Ruby J’s Planned for Uptown
New family restaurant would serve all-American breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Ruby J’s Restaurant. Photo submitted by Eric Brown
A new family restaurant is in the works for Milwaukee’s Uptown neighborhood, near Washington Park.
Co-owners Eric Brown and his wife, Deborah Brown, will open Ruby J’s at 4734 W. Lisbon Ave. The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and could be open as soon as August, said Eric Brown. The grand opening was originally planned for last summer, but ongoing construction and COVID-19 obstructed those plans.
“We want to be a staple piece in the community and provide a nice place for people to dine and sit down,” Eric Brown said.
The restaurant is named for Deborah Brown’s late mother, Ruby Jameson.
In 2018, Eric Brown bought the two-story structure that will house Ruby J’s. He turned the second floor into a micro-business hub and currently leases the space to several business owners. When it opens, the restaurant will occupy the ground floor. After the purchase, the structure’s facade got new brick, tile and awnings for outdoor dining. The dining room was also renovated and kitchen and bathroom build outs are in progress.
Eric Brown runs a similar operation, minus the restaurant, at 3658-3660 N. Teutonia Ave. He purchased and rehabilitated the 7,939-square-foot structure, which now contains several small businesses, in 2020.
