Motorcycle Bar With Global Following Will Close

Nick’s Anvil Inn, 2900 S. 13th St. Photo taken July 17, 2020 by Jeramey Jannene.

When Nick’s Anvil Inn serves its final drinks in late 2025, Milwaukee won’t just lose a historic corner bar and a staple in the local motorcycle scene, but also a key place for connection.

“I would kid—and even the customers would kid—that it’s the friendliest tavern in Milwaukee,” said co-owner Chris Tribbey, who runs the business with his wife, Nancy. “People would come in as total strangers … and by the time they left, they were hanging out and talking with everybody.”

Tribbey’s father-in-law, Nick Kosalos, opened the bar in 1978 at 2900 S. 13th St., where it continued for decades as a no-frills beer-and-shot joint. By the early 2000s, the physical demands of the business had begun to take a toll, so the couple hired a bartender to help—and eventually took over themselves.

Though they maintained the corner tavern’s charm, the couple also expanded its reach. “We built it up into quite an eclectic, extremely popular motorcycle-themed hangout,” said Tribbey, who previously worked at Harley-Davidson.

The tavern has become a local favorite for its unofficial Mama Tried Motorcycle Show pre-party, holiday gatherings, Poker Pool nights and send-offs for the Motorcycle Cannonball—a coast-to-coast endurance run for antique motorcycles, which Tribbey has followed as both a fan and participant.

Its large social media following spans the globe, attracting visitors from all over the country, as well as places like Japan, Germany, Australia and more, Tribbey said.

“Whenever they came to Milwaukee, they had to go check out Nicks. It’s just quite a wonderful thing to see how the bar changed over all those years … we’re very humbled and very honored that we could grow that business to that point.”

In lieu of a single farewell party, Tribbey encouraged fans to stop by individually throughout December to say their goodbyes. He even offered to haggle over memorabilia for those who take a shine. “Let’s make a deal,” he said.

The tavern will officially close after service Dec. 29, as the couple prepare for their next chapter. “It’s pretty bittersweet, pretty melancholy and quite emotional to have this decision here,” Tribbey said. “But we have other things going on in our lives, it’s just time to turn the page.”

Nick’s Anvil Inn will remain on its regular schedule until the closure, opening Mondays and Fridays from 1 to 6 p.m. The tavern will be closed Nov. 14 and 17.

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