Bridgewater Adds Brunch Service

After three months of settling into its brand new, riverfront space, The Bridgewater Modern Grill is set to expand its hours and menu, with plans to add weekend brunch service.

Come Feb. 4, the lunch and dinner restaurant will be open Saturday and Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., serving brunch dishes such as chicken and waffles, pancakes and avocado toast.

Bridgewater, 2011 S. 1st St., opened in late October, serving a menu centered on locally-sourced ingredients and the restaurant’s oak-fed Jade Grill.

When thinking of brunch, wood-fired dishes aren’t typically top of mind; however, Bridgewater Executive Chef Steve Gustafson has dreamed up a menu that incorporates the restaurant’s open-fire flair while maintaining the familiar comfort of traditional brunch dishes.

For example, classic avocado toast, made with local sourdough, is elevated with oak-fired mushrooms, goat cheese and a poached egg.

Other brunch dishes include buttermilk-brined chicken and waffles drizzled with hot honey, vanilla-infused honey butter and barrel-aged maple syrup; crab cake benedict topped with béarnaise sauce and a smoked salmon board with cream cheese, red onion, capers and toasted rye.

The menu also features seasonal quiche, Belgian waffles, blueberry pancakes and more.

Diners who have enjoyed The Bridgewater for lunch or dinner service will recognize a variety of lunch-friendly dishes including an oak-fired beet salad, caesar salad, artichoke dip and flat iron steak.

Brunch entrees range in price from $15 to $22.

For those in search of a stronger kick than coffee, Bridgewater will offer a full brunch cocktail menu including a house-made Bloody Mary (featuring a pilsner beer chaser) and a variety of mimosas, as well as zero-proof craft cocktails.

“We can’t thank the community enough for the warm welcome we’ve seen in the past few months since opening our doors,” Gustafson said in a statement. “Employees, neighbors and customers alike have been eagerly awaiting a brunch addition, and after perfecting a delicious menu, we’re thrilled to introduce weekend brunch beginning this weekend.”

Reservations are recommended and can be made online.

Bridgewater is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Starting Feb. 4, the restaurant will also be open at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Benson’s Restaurant Group operates Bridgewater, as well as a handful of other Milwaukee establishments including Onesto, Blue Bat Kitchen & Tequilaria, Smoke Shack and AJ Bombers. The group is also the franchisor of Zaffiro’s pizza brand.

Last week, Benson’s announced plans to open a new restaurant inside the former Wahlburgers,  322 N. Broadway

October 2022 Photos

Brunch Photos