Glass + Griddle Has a Beautiful Interior

My first impression of Glass + Griddle was “Wow.”

On a fall Saturday afternoon, this huge beer hall, all glass and plants, glowed, as sunshine poured in the expansive windows and the atrium skylight. Thanks to an entire wall of healthy green plants, being inside this striking space almost felt like being outside. Communal tables filled the room, plus there was additional seating at the long wooden bar. There are also several tables outside the main entrance.

Glass + Griddle shares the building with Milwaukee Brewing Company, their only connection despite the signage on 9th Street, which suggests Milwaukee Brewing operates the restaurant as well as the brewery. It’s confusing. There is separate signage for the restaurant, it’s just not obvious.

Glass + Griddle is owned and operated by F Street Hospitality, a group which includes the Milwaukee Brewing Company, the Milwaukee Ale House, and the Pizza Man restaurants. Thus, Milwaukee Brewing and Glass + Griddle are connected, but only through the physical building and the F Street group.

Executive Chef Kyle Toner and Chef de Cuisine Daniel Pope created a menu that’s brief, yet diverse, with many gluten free and vegan options. Everything on the list of Snacks and Shares, with the exception of Korean Fried Chicken Wings, is vegan, gluten free, or both.

For the Buffalo Broccoli + Cauliflower, topped with tiny crisp shoestring potatoes, the chef added crumbled blue cheese to the hot sauce. The veggies were cut large, soaked with sauce, giving them the right balance of spicy and tangy, and leaving no doubt about the authenticity of the dish. People who disdain fiery heat might want to choose something else from Snacks and Shares. The vegetables filled the bowl, a huge portion, definitely a shareable, as were the Hand Cut Fries, also from the Snacks menu. They were served with a delicious yogurt/ranch dip. From a list of several brunch sides including pancakes, bacon, pulled ham, and chorizo, two pre-made hash-brown patties, were crunchy from their recent immersion in the deep-fryer.

Burgers lead off the Burgers + Sandwiches. There’s the G + G Simple, two patties with American cheese, and the G + G Fancy, a half-pound burger with beer cheese, pickled onions, and sun-dried tomato Ketchup. The Ketchup added an interesting dimension to the burger, a chewy, tart, strong, tomato flavor which complemented the beer cheese and the onions.

Also, on the Sandwiches Menu, there’s Falafel with tahini and pickled veggies, Crispy Italian Chicken with broccoli rabe, a classic Cuban Sandwich, and because this is Milwaukee, a Usinger’s Beer Brat topped with cabbage slaw and a creamy mustard sauce.

To add healthy options to the menu, there are also salads, a Chopped Wedge, a Caesar, and the less traditional Beet + Avocado with sunflower seeds, and Roasted Carrot + Cucumber with hummus, mint yogurt, pepperoncini, and crunchy chickpeas.

For the Weekend Brunch, the menu features eight choices, each with a twist on the ordinary. The pancakes come with blueberry maple syrup and whipped cream; Disco Hash has corned beef gravy, cheddar, and a fried egg; Disco Hash Part Dos includes hashbrowns, with salsa verde, avocado, sour cream, and a fried egg; and Banana Bread Pudding with rum caramel sauce, Scotch cherry ice cream, and candied walnuts adds a sweet note. This breakfast dessert is also available on the regular menu.

For something alcoholic at brunch, there’s a Bloody Mary with a Milwaukee Brewing chaser, a Mimosa with Cava and orange juice, a pre-mixed Moscow Mule, Bourbon Smash, or Mojito, from Plain Spoke Cocktail Company in Madison, a Bellini or Cold Brew Irish Coffee with Irish Whiskey and Anodyne cold brew, and of course, a lengthy selection of Milwaukee Brewing draft brews. There’s also a Mimosa lovers’ Brunch Special every Saturday and Sunday: For $25.00, the bartender will pour one person unlimited Mimosas for 90 minutes.

Mondays bring $5.00 Simple Burgers; Tuesday showcase three tacos for $7.00; oysters are $1.00 on weekdays during the 4:00 to 6:00 Happy Hour, and all snacks are half price, also during Happy Hour, with the exception of the Wings. The food is better than average for high-end bar food and the setting is petty stunning.

Just inside the entrance to Glass + Griddle, an elevator can whisk customers up two floors to the Milwaukee Brewing Company rooftop bar where there’s a 360-degree view of Milwaukee’s downtown skyline and a close-up view of the nearby Fiserv Forum. In addition to seats at the bar, there are cushy couches and chairs to settle into while enjoying a drink and that magnificent view. Food service from the restaurant is also available on the rooftop, one more reason to visit Glass + Griddle, open just one year, and already a popular place to eat and drink in the rapidly developing Deer District.

Photo Gallery

On The Menu

The Rundown

• Location: 1130 N. 9th St.
• Phone: 414-988-1551
• Hours: Kitchen: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mon-Thu, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sat-Sun; Bar: 4 p.m. to close Mon-Thu, 11 a.m. to close Fri, 10 a.m. to close Sat-Sun
• Website: https://glassgriddle.com
• UM Rating: 4 stars (average of Yelp, Trip Advisor and Zomato)

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