This German restaurant is not only a destination and a must during a Milwaukee visit, but also an establishment that has so many historical stories. The food, service, and ambience of this restaurant is just amazing! There is a valet service and street parking available. I highly recommend making reservations. The evenings definitely get very busy. I have only dined there twice in six years, but both experiences were so wonderful. Friendly service, incredible ambience, and flavorful food! On their about us page they share "Mader's was founded in 1902, before the Wright brothers first flight and before Henry Ford's Model T. A porterhouse steak or roast duckling dinner were priced at 20 cents. Lunch was four cents. A stein of beer was three cents. If you drank two steins of beer, your lunch was free." This is not just a destination but an institution. This is also a very special place to my other half's family. Many celebrations and dinners were hosted here over the 120 years. It is also a very special place because many of the artifacts and carvings or sculptures we're done by their families ancestors. "120 years later.. to this day, Mader's Restaurant is still entirely family owned and operated. Indeed this is a blessing to the city of Milwaukee in the preservation of heritage establishments." I love this restaurant and love the history and preservation of history. Thank you for an amazing meal and experience. We loved the REUBEN ROLLS Corned Beef, Sauerkraut and Swiss cheese inside a wonton wrap, with crispy spinach and Dusseldorf mustard sauce CARAMELIZED BRUSSEL SPROUTS With Mader's Bacon, Baby Swiss, Haystack onions and Red Wine Gastrique BAKED ONION Sliced Onions in a Burgundy broth, topped with Swiss cheese BABY SPINACH Baby spinach with red onion, sliced egg, sesame croutons topped with our Famous Mader's Hot Bacon Dressing Mader's Specialties EXCLUSIVELY OURS - PORK SHANK Mader's Most Famous Dish Number one favorite for over one hundred twenty years. Skinless shank with apple demi glaze, red potatoes, and choice of Vince Lombardi's favorite. GERMAN SAMPLER Our Most Popular Dish Wiener schnitzel, Kassler Rippchen, and Rheinischer sauerbraten with potato dumpling, sauerkraut and red cabbage. Inspired by John F. Kennedy. TOUR OF GERMANY Serves Two Sauerbraten, Kassler Rippchen, pork shank and wiener schnitzel with German potato salad, spaetzle and red cabbage HUNGARIAN STYLE BEEF GOULASH Braised beef sirloin resting in a rich Hungarian paprika sauce, onions, caraway seed, spaetzle and sautéed spinach WIENER SCHNITZEL- order the Veal version Lightly breaded pork cutlet pan sautéed and served with sauerkraut, spaetzle and lemon RHINE SAMPLER Wiener schnitzel, beef goulash with spaetzle, red cabbage and sauerkraut. Plus you have to order the APPLE STRUDEL ALA MODE - it's so good!!! Plus if you can then order a boot too! read more

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If you've lived in Milwaukee or even have visited more than once, you've likely heard of Mader's. It's an iconic German restaurant that's been around a hundred plus years. I've only been there a few times in my life, surprisingly. But we had the opportunity to go for lunch before seeing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra this past holiday season. I'm glad I made a reservation. There were 7 of us and it was an event day. Had we not made one, we would have had to go elsewhere because it was pretty full! Our server was super nice. Maybe not the most attentive service but friendliness goes a long way. We got seated a whole 2 hours before the show. We ordered a round of drinks, some appetizers and some lunches and wound up being a few minutes late to the show. It all worked out but I didn't think a tried and true place like this would be surprised by an event-driven influx of traffic. The food was great though. We had the Reuben rolls and beer dip for starters and both were excellent. All of us were quite pleased by the meals we got. I went weiner schnitzel and loved it! And most of their lunch options are reasonably priced and portioned. All in all, was a great return to a Milwaukee institution. read more

Less than stellar service this Saturday night. Slow service, took forever to get a glass of wine and totally forgot our potato pancake app. Wiener Schitzel was dry, but my husband's pork shank was good. Won't be returning anytime soon. Adding to the review that I did not appreciate getting bitched out upon leaving about this review. Very unprofessional. read more

We arrived at about 4:30 pm. Valet was prompt and courteous. We were seated immediately at a table of our choice. Service was prompt and introduced us to the buffet. Soups were lukewarm at best. Cold Table shrimp and salmon had one sauce and no condiments. No crackers were available with the cheese. Rolls were not fresh. The caving station ham was processed, and the beef tenderloin was only medium-well or well done. The best hot buffet item was the Beef Bourguignon. The Schnitzel was dried out in a chafing dish. Some desserts were no longer available. Presentation overall was sloppy and not consistent with a fine dining restaurant experience. Ambience was dark. Mader's was historically so much better than this. I would not recommend a buffet in the future. I suspect a sit down meal with a limited Mother's Day menu might result in a better outcome. Please serve the food hot, but not overdone! read more

Terrible experience and awful service. The entire atmosphere was dead, staff was rude and disrespectful to my kids. Not an authentic german place. Food was average at best. Wouldn't recommend Maders to anyone. read more

My son and I ate here last night and and the place is extremely cool. Lots of old world decor and great German beer. Unfortunately, that was the best part. Got the Tour of Germany and it was HUGE, like 3-4 people huge, which is fine, except most of the food was very dry. You needed to smoother it in gravy or juice to avoid choking. The pork shanks was the best part and I would only order that in the future. Bill was 140...which was was..a lot. Go there once, but save your money after that and check out the nearby restaurants. 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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The service was good, however the food was not what we expected. The Food was extremely dry and when we Made the reservation we told them it was our anniversary however nothing was done. Would not recommend Mader's for a special occasion. read more

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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An incredible dining experience. My brother, sister and myself were from out of town and went there and were blown away. The German beer on draft was amazing, and the food was great. As I said to our waiter " the food and the service couldn't have been better". It was so good we went back the next night for dinner! read more

We stopped here for lunch. We sat at a table in the bar. We looked at the menu on line and saw they had some sandwiches available in the bar. We did not realize you have ti actually sit at the bar to order from that menu. No problem. I ordered the Bavarian Platter , 3 different sausages, ham, potato dumpling, red cabbage and sauerkraut. It was delicious and I took to brats home. My wife had the Beef and Mushroom Strudel. It's great. I've had it before. She took some home. Service was fantastic as usual. read more

Mader's - Small beer - German Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Food was delicious, we got the grouper. Service was good. Food was pretty expensive, and the restaurant was very busy but very beautiful. Would come back maybe for a special occasion. 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

Over priced, underwhelming. Meat was tough, dry and overcooked. Lacked seasoning. Spatzel was mushy. I make jagerschitzel at home and was excited to try theirs. At $40 a plate I would save my money and go somewhere else or make your meal at home. I gave it 2 stars only for the ambience and pleasant staff. Otherwise I would have given it one. read more

Great place we go there often for the great food ambiance, fantastic food. Always a good time

Go for the ambiance and decent service. Sauerkraut and red cabbage are tasty. Forget the veal schnitzel! Dry and overcooked. Had the same dish in Berlin a couple of years ago. It was excellent! Mader's version doesn't even come close to comparing. read more

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

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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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

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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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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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

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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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

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

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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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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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

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

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

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