Is Sam’s Tap in Bay View Closed For Good?
Nearly century old building, long a tavern, went dark last fall.
Sam’s Tap, 3118 S. Chase Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Sam’s Tap has served as a casual Bay View watering hole since 2016, offering beer and cocktails, snacks, bar games and occasional open mic nights at 3118 S. Chase Ave.
Now, it appears to be closed. The tavern, led by Sam Leaf, went quiet last fall, leaving patrons wondering when—and if—it will return.
Sam’s Tap was last open in November, according to its social media page, but has since been marked temporarily closed online. The business’s phone number is also disconnected.
The apparent closure would mark the end of a nearly decade-long run in the neighborhood and leaves a historic building, originally constructed in 1929, without a tenant.
The space was previously home to The Long Trail and has long housed a tavern. After purchasing the building in 2015, Leaf spruced up the former dive bar space, adding new windows and a tin ceiling, installing a retractable garage door and building an outdoor patio.
True to its name, Sam’s Tap focused on draft beer, offering both local craft and macro brews. Its online menu also features wine and cocktails, along with food including hot dogs and sandwiches.
The license for Sam’s Tap is set to expire in September 2026.
Leaf did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. The proprietor also owns The Backyard, which opened at 2155 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in 2011, and Leaf Property Investments.
Leaf Property was for years embroiled in a federal court case stemming from a complaint related to its East Side rooming house. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Leaf and property manager Dennis Parker violated the Fair Housing Act in discriminating against a gay male tenant with an intellectual disability in 2019 and 2020.
A consent order entered in May 2024 requires the defendants to pay the tenant $40,000 in damages and prohibits Parker from managing residential properties and from contacting the tenant. It also requires Leaf Property Investments to adopt a nondiscrimination policy and undergo fair housing training.
For more information, see Urban Milwaukee’s earlier coverage.
Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
