Rod & Makk Opens at Third Street Market
New vendor sells giant mozzarella sticks, mac and cheese and other comfort foods.
Site of Rodd & Makk at 3rd Street Market Hall, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave. Photo taken Nov. 13, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Rod & Makk has officially arrived at 3rd Street Market Hall. The new vendor has already generated buzz with its massive mozzarella sticks, but the rest of its menu, as well as its funky ’90s aesthetic, are sure to leave a lasting impression, too.
After its quiet opening over the weekend, Rod & Makk drew a respectable lunch rush Monday afternoon, with guests eager to sample the viral Lightning Rod mozzarella sticks and their spicy sibling, Hot Rod.
Measuring a foot long and several inches thick, the fried cheese logs are handmade with Wisconsin mozzarella and coated in garlicky breadcrumbs. The sticks have become an online sensation across multiple social media channels, racking up millions of views on Tik Tok and Instagram.
While the Lightning Rod is savory and served with homemade pizza sauce, the Hot Rod gets its heat from spicy seasoning and buffalo drizzle. It’s served with homemade spicy garlic parmesan sauce.
The restaurant also serves fried ravioli and jalapeno poppers, plus a dozen varieties of specialty mac and cheese including hot cheeto mac, elote mac, buffalo chicken mac, cajun lobster mac and others.
To drink, the restaurant offers a lineup of Point sodas.
And while the menu will certainly fill your stomach, the decor at Rod & Makk is a feast for the eyes. The restaurant’s retro, patterned backdrop is visible from outside the food hall, with a small display above the walk-up window, as well as signage between the food hall’s double entrance doors.
The stall itself, located just right of the market’s main entrance from W. Wisconsin Avenue, immediately draws attention with several enclosed shelves stacked with action figures, troll dolls, baseball cards and more. The display lends itself to a game or two of I spy while waiting for orders.
Rod & Makk also shows off a bit of local pride with Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers pendants.
A handful of old-school arcade games including Royal Rumble pinball, NFL Blitz and Pong line the walls of the dining area.
The new concept is led by a industry veteran duo, Gregory Kieckbusch and Tim Szuta, owners of Makk’n’Cheese and Alphonso’s The Original Pizzeria, respectively.
The new vendor replaces Supernova Coffee & Doughnuts, which relocated within the hall in early June to combine with fellow sweets purveyor Mid-Way Bakery.
More concepts are still upcoming at the downtown food hall, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave. Albert Yee‘s Shuckers Crab Shack & Oyster Bar and WOK Downtown MKE will occupy two remaining hawker stalls, bringing the food hall to capacity.
The two new vendors applied for their food dealers licenses on Nov. 10.
Additional tenants are also continuing to join the building surrounding the food hall, bringing new life to the former Grand Avenue mall. Earlier this month, Kohl’s debuted its new downtown store, which connects to 3rd Street Market.
3rd Street Market Hall is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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