Michael Horne
Bar Exam

Club Brady Has 130-Year History

There's been a tavern in odd trapezoidal building since 1885. Blame it on the lake.

By - Aug 10th, 2016 06:14 pm

There's been a tavern in odd trapezoidal building since 1885. Blame it on the lake. Back to the full article.

Photos - Page 5

7 thoughts on “Bar Exam: Club Brady Has 130-Year History”

  1. Christina Zawadiwsky says:

    Thanks for all the interesting facts about Club Brady, Michael Horne! I used to go there long ago, and will now have to return to observe all the elements that you’ve written about in this article!

  2. Sam says:

    Some people call it Club Shady. I call it some of the cheapest drinking on Brady Street.

    Thanks for the History lesson!

  3. Edward McDonald says:

    This is the best bar on the lower eastside. Some of Milwaukee’s best bands played at Harpos during the mid -80’s and 90’s – like the BoDeans , Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans to name a couple. The owner Mike Lee is committed to customers having a good time without going broke doing it. That’s the Milwaukee way. Love the history of the place and it confirms Club Brady is still the place for the little and big guy just looking to have a Milwaukee style good time. Thanks for sharing.

  4. MF says:

    If you really like the Art Deco abstract air vent covers, you can find them — the exact same one pictured — at Home Depot for about $12 a piece.

  5. Mr. Suburbs says:

    “…but then I am naturally partial to mirrors wherever I encounter them.” Brilliant.

    Please keep these articles coming. They offer a fascinating history lesson on what is truly one of our city’s greatest assets – sometimes-wonderful architecture in always unique buildings, generations of history written into our culture, and a sense of place that is very simply not found in other cities. Also, a while back, a group of friends did a “Classic Milwaukee Taverns” bar crawl and fully one half of our of drinking destinations were culled from your Exams. A great time was had by all.

  6. Unfortunately the era of Frankie (Tomasello) is passed over, but as Tomasello’s it was a favorite haunt in the ’60s & ’70s of literary UWM students (& others) & then the counterculture (Kaleidoscope offices were almost opposite on Brady St.)., owned by the little bachelor guy with a Corvette & a fixation on Frank Sinatra, as played on the popular jukebox featuring jazz & classical music for the cozy booths under stained-glass windows, until he sold out & opened what is now Jamo’s on Arlington Pl.

  7. James Kobs says:

    I lived with Frankie in 1967, He accused me of flirting with his 19 year old girlfriend. We remained friends till the end. Alot of fun

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