-rich, delicious butter. You can get a Super burger (two patties, and a good idea; to us, a single one is overwhelmed by its bun) or a Super Special, which adds lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise to the mix (also a good idea), as well as cheeseburgers and burgers topped with mushrooms, onions, and Monterey Jack cheese. The biggest of all burgers is the Cheesehead, which is a half pound of sirloin with Swiss and American cheeses, stewed onions, raw onion, and mushrooms. It is virtually impossible to eat with one’s hands, but it’s fun to try!
There are a few other kinds of sandwiches on Solly’s menu, none of which we’ve tried, also omelets and fish fries, excellent crinkle-cut French fries, and made-here pie. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, we recommend you reserve it for a milkshake, which is Dairy State–rich and made in flavors that include chocolate, hot fudge, strawberry, pineapple, vanilla, and the superb fresh banana malt. Another confectionery alternative is a black cow made with Sprecher’s root beer. And, this being a city where ice cream is even more beloved than butter burgers, there is a full array of sundaes, too.
Seating is at two horseshoe-shaped counters with stools, and the staff of uniformed waitresses still go about their business with well-seasoned hash-house aplomb.
Speed Queen
1130 West Walnut St.
414–265