Trying something new and randomly going to post about bars/restaurants that I either really love or really hate. Oddly enough, I’m not putting these in the “hate-love” category. I figured it best to have one section dedicated to nourishment.
First up, is a place that gets a very bad rap around town for various reasons. The Palomino. Well, it’s pretty highly rated on most sites, but since it’s a mainstream hipster hangout, you’ll find the elitist hipsters bashing the place. Yes, the late night crowd can be painfully annoying (but not rowdy!). Yes, it’s dirty. Yes, the service can be very slow. BUT! It’s still great.
First off, this place is Milwaukee in a nutshell. It’s a dirty old bar on the south side of town, there are hundreds/thousands more like it. It’s gone through a renaissance in recent years as the neighborhood has turned from old Polish ghetto to hip urban hangout. You can get a big greasy burger with a side of something deep fried, as well as some of the better vegan grub in town. You can listen to the Black Keys on the jukebox, as well as cheer for the Packers. And there’s a lot of drinking going on.
My favorite part about the Palomino, is that it’s mainly soul food. The #1 thing I miss about my short time living in Texas is the food, and this place does an admirable job of capturing the southern eats. I dare say it’s a more realistic interpretation of southern food than the uber popular Maxie’s Southern Comfort (although, to be far, Maxie’s does try to jazz up dishes from all over the south, where Palomino sticks to the greasy staples). They do a great burger, an admirable poboy and the brisket is pretty good considering it wasn’t smoked. Although, I’d get it on the sandwich if you’re a real BBQ maniac. The vegan dishes are pretty impressive. I would actually take their tofu/seitan buffalo wings over a LOT of the wing options in town.
Oh and if it’s late at night, and you’ve had a few too many drinks, getting a basket filled with tots, mini-corn dogs, jalapeno poppers & cheese curds is pure bliss.
My only complaint? I wish they had fried pickle chips instead of spears. I don’t think the south has come to an agreement on which is better, and I know the spears are a bit more common… but the slices of pickles are so much more enjoyable to munch on. You end up with like a 1.5:1 pickle to breading ration instead of like 8:1 with the spears.