Roasted garlic poutine: if you like mushrooms, cheese, and cloves of garlic, this is the poutine you should get! It is meatless, but it is still very tasty. This is good to get with the Nashville hot chicken hot dog. It balances it out with spiciness of the hot dog. Nashville hot chicken: it is spicy and oily! But it's so good. Make sure you have a cup of water with you. It has good texture too. Thai breaker: eat this first before eating the Nashville hot chicken so your mouth is not on fire and can't really taste the full flavors of the Thai breaker. It's very unique and I love the crunchy bits! It's amazing how two hot dogs can taste so different! read more

The Vanguard - Menu - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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We stopped on our way home for a quick lunch here. It was a pleasant surprise. The service is quick and polite And check back often to see if you need a refill ECT. The menu is basically Brats with a few exceptions. But don't be turned off by the mostly brats description, there are lamb, turkey, Italian And mixtures of meat brats. They are prepared and served with dressing put together by the chef specialized for each flavor brat. A truly inspiring mix of herbs ,greens and dressings that make a simple brat meal a culinary experience. The restaurant it self is very basic in style and decor, with a long bar running down one side. The mixed drinks on draught are very good and worth a try as well. read more

The Vanguard never disappoints. The food is excellent, staff is welcoming and super friendly, and the music is loud and awesome. read more

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Was in Wisconsin for the very first time last week. Wanted to experience some of the local flavor. Hopped on Yelp and looked on Eater coming to the conclusion that The Vanguard was the place to go. It didn't disappoint. The food was great. Sat at the bar as place is a little on the small side and it was busy on a Monday night. Make sure you have plenty of time if you're eating in because there may be a wait. read more

The Vanguard - Jalapeno Cheddar Brat and Cheese Curds - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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This place blew our mind. Don't let the nondescript, hole in the wall bar vibe from the street fool you. Inside is some of the best, most imaginative food you've never heard of! Vegan and craving a delicious chili cheese dog? Got it. Vegan and wondering what poutine fries taste like? They got you covered! The two vegans in our party instantly fell in love with this place. The non-vegan food is top notch as well. They make all of their sausages (traditional and vegan) in-house, so this is a truly unique experience. I had the cheddarwurst Pittsburgh style and it was fantastic. It lacked the usual greasiness of store bought, and the vinegar based coleslaw I would have happily eaten separately as a meal. read more

The Vanguard - Cheddarwurst Pittsburgh style, Mac and cheese, vegan poutine fries - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Vanguard is a fun place to come have a drink, some food and relax on the patio or at the bar. Bartenders are always super friendly and prompt. Also, the prices are not bad at all for drinks and there are always specials. I love their version of a Manhattan! The cooks are super creative with different types of sausages. I honestly never crave sausage, but whenever I get one here, I LOVE it! I've also tried the burger and cheese curds which were delicious. Appetizers are always good and the menu is always changing. There are plenty of vegan options as well. Consistent. Fun. Good Atmosphere...Can't go wrong! Keep it up Vanguard! read more

Food is dry and gives off food truck energy but comes with Bay View prices. Service is terrible I had to go up to the bar to get a refill since we never saw our waitress. Will not be returning for the cost of the food and how busy it was you would think it was actually good food read more

We picked The Vanguard because it is located in the neighborhood of the person we were meeting and because they offer vegetarian & vegan sausages, along with a full bar and a goodly number of draft beers. But. . . when I got home from my trip a couple weeks later and sat down to write my Yelp review, I couldn't remember much about the food or drink. . . so I guess that that means I'll be writing another three star review, but that's A-OK. On the plus side, nothing horrendous or disastrous happened, and you will probably have a similar experience and be relatively satisfied with your food and drink. I ordered an Asian curry inspired sausage that was served poutine style over a heap of fries. The flavor was good, but somewhat monochromatic. The heat from the spices and chilies was substantial but not over the top. At first I wasn't sure about fries drenched in sauce, normally I like my fries nice and crispy so I can pick them up with my fingers and dip them in ketchup or another sauce, but if the sauce complements the meal properly (as it did here) I'm OK with using a fork to eat my fries. My vegan companion had a more traditional sausage made with seitan and served on a roll with a side of fries. He reports that it was quite tasty. We also ordered the "house pickle du jour" to share -- picked carrots the day we were there. The lightly brined round slices were huge (up to 2.5" in diameter). That made them unique, but I personally I'd rather they were "bite sized." In the end I'd sum up my review by saying, "For 'bar food' -- it was pretty good." I'd come again if I'm in the neighborhood. read more

The Vanguard - Nancy and The Crusher. - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

It's so yummy and so fun here. Come for the sausage stay for the music videos. This place is known for their sausage. There's a joke in there. They offer vegetarian ones too. I come for the starters and sides. If you like tofu this may just be the best in town. Burnt ginger tofu will turn you on and on. It's so flavorful, and the texture is perfect. If you're not a ginger fan, you can get them made Buffalo style. The mashed potato balls are creamy with cheese and pop in your mouth delicious. If you're vegetarian, remember to ask for no bacon or the veggie bacon version. They have Mac n Cheese. They have cheese curds. They have a scrumptious miso charred Brussel sprouts dish that will tickle your fancy. Honestly, it's just a fantastic place, and you need to get in here. read more

The Vanguard - Those perfect Brussel sprouts and the divine burnt ginger tofu. - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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I don't know how we ended up at the Vanguard, but we did. It's a homemade sausage joint, unpretentious to the max. I'm the most pretentious poser on the planet and stood out like Paris Hilton on an Australian Aboriginal reserve. Lewie was our lovely bartender but knew we were out of our element. The Vanguard is a great bar if you're in a flannel, beanie, sausage, sweat sock mood. We were on a Saturday night date, dressed to the nines. The Vanguard ain't that kind of place. read more

You really can't go wrong with a visit to The Vanguard. Delicious food, good service, casual atmosphere - we've never had a bad experience here. The menu has something for everyone, and they are constantly updating their social media pages with new specials. They also offer vegetarian and vegan options which is nice. Vanguard has a great tap list and good cocktail options as well. All-in-all, everything is reasonably priced though. The communal seating and counter service ordering makes Vanguard a casual and relaxed setting. The place is a little small when it's too cold for the patio, but this probably adds to the charm. Even if you do end up with a bit of a wait to be seated, it's easy to grab a drink and stand near the bar. I only have good things to say about Vanguard. read more

The Vanguard - New Year's Day ramen tradition (meat ramen - pork belly, duck meatballs) - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Hot dogs, poutine, fried potato balls, and curds. What's not to love? Visited this spot after a fun brewery tour at @lakefrontbrewery . It's a smaller spot but they have a large bar & wide variety of toppings and flavors. More on Instagram @midwestmunching Among all of us, we shared 3 hotdogs, a fried potato ball, loaded fries, and cheese curds As pictured : FRIED POTATO BALL with sour cream, cheese whiz , bacon and chive CHICAGO DOG with tomato, pickle, celery salt, relish, peppers, onion, mustard SALAZAR (HUNGARIAN SAUSAGE) with cheddar shmear,. Pineapple, basil, cheddar and bbq sauce ROASTED GARLIC POUTINE with bourbon mornay, fried basil, mushroom & garlic ragout CHEESE CURDS with bacon stein aioli BRATWURST with sauerkraut, peppers, onion Everything was really tasty. We also got a nice old fashioned that made the night. If you're here with friends, highly recommend getting one of their special hotdogs, the fried potato ball (waiters favorite), garlic poutine It's SO GOOD read more

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Right when you walk in, the atmosphere really makes you want to stay with the kitchen right at the front of the restaurant where you can see the food being made from the window. The sartorelli italian sausage was great with plenty of flavor from the onions and green peppers to the Marinera sauce and mozzarella cheese. The sausage had the most flavor but was slightly over cooked and also after the first bite the whole sausage meal was falling apart and somewhat messy. That's the reason why i would give it 4 vs 5 stars. The food came out pretty fast even though we never received water. Lastly the Brussels sprouts were pretty good. Maybe a bit too heavy with all the sauces it was doused in but the pomegranate was a good garnish on top. Overall, I highly recommend the SARTORELLI SAUSAGE. You won't be disappointed read more

This is one of our favorite places in the Bay View neighborhood. Yesterday, we were nearby and had a few friends with us from out of town. Hunger struck us hard and my husband suggested we make our way to Vanguard. We each ordered something different and ended up cutting our food up because wanted to share in the deliciousness with each other. A few in our group went back up and ordered a second round because they just couldn't get enough. Side note: the bar tenders are always super awesome and I greatly appreciate the self-serve water dispensers. read more

The Vanguard - The Philly, Currywurst, Thai Breaker, Chicago Dogs - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Vanguard is still the beast it's always been since day one! Milwaukee is lucky to have an establishment that gets what it takes to be on top. The Vanguard hasn't faltered or wavered from brining the awesomeness they've been bringing to this city from the jump. For that alone, they deserve five stars and then some. Recently they set if off even more by dumping 13 menu items for a completely new batch of deliciousness! Four years strong and this new menu is something special. The Wee-Bey is the truth and everything else is equally spectacular. I think what makes this joint truly something fabulous is two things, great wait staff/service and then the food. They have meat they custom butcher to craft the dishes they dole out, but as equally outstanding, they do vegetarian and vegan and not just a bit but full tilt! The magic they create is as spectacular as they come so there is literally something for everybody here! We've been coming around 11 am for the last few visits and enjoy a seriously killer spicy Bloody Mary and some banging brunch options on Sundays! Keep up the good work guys! You are superb in my book! read more

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Thanks to Yelp another great find. Blew into town ( literally with the winds), looking for a nice tasty place. Perfect pick. Small & local & casual. The food was made from about two feet away in the open kitchen. Drinks were good! The brats were delicious and many different options as you would expect. The bun was fresh and light- local bakery according to what I saw. Highly recommend the Vanguard to locals and travelers alike. read more

The Vanguard - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I had some business to attended to in the Milwaukee area and a friend suggested I stop into The Vanguard. I'm glad I did! This was a super cool corner bar type of place with plenty of whiskey, house made sausages and an 80's wrestling theme (they have classic WWF matches playing on the bar t.v.'s). There is also a decent tap selection. The employees were super cool and were very into their whiskey and wrestling. I had a bratwurst with mustard, kraut and onions, a couple of beers and a Wisconsin style Old Fashioned (they make them with brandy out there). Food was good as were the drinks. If I lived in that area I could see myself being a regular there. read more

Being a vegan, it is hard to find vegan hot dogs, let alone vegan Braut! I really enjoyed my experience at The Vanguard. I enjoyed the food so much that I decided to eat there twice in one week. The atmosphere was very relaxed and chill, and the ambiance was darker and cool toned. I tried the Seoul, Chicago, and Tijuana topping styles. Seoul and Tijuana were my favorite topping styles. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. 10/10 recommended! read more

I've had a great experience with The Vanguard in the short time I've been in Milwaukee! It probably doesn't hurt that they're literally down the street from me too. They have great vegetarian and vegan options for my roommate and super interesting flavor combinations! I appreciate that they're taking COVID seriously and only offering takeout - and they're doing it well. The online ordering platform is easy to use and accurate in terms of timing. A few menu favorites of mine are the fried brussels sprouts and the Thai breaker. My one menu disappointment was the roasted garlic poutine - I wanted more garlic to come through! Hoping I'll get to experience post-pandemic Vanguard soon because I've heard excellent things - I can easily see it being a favorite place to hang out with friends! read more

4/9/22 - 2 PM Busy, fun bar with tables to eat. Great atmosphere, very hipster area. Drinks are always up to par, and the menu is filled with hotdogs/burgers. Pay upfront for your food, separate tab for drinks type of place. Pros: vegetarian/vegan options Drink menu Drinks are made to perfection Cons: seasoned fries are too rich. Had the table next to us try them and they were not impressed either read more

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Best sausages ever. Good service as well. A must have whenever I'm anywhere near Milwaukee.

Came here with my family for a chill Saturday night. We were looking for a place that we could have a good conversation and family time with light eats and drinks. This place was absolutely perfect. Great vibes, not too loud. My family and I sat outside. The way that the place works is that you walk up and order at the bar and they come and bring the food and drinks out to the table. A good place where not only me and my friends could have a conversation, but also my grandma could sit and enjoy comfortably as well. I really enjoyed the drinks, and the various hot dogs. Will definitely come back. read more

The Vanguard - Duck BLT - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Great food! Great beer! Great music! Great time! This is our first night in Milwaukee, overall 10/10!

Flavorless, was my experience. So sad to leave a two star review. I was on my way to a different restaurant, but walking past Vanguard changed my mind. I ordered the Shnitzlewurst because it sounded great. Unfortunately, I found the only flavor came from the toppings, the sausage had very little flavor. I even pushed back the toppings to get a real taste and nothing, so disappointing. For a side I ordered the crispy fried cauliflower, another disappointment. I would describe it as 1-2 crispy pieces and the rest seemed steamed sitting in the glaze. My partner got a Chicago style Italian sausage which was great, but could only talk him into giving me one bite. read more

The Vanguard - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Me and my boyfriend loved the sausages and the soft pretzel but the cheese sauce was lacking in flavor and we didn't enjoy the loaded fries much. The staff were very kind and the prices here are really good. They had a cool movie playing and music as well. They have a good, broad range of drinks but we didn't see much tequila. I enjoyed my cheddarwurst thoroughly; it is very filling. I recommend this place because most of what we had was good and I know they have other sides I would like to try. Plus the staff was very nice to us. read more

The Vanguard - Pretzel and cheese whiz; plain hot dog - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Very much a hole in the wall establishment if I have ever seen one, but accompanied with a great local vibe and a no-nonsense flair for sausage. I ordered the Thai breaker and green beans and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not a huge fan of brats/sausages but would come back to try additional flavors. read more

This experience with Vanguard left a scar and don't agree that the food that was served to me was Vegan. When I eat Dairy, I get an upset stomach, feeling lightheaded, and had an on-going experience with diarrhea all night until the next day. My new roommate here in Milwaukee loves the burger I got him. The Chili Crisp Fried Cauliflower wasn't even spicy at all, it was full of oil and no taste at all. "No Favor" no salt? My dishes didn't look like some of the photos here. there was some small portion served. Vegan Loaded Fries had real cheese on it and not sure what sauce they used but wasn't good at all. That's not a vegan dish to add any dairy to. I'd explained this in my Podcast and on IGTV under the name ThePandaPhotographer and the video title is "food poison for sure" I've only been here for less than a week and I am not very happy with the food selections here. No, I will not visit there again. I just recover after two days of being sick read more

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I really missed having Poutine so I ordered it. Unfortunately the Potatoes were old, not fresh ( probably frozen commercial bulk ) and appeared to be cooked in old oil and undercooked at that. The gravy was off the chart salty and also seemed to be old ( signs that it has been sitting in a steam table way to long ) but fortunately, it was very hot, because half of the cheese curds were very cold like they just came out of the refrigerator. Normally I am a clean your plate kind of guy . Not this time . I quit after eating a third of the meal. If they would fresh cut the potatoes ,*change the fryer oil ,turn up fryer temp,reduce salt in gravy,*clean out steam table regularly and warm up curds I would consider trying them again. * good hygiene read more

In my thirty one years as a vegetarian, I've had very few meals I honestly loved more than what I just ate. Amazing everything, and exceptional service. Wish they had a sixth star. The tofu is legend. read more

Everything they do is amazing. This review is based off several visits. From their sausage to poutine to their side items, I struggle with what to order. There are times when I make a meal of sides, and others just the poutine, or just the sausage or both. Their mashed potato balls are delicious. Literally balls of mash potatoes, lightly fried and covered in cheese. The buffalo poutine has a nice quick. Seattle best is also a good choice. Even their vegan options are delicious and this is coming from a meat eater. I like sitting at the bar when I come here. Just something about being at the bar. The bartenders are friendly and do a good job of engaging with their customers. They do have a nice outdoor patio. One meal I have yet to eat there is brunch but it's on my list. read more

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We tried Vanguard out for the first time a few Saturdays ago. The food was absolutely outstanding. My husband isn't usually a brat fan but said he wanted to go again! Poutine is hard to find in Milwaukee, especially poutine with gravy that is done this well! read more

The Vanguard - Bunkhouse and Diablo Verde - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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I mean I had to stop here... there is a sausage with my name on it - literally - The Salazar. Not o my that it's Hungarian just like me... weird. Anyways the food was great here. The patio out back super cute, but the service - eh. Don't come for the service you'll be disappointed. It's self serve for the most part. You order your drinks at the bar and order you food at the grill counter. No you can't have one check. I really was only annoyed with that because I asked to sit outside, which I did, and the host never explained that was the concept so I sat outside for about 10 minutes with no server in sight until I went inside and realized how things work. In all honesty they should just have a sign that tells you that since no one person is likely going to verbalize it to anyone who hasn't been there before. read more

The Vanguard - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

AMAZING brats! They have some off-the-wall menu options, but they nailed it! Great, atmosphere and friendly staff. Outdoor patio is great on a nice day. Very highly recommend! read more

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Best food in the city, they like real sports and are good looking dudes. What's not to like! read more

The Vanguard - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Best vegan dog or vegan chill cheese fries that you'll ever find. I've never had anything like this. read more

The Vanguard - Seasoned Fries Yt Watson Vegan Chili Cheese Fries - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We aren't from the area arrived way later than had planned/anticipated. So our dinner reservations had to be canceled. Wasn't sure where to go for late night eats (10:00) Found this place on Yelp. Soooooo thankful for reviews/photos because they weren't lying. The menu was was different kind of gastropub selection. The poutine fries with mushrooms was delicious... potato balls outstanding & THEE only burger selection?! Delicious!!!! The bartender was super informative & helpful. Definitely recommend & will be back if in the area!!!! read more

Had a wonderful experience here! The portions aren't a lot but the atmosphere and the flavor was top notch!

This is a very cute bar and friendly bar on KK in Bay View. It is a smaller spot but it does have a patio in the back that is very nice. I do enjoy that this is a very casual spot. All I got were a couple of drinks and a week night and it did the job. I unfortunately had food before stopping by here so I was unable to try it but I've heard wonderful things. I'll definitely have to go back and check it out sometime. read more

We stopped in last week and buy were we glad that we did! The service was great at the bar and we finally had the Nashville Hot Chicken and it didn't disappoint. We are already looking forward to our next visit! read more

Came in for a beer on a Sunday at 1, ordered some fries, half of them were under done and the other half were soggy and completely over seasoned. Good atmosphere though, fries were just dissatisfying. read more