Went for lunch at this very famous German restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. It's been here since 1902. The place is beautiful with wood carvings and stained glass windows. Wait staff were wearing traditional German lederhosen. The server was prompt and friendly, however this was lunch service and not very busy. Started with a wonderful charcuterie board with bread, beer cheese spread, 2 different cheeses, 2 meats, fruit, nuts, pickles and a delightful spicy cherry jam which paired well with the beer cheese. Hubby had a dunkle beer he really enjoyed. We both had the veal schnitzel with jaeger style mushroom gravy. Came with homemade spaetzel and sauerkraut. Too stuffed to have any of the delicious dessert offerings. All very delicious and authentic German. I can say that having lived in Germany. When visiting Milwaukee you've got to go here! read more

Delicious, authentic German food. We actually ate at their tent during Germanfest this past weekend. I ordered their sausage sample that came with 3 different sausages, sauerkraut, and German potato salad. My sister had the cheese and bacon spatzel. We loved the spatzel, it was super rich, springy and full of flavor. I will add it was VERY salty, but I loved it. Just maybe chase it with a nice beer or some water. It was nice to sample the different sausages, my favorite was the bratwurst and I really enjoyed this vinegary (hint of sweet) take on potato salad. I couldn't put my fork down! I also had a jager cocktail that had lemonade, this was super refreshing and was a good chaser for my meal. I won't speak to service or ambience since this was in a unique setting but I did walk past the exterior of the storefront and it looks very classic and charming. read more

I'd agree with most of the reviews here that people are coming for the nostalgia and not the food. It is pricey and portions are smaller than you would expect and there is nothing spectacular about the taste. But, service is super friendly, even if the front hosts are models of RBF. We had a good time and the desserts are huge - that is worth the money, but having now checked it off the list, I doubt I'd return. read more

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Free Parking (did not know until after parked on street) - friendly greeting upon entering, seated quickly and love the ambience. Lot of cool decor and pictures of famous people line the walls. Very attentive waitress, checked on us often. The food was definitely German, it brought back memories from some of my mom's cooking. My mom liked it a little on the dry & bland side so pretty close, applesauce was served for a reason. A little pricy for us for lunch, we really should have did some lighter like Brats at one of the neighborhood bars. The food was not bad, having lived in Germany for years we experienced all types of German food- this was in the middle, we had high expectations which fell a little short. read more

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Old well preserved decor. Wonderful service. The pretzels were amazing. One was enough for 3 people. The decor was authentic, felt like you were stepping into a German pub. read more

The service was truly fantastic would come back just for that. The portion sizes were not anything to complain about, I ordered a pretzel and this thing was bigger than my steering wheel. Overall would continue to recommend this place read more

Stopped here on my way to a show and was immediately caught off guard because of the prices. There wasn't an entree for less than about $35. I'm cheap so I went with an appetizer - and I"m glad that's all I got because it filled me up. I got the Reuben Rolls and they were amazing. VERY hot - they didn't let them cool at all, but they were well worth it. The Oktoberfest beer they had was also yummy (go figure!). The bartender was a little slow but other than that, it was great. Look forward to going back when I have a bigger wallet and bigger appetite. Just know you're going to drop some cash here. read more

My husband and I were celebrating our 54th wedding anniversary and had the best German meal of our lives. Everything was perfect from our special cocktail to our complimentary Apple strudel. I had the Sauerbraten and my husband had the Beef Rouladen. They were both excellent. We will be back. read more

Jumped the shark. Don't bother. Even the waitstaff is telling people the food sucks. Expensive without the quality.

Very cool atmosphere, awesome weapons collection. Food was great - very authentic. The giant pretzel is truly enormous! Recommend the potato pancakes and spätzle. read more

How can't you love the authenticity and history of Mader's in Milwaukee. This place screams old school German cuisine. Recommended by business clients, Mader's lived up to the hype. Started with some apps that included potato pancakes and an enormous Bavarian pretzel. Potato pancakes were spectacular, reminded me of my grandmothers. The Bavarian pretzel could have fed the entire restaurant. It's freakish size did not diminish it's golden baked goodness. Beer cheese was equally as satisfying. For main course, ordered the rhouladen. This was the first time eating this German staple. Beef tenderloin stuffed with bacon over spatzle. Who wouldn't love this? Finished off with maybe the best piece of bread pudding I have had. Definitely one of the most memorable. The blackberry sauce was a perfect compliment. Service was solid. Servers took care of our every need! Can't wait to revisit this Milwaukee landmark on my next visit! read more

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The vibe was really cool. It felt very authentic and had cool memorabilia all over the wall. It was very pricey, you do get a ton of good but I wish it had options for half portions. read more

Mader's - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Wow! Authentic German food. Think only a German grandmother could do better. The Spaten beer was delicious too. The decor may be dated but it goes so well with the Germanic waitresses dressed in beautiful dresses and waiters with lederhosen. We ordered goulash, pork and weinerschnitzel. All was so delicious. When we went it was a Summer Sunday afternoon and the crowd were groups or families. We will return. read more

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We have not walked out of a restaurant in YEARS. It is 8:20 pm and our resy was at 7:00 pm. Our drink and food order was taken around 7:10 and 20 minutes later my husband went to the bar and ordered our drinks. The food hadn't surfaced by 8 pm so we walked. The poor server was running around like crazy and clearly needed help. My husband spoke to the manager and she was disinterested in our situation. When we walked out at 8:05 an hour later, the same manager was hanging at the hostess stand talking to a few other women and fanning herself. Absolutely no interest in rectifying the situation. Was really looking forward to the food but not hanging around. Very disappointing. read more

Service was good. The food was bad. I can't blame that it's German food because I had good German food before. Everything was bland and tasteless. Some of the food items, I am speaking of the sausages, were warm (not cold but definitely not hot!). I put salt and pepper on everything and it still did not help. I actually felt nauseated at one point and could not finish my meal. The reputation of it being one of the oldest restaurants in Milwaukee is the only thing that was interest but definitely not worth going for the food. read more

Overall, the food was extremely bland and unappetizing. A table near us ordered fish and the smell was so pungent and fishy that it made us nauseous. The service was good and attentive, I would never come back. read more

This 120-year-old Milwaukee institution is a must-see for first-time visitors to historic Old World Third Street. The elaborately decorated landmark building is utterly charming both inside and out. The restaurant and bar have a loyal following, and also there are banquet facilities. Mader's happily accommodates tour groups by the busload. I have dined at Mader's occasionally through the years, most recently for lunch with a "busload" of friends. It's always a treat to visit this living museum and my experiences have been fairly consistent. To be honest, though, I've had better German food at the late, great Karl Ratzsch's, Kegel's Inn in West Allis, and--obviously--in Germany. Our meal began with individual salads. The accompanying hot bacon dressing was savory but so thick that shards of lettuce stuck together in clumps. We were offered a choice of three lunch entrees. I had the Wiener Schnitzel (pork). A tad dry and lacking in flavor, my cutlet was so-so. But the underlying bed of spätzle was fine. The red cabbage had all the right stuff but it was so vinegary it made me wince. Others dined on Sauerbraten (frankly I do not care for Mader's version) and Franconian Chicken (unanimous thumbs-up). The pretzel bread and apple strudel were, as always, wunderbar. The service was uneven. Our easily distracted server was slow to handle beverage orders, and the assistant manager (?) who pitched in to help was hit-and-miss. Trays of entrée platters emerged from the kitchen quicker than they could be served. By the time my meal arrived, it was less than hot. The bread did not arrive at the tables until after all the entrees had been served. I get the impression that Mader's is resting on its laurels with little incentive to change the status quo. The squeaky-clean, fanciful décor and traditionally costumed servers offer an experience not unlike the Biergarten Restaurant in the German Pavilion at Disney's Epcot Center. Don't get me wrong; this place is not to be missed. But like many Milwaukeeans, I prefer the down-to-earth authenticity and cuisine at the venerable Kegel's Inn. read more

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I lived in Bavaria for nearly five years, and developed a deep appreciation for Bavarian cooking, especially the in the smaller towns and villages where each local brewery offers its specialty beers and its kneipe offers its own take on Bavarian dishes. I travel several times a month in my work, and always search for but seldom discover, the quality of the food I remember from Bayern. Milwaukee held promise, with its brewing tradition and German-immigrant history. I discovered Mader's, which promised success with its ambiance (faux bier keller), some several servers in dirndl and kurze lederhosen, as will as a long list of German beers, including Erdinger, Hacker-Schor, Andechs, and Weihenstephen. I ordered the Sauerbraten, and asked to substitute potato dumpling (kartoffelknoedl) for the Spaetzle. What an utter-letdown. While the side-dishes of red cabbage and sauerkraut were adequate, the marinated roast beef should have been a large slice from a recent roast. Instead, thin slices of gray, dried-out meet were served with only the warmed ginger gravy adding anything similar to the moist beef I expect. The dumplings were a disaster. It was difficult to identify them as being potato, in taste or consistency, and especially in shape. As mentioned in another review, instead of a round dumpling, these creations appeared to be mashed potatoes scooped together and refrigerated for several days until served. $39.95 for this lackluster offering is highway robbery. Oh yes, one more thing. The server apparently knew nothing about Weissbier, expecting me to drink my Erdinger from the bottle. read more

Mader's - Most disappointing dumplings and Sauerbraten. - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

If you want old-style German, then Mader's is getting that done. If you're after a stein of bier, dark and malty, then Mader's has a list just for you. If you need pretzels & sauerkraut & mustard & sausages, then once again, Mader's is your kind of place. The place has been around since 1902, and some of the food might take that long to get to the table. The schnitzel is fresh and really good, the sauerbraten is just OK, and the red cabbage is simply fabulous. Hot tip: the goulash is really good, and this ain't church supper goulash with pasta & ground meat. This is real Hungarian-style goulash, braised beef and served with a wonderful wilted spinach. Maybe it's just the tenor of the times, but the service was slower than expected and those foods, while good, were not plate-hot. Points for food, do-overs for service. You really must sample anything with the beer cheese and/or that sweet/hot mustard. Both of those condiments were spot on German-good, especially on the hand-rolled pretzel, which was the size of a life jacket. And do yourself the favor of walking the hallway in the back to view all of the dignitaries who have dined at Mader's. Everyone from Sinatra to presidents to Van Halen (*real* Van Halen) have sampled German fare in the same halls as you & yours. Some things are timeless, like German recipes and cuisine, and Mader's does that really well. read more

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This place has an old school German decor which is an experience in itself. The staff are friendly. I enjoyed the breaded pork (schnitzel) but was not a fan of the spatzle, it was very bland. It came with sauerkraut that was very tasty. The pretzel roll was amazing! I highly recommend, it is on the appetizer menu. Overall the rest of my party enjoyed their food, too. read more

I love Mader's!! This is the perfect spot to go to right after a Bucks game, as it sits just right down the street. We were drawn in by the exterior of the building... it looked like a cool, medieval castle! Try one of their beer flights, or if you're really feeling adventurous, order the sampler platter to try all kinds of different German bites. The staff will dress up in German attire, you'll feel like you've been transported to Europe.. It was a cool place to hang out at! read more

What an experience! It was easy to make a reservation online, and there was no issue being seated outside. Unfortunately the outdoor seating takes away a bit of the authentic experience, but it was still lovely. My boyfriend studied abroad in Germany and was excited for the German sampler to re-visit some of his favorite foods. I, on the other hand, don't like German food much at all, so I stuck with the butter chicken schnitzel. The portions are very large, and everything was so good! My chicken schnitzel was incredible, I wish I could eat it all the time. BF said his sampler was very authentic and he somehow ate almost all of it. Our server was very sweet and attentive, and the beer, wine, and cocktail options were great. What a gem this is to have right in the city!! read more

Mader's - Butter Chicken Schnitzel and the German Sampler - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Delicious, delightful. So pleased with this dinner. We ordered the Rhine sampler and beef and mushroom strudel. Reminded me of my moms cooking. Great flavors. Schnitzel was nice and crispy. Server was fun and personable. Decor was fascinating. Not crazy expensive either. They also have a free valet. Would definitely eat here often if we lived in Milwaukee. read more

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Oh hell yea! I was transported back to deutschland as soon as I walked though the doors. I had a fist full of beers and ther were amazing, my favorites I posted pictures of because Ich don't sprechen very good...bitte! I'm for sure coming back to this place for some schnitzel and pomme frites mit mayo und curry. Danke very much! read more

Mader's - They got Weihenstephan, so at least I got that going for me. - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Amazing Food! Great Service. Staff is always efficient. Great space for dining. They also offer a great brunch. This has been our place for years, from first dates, to Birthday/ Anniversary celebrations and our engagement. Maders is special to us for many reasons. read more

Stopped here for a small bite and a brew. Had the Ruben Roll it was out of this world delicious. Had the .5 L of pale ale and it was excellent. Inside is amazing and historic. Bartender was really cool to chat with. I will be back for sure read more

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The whole dining experience was amazing. The waitstaff were dressed in authentic German attire. The restaurant is spotless clean and food and service were amazing. The selection of beers and wines were plentiful. We also had strudel for dessert. Definitely going back to Mader's on my next trip to Milwaukee. read more

Mader's - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Waited for friends to arrive in the bar area, found it to be lively and the staff was very attentive. I didn't wait more than a minute to get my stein. In the dining area truly authentic German dishes are served by an enthusiastic wait staff in a charming setting. What more could you ask for! Don't forget to take a look at their small gift shop if you care for a souvenir from your trip. I was traveling from out of town and bought cool shirts for the family. Interestingly I was in Cologne a short time after my trip to Mader's and was struck by how similar the food in Germany was to what I had in Milwaukee. Well done Mader's! read more

Went on a road trip to Maders in Milwaukee, very nice experience the German restaurant has been there a long time and many celebrities have been there. They have valet parking right next door. A great and friendly bar crowd. You can get pint, quart and half gallons in a boot glass to drink. I had the pork shank, liver and dumpling soup and caramelized brussel sprouts, all very good and filling especially the brussel sprouts absolutely awesome! Go there!! read more

Mader's - You are not driving. - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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I've been to an Italian restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, and a Mexican restaurant, but this might be my first time at a German restaurant... on purpose : ) I'm no connoisseur of German food, heck I used to get a gag reflex, growing up, every time I smelled sauerkraut. So take this as a review from an outsider : ) I was very pleasantly surprised! I tried as many dishes as I could and only found the red cabbage lacking. My favorite appetizer was the pretzel with beer cheese--outstanding! I went with the Wiener Schnitzel as my main entree, and I thought it was juicy, tasty, and delicious. I don't think I've ever had Spatzle before, and I loved it. Spatzle is a German noodle--quite different, with a bland taste but a nice consistency. Tried the Weizenbock beer, which was much lighter than other German beers I've had. Reminds me of Chicago's own Goose Island beer, but it's less citrusy and it has a fuller flavor. For the ambiance alone, this is a must do when you're in Milwaukee. The place is like a German museum with all kinds of cool artifacts, like an authentic German chess set, and a collection of German beer steins, and the food is really good! read more

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This ended up being a really cute date night. We sat at the bar top, which was A-OK with us since we didn't have a reservation and we were grateful just to be seated at all. The bartender and the servers (we were by the pick up) were super friendly and funny, and we really liked talking with them. The decor of the place is also super cool, with stained glass and tapestries and swords and armor. It felt like I was in a cooler place. We started with drinks- I don't remember what they were called, but I know it was delicious. I also made a comment about how many Old Fashioneds the bartender was making, and she taught me about the differences of Wisconsin Old Fashioneds, and I really appreciated it! I tried to order Liver & dumpling soup, but they were out. So we got oxtail instead. It was really flavorful, and because it was so dreary outside it really hit the spot. We also appreciated the pretzel bread that came with it. For entrees, my partner got the Herb Crusted Salmon, which comes with red pepper spaetzle & veggies. She absolutely loved it, and cleaned her plate. I got veal wiener schnitzel holstein style, with egg, capers, and anchovies on top. It came with spaetzle, lemon, and sauerkraut. It was cooked perfectly, and it was so, so good, especially with the added salt from the toppings. The internet hype was well deserved, and I'm glad we listened to the review and checked out Mader's. read more

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I can't rave about this experience. The pretzel was delish, and the vegetable spatzle appetizer was yummy. The meal I ordered was just okay. The highlight for me was sitting in this giant chair. As a woman with ample hip girth, it was lovely to sit in this chair for giants. I'm disappointed that I didn't splurge on the boot of beer. If I go back, it will be for that experience (and to sit in this chair again). Service couldn't have been better! read more

Mader's - THE GIANT CHAIR - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

4 stars is too much. 3 stars is not enough. 3.5 stars is just about right. So we all know Maders is a Milwaukee institution and as a first time visitor to this amazing city, I felt obligated to indulge in the Maders experience and I am glad I did. The decor is super authentic and you definitely travel back in time when you walk in here. It was a lil sleepy inside and all the waitstaff was dressed in time appropriate fashion. And they were super kind too. Time for the food. Great beer selection. My vegetarian spaetzle was full of flavor and really really delicious. Our pretzel was warm and crunchy and fluffy and that super pungent German mustard was perfect. Bavarian platter was really hit or miss. The potato dumpling was unfortunately underwhelming. The sauerkraut wasn't memorable. Of the three sausages offered, the middle one that's kind of orange was the most delicious. I wanted three of those instead of the others. Soooo if you want an authentic Milwaukee experience, you gotta come here. Just keep your expectations somewhat tempered. read more

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This is a a giant German restaurant with lots of rooms and very large tables. We had reservations but when they looked they couldn't find our reservation. The girl was so intent on finding it and it struck us as so funny. The restaurant is massive and there was no way we needed a reservation because Half of the restaurant was empty. We ordered a sausage platter which was just okay. The smoked ham shank was way too smokey and not very good. Weiner schnitzel was also ordered which probably was one of the favorite dishes. The next order was a double pork chop with spatzela and red cabbage. The pork was over cooked and did not taste very good. I got a roasted Brussels sprout appetizer. It was supposed to be crispy with bacon but altho it had bacon it was more on the soggy side. It wasn't bad it just wasn't what I expected. We had a good waitress and our food came out in a timely manner. read more

Great place for some German food. My parents had the oxtail and liver and dumpling soups. We tried the rueben rolls and split the veal schnitzel. Service was a little slow, but they weren't very busy. Large space, so there's plenty room to spread out. read more

Mader's - Old fashioned - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Insanely good!!! This was a truly delicious adventure. Thank you Mader's. What an experience. The beer's great too! As was the service. And zee German potato salad will change your life. Or at least your day read more

Mader's - The sampler platter, add sausage - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Considering the history of this restaurant, how hyped this place was (hosted many celebrity guests), and the huge German influence in the city of Milwaukee, we were eagerly looking forward to our dining experience, however, based on the food alone, this place was just...meh... Let's start with the positives. They offer valet parking, which is super convenient if you hate trying to find parking I'm downtown. The valet guy was fast and efficient. The ambiance was fantastic. Very old world German vibes with dark woods, stained glass, and ornate stein glasses displayed near the front of the restaurant. Service was alright, our server did an adequate job. Then, there was the food... The only thing we really enjoyed was the pretzel loaf, which was soft, fluffy, and tasty. The rest of the food we ordered was not so great. To share, we got the Bavarian Platter and the Jaeger style Schnitzel with mushroom gravy. Both dishes were BLAND, a little salt could have gone a long way. On the Bavarian Platter, the sausages had a good snap, but had a weird spongy texture and devoid of any flavor. The kassler rippchen was kind of dry and for a cured meat lacked any flavor. The only decent thing on the platter was the potato dumpling. As for the Schnitzel, even though it came with the mushroom gravy, was also bland, bland, bland. The gravy had some flavor, but it was very mild. The Schnitzel was not seasoned and not crispy at all. The side of spaetzle was mixed with butter, but again was lacking salt. Don't even bother fighting through downtown traffic to come here, it is not worth it. This place is waaaay over priced for mediocre, bland and flavorless food. read more

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Our server was great and overall service was great. Other than that .... The food was horrible. Tough meat, strange delivery of food with soups showing up before drinks. You have to pay for a basket of bead. The Rouladen and other meat dishes were stringy and tough. The manager was wonderful and offered to remove these dishes and provided a different option. Very kind, however by now the rest of the table was finished with their meals and it just felt clunky. We won't be back. read more

This place was amazing. The food was on point. Can't go wrong with the atmosphere of the restaurant!!! Love the history.

First visit. Beautiful decor, pictures of famous people that visited. Not many items on the menu. Ordered the Reuben rolls and oxtail soup. Rolls were good, they're more like egg rolls with the typical Reuben sandwich ingredients. The sauce was your typical sauce. Oxtail soup was small and barely any oxtail in it flavor was, uninspiring. They do not split the bill so keep this in mind if you go with a big group. Food was just ok, potato pancakes were not good. Something about the texture and flavor was unappealing. I'm sure many enjoy this type of cuisine but I really couldn't find anything I'd run back to. Clean restrooms. Desserts look good but didn't try any. read more

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