Revisiting Cafe at the Plaza, a Milwaukee morning ritual for more than 70 years
In her Back for Seconds series, dining critic Rachel Bernhard visits Milwaukee-area institutions — including stalwart restaurants she may be visiting for the first time. Where should she dine next? Email her at rseis@gannett.com to make a suggestion.
It had been years since I last dined at Cafe at the Plaza. My last time there, I shook the snow from my parka and boots as I scuffled into the Plaza Hotel’s lobby, looking for a cozy breakfast to soothe me on a frigid day. This was the place to find it. Few things will warm your soul more than a morning spent on a swivel-y stool along the cafe's horseshoe-shaped, jade-green lunch counter.
It’s my ideal diner scenario: All retro charm, bustling energy and a constant haze of steam and sizzle rising up from the cooktops. Patrons sit shoulder-to-shoulder, emptying ceramic mugs of coffee in front of them. There’s a constant soundtrack of clanging spatulas, burbling fryer baskets and spattering oil. There’s comfort in the ruckus.
My latest visit was something else entirely: A serene, summer Friday brunch spent under an umbrella in the Plaza’s Parisian-style courtyard. Instead of the cacophony of diner sounds, gentle jazz standards crooned from the outdoor speakers. Brick, ivy-covered walls surrounded me, and tables of easygoing couples and small families sat in the secret-garden atmosphere sharing quiet conversation, sipping lattes and mimosas. It’s my ideal patio scenario.
Cafe at the Plaza has been a decades-long part of Milwaukee’s morning ritual for a reason. No matter the season, your mood or your appetite, it's an easy place to craft your ideal dining scenario.
Three dining spaces in one
The hotel was built in 1925, with the cafe space initially used as a ladies tea room. Much of the space’s detail is original, including the calico floor tiles, etched glass doors and Grecian motifs that trim the ceilings. In 1950, the tea room was converted into a cafe, and the lunch counter and kitchen were installed. Since then, little has changed. Of course, the kitchen equipment has been updated, but much of the original charm remains.
The stately dining room, just beyond the diner area, is a refined, Art Deco-style space with cloth-draped tables and arched alcoves outfitted with cushy booths and four-tops. It's a lovely place to gather with a larger group or for special brunch occasions, and the service is sweet and attentive.
Then there’s that dreamy courtyard tucked away in the back. It’s a stunner in the summertime, all vibrant green from the climbing ivy and manicured shrubs that line its edges. Globe lights lend just the faintest glow, adding ambiance from above. Want to impress a guest at brunch? This is the space. It’s a showstopper but not showy, and even if you’ve lived in Milwaukee all your life, it gives off major I’m-on-vacation vibes the moment you take your seat.
I love that there are such different dining experiences in one restaurant: greasy-spoon nostalgia, calm courtyard elegance and classic dining-room sophistication.
Classic diner breakfasts done right
The menu is the same no matter where you sit. It’s a mix of classic egg dishes, breakfast burritos and sandwiches, griddled-up goodies, homestyle Southern standards, good ol’ diner sandwiches and light-yet-hefty salads. Homemade pastries change daily and are kept in a case by the lunch counter. The menu is simple, but varied, with signature favorites highlighted at the top.
But there are some standouts.
The corned beef hash is deeply satisfying with slow-roasted corned beef bursting with umami and mingling with crisp-tender onions and peppers. I ordered eggs over-easy, breaking into the yolk and letting it run over top, infusing itself in every bite.
I love the breakfast sandwich, too. You can customize it based on protein (bacon, sausage, chicken sausage or avocado) and eggs done any way you like them (almost always over-easy, for me — gimme that drippy egg yolk anytime). It’s topped with roasted tomatoes and an herbed goat cheese spread that livens up an otherwise simple dish that’s comforting but not too indulgent.
It's served with a side of hash browns, which deserve devoted space for praise on their own. They come heaped in a bundle, edges griddled to a deep golden hue and so crispy they crack under your fork. But inside, the potatoes are soft and almost creamy (I can’t bring myself to picture the amount of butter it takes to make them). The ’browns are seasoned simply — maybe a little salt and pepper — and finished off with a sprinkling of fresh chives. They're among the best hash browns I’ve ever tasted. Even if I’m not ordering a dish that comes with them, I’ll always add them a la carte.
Speaking of, even if you're not feeling like a sweet breakfast, order at least one lemon poppyseed pancake, too. The pancakes don’t have just a hint of lemon — every forkful packs a pleasantly puckery bite, balanced by the house-made blueberry-ginger syrup that comes on the side and a scattering of toasted almonds on top. The combination is tart and sweet but not saccharine, and such a sunny addition to breakfast, whether you’re ordering a whole stack or just one to share.
For those who aren’t big on breakfast food, Cafe at the Plaza serves more lunch-like options including a Reuben sandwich, a crispy Southern fried chicken sandwich, burgers and a tuna melt. For a lighter lunch, try the classic niçoise salad with citrusy albacore tuna or the hearty falafel salad, which comes with a side of pita bread.
In most cases, the menu is simple diner fare. But simplicity is celebrated here, and Cafe at the Plaza goes to lengths to ensure the ingredients are fresh and prepared with precision. Wherever possible, the restaurant sources from local farms, roasters and businesses, including Jones Dairy Farm, Pritzlaff Brothers Meats, Carr Valley Cheese, Rishi Tea, Angelic Bakehouse Great Lakes Distillery, Colectivo Coffee and more.
Simplicity carries into the drink menu, too. Coffee and nine Rishi tea varieties are there, as are specialty drinks like mochas, lattes and cappuccino. If you’re thirsty for a brunch cocktail, the Plaza offers a mimosa (both standard and a seasonal flavor), iced Irish coffee topped with house-made whipped cream, and a loaded Bloody Mary with smoked gouda and candied bacon. Mocktails like the Lavender Lemonade and Ginger Blue Juice (made with blueberry syrup and ginger beer, mocking the profile of the lemon poppyseed pancake syrup) are standout sips, as well.
On my most recent visit, I happily leaned back on my iron courtyard chair, sipping a pomegranate mimosa, losing myself in the soothing ambiance. In a different life, I imagine treating myself to the experience every weekend. Or sitting in the hullabaloo of the lunch counter, throwing back a Bloody Mary (Miller High Life shorty chaser on the side) and digging into a jalapeño-laced Mexican Scramble. Or gathered at a large table with friends, pushing around a plate of challah French toast, nudging everyone to take a bite. Cafe at the Plaza has been offering all these experiences for more than 70 years, and decades later, it’s still an idyllic space to spend a morning.
More: 14 reader-favorite brunch spots in the Milwaukee area
What to know about Café at the Plaza
Address: 1007 N. Cass St., located inside the Plaza Hotel
Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily
More information: (414) 276-2101; plazahotelmilwaukee.com/eat
Fare: Breakfast, brunch; egg scrambles and omelets, sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, coffee, tea
Rachel Bernhard joined the Journal Sentinel as dining critic in June 2023. She’s been busy exploring the Milwaukee-area food scene to share her favorite finds with readers along the way. Like all Journal Sentinel reporters, she buys all meals, accepts no gifts and is independent of all establishments she covers.
What should she cover next? Contact her at rseis@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @rachelbernhard or on Instagram at @rach.eats.mke.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Revisiting Cafe at the Plaza, a Milwaukee brunch tradition for decades
