New Bar to Replace Angelo’s Piano Lounge

Site of former Angelo’s Piano Lounge, 1686 N. Van Buren St. Photo taken March 19, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.

Angelo’s Piano Lounge is getting a fresh look and a new name, but it’ll be business as usual when it comes to tickling the ivories. That’s according to Donnie Dries, who recently purchased the former piano bar, 1686 N. Van Buren St., with plans to open his own concept in the space.

Dries, who operates his own painting and restoration company, is working to update the building with fresh flooring and minor repairs while maintaining the original feel of the piano bar, which first opened in 1989.

The upcoming tavern will likely be christened Donnie’s, said Dries, though he said the name is not yet set in stone. A sure bet, however, is that the live music focus will remain.

“We’re going to keep the piano deal going,” he said. “Because there’s a lot of folks who are interested in that.”

Dries also plans to host a karaoke night and offer an assortment of amusement machines, but said the bar’s programming will largely depend on the wants of patrons. “We’re planning to feed off the energy of the people.”

The upcoming bar will be Dries’ third venture into the food and beverage industry. Last year, he purchased and renovated the former Black Rose and Monster Pizza, located in adjacent storefronts along N. Oakland Avenue.

He opened two new businesses, Baccara Bar and Cafe Terrazza, which operated for a few months before closing. At the time, Dries told Urban Milwaukee that his decision was a result of persistent noise complaints.

Dries has now shifted his focus to the new bar, and is working on doing the same with his licenses. For now, he’s excited to spread the word about the upcoming business. Both by word of mouth and via billboard.

Dries rents a large billboard posted at the base of the Marsupial Bridge, where Van Buren intersects Brady Street. In recent months, the display touted Baccara Bar and Cafe Terrazza, but it will soon be updated to advertise the upcoming bar, located just a stone’s throw from the prominent sign.

The bar is expected to open later this spring, after Dries completes the license transfer, inspections and other requirements.

Angelo’s closed its doors earlier this year, according to Dries. Up until then, however, the tavern and its protruding neon sign had been a constant on the street for more than three decades, even as the surrounding properties saw near-constant change.

Angelo Mortellaro, the original owner, operated the business up until 2015, when his declining health prompted him to sell the tavern to Nate Fried. After closing temporarily for a massive remodeling project, the lounge reopened to the public. It later changed hands again, this time in 2020 to employees Joe O’Keeffe and Sean Oroni.

Angelo’s was also the subject of a short documentary, “An Evening at Angelo’s,” which paid homage to the piano lounge in its heyday.

To read more about the tavern’s history, see our 2016 Bar Exam column.

Photos