From Buck Bradley's to Vitucci's to Zur Krone, these are some Milwaukee bars we miss
The only thing worse than hearing "last call" is when your favorite bar has its own last call.
These are some of the bars and taverns that have closed in the city of Milwaukee in the past 25 years that we still miss — some of them fancy, others a little more dive-ish, but all a memorable part of Milwaukee's traditions and culture.
Reminder: This list only covers bars, not restaurants, that were in the city of Milwaukee — not the suburbs — that closed in 1998 or later. (Sorry, Avalanche bar, the Marquette University neighborhood classic that closed in 1997; Century Hall, the beloved east side bar and music venue that burned down in 1988.; and Toran's Tropical Hut, the bar at Locust and Fifth streets that was a community gathering spot for Milwaukee's north side for more than three decades before it closed in 1988.)
We know many, many other bars could be in this mix, but here's a starting point.
Let us know which ones we're missing in the Comments section.
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Buck Bradley’s Saloon & Eatery
What it was: Downtown nightlife institution known for what it said was the longest bar east of the Mississippi River (76 feet, 8 inches), and for its proximity to the sports arenas on North Phillips Avenue.
When it opened: Bernie Paget Sr. and his sons, Bernie Jr., Walter and Danny Paget, opened Buck Bradley’s in February 1995 after renovating the historic building at 1019 N. King Drive for three years and spending about $2 million. (Bernie Paget Jr. died a year after the bar opened; Danny died in September 2020 and Bernie Paget Sr. died two months after that.)
When it closed: Wally Paget announced in June 2023 that Buck Bradley’s would close July 1, 2023, saying that with his own ongoing health concerns, it was time to sell. The new owners, Peter Marshall and Jerald Bussen of Pete’s Pub on Brady Street, said they plan to open a bar named Copper in the space.
Derry Hegarty’s Irish Pub
What it was: An Old World Irish pub, one of the first to serve a variety of beers from Ireland, that was a mandatory stop for local and visiting national politicians.
When it opened: Jeremiah “Derry” Hegarty, who was born in Ireland and moved to Milwaukee in 1965, opened his namesake bar in 1972 at 5328 W. Blue Mound Road. He later expanded the building by adding a banquet hall.
When it closed: The building went on the market when Derry Hegarty died in 2011. A year later, a restaurateur bought the building and reopened it as Burke’s Irish Castle. (Burke’s closed in 2015.)
Five and Ten Tavern
What it was: A longtime family tavern on the lower east side, in what is now the bustling Commerce Street neighborhood, known for its fish fries and hamburgers served on paper plates.
When it opened: Edward Ludyen opened the Five and Ten at 1850 N. Water St., at the time in the heart of Milwaukee’s tannery district, in 1933. The Five and Ten entered the local spotlight in the late 1980s when Bill Vogl, a 32-year Milwaukee Police Department veteran turned politician, used the bar (Ludyen was his late father-in-law) as an informal campaign hub when he ran for alderman.
When it closed: The Five and Ten’s final owner, James Douglas, closed the bar in 2001 and sold the building in 2002. Five years later, the building was sold to an investor group that planned to open an Irish bar called Brocach in the renovated space. (Brocach closed in the fall of 2014; a new group, which also owned Three Lions Pub in Shorewood, took over the space and turned it into a soccer-themed, British-style pub called Red Lion Pub, which opened at the end of 2014.)
Fritz’s Pub
What it was: South side family tavern with Serbian menu items and a popular Friday fish fry.
When it opened: Dragoslav Djuric, an immigrant whose family came from Serbia, opened Fritz’s Pub at 3086 S. 20th St. in 1978. Djuric died in 1994, but the family continued running the bar.
When it closed: In 2019. In 2020, Milwaukee restaurateur Valdemar Escobar renovated the space for a high-end Mexican steakhouse called Asadero Fiesta Garibaldi.
G-Daddy's BBC
What it was: Bar with live music and sports on television at the center of the east side nightlife neighborhood at Farwell and North avenues, known as much for its location as its neon sign.
When it opened: In 1990, the spot at 2022 E. North Ave. opened as a live-music bar called Bradford Beach Club, in a three-story building formerly occupied by Monreal’s East, also known as Kiko’s and Kiko’s East. In 1996, as part of a change in ownership, former manager turned owner Gary R. Johnson changed the name to G-Daddy's BBC (G-Daddy was Johnson’s nickname in college, according to a story in the UWM Post).
When it closed: In 2017. In 2018, an investor group led by developer Joshua Jeffers bought the building and an adjacent connected property, with plans for redevelopment. Hacienda Taproom & Kitchen moved into the building’s first-floor space in 2019.
George’s Pub
What it was: Classic neighborhood bar in Milwaukee’s Harbor District (long before it was called the Harbor District). The bar’s spirit was embodied by its longtime owner, George Vomberg, who ran the bar with a gregarious sense of humor (painted on the front window: “Free beer tomorrow!”) In its later years, the bar was a regular stop for the Pedal Tavern.
When it opened: The bar had been operating at 224 E. Washington St. for more than four decades under a slew of different names — among them Monterrey Tap, Trestle Tap, and Betty’s & Burt’s Tap — before Vomberg bought it in 1984 and named it after himself.
When it closed: George’s Pub closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vomberg died in December 2021 at age 88.
Hegarty’s Pub
What it was: No-frills Irish bar on the eastern end of the Marquette University campus; for decades, it was a regular hangout for students and lawyers from the law school and County Courthouse.
When it opened: The storefront at 1120 W. Wells St. had been a tavern since the end of Prohibition. It was called Flanigan’s when Jim Hegarty bought it in 1972 and changed its name. (Hegarty came to Milwaukee from Ireland in 1926; starting in 1939, he opened nine taverns in the Milwaukee area overall.)
When it closed: Jim Hegarty died of a heart attack in the bar in 1981. The bar continued operating as Hegarty's until 2010, when the investor group that owned the building pursued legal action to collect overdue rent for the bar.
Hotel Foster
What it was: A French-styled American bar on the east side, modeled after European hotel bars with a look the owners called “shabby chic regal,” with comfy chairs, rotating artwork and cocktails on tap (one of the first Milwaukee bars to do so).
When it opened: Opened by Mike "Bear" Kempka, Doug Williams and John Revord in April 2011 at 2028 E. North Ave. in space previously occupied by the bar/live-music venue Live on North, the Lava Lounge and, from 1993 to 2003, the music venue Globe East.
When it closed: Closed in the summer of 2016. (Snack Boys Snack Bar occupied the Hotel Foster space 2019-’21.)
Klinger’s East
What it was: A Riverwest neighborhood bar, known for sponsoring scores of recreational sports teams, having a raft of pool tables and making a pretty good fish fry.
When it opened: Glen Klinger, whose parents operated Klinger’s West bar and grill at 3702 N. Richards St., opened a second joint, Klinger’s East, at 920 E. Locust St. in 1976. In the late 1980s, Klinger expanded the bar’s menu with more sandwiches, fish dishes and ribs, even getting attention from Gourmet magazine in 2004 for its fish fry. But the bar never shed its original character: The pool tables remained throughout its run.
When it closed: Klinger retired in 2022, and he and his wife Susan sold the bar building.
Lee's Luxury Lounge
What it was: A low-key Bay View neighborhood bar, known for its old-school games like shuffleboard and Skee-Ball, along with regular bingo nights.
When it opened: Julia LaLoggia and Deanne Wecker opened Lee's Luxury Lounge, 2988 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., after taking over the space formerly occupied by Evan's, a retro lounge, in May 2004. (Before Evan's, which opened in 2003, the space had had several lives, including as Maynard's Sports Connection and, for years before that, DeMarinis Restaurant.)
When it closed: The bar's latest owners, brothers Jason and Joshua Anderson, closed the bar in May 2023. The bar announced the closure by selling commemorative T-shirts reading, "Lee's Luxury Lounge 2004-2023." In August 2023, the owners of The Vanguard announced plans to open a new bar and listening lounge in the former Luxury Lounge space.
The Main Event
What it was: A popular north side tavern and lounge that had a reputation as a neighborhood hub, meeting place and, especially in its early years, a destination for the best in national and local jazz music.
When it opened: Jimmy Mack, who relocated from San Francisco to Milwaukee in the 1950s, had opened Main Event taverns at 1304 N. 12th St. in 1961 and 1332 W. Fond du Lac Ave. in 1965. In 1976, looking for a bigger space, he bought the commanding two-story building at what is now 3418 N. King Drive, south of Keefe Avenue.
When it closed: Mack closed the Main Event with a week of farewell events in June 2001; Mack, 74 at the time, said he was going to “take a little reclusive R&R.” The building was sold to Shiloh Tabernacle Church, located across the street. The building was later demolished.
Nash’s Irish Castle
What it was: A classic Irish bar that became a cultural hub for Milwaukee's Irish community and the home base for scores of local, regional and even international Irish music groups.
When it opened: Josie and Kit Nash opened the bar in 1975 at 1328 W. Lincoln Ave.
When it closed: A year after Kit Nash died in 2000, the family sold the bar. (Josie Nash died in 2002.)
National Liquor Bar
What it was: Quintessential Milwaukee working-class bar — the kind of place where patrons could cash their payroll checks at the cashier’s counter — known as much for its colorful clientele and cheap beer as it was for its giant neon sign.
When it opened: In 1939 at 2601 W. National Ave. It expanded into warehouse-size space in the 1940s.
When it closed: In 2005, after the location was sold to be torn down and replaced with a Walgreens store. Owner Mike Cmeyla, who had bought the bar in 1982, auctioned off the bar’s insides a week later, with the neon sign in the shape of a bottle and a shot glass going for $10,250.
Oak & Shield Gaming Pub
What it was: A gaming-themed pub in the East Town neighborhood downtown, with room for playing board games and video games on multiple systems.
When it opened: Lynn Richter, owner of gaming nightclub 42 Lounge, and Board Game Barrister owner Gordon Lugauer opened Oak & Shield at 600 E. Ogden Ave. on May 4 (Star Wars Day), 2018.
When it closed: In September 2020, after being unable to find ways to rebuild business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
R.C.’s
What it was: Massive (5,300-square-feet) east side night spot with a longstanding reputation as a singles bar that attracted a young clientele.
When it opened: In 1974 by Robert (R.C.) and Rick Schmidt at 1530 E. North Ave.
When it closed: In 2018; not long after, the property was sold with plans for the building to be demolished and the site cleared for redevelopment.
Satin Doll
What it was: Popular north side nightspot and jazz venue named for its owner, Minnette Wilson, a larger-than-life personality better known by her nickname, Satin Doll. As a dancer, she performed on tour with Duke Ellington and his orchestra; Wilson claimed that Ellington named his song “Satin Doll” after her. ("Call me Doll," she told Journal Sentinel columnist Bill Janz in 1996. "Nobody knows who Minnette Wilson is.") The notoriety of Wilson and her bar — a sign on the door read, "You must be 38 years old or older to enter" — made Satin Doll a destination for the curious. Among them: Talking Heads leader David Byrne, who wrote a tribute to the bar in his blog after a visit in 2008.
When it opened: Wilson opened the Satin Doll at 2337 W. Fond du Lac Ave. in 1977. The bar included a downstairs party room dedicated to Ellington, complete with a jukebox filled with the jazz legend’s music.
When it closed: Satin Doll closed by the time of Wilson's death in 2017. She was 79.
Vitucci’s
What it was: Classic east side college bar, known for inexpensive beer and a no-frills atmosphere.
When it opened: The Vitucci family opened their namesake bar at 1832 E. North Ave. in 1934.
When it closed: The Vitucci family closed the bar in 2019, occasionally reopening for pop-up events until the building was sold in 2022. The new owners planned to open a bar and limited-menu restaurant in the space called Vier North.
Wonder Bar
What it was: Washington Heights neighborhood bar known for its sense of humor, often expressed on the message board on the sign at the corner of Hawley Road and Vliet Street.
When it opened: Jerry Wall, owner of The Four Walls at 5520 W. Vliet St., sold the bar to Chris Christenson and Doug Sprague in 1992. The bar was later sold to George and Lucy Voell.
When it closed: After 22 years, the Voells closed the Wonder Bar in July 2023. They sold the bar to service industry veteran Eric Gutbrod, who had plans to open a cocktail and beer bar called Biersal.
Zur Krone
What it was: German-flavored beer bar, with a menu featuring scores of beers — many of them international brews — at a time when most Milwaukee bars just had a handful of beers on tap.
When it opened: In 1976 at 839 S. Second St. by owner Dave Winkler, who got the idea for the bar while serving in the U.S. Army in Bavaria, Germany. Bill Neumann, who worked at Zur Krone when it opened, bought the bar in 1979 and operated it for 15 years.
When it closed: Doug Hays, who had bought Zur Krone in 1995, moved the business to Thiensville in 2001; the bar lasted there for about a year before it closed for good. (In 2002, the Second Street building became the fine-dining restaurant Crazy Water; the space was refashioned as La Dama Mexican Kitchen and Bar in 2020.)
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Closed Milwaukee bars we miss, from National Liquor Bar to Vitucci's
