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    In Bars & Clubs
    No shortage of pitchers: A guide to Brewers bars
    Kelly's Bleachers is a hot spot before and after Brewers games.
    By Drew Olson RSS Feed Twitter Feed
    Senior Editor

    E-mail author | Author bio
    More articles by Drew Olson

    Last updated April 6, 2009 at 4:19 p.m.
    Tags: brewers bars, bluemound road, kelly's bleachers, steve's on bluemound, rounding third, mcginn's, long wong's


    Note: The contents of this guide were checked for accuracy when this article was updated on April 6, 2009 at 4:19 p.m. We continually update the thousands of articles on OnMilwaukee.com, but it's possible some details, specials and offers may have changed. As always, we recommend you call first if you have specific questions for the businesses mentioned in the guide.

    As the Brewers prepare to open the 2009 season Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco, many fans wonder if they'll have enough pitchers to make it through the season.

    Fortunately, that shouldn't be a problem for area taverns.

    Whether they operate on Bluemound Road, National Avenue, State Street or as far away as South Milwaukee and Saukville, bar owners will tell you that a robust performance by the Brewers is good for business.

    With the team coming off its first playoff berth since 1982 and nearly 2 million tickets sold before the home opener -- which, if you missed the memo, is at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon -- bar owners are bracing for a busy spring.

    As with the Packers, virtually any bar in town can refer to itself as a "Brewers Bar." That makes it almost impossible to create a comprehensive guide, but we're going to give it a try. Feel free to use the Talkback feature to add your favorites.

    BLUEMOUND DIVISION

    Derry Hegarty's Pub
    5328 W. Bluemound Rd.
    (414) 453-6088
    This stadium-area has been pleasing baseball enthusiasts, Irish pub aficionados and fish fry fanatics for decades. The banquet hall has hosted weddings and parties.

    Fiesta Garibaldi
    5108 W. Bluemound Rd.
    (414) 443-0287
    fiestagaribaldimilwaukee.com

    There is nothing wrong with replacing peanuts, bratwurst and beer with chips, salsa and margaritas. Garibaldi has delicious food and a lively pre- and post-game atmosphere. You might see Carlos Villanueva drop by for a bite.

    Kelly's Bleachers
    5218 W. Bluemound Rd.
    (414) 258-9837

    If you've ever been to the Cubby Bear Lounge across from Wrigley Field, imagine if it had more character, nicer acoutrements and much better food. That's kind of the vibe at Kelly's. There are two big rooms and some smaller rooms with pool tables, dart board and video games. One room features six big screen TVs.

    Long Wong's
    5230 W. Bluemound Rd.
    (414) 454-0400

    Baseball and bowling have been providing Milwaukeeans with a reason to drink for decades. There is a bowling alley in the back hall at Long Wong's, but the beer specials, baseball conversation and poker tournaments provide much of the activity.

    McGinn's
    5901 W. Bluemound Rd.
    (414) 475-7546

    Virtually all of the Bluemound bars offer shuttle service to Miller Park. McGinn's was at the front of the pack with the "Slim-o-suine." This is a friendly spot with excellent food.

    Rounding Third
    6317 W. Bluemound Rd.
    (414) 475-1982
    roundingthirdsports.com

    As it approaches its first birthday, Tim Toetz's establishment -- located in the building that once housed Cassidy's -- is hitting its stride with an excellent menu, a smoke-free room and free chicken wings after every Brewers home game.

    Steve's on Bluemound
    5841 W. Bluemound Rd.
    (414) 257-3210

    You have to love a place that the employees and regulars refer to as "S.O.B's." Steve's is a place to play games as well as watch them. With two bars, 15 TVs including three big screens, you can watch games there. With air hockey, foosball, video games, four pool tables and darts (including leagues), lots of activities can occupy time during pitching changes, rain delays and blowouts.

    NATIONAL DIVISION

    Cesar's Inn
    5527 W. National Ave.
    (414) 383-7388
    Best known as the hotel/bar that former Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn owned with his wife, Audrey. Order a Harvey Wallbanger, for old time's sake.

    Magoo's
    8911 W. National Ave.
    (414) 329-1477

    A bit further west, Magoo's a party bar that has some of the best wings in town. Magoo's has nearly a dozen TVs to watch the games, pool tables and dart boards. Monday night is Karaoke and Wednesday nights are saved for open jams.

    Mollica's Pub
    4631 W. National Ave.
    (414) 643-1755‎
    mollicaspub.com

    Happy hour is quite happy at Mollica's, where drinks are specially-priced on Saturday nights. Mollica's runs a shuttle to Miller Park, but the front door might be closer than some of the remote lots at the ballpark.

    The 4th Base
    5117 W. National Ave.
    (414) 647-8509

    Though the atmosphere inside screams baseball and burgers, the chef prepares some incredible meals on a menu that changes daily; you can even view the featured meats and seafood of the day in the deli case. The atmosphere is great, especially for baseball, with signed baseballs on display, pennants, autographed pictures, newspaper clippings and plaques from many years back, signs and other memorabilia that crowds the walls.

    HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE DIVISION

    Chili's
    1601 Miller Park Way
    (414) 389-9739
    chilis.com
    Located just south of the ballpark, this chain gets a bump in business on game day.

    Friday's Front Row Sports Grill
    1 Brewers Way
    (414) 902-4201

    There are bars close to Miller Park, but his one is inside the facility. It's a cool place to catch lunch year-round, but it really pumps during home games. There are table packages available for all home games or you can host a private party in the Brew Room. It's also a good place to go wait for the traffic to filter out of the park.



    More Information ...
    Miller Park
    One Miller Park Way
    Milwaukee, WI 53214
    (414) 902-4400

    8 comments about this article.
    Post a comment / write a review.

    Recent Talkbacks ...

    Posted by ZIM on April 7, 2009 at 7:58 p.m. (report)

    DVM, kind of a clever/funny response, but not very constructive...would be happy to get you safely to and from a game!

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    Posted by juligrniis on April 7, 2009 at 2:26 p.m. (report)

    If you don't want to deal with the traffic on Bluemound, but want the shuttle convenience, head a little further North to O'Brien's. Shuttle runs for every game.

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    Posted by ZIM on April 7, 2009 at 10:57 a.m. (report)

    ZIM'S runs a shuttle from downtown to the games! See www.zimsbar.com for details.

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    Posted by AJStanislaw on April 7, 2009 at 9:31 a.m. (report)

    Rounding Third, McGinns, Derry's, and Wongs all get the thumbs up. SOB's isn't bad but their menu could use some tweaking.

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    Posted by Red_5 on April 7, 2009 at 12:12 a.m. (report)

    I enjoy Wong's. The game room is fun. The food is cheap. You can ride in a side car. And Paul is a very nice guy!

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    Show me the other 3 Talkbacks
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