4. Restaurants

Blue Jacket

135 E National Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53204
  • (414) 312-7098
  • Store is closed

Blue Jacket Menu

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Visit below restaurant in Milwaukee for healthy meals suggestion.

Auntie Anne’s ( 2500 N Mayfair Rd )

Visit below restaurant in Milwaukee for healthy meals suggestion.

Auntie Anne’s ( 2500 N Mayfair Rd )

  • Lynn B.

    Just got back from my first visit here and was pleasantly surprised. It was trendier than I thought it would be, but not the type of trendy where you feel you don't fit in. Had a couple of their specialty cocktails including their Old Fashioned which was very strong and very good (plus I can't complain at $5!). Was unexpectedly busy for a Tuesday night. Our server admitted he was only on Day 2 but did a great job. Ordered several appetizers which were all very tasty, if not a tad overpriced. Wine selection is excellent. Loved the cozy vibe; it seems like a very warm place to cuddle up with someone during the winter season. We will definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Tim H.

    Great atmosphere and special thanks to the host accommodating us even though we did not have a reservation. The food was creative and tasty. The Bartenders take their job seriously but with a great attitude. Overall a great experience and enjoyed the interior design.

    (5)

  • Wisco V.

    I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food that I ate was yummy. However, I am a vegetarian, which means I snacked and couldn't really get a full meal. They only have about two vegetarian options that aren't light bar food (e.g. popcorn or nuts). I'll definitely be back for a drink on the patio but perhaps not to eat.

    (3)

  • Mags L.

    Loved. We went to Wolf Peach for brunch and left not satisfied so tried Blue Jacket and just was so impressed! 2 restaurants and totally different leagues.

    (5)

  • Mbogne B.

    I loved the roast beet salad. The goat cheese was to die for. Nice atmosphere as well

    (4)

  • Chai Y.

    Pretty good, next to the La Merenda , twice try to went to Merenda, finally got in Blue! Last night been there, ordered red wine and Mussels, really good. Just I don't know if the wine' problem or I did yoga before the one glass of wine? Still headache until now! It's the next day noon already!

    (4)

  • Christopher M.

    It was decent. Just nothing too memorable or great. For my money, I'd rather be at la merenda next door. The kale was a bit too salted and the banana bread dessert was only ok.

    (3)

  • Christine P.

    Good, but overpriced food. Waiter neglected to tell us about the special so we all felt obligated to order from a very limited, mostly fish based menu (don't go there if you don't like fish, that's pretty much all they had). Waiter was also seemingly 'too cool' to wait on us. The setting is gorgeous and once while on a walk through the neighborhood we bumped into the owner who seemed very passionate about his restaurant endeavors. Wish I could say more positive things about the place as we really enjoyed meeting the owner. Having a competent staff makes a big difference.

    (2)

  • Lisa A.

    You know, we walked in and were asked if we had reservations (pffff...I'm never a reservations type of gal.) The restaurant appeared to be packed but we were assured there was a window booth available and promptly seated. Given the menu, this place in my mind still skews more towards drinks and apps or a light meal more than the main course, but my issues from previous visits were all alleviated. The drink menu seems to have grown, and the cocktails all were interesting and varied in price. We only ordered a couple apps and desserts but our bill was very reasonable (with one boozy and one non boozy drink it came to $30.) Our service was very good. The atmosphere, lighting and music all remain very good and make this an inviting place. Upgrade!

    (4)

  • Kev H.

    Belly. Brussel. Pasta. Salmon. These are the names of legend, forever mythicized in print. To invoke their names is to summon these heroes of another age, ready to wage war against the insatiable beast of hunger and unslakable thirst. Out comes Salmon, ready with protection of a light sear. Although drenched with a torrent of lobster broth, it is undaunted, as there is support found with the buckwheat noodles. With a clean and pure feint of flavor, the salmon soothes the groans of the stomach. Not to let Salmon swim upstream on its own, Brussel leaps to action. Weighed down with a light rim of salt, Brussel stumbles out of the gate, and barely manages to keep an even keel with a little additive use of performance enhancing parmesan. The leader of the quartet rumbles into action. Calling on the spells of spicyness and zest, the Belly launches an avalanche of cous cous to distract the hunger, and follows up with a crispy pork belly rind that sneaks into succulent meat and fat. Finally here to perform the knockout, Pasta uses the comforting taste of wide flat noodles covered with lamb bolognese to send the hunger back into a deep slumber. Victory!!! As the heroes take their much deserved rest, the 24 hr news cycle quickly springs into action, alternatingly criticizing and praise the events that transpired. A critic points out the excessive costs of war and wonders if it couldn't have been done cheaper. Another is quick to decry the speed with which Salmon was deployed, almost as if it were suspiciously ready to preemptively attack before the order was given. A blogger elaborates extensively on the variable quality of the support service. Ultimately, however, historians will note that Hungergate 2014 was a rousing success.

    (4)

  • Jenn D.

    Came here on a Friday. It was busy but not crazy which I like. We made a reservation and got in right away. Service was good. They were attentive and helpful. Salmon and Rillette were awesome! Gratin and gougere were just okay. Good experience, would recommend it!

    (4)

  • Becky D.

    The atmosphere here: A+ The Drinks: B+ The Food: A- The service: A So we went here at 6 on a Saturday. We expected a wait, but were seated right away. The atmosphere here is clean, modern, casual and top notch. The service was friendly, knowledgeable, attentive and fast. We ordered a new fashioned (a little sweet for my whiskey sour tastes, but it came in a mini chalice!) and an old fashioned sour (good, really good). The food we opted for small plates. The Cauliflower and Kale finishing with a shared pasta entree. The cauliflower had a cheese sauce that was so good. The Kale was flash dried and came with bacon and oranges. The pasta was a little disappointing. As a whole the flavors were good but unless you got everything in one bite it was a little bland. I liked the atmosphere a lot. I think I will be back just for that reason!

    (4)

  • Sean B.

    Well they have had issues that in the past, and appear to be in trouble, but I consider that unfortunate. Went last night to use City Tin before we got Prodigaled again, and my things again where very good. Started by opening their keg of Tyranena's Fatal Attraction :) Had mussels in a completely different broth than last time. Many scallions in it yet still very yum. Since they didn't screw Katie' scallops this time (during one of those chef transitions) I had time to soak it all up as they gave me a second extra bread! Bit of pasta I had was good, veggie shred on the scallop worked well, and the toffee bits on top of the nights' special choco mousse was an excellent combination of tastes and texture.

    (4)

  • Pamela M.

    Here's the deal: Food, mediocre at best. The value proposition is way outta whack. You will get a small portion for big portion prices. Blue Jacket has a great ambiance and I will be back for that. But the food, sadly, isn't the draw here. You come for drinks and maybe a snack. I ordered the lamb meatballs with polenta and duck egg. The meatballs were dry and lacked flavor. I'll salivate when I see there's creamy polenta dishes, and it just did not even stand out in this dish at all. The duck egg was nice but I could've used two of them - the creaminess of the yolk helped with the blandness and lack of flavor of the meatballs. I saw a special of the day that had "cherry ketchup". I asked for some to try it (privately it was because the meatballs needed help). It was really interesting! Friend had the beet salad, which surprisingly was the best bite I had. Again very small. She said nothing about her fish dish (in the broth). So, I know it wasn't very good. She also ordered the cream puffs for dessert and made me eat the last one. Not for me. The cream inside wasn't the WI State Fair cream, which is doesn't have to be that... but if it's not, it must be better and this wasn't. The servers boasted it was grapefruit but I tasted orange. It was like eating a melted push-up pop (remember those as a kid! they were good then but not now and not melted). I'm sad this food wasn't better, total buzzkill. I can't believe they're not seeing this. Prices need to come down to match the portion size. La Merenada was packed next door.

    (3)

  • Justin L.

    WhOa mama! New favorite place in Milwaukee hands down! I wasn't expecting much and thought this place would be just like all the other contemporary joints we constantly see popping up, but this is soooooo not your average place. It is such a refreshing place..lakeside/marine feel...comfortable decor. A small place but it packs a big punch in terms of thoughtfulness and taste. Their dishes are delicious and light...they don't make you feel like a heavy glutton afterwards...also great for fish. Each plate has elements of every taste and texture. Plates are tapas-like and decently priced especially with the quality they are serving up. The service was also wonderful and down-to-earth. Food: Lamb Belly - Small piece of lamb belly that was crispy on top. Not sure how they did it but it worked so well with the light mint ice cream...yea, I said it...ice cream! A little different from your typical run-of-the-mill lamb & mint I would say... In love! I think each person should have their own plate. Don't share! Fried Smelt - Not usually a fan of smelt 'cause of the fishy odor, but the chefs take care in taking the odor out (something about soaking in different washes/batter) and make them delicious and crunchy. They have a little citrus/vinegary taste to it...like adult fish & chips/fish sticks said our server. I would agree. Duck & Mushroom Meatballs - Love! 3 meatballs and I wanted more! The polenta was very soft and creamy just how I like it and the duck egg (poached perfectly!) was the perfect 'sauce' to it. White Superior Whitefish - Usually not too big into whitefish but that broth, mushroom, & fried beef jowl made me find a new love in this 'plain' fish. The plate is reminiscent of Japanese fish dishes that come with dashi. Tip: You HAVE to have a fried jowl piece (think chicharones here) with every bite of fish...yum! I'm still puzzled at how they get that jowl to stay flavorful and CRUNCHY in that broth. Cream Puffs - Small cream puff...nothing too spectacular other than the tart custard they use which was good to break up the rich sweetness than cream puffs usually have. Overall, amazing! Can you tell? P.S. The daily grog (daily cocktail special) is $5 on Mondays. Not sure what the other specials are the rest of the days but I'm about to find out soon! And...they're open 'til 1a?!? Thank you Blue Jacket!

    (5)

  • J. Omar A.

    AMAZING!!! Chef Matt is an outstanding addition to the team. Experienced his first night of the new menu. We ordered the Brussels, followed by the beet salad, next was parsnip soup, then gnocchi (best my wife ever had), finally shared the sirloin & the lamb. Each dish was excellent. Attentive service and comfortable atmosphere. Highly recommend reservations on weekends. We will be returning soon...and often. Absolutely my new favorite restaurant in town. Can't wait to try his new creations. Thank you.

    (5)

  • Jeff G.

    My wife and I were able to eat a quality, late dinner here on a Thursday night. Good small plates menu with a comfortable, well designed interior and friendly service.

    (4)

  • Kelly T.

    High hopes for this one....disappointed with the selection, and the insane prices??!! I could have cooked at home for 1/10 of the price. Food didn't taste bad, however we are in Milwaukee not NYC. Thumbs down.

    (3)

  • Becky S.

    This review is overdue but better late than never. Two visits (one for a Yelp supper club, one for drinks and dessert on my birthday) have left me quite pleased with Blue Jacket. I love their delicious cocktails. I've gotten the special daily grog each time. I once even got a little lesson on bitters from one of the bartenders. Drinks aren't cheap but the daily grog isn't bad at $7. The food is also stinking fabulous. I absolutely loved the duck and mushroom meatballs. Everything on that plate, including the egg, meatballs, and polenta were scrumptious. Desserts are sweet, rich, delicious and not to be missed if you have room. The food is amazing, but the one con is that everything is a little pricey. However, it works when you share with people or when you want a nice, enjoyable, tasty night out. Will definitely be back to Blue Jacket. In fact, I want to go soon.

    (4)

  • Kelsey P.

    The best part of Blue Jacket is their drinks. Truly original and interesting. I'd be excited to go back just to drink. The food was A-ok. I thought it was a tad underseasoned. The best part was the meat and cheese board we got. Everything was so good and they put more thought into it than just throwing some meat and cheese onto the board. There's a bunch of delightful pickled vegetables and different fruity things on there as well. I'd definitely come back.

    (4)

  • D W.

    Nice environment. Calm, and possible to have a conversation there. Professional and friendly staff. I have been there several times and each time is a good experience. Walked out of Crazy Water the other nite (since it was too noisy and trendy) and came to Blue Jacket. What a relief. Had a nice meal at the outside patio. Great and reasonable wines, delicious cheese and fish plates, mussels and sauce were tasty. This is my restaurant of first choice now for Milwaukee.

    (5)

  • Merete M.

    Though the cocktails were on the small side for the price, they were delicious. The menu was thoughtful and didn't disappoint. The owners went out of their way to make sure we didn't all get sunburned while sitting outside by bringing out umbrellas for the table. Very nice gesture!

    (4)

  • Joe P.

    Descriptive phrase: exquisite cocktail concoctions (plus some food). Blue Jacket has been on my list of must-hits in Milwaukee since it opened a few months ago. Katie K. and I made reservations for 2 at the bar (tables were all taken) at 6 on a Saturday night. It's located right next to La Merenda in a slowly-developing part of Walker's Point (/ Harbor View). Make sure to find the private parking lot across the street. The building itself is fairly small (though would be larger with the outdoor seating), and reminds me of a hut for a fisherman on a pier. There's plenty of wood, but it's aged. I liked the feel, which they still managed to make classy. We arrived around 5:55, expecting to wait a little bit since we only gave them 5 minutes. There isn't really anywhere to wait, and the staff was extremely apologetic (which I found unnecessary). They even at one point suggested we grab a drink next door to wait, which struck me as odd. Instead, a couple of people who were just ordering dessert at the bar got up and let us have their seats. To say the bartenders are all hipster would be an understatement, but that doesn't mean they don't know what they're doing. On the contrary, they seemed so adept at the craft that I would suggest requesting seating at the bar to watch them, rather than at a table. Come here to venture into new waters with your cocktail choices, and order off their seasonal list. I had the Daily Grog ($7), which changes every day. It was absolutely fantastic, tasting like a watermelon Jolly Rancher. I followed that up with a From Ashes to Gold ($10); this drink had fruity undertones that was countered well with strong liquor. Katie loved her Strait Jacket ($12) and Wintry Gimlet ($10) as well. I'll be honest, these were some of the best cocktails I've had to date in Milwaukee, and each included ingredients I would've never normally ordered. For food we got the Rib ($16) and Salmon ($24). The ribs were maybe a quarter rack (~4) touched with barbecue sauce and laid upon a bed of chopped sweet potatoes, onions, and avocado. This dish was delicious, due mostly to the tangy-sweet bbq and cilantro sauce combination. However, the serving looked absolutely pitiful on a gigantic white plate. They need to change the presentation. Our salmon was served in a bowl with a fishy-broth, spaghetti noodles, muscles, and mushrooms. The fish itself was well-cooked, but I found the muscles to be a bit gummier than normal and the broth definitely took some getting used-to. I did not like the Salmon dish that much (especially for $24) and as good as the Ribs were they were priced a bit high. Long story short, Blue Jacket offers decent food at slightly-high prices but phenomenal drinks and excellent service. I will undoubtedly be back for more cocktails, but will eat elsewhere.

    (4)

  • Ilana O.

    I went into this place with high expectations....I'm not sure why, but I expected it to be similar to Odd Duck. It started off odd.......but no duck to follow. The place: The entryway is sort of awkward. The hostess table is at the other door of the space.....the door that you can't enter or exit from, so I just felt sort of uncomfortable walking past patrons to crowd around the hostess, where there wasn't really room to crowd around. And, while I appreciate eavesdropping as much as the next person, and the placement of the tables make that possible, I don't necessarily need the couple next to me hearing all my business. If you don't mind though, go forth...but I wouldn't advise doing any confidential business. The taste: Smoked fish plank.....delicious. Light, served nicely....salty, but not too salty. Some carrot dish with nuts....also, something I still think about. The beet salad was just meh, as the beets were salad bar beets. I don't remember the other dishes we got, which should say something in it of itself. I expected better ... maybe that was my fault, since I think their main focus seems to be fancy cocktails (and I would go back to try one out), but for a $75 meal for 2 people, I really should like all the food. My face: Meh. Service was fine, although we were asked to move from our table to a booth mid-meal, and weren't offered anything on the house, which would have been kind of them. Less excited to go back than I was to go the first time, but I'd consider it in another season....assuming there's more space on the patio outside.

    (3)

  • Stephanie S.

    We went there because we always heard good things, but never went there. We made reservations for 6 and when we got there, an awkward gentleman put us at a two top table in the middle of a walkway. We were kinda annoyed (NO ONE would be able to get around us)- so we decided to sit at the bar. Best decision ever! We had an awesome bartender/waiter (dang I wish I remembered his name!) and was super friendly and really knew his stuff! I had a Hemmingway and a "new" old fashioned- both were tasty. The husband drank beer...no complaints from him! We ordered the Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and a meat/fish plate, and the specials- one I can't remember, but the other was the smelt fry (HELLO WISCONSIN!)- All were good! Now this is where our bartender shines...when they brought out the cauliflower he was disappointed in the amount we received and brought us another one, on the house- it was amazing. What awesome service! We had such a great time, we will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Kimberly J.

    Beautiful decor. Love the idea of this place. The food: presentation. Stunning. Just absolutely perfect. Portion size. Tiny. Like crazy tiny. The planks are spectacular. We had the cheese plank. Which had maybe two small bites of cheese per selection. There were four cheeses. A scattering of pistachios, a few almonds, two strawberries, 5 paper thin slices of a quartered Granny Smith apple, and a few slices of bread. Needless to say, we were still very hungry. We ordered drinks, those were the all stars of the evening. Incredible! A great collaboration between bittercube and blue jacket. I had the red sky at night. Wowza. I also got to taste the daily grog. Which was outstanding!! Great cocktails at this place. Very friendly staff. Totally attentive and nice. Still starving. So I ordered a salad. Shaved Brussels sprouts, garden peas, carrots, arugula, greens. Perfectly seasoned and dressed. Just tiny. My compadre had the special. Gnocchi, fava beans with morels. It looked wonderful and expertly prepared. Also tiny. biggest complaint - Teeny tiny portions, and very limited menu. I still strongly encourage people to check this place out. The cocktail program alone is worth investigating blue jacket.

    (4)

  • Bret B.

    The food was unbelievable. We ordered the cheese plate, pork belly, porchetta and fettuccine dish. Lovely! The waitress (Annie) brought out on the house dish - Asparagus w/egg. Crazy good. Cocktails were mixology level. Can't miss joint if you have a diverse pallet and like all things yummy.

    (5)

  • Boris B.

    Whoever set the price point for this place is wrong. I had two drinks, an appetizer and two entrees and paid $120 (plus tax and tip of course) AND did not even had most expensive items from the menu. Next time, Lake Park Bistro here I come for that kind of money. Food was good, thus 3 stars, but again not worth $120.

    (3)

  • Christina L.

    You know the old saying "don't judge a restaurant by their cheese plate"? Well for a long time I raved about Blue Jacket based on having stopped in for a drink/cheese, but had not had a meal there. I will definitely be back for drinks and the cheese plate, but not for dinner. Recently, the wife and I decided to stay for dinner. We had our usual cheese plank and a drink while we decided what to get. I realize it's small plates, but figured a $28 pork dish should be plenty to split considering we had the starter. The bartender, while very nice, didn't bat an eye at our one plate order or mention that it would maybe be enough for a toddler. When our food arrived, it took everything in my power not to burst out laughing. It was the smallest portion of food; maybe 4-6 thinly sliced pieces of pork and 4 mussels. Ok, the quality HAS TO make up for the quantity, right??? Nope. It was ok, nothing exceptional, but considering what we paid and the portion, it should have blew my mind. We spent around $80 for two drinks, a cheese plate and a tasting of pork only to leave hungry. I want to love Blue Jacket. I love what they did with the space, the bartender is always very nice and the drinks are good, but as a dinner destination, it leaves something to be desired.

    (3)

  • Jen W.

    This seems like the kind of place I would love. But I don't. I love small, innovative, farm-to-table, intimate restaurants and this had all of the markings of being a place I could rave about. But other than the space, I can't really rave about anything. The service was abysmal and the food was just okay. There are limited vegetarian options but I made a meal out of a salad and a bowl of soup and both were pretty boring, though I understand the salmon was pretty good. Our server pretty much ignored us the entire time unless we flagged him down. It's a really cute space though and I can see myself going back for a drink at the bar and a snack, but I wouldn't plan on eating dinner there again.

    (3)

  • Jeff C.

    There are so many things to love about Blue Jacket. It's such a comfortable space to walk into and I always find myself relaxing more than I expect to when I have a seat. Sure the food is fantastic (really fantastic) and the drinks are some of the best in the city (I've never had a cocktail here I didn't really enjoy) but the people who work there make it an incredibly enjoyable experience. You owe it to yourself to stop in.

    (5)

  • Clay M.

    Not really my style. It was pretentious, over priced, the server was awkward, and the space seemed cramped not intimate. The menu was indecipherable using unfamiliar words to describe simple things. It seemed like a spot for hipsters and older people who are having a mid life crisis. Aside from the uncomfortable ambiance the food was good. I ordered a 'small plate' called belly which was a chunk of pork belly resting in a shallow bowl of runny grits garnished with sugar snap peas. It was absolutely delicious. Despite the poor consistency of the grits (I'm from the south, grits are not supposed to be as runny as cream of wheat) the dish was good. My wife ordered the monk fish with mushrooms and green beans in Thai pepper sauce and the server warned us it was spicy. Usually I don't even bother being concerned when anyone who isn't Thai warns of spicy food but this was HOT. It was delicious and we both enjoyed it but if it was any hotter I wouldn't have been able to eat it. If you want to try some unusual dishes this place is creative in their menu but it seemed to be trying to be some snooty, fancy, big city gourmet place and it was more awkward and fake feeling than anything.

    (3)

  • Matt M.

    Jerks. This winter we stopped in for a happy hour drink at 4:50. The doors were open and candles lit on the tables. Our group of 6 walked in and grabbed a few tables by the bar, excited to check out the hot new place in our area. Nobody seemed to be around. About 5 minutes later, two guys walked out from the back. One, the manager, said loudly to the other, "What the hell are they doing in here? Don't they know we aren't open yet? Who left the door open?!" We were embarrassed and said as much when the same server came over to tell us they wouldn't be open...for 5 more minutes. We said, "no problem. We don't mind waiting." His response, "No, you'll have to leave until we open." We laughed, but he was not joking. We left and never came back.

    (1)

  • Shannan L.

    Oh Blue Jacket.. . I really REALLY wanted to like you. I did. But tonite, FAIL. All of the tables were full, so we sat at the end of the bar. Not a problem. The bartender ( blonde girl with curley hair and a black "whiskey" shirt) DID NOT want to be there. She was wayyyyy too busy cleaning wine glasses to wait on us. Did I mention the bar WASNT busy? ? They literally give you a "book" of their wine, spirits, beer, etc. My mom's pretty basic, and was a little lost on their selections. Did the bartender ask if she needed explanation? Any recommendations? Nope. ... Thank god I've bartended for like 15yrs, right? Don't worry, I'll help you. FAIL. :( I felt like she was just too busy cleaning glasses to bother to tell us what the specials were, what's good, ANYTHING. SOMETHING. We ordered a fish platter, paid, and left. Just an epic service fail. Not going back.

    (2)

  • Shannon E.

    Great music, personable service and a really unique cocktail menu are what brings me back to this spot. The big windows roll open and it's like sitting outside. Tonight though - fried broccoli. OMG the first plate was so fantastic we had to order a second. If it couldn't get any more fab, the plank showed up with amazing local cheeses, smoked fish, and crazy flavors. Love this place.

    (5)

  • Tina D.

    We found this place via City Tin & had a wonderful evening. The drinks are interesting. I had the Dali & it was very refreshing. The Brussel sprouts are fabulous! I had lamb & husband had veal. Both delicious. We shared the deconstructed s'more dessert. We both hate marshmallows but these are like no marshmallow we ever had before. A fabulous evening with great food & service!

    (5)

  • Clay K.

    I had been hearing good things about Blue Jacket and was surprised to see it on the Journal top 30 list so quickly. My girlfriend and I both really enjoy small plate dining so this looked to be right up our alley. I was also pleased that they serve into the late night as I frequently find myself dining at late hours. We got to try it on Friday night and though I wanted to like this place in the worst way, we were sadly disappointed. The space is very pleasant with a cozy, inviting interior. The booths that ring the outer wall are nicely lit and overall the place presents as vibrant but also romantic. We had two of their specialty drinks and they were quite good. Our excitement gathered as we read the interesting and unusual items on their menu. Our first dish was a beet and goat cheese salad. It was good. The beets were pickled which gave it a bit of distinction for a dish that is being served in one way or another in a lot of restaurants right now. Our second dish was the pheasant. Small game birds are a real challenge. Being a fan of Alfred Portale's Gotham in New York I know just how amazing things like squab and pheasant can be. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most difficult to prepare as they can easily dry out. The pheasant here was so dry we had to send it back. It was simply inedible. The third dish we tried was a pork shoulder in a sauce described as cocoa and chili. This is essentially a pulled pork dish. Once again, the meat was disastrously dry as if it came from the last bit of a batch that had cooked far too long. The sauce was also peculiar. I'm a fan of mole, but this was more like a thin chocolate sauce and I didn't taste even a hint of chili. The dish had another issue. It was served only with a bit of sweet potato making for a sweet on sweet, mushy on mushy dish that lacked flavor and texture contrast. The service was impeccable and they met our issues with the first dish as they should - apologies and a complimentary replacement. My hope is that it was an off night. I'm going to give it another try and dig into more of their dishes. I'll revisit the review after I've done that.

    (2)

  • Linn E.

    My husband and I are huge fans of small plate dining, and have tried Blue Jacket twice. First off, the cocktails are terrific (no surprise there, with Nick and Ira behind the scenes). The food itself is also creative and delicious - but I have to concur with other reviews, the service can be lacking. Tonight, we left the smallest tip I can recall leaving and I was just torn up inside. I know how hard servers work for their income, but I also know that they should have a commitment to their position that ensures a pleasant experience for their customer. We were the first table seated of the evening, so service started out great. We ordered a few small plates...and then our menus were removed from the table. One would think that as a small plate restaurant, they would want to encourage continued ordering, but without a menu that's kind of hard to do. One of the plates we ordered was the cheese plate. The cheeses were identified by type but not by purveyor (do I sound too Portlandia yet?) - but I do like to know where the products come from in case I want to buy them for home. By the time there was nothing but cheese crumbs left on the board, it had been 15 minutes since we'd seen our waitress. After another 10 minutes of my husband trying to get someone's eye, I turned around in my chair and threw my arm over the back, looking at anyone at the bar to try to get their attention. The bartender noticed immediately and spoke to both the waitresses, who had been chatting at the far end of the bar the whole time. Our waitress came by and was quite brusque in all interactions after this, as if she'd already written off her tip. Well, with that reaction, she had. I love the location. I love the cocktails. I love the food. I want the service to be better - and with spillover from "that other small plate place" you would think Blue Jacket would be doing all it could to impress that crowd. Instead, it seemed that the bar regulars got most of the attention and the diners were left to themselves.

    (2)

  • Eric M.

    Let's help get this place off the ground and flying, Yelpers! They deserve mountains of praise because Milwaukee needs and craves for more places like Blue Jacket. My girlfriend and I were wowed by everything that came in front of us and I don't think I have had more fun at a meal in quite some time. They just opened so the menu is limited for the time being, but their small plates rocked. But first I must talk about the cocktails. The guys at Bittercube (A Milwaukee based bitters/craft cocktail company) are part owners of this place, and they have crafted a WORLD CLASS cocktail list at this place. I had the pleasure of meeting Nick, one of the Bittercube owners who came to the table to discuss what we were drinking. These cocktails would hold up in any restaurant, anywhere in the entire world. Everything was so incredible, I must itemize what we had... TO THE WIND: My favorite cocktail on the menu. Made with 100 proof whisky, but you wouldn't know it with how smooth this Manhattan variant turns out to be. After a sip, it takes about 5 second before you notice the beautiful afternotes of cherry and chocolate dancing over your palate. A MUST try. They outdid themselves with this one. SLING OF SORTS: Amazing gin cocktail with hints of dill and a lovely summery refreshing experience. So tasty, I guzzled it down. Like the To the Wind, the Port really seemed to tie it together. Incredible. THE DAILY GROG: What I got first, and it was punchy and very tasty. A great blend of juices made me feel like I was in the Carribbean. OF THE OLDER BUMBO: Just a magical rum drink served with a rind of grapefruit which perfectly accents this drink. Served in a little bottle which you pour yourself. Very nice touch. The food... simply delicious and creative... CARAMELIZED ONION COMPOTE: To die for. Very sinful, and so nice served on perfectly toasted bread. ROASTED BEETS: My girlfriend especially love this wonderful combination of goat cheese, pesto, and arugula. Amazing, amazing, amazing... CHEESE PLATE: Innovative, diverse, and gives you lots of combination of things to put in your mouth. I felt like a kid in a candy store. PICKLED VEGETABLES AND DEVILED EGGS: Spread the dill cream mixture on the eggs for something absolutely great. A ton of hard work and careful thought went into the opening of this restaurant. IT SHOWS. Hats off the bittercube and Laura, one of the owners who I had the pleasure of meeting. You guys killed it. I will be back many times and will be spreading the good work. Viva Milwaukee!

    (5)

  • Molly B.

    Honestly not a great experience at Blue Jacket. For small/large plates, the portions weren't ideal for sharing and certainly not worth the price. Any fan of reasonably priced tapas should walk the few extra feet to La Merenda.

    (2)

  • Ashley K.

    We live right around the corner from Blue Jacket and have been anxiously awaiting it's opening. The transformation from the old Triangle Bar to Blue Jacket is incredible, it's hard to believe it's even the same place. The restaurant- both inside and out- is absolutely beautiful. We were there on the 3rd day open and were the first to sit on the patio. All of the staff was extremely friendly and the service was great. The drink menu was refreshingly unique from specialty cocktails to wines to beers other then the usual Miller and PBR. We just had a couple appetizers since we weren't really hungry but those were great. I can't wait to go again and try some of their entrees because they all sounded amazing. Get to this place before it gets discovered because once it does it's going to be crowded all the time!

    (5)

  • Jon S.

    Ate at Crazy Water and Blue Jacket about 5 hours apart in the same night. Crazy Water was great. Blue Jacket has potential but.... a few problems: 1. It was about 11pm and some of the staff seemed a little wasted. I kept seeing them stick their finger in a large glass of cream concoction behind the bar that they were putting in peoples drinks. Then they let one of the bar patrons stick their finger in it. 2. Sitting at the bar, I started with tea, and nobody came back to ask if I wanted another drink (which I did) 3. Food was sloppy... duck was medium well and there were strong whole peppercorns on the duck that were not ground at all, meat tray was subpar and no bread was offered, gnocchi were really greasy, rice way over-dressed, caramel based desert cake came out almost frozen cold when it should have been warm. (kimchee deviled eggs were amazing though) 4. We ordered the pho and they brought us duck instead (huh? ... see #1 wasted staff) Nobody came back for 20 minutes to see how our food was so we just ate it. A hot restaurant is a hot restaurant in this city I guess, but this place seems to lack management and service at this point... still better than eating at George Webbs late night I guess. Other people on this sight seem to be happy with the service and food so maybe we just got unlucky... Will try again in a few years.

    (2)

  • Jim S.

    New restaurant with a good vibe. Cocktails are great. Atmosphere very nice. Service can be uneven. 5 of 6 small plates were excellent. Loved the corn soup and chicken plates, but mushroom was very small and disappointing. Desserts seem overpriced -- might be better off walking to get ice cream at Purple Moon. Overall, would return to see what seasonal items have come up with. Come early to beat the crowd and get better service

    (4)

  • Jennifer W.

    Sometimes you just need to get in touch with your inner fancy pants. On these occasions, a place like Blue Jacket will really fit the bill. Imagine my surprise when I arrived all confident and full of certainty on a Tuesday night at 5:30 that my two friends and I would secure a table with no problem. Au contraire! We did get a table, but it was the last one available. On a Tuesday. In Milwaukee. At 5:30. Our waiter, Marquez, was fabulous and adorable and it was only his second day on the job. We started with an onion/gruyere spread and the roasted vegetable poutine. Both were very rich and very delicious. For the entrees, two of us had the seared scallops (amazing) and the third had the sirloin steak which was impeccable. The menu is small but diverse and inviting. The ambiance is very nice, though as the evening progressed it got quite loud and quite warm. This is clearly a hip and happening place, with a really great chef on hand. I would probably only go for a special occasion, but would recommend this place to anyone.

    (5)

  • H B.

    WOW. Very impressed. Great service. Excellent attention to detail. Most importantly amazing food. The Egg Bake is out of this world; the flavors. Top that with a fresh croissant; good to go. Daily quiche's with clever combinations. A new little gem for Milwaukee.

    (5)

  • Bob O.

    Blue Jacket is a fantastic place to hang out with friends and their cocktail program is one of the best - where else can you find must-try drinks made with Sri Lankan arrack ?! Where do you find this stuff?

    (5)

  • Steven W.

    Just left BJ on a Friday night. Place was pretty empty tonight. I've heard lots of good stuff about the food and vibe here. Our waiter was relaxed and friendly. The cocktails were complexly unique. It's hard to know where each drink was going. The food was good but did not wow me. A salmon poke was missing the salmon! The fettuccine were cold and too al dente. The mussels were nicely done but the portion seemed to be under a half pound only. The bread pairing with the mussels was a hearty multigrain that did not match the mussels. The octopus was sparse, as well. Our party shared a combo plank appetizer. It came with 6 small slices of bread. This is way too little for such a large sharing first course. We asked for more and were told it would be $2!!!! On principle, we refused to have 6 more small slivers of a baguette for $2. This ranks as the dumbest and stupidest way to irritate your customers. The extra bread might cost the restaurant $0.25!!!! Overall this experience does not portend well for Blue Jacket. I have lots of better choices.

    (2)

  • Victoria C.

    Went here for brunch last Saturday with family. The duck patty melt was amazing. The bread was slathered and fried in butter which was like crack. I am gluten-free but this was a vacation so I went with it and it was so delicious. Now I want to buy ground duck and create my own at home sans bread. The server was on it and the outdoor seating was a nice urban treat. The only downfall I'd say is the place reminds me of a ship, so brunch is probably the only time I would come.

    (4)

  • Jill K.

    I'm far too lazy to write what's already been said but suffice it to say that Blue Jacket wins on all 3 of my most important categories: atmosphere, service and food. Everything was delicious. Gotta love that there are more restaurants embracing the local concept. We'll be back.

    (5)

  • Kaela Z.

    Really liked this new bar/restaurant. Loved the beachy ambiance and easy breezy feel. Food was good, drinks were good, service was good. I'll definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Candice O.

    Fantastic meals including dessert. Will return for sure to try the drink menu

    (4)

  • Thomas G.

    Just logging in to star how cool this place is.

    (5)

  • Morgan M.

    I felt the need to post about my 5 star experience: Off the path location. Great vibe. Simple and modern decor. The Wine, beer, and spirits list was perfectly price pointed. Cheese plate had 3 cheeses and awesome pickled veggies. Market salad had fantastic dressing and was wonderfully crisp. Steak was handsome and cooked to a buttery medium rare. :) Not to mention that the service was fun, hip, and attention driven. Couldn't ask for much more.

    (5)

  • P A.

    This place was just silly. The plates are very small, which might have worked if the tastes were exquisite. Unfortunately the flavors were generally just boring and awkward. The cheese plate reminded me of a bird feeder. The drinks were pretty tasty but served in tiny water glasses.

    (1)

  • Kristina K.

    Gorgeous new restaurant/bar in Walkers Point. This is a must on anyone's list of things to do this summer. Cute patio, tasty cocktails, and fabulous eats. We had the ricotta pancakes, which came with a dollop of sour cream and sauerkraut, sooo good. I was really hoping to have a chance to taste the rye crusted cheese curds, but apparently the chef didn't like their consistency and has now taken them off the menu...Either way, I am excited to see how their menu develops.

    (5)

  • Stefanie C.

    This place really blew my mind! The food, we had: pork hash, huckleberry pancakes and 2 eggs with sausage, potatoes and a biscuit. I can't say enough. We shared everything between friends and all agreed, best pancakes we've ever had! The servers are exceptional, the owner was super engaging. He's repurposed most of the wood work in the restaurant. Check this place out!!

    (5)

  • Melissa S.

    This was my first visit to Blue Jacket and I started off my experience by sitting outside on the patio it's close to the street but because this place is at the end of the block the traffic was pretty light. View faces Downtown which looked nice during this lunch hour. Would like to check it out at night. Shared some plates so we ordered the cheese plate, mixed meat plate and beet salad with goat cheese. Cheese plate offered two unique cheeses and classic aged cheddar along with baguette, apples, pistachios and honey. Meat plate was gastro pub at its best with thin slices of tongue, a shrimp turrine and house made thick sliced bacon. Couldn't resist trying one of their many cocktails so opted for the Dali which is blend of tequila, yellow chartreuse, aperol and lime. Quite refreshing but had to wonder what kind of tequila they used. Had enough bite to be a reposado but would have been smoother with an anejo. Overall a good first experience and I even got to use a City Tin coupon. I'll definitely be back to try out other options on their food and cocktail menus.

    (4)

  • Erin L.

    Didn't quite live up to the hype or the price tag. Service was SOOOOOO slow. I had to get my own bread, water, and even the bill. I swear they forgot we were out there. The meat and cheese plate, was okay. The best part was the cheese, but the blue cheese was a little too blue if you know what i mean. we had the octopus and the salmon, and I would get the salmon again. The best part about our experience were the BANGIN cocktails, while expensive, they were good and I would come back for those and maybe just go eat at la merenda next store :)

    (3)

  • Dave S.

    I can't believe they have been open two years and this is our first visit. Great location just off 1st and national. Super cute outdoor eating, check. Garage door in front so even inside is out on a nice day, check. Really interesting menu. Meat and fish plate had tongue, thick house cured bacon and a shrimp dish. Also had the cheese plate with three cool cheeses and pistachios. Finished off with a refreshing beet salad. Solid four. Will be back for sure and perhaps a five in the future.

    (4)

  • D S.

    Outdoor seating. Good, but small-ish, drinks. Excellent food, particularly the steak. Waiter could have been a liiiiittle more attentive, but he was pleasant. I can't imagine how little seating there is in the winter. Would DEF go back!

    (4)

  • Mary Beth Q.

    I don't know what I"ll miss more going back to New York -- the brussels that I want to eat by the vatful for the rest of my life or our delight of a server, Brid. I mean Brian. He gets it. I mean everything was great.

    (5)

  • Bobby P.

    Very stylish and pleasant dinning room/bar, the sturgeon was a very fine piece of fish, prepared perfectly. Also had a tasty Vegetable Stew. The cocktails are great esp. the Gimlet.

    (5)

  • Rick R.

    Since my visit in November right after the change in chef to the current Chef Justice Neal, I've noticed great strides in improving the menu, especially with my most recent visit for dinner a couple of weeks ago to try the new Spring menu. This review is more of a 4 1/2 star review because I said the word "wow" on this dinner visit, as I did on my prior lunch visit, and the chef continues to tweak and improve the dishes and the menu. That's what I look for and I expect 5 stars is in the near future. After getting recommendations, we started with the Blistered Asparagus ($9). A stack of asparagus spears, topped with pickled onions, rested in a plate of citrus, shallot, garlic and honey. They were perfectly cooked and I enjoyed the flavor combinations of sweet, salty, a bit of sour and bitterness. Next up was the Beet Salad ($10). If I remember right, the orange beets were pickled and the red beets were roasted and both were combined with frisee, arugula, croutons, goat cheese-creme fraiche, and a honey vinaigrette. The goat cheese-creme fraiche was beneath the salad, so we tried to get as many ingredients together as possible to taste with it for the intended bite. We enjoyed the beet salad, but would have liked more beets, so it would be featured more than it was in a dish carrying its name. We were then treated to an experimental dish for a possible future menu or special.Pastrami Crusted Pork Belly, served over house made spaetzle and red onion jam and drizzled with a mustard creme fraiche. I don't think I have to tell you how great this dish was, but I will anyway. The pork belly carried the spicy flavors of the pastrami and provided a great balance of meat and fat. The sear was absolutely perfect. Our only suggestion was to go a bit lighter on the seasoning, since we tasted a bit too much salt. The spaetzle was not the usual boring, bland and soft variety that I've had at several places before. It was lightly seasoned and slightly pan fried to provide a crisp texture to contrast the soft center. Loved it! The red onion jam and mustard creme fraiche added great layers of salty, sour and bitter flavors. I would definitely order this dish if I saw it on the menu. Finally, we ordered the special of the weekend, a 14-ounce bone-in ribeye (ordered medium rare), served with chopped asparagus spears, roasted fingerling potatoes, morel mushrooms, ramps, sorel, and an incredible rampy butter! Yes, I said RAMP BUTTER! This was probably the most flavorful and perfectly prepared ribeye I've ever had! The seasoning and exterior sear were both spot on. The steak was cooked to medium rare as we ordered, with a couple of center spots closer to rare. We worked to get all of the ingredients on the plate into one bite. We tasted the ramp butter on its own several times, then with various other ingredients. It was rich and creamy and perfectly salty, while lightly bitter. It was brilliant! Ofcourse, we would have loved more morels, but they were certainly present. We just had to move a few other ingredients around to find them. We went on our own mini morel foraging mission. This was easily one of the best dishes I've had anywhere, and at $40, it needed to be. You'll pay $40 for a steak WITHOUT the potatoes, morels, and asparagus at some of Milwaukee's steak houses, but they won't all taste as good as this one. Blue Jacket always uses fresh and local ingredients, and the steak alone was clearly of very high quality, so I have to issues with the price of this dish. The ramp butter alone would have been worth at least $5 to me. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for announcements of weekly specials, such as Wednesday night swings and Thursday night housemade pasta. I'm pleased with where Blue Jacket is and where it is heading. If you haven't been yet, go. It's time.

    (4)

  • Katie K.

    Really glad city tin 2014 and 2015 brought me back. I have been to Blue Jacket maybe 3 times now, with the first being a poor experience. There have been many change overs since, manger, chef (twice now I think), menu's and my last three experiences have been solid. I took the last two opportunities to use my City Tin (man I love those!). I recently read Blue Jacket is once again have difficulties (Chapter 11) so I was hesitant to go. I was wonder, well, does this mean it will be sub par again? I am hear to say no. Service was really friendly, I haven't had personal problem with service. I really love the location and restaurant itself. The structure is very open with lots of windows but yet very cozy and warm inside. Perfect place for a date night. If you read my last review I was extremely disappointed in the Scallops. They were cooked to perfection this time. I will say presentation was better last time (see pictures) but that doesn't matter much to me. Did they taste good. Yes. Cooked correctly. Yes. I am not sure about the carrot puree though. A bit bland. I am a no salt type of gal so this probably speaks volumes for those of you who like a little more sodium in your diet. Also for $28, three mussels with a smear of puree will no way fill you up. So pricey for a little amount. Maybe with a risotto I would be a little more satisfied. Sean's Mussels were in a different broth this time. They were cooked perfectly. I prefer the curry broth on one of our prior visits. Curry is very hit or miss. You either love it or hate it. I happen to love it. The waitress gave Sean extra bread to finish his broth this time, he really enjoyed it. I also had what is called "Pasta" knowing that three scallops leave me hungry. Pasta was very good. Not too much, not too little of a serving. I would order this again. I just love feta cheese so if this isn't your thing, Pasta isn't for you. I have to be honest here, Pasta is good but doesn't blow my mind. I could make this at home. I go out to eat for items I will ruin in the kitchen, say like, scallops. Pasta is simple. Maybe too simple. What I miss is the daily grog. I didn't see it this time. Blue Jacket used to have a really cool, unusual cocktail menu. This visit the cocktail I ordered was good (something with Gin naturally) but not great. I think Blue Jacket needs to get a little more creative with their cocktails again. I read somewhere the bitters were too expensive, took too much preparation but there are a few other restaurants in the area really blowing my mind with Gin concoctions. My rule of thumb is: can the husband make it at home for me? If yes, well I wouldn't need to step out to buy it then. Dessert. Not impressed. Bland mouse with some kick butt peanut butter topping but mixed with pineapple. See picture. Would not order again. Overall, I will likely be back again and recommend this place. What is lacking is a really creative/ blow my mind menu for dinner or for cocktails. I really hope Blue Jacket can pull it together because this is a super cute location!

    (3)

  • Kevin C.

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin I dinned at the Blue Jacket in October 13 with 6 restaurant business associates. We tried nearly everything on the menu. A couple items (the poutine for one) were pretty good. The rest were mediocre at best. The mushroom small plate was terrible. Billed as mushroom"s" plural, i swear there was only one chewy mushroom, with some type of sauce that tasted like anise was generously added. All 6 of us agreed it was awful. And for $10, very disappointing. The lamb belly w ice cream was just plain weird, creative yes: tasty no. On a positive note the duck meatballs were very good. The place is trendy and the service was very good. The food however was not.

    (2)

  • Rachel F.

    Finally made it to Blue Jacket... and for lunch, no less! This place seems to be really up and down with Milwaukee Yelpers and the community on the whole; people rave, and well, also not so much. I went in with a neutral expectation, as I'm a big fan of the whole "try for yourself, then decide" way of doing things when it comes to polarity in reviews and feedback. (If there's no prevailing aggregate sentiment, you have to go in with zero expectation IMO.) So! Lunch. I was the first person there on a really nice Friday afternoon. The ambiance is darling and our server was really nice; she went out of her way to explain certain menu items and made sure that my dining companion was fully informed on her options, as she's was/is/will be in the future a veggie. I opted for the cod sandwich ($12) with soup - cream of beet w/ a cilantro drizzle. The soup was AWESOME. The sandwich was pretty dang solid/okay: a little bread-y for my liking (bread to fish ratio = 2:1) but other than that, it was good. The batter on the cod was light enough as our server explained it would be, so not too heavy and no surprises there. 3.75, rounding up to 4 stars. Did I fall in love w/ Blue Jacket? No. Would I return for lunch? Yes. The price points were reasonable enough and the location in spot on. Milwaukee's lunch game is abysmal and I see opportunity for them to standout in that regard. I didn't really pour over the dinner menu, so I'd definitely do that online before committing to a dinner res and scrill drop to make sure I knew what I was getting into, but... yeah. Good job Blue Jacket! You're A-OK/pretty dang solid by me.

    (4)

  • Carrie G.

    At the request of friends I decided to give Blue Jacket another try. And I'm not so glad that I did. The one star that remains is for the cocktails, which are stellar. My third visit this summer was for brunch and both Bloody Mary selections are can't miss. The Red Snapper incorporates the mellow Citadel Gin for an interesting cucumber-ish twist. And the Caesar taps into Clamato juice for a seafood infusion type bloody. Very sadly that's where the good news ends. I'll spare the terrible details but it amounts to poor service (indifferent, inattentive, untrained) and poor food (RAW poached eggs, hard as rock bread, and cold food that should be served hot). All errors and miscues fall into the Restauranting 101 category. This is a really cool remodel of an old corner tavern in a foodie haven that it's a shame Blue Jacket can't seem to up their game.

    (1)

  • Theryan A.

    The service by the ancillary staff was excellent. My water glass was constantly refilled and the hostesses were exceptionally friendly. Our waitress was also friendly, but it seemed as though they were understaffed as there were long breaks between her visits. There the compliments have to end. After spending close to $100 on a meal for two, I walked out of the place just as hungry as I had been walking in. My girlfriend ordered the rillette and the brussels sprouts, and I ordered the lamb. The taste of the food was fine. I'd give particular compliments to the brussels sprouts, but really, when you're deep frying anything and covering it in parmesan cheese, it's not difficult to make it taste good. I did have a bite of my girlfriend's rillette, and I confess I wanted more, but since the portion size was about that of a chicken nugget, I couldn't in good conscience take more. The same goes for the lamb that I ordered, except even worse. At twice the price of the rillette, I expected either twice the quality of food or, as the waitress had indicated, an entree sized meal. Nope. I got two pieces of lamb with maybe one strawberry sliced thin atop a bed of arugula. I will say the arugula was fresh, but each piece of lamb had meat roughly equivalent to a chicken wing*. And it wasn't particularly flavorful. The portions are just laughably small. If you decide to order the entire menu, and money is not an option, you might feel OK about this experience. So, right now, don't go here to eat. At least not for dinner. If you'd like to pay for a really expensive tasting, do it. I hope the members of the waitstaff do well for themselves, though, as they were the best part of the experience. *sorry for all of the chicken comparisons, but the portion sizes and shapes, in addition to the fact that I had to go to a bar and order chicken wings immediately after so that I could actually feel as though I had eaten something, led us to this point.

    (1)

  • Kelly B.

    I stopped in around 6:30 on a Friday for dinner and drinks. I didn't have a reso and didn't feel like waiting so we quickly snagged two open seats at the bar. The bar was small, maybe 10 barstools? Maybe less. The drink list was complicated and a lot of the ingredients needed to be described to me - luckily the bartendress was attentive and thoughtfully explained the cocktails. I settled on the Winter Gimlet. She got to work measuring and swirling and concocting - she handed me a tiny chalice with a refill carafe. There was a mint leaf floating on top with three drops of bitters. It was a deliciously strong drink. We started to look through the menu and there were no vegetarian (also don't eat fish) options! I was shocked. The ladies that were seated next to us (read, pretty damn close) ordered a charcuterie platter that came out absolutely covered in pickled fish. It reeked SOOOO bad that we seriously felt ill. I stuck my nose in my glass to keep from vomiting, and then we slurped the rest and bailed. Overall, disappointed in the food options, but the drinks were top notch!

    (4)

  • Katie S.

    Hip and beachwashed. The gals and I ventured in for a drink and were pleasantly surprised! It's on a great corner location, albeit 3 blocks off the beaten path. There is a parking lot across the street, which always garners bonus points from me. It has those big garage door windows and it was a nice day out so it was pleasant and breezy. They had a decent beer selection and a smattering of crafty drinks. I had the daily grog with nutmeg which was fresh and fun. We grabbed a seat on the sidewalk which since it's not on the main drag was fairly quiet except for the occasional train. The server who stopped by was.....friendly, but in an odd, too cool for school, skinny pants kind of way. He suggested the last drink on the cocktail list, but we had to press him for a more descriptive word than "boozy". It was good...dark and sexy and warming and had some drunken cherries in it to boot. That drink deserved a bear rug in front of a fire in a stone hearth in a cabin with huge glass windows looking out at a thunderstorm. They had what looked to be delectable dishes but they all looked on the light side and we happened to be looking for a larger dinner that night. Overall, a good first experience!

    (4)

  • Samantha C.

    Delicious small plates and good beers! Great place for a romantic date or to hang with friends on the patio.

    (4)

  • Lauren S.

    They have good but smaller entrees. They were out of chicken and pork when our group arrived. They had fish left but it wasn't very good. The drinks were good but expensive.

    (3)

  • John A.

    Lets get the expensive thing out of the way. It was expensive. It was also very very good. Kimchi deviled eggs and mussels in a delicious broth made this dinner delicious. Had an odd gin drink as well, didn't like it much however I am sure that was my fault for ordering straight gin with a bit of some type of fruit in the middle of it.

    (4)

  • Sarah M.

    Amazing food. The fried Brussel sprouts were wonderful. Service is great. Fun side note, you can bring your own records and they will play the,.

    (5)

  • Nicole H.

    Just stopped for a drink and dessert, but so far so good. I'll definitely come back to sample more. The daily grog was a blend of tropical fruity coconut mango deliciousness that was refreshing on a crazy hot night. I'm a pate a choux snob, but my cream puffs were the perfect consistency - again with the light and refreshing on a hot night. Table-mates had the chocolate dessert (chipotle something something) and salted caramel ice cream with pistachios, both of which were delicious. Loved that the dessert choices hit all the different notes one might want in post-dinner fare. My bite of the chocolate thingy was good, but not what I was in the mood for. I was happy for my light, refreshing cream puffs and the zingy grapefruit was an unexpected but awesome flavor choice. The pistachio crumble on the salted crumble gave great texture to some truly delectable ice cream. So glad we came here and topped off the night.

    (4)

  • Michael H.

    My wife and I had dinner on Saturday (2/7). Excellent service and food. Great experience.

    (5)

  • Marge Y.

    I came into Blue Jacket for Mother's Day Brunch with my mother and sister, we had not made a reservation as our plans were a little last minute... but luckily they were able to slip us in on a highboy (but we were informed we only had an hour due to other reservations). I really had my eye on the outside seating cause it was such a gorgeous day, but failed to make the request. The overall feel of the restaurant is kind of cramped, due to the fact that it is a pretty small space (but the booths look nice and roomy). There is a rustic nautical decor about the place, very clean and simple. It took awhile for our server to greet us... I didn't even think she was our server cause she passed by us many times without acknowledging us. I'm guessing she didn't know we were her table right away... or at least that's what I like to believe. My sister and I both had mimosas while mom went for a bloody mary. The drinks were good, but nothing to write home about. I kept seeing this bubbly delicious looking pink drink with a strawberry slice on the rim and had to ask the server what and how I could get one of those. It was called Strawberry Rhubarb I believe, and it was on the specials board... an outstanding drink! I don't exactly remember what we all ordered... I was very satisfied with my pancakes though, I recall them being very delicious and topped with an orange cream (just a little dollop complimented each bite). I know there was another ingredient that pulled the whole dish together, but I cant remember what that was. Mom had the chorizo and egg tacos, which were average at best... It just seemed like something was missing that would've pulled the whole dish together. My sister had some sort of breakfast bowl type thing which consisted of potatoes, eggs, and pork... which was surprisingly good. Forgive my lack of detail on the plate descriptions... the experience is no longer fresh in my memory. Blue Jacket is definitely over priced for the size of their plates, but I do hold an understanding of how much small businesses put into their pursuit to be successful and maintain high quality... so I do understand how price comes into effect that way. BUT when the quality of your service is below average it ruins the whole experience, it's what can make or break you... and from what I've read in other reviews, not many people have been satisfied with the service they have received here. I personally was indifferent about the service we received; the waitress wasn't very present or informative. It would've been nice to have someone warm and welcoming... especially on an occasion such as Mothers Day. I firmly believe in tipping no less then 18%, and that is exactly what we tipped... It's a shame because she probably knows she can get by on the bare minimum of service and still make a decent cut due to the fact that the bill is typically a large amount. It's really hurting the business owners I'm sure, cause who wants to go out and spend good money for below average attentiveness?

    (3)

  • Tina L.

    Went on a Saturday night, with a reservation made that same night, and loved it. First of all they have parking (big plus). We sat outside and the patio was very cute and we had plenty of room. The hostess was great and our server was phenomenal. The food and drinks matched. Big drink menu and we had four total that were delicious. We ordered 4 plates and dessert and were not disappointed. I found the plates to be sized right according to this type of place. The food tasted amazing! Eager to go back and try brunch.

    (5)

  • Cheri G.

    Are restaurants typically closed on Sundays? After yelping/driving around trying to find somewhere to have an early evening meal, we came across Blue Jacket. A cute corner-restaurant with an open and inviting dining area. We were looking for a light meal and the plates offered looked delicious. Right away we were greeted with pure friendliness. Brian was extremely thorough with the whole menu, suggesting that the Roasted Vegetable Poutine would be just right for two. We ordered that along with a bowl of Sweet Corn Soup with a douse of Chili Oil. The Poutine is extremely addicting. It IS enough for two, however it is so good I could have easily eaten the entire thing myself because you just cannot stop eating it. Dangerous dish! The Sweet Corn Soup was amazing as well: Silky smooth and the chilli oil was a great compliment. The atmosphere was amazing, relaxing, and the bartenders/wait staff are all extremely friendly. We will be back soon, I can't wait to try some of their cocktails!

    (4)

  • Preeti B.

    We got a lot of snacks between 5 of us..the Rangoon and the "extra bread" was to die for!!

    (4)

  • Cory T.

    COME HUNGRY. LEAVE STARVING. When we walked into the newly minted Blue Jacket, I had high hopes that this tapas restaurant would break a losing streak amongst "small plate" venues we've sampled. But the breathtaking makeover of the former Triangle Bar proved that beauty really is only skin deep. RESERVATIONS If you have a party of six or more, you'll need reservations. We had five in our party, and seating was diners' choice. We decided to sit outside in the patio area. It was a slow start until traffic began to fill the tastefully appointed restaurant, and perhaps it was a foreshadowing of the excruciatingly long wait we had ahead of us. Spoiler alert: we arrived at 6, and left at 8:30! I knew we were in trouble when Jeeves started in with the pretentious bullshit that is apparently mandatory for a tapas restaurant. We have our "wine program" and our "beer program," and our... Not offensive, but comical. Why do places feel a need to do this? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The list is printed on a paper menu, no doubt crafted with the assistance of that sommelier--known to his friends as "Xerox." And where is the sommelier to charter us through "the program"? I don't seem to see him anywhere. NOT AMUSED. AMUSE-BOUCHE'D. We ordered drinks and an appetizer (more like an amuse-bouche) deemed the Artisan Cheese "Plank." I highlight "plank," because the way it dwarfed the food offerings, it might as well have been a surf board. What was missing? The cheese. There were five of us, and about an ounce of gorgonzola, four 1" X 1" shavings of pecorino, a splinter of brie, and some crumbles of bleu cheese. Then there was a gherkin slivered into four pieces (I kid you not!), a pickled string bean, a pickled dried chive, a savory cucumber slice, a teaspoon of peach preserves, seven shelled pistachio nuts, and three marinated apple slices. It came with two slices of bread and some unleavened water-cracker style pieces. Unless you are a table of Liliputians, you will not appreciate this "plank." A five year old could pick more out of his nose. $14. Two of us ordered Market Salads ($7). I didn't have one, but they were fresh, colorful, and the presentation was appealing. THE WARNING Meryl Streep (Death Becomes Her): "And NOW a warning!?!" After waiting a queen's age for our very good drinks to make the journey from the bar to our table, we were served up a warning: "being that our kitchen is small, and we want to serve the food at the correct temperature, we tend to bring out the entrees as they come up. There might be a small wait in between dishes." We ignored the warning, not realizing the full impact of what our waitress was trying to tell us. NOT WORTH THE WAIT Where was our food? It was 7:15, and nothing. I was ready to break out a Ouija board for a prediction. Mussels ($12) came up first. They were oddly paired with a curry seasoning, and served with the life-sustaining bread. This dish was inhaled. The rest of us just sat there looking at each other, and trying to ignore the awkward wait. Who would be next? The answer came twenty-five minutes later at 7:40, when one pork loin, and one chicken breast entree arrived. One tepid, one ice cold. Flavors were good, but not spectacular. Why? Because even the best dishes fall short when not served hot. Although, at this point I'd have eaten the ass out of a skunk and been grateful for the privilege. That left two without entrees. STILL. All I could think about was how I wish I could get a looped track of the Jeopardy Theme Song and harass the kitchen staff with it until they produced our food. There is hardly any food on any of these damn plates, seriously how long do they need! At one point, the conversation had turned to accurately naming the marshmallow shapes and colors in a box of Lucky Charms. I think that says it all. I wished I had smuggled in a bowl of them. T-I-I-I-I-ME IS ON YOUR SIDE--NO IT'S NOT, NO IT'S NOT!!!!!! We asked if we could order a basket of bread, since one of us finished our meal, and two had food in front of them, and two had NOTHING. The bread came out at...wait for it....wait for it...8:05! But that's not all folks....The brain trust brings it to the table next to us, who is probably new to tapas dining and no doubt thinks it's complimentary. About five minutes later, out comes our bread. No wonder some of the pieces were unleavened--symbolic of the bread the Jews packed for their little 40-day stint in the dessert. Finally the remaining entrees came. If you're paying attention, it is now 8:10. THE BILL I thought it a bit tacky, if not petty, to include the bread that took nearly a half hour to arrive, and was only ordered because of the GM assembly-line disparity in timing between entrees. Nothing on the menu stood out as something for which one would return. Not a good value: $44 per person. The vote was unanimous at our table: WE WON'T BE BACK.

    (1)

  • Nick G.

    Girlfriend and I dined there with another couple last night. Here's the deal, it's small, super chill and sexy, and very busy. Had a res at 900. Sat comfortably at the bar for an hour. The hipsters (I am not one but say that with affection) staffing the joint could not have be more apologetic about the group lingering at what would have been our table. When we were sat, we were purchased a round of drinks on the house. Try to find somewhere these days that will throw down like that. Not many will. Especially at $10 a drink. The food an drinks are superb. I def don't throw out 5 stars often. Blue jacket deserves all 5 on this trip. Our server was also kind and entertaining! Awesome!!

    (5)

  • Kelsey J.

    The ambiance was great. It was a beautiful autumn night, the windows were open and I loved it. Very cute inside. The drinks were also fun lots of good craft cocktails. Service was attentive and upbeat, but then came the food... very mediocre. We had a pickled veggie tray with a deviled egg, nothing special, very very small, a few julienned veggies and 1 egg. For our entrees we shared the panzanella salad and duck meatballs over polenta. Our bread salad was not very good, portion very small as well and too much vinegar, veggies didn't have much flavor, mushy, overall kind of blah. Meatballs were dry and luke warm, the polenta was good but nothing special. I don't mind small portions but they should be priced appropriately. Overall I loved the ambiance, I would go back for a drink but the food, lackluster.

    (3)

  • Abby T.

    Great cocktails, but very limited menu. There are only a few apps and meals to choose from, which ended up being delicious, but I was disappointed in the lack of variety. Prices are on the higher side, but I would go back for an appetizer and drink before eating dinner elsewhere!

    (4)

  • Val S.

    I had a great experience at Blue Jacket last evening. I am an outof towner, and decided to drive down to Walkers Point area and randomly look for a restaurant. I saw the rating for Blue Jacket, and decided to give it a try, without realizing that it was a new restaurant. I was by myself, and had some computer work to do, and took a seat at the bar with the intent of mixing document editing with food and drink. I was fortunate that the seat I chose was very close to where Daniel, the manager, was working mixing drinks. Throughout the evening, I was able to watch him make a number of interesting cocktails, and he provided some explanation of the flavor profiles he was trying to achieve. In addition to his work at Blue Jacket, he also has a relationship with the Bittercube Bitters company, and he had a few moments to tell me about their product. My only regret was that I ordered a beer initially when I sat down...though it was tasty, in retrospect I wish I had started with their Grog...I will have to rectify that next time. My meal was very good.....roasted beet salad with goat cheese....pork loin with charred peaches and an aux jus.....and a Chipotle Sabayon which Daniel suggested pairing with a Negroni. At the end of the meal, the Chef came out and asked me how I enjoyed the meal, and we chatted for a few moments. Overall....very relaxed atmosphere.....very nice wait staff.....Daniel the manager was great....cocktails were tasty and inventive (though I need to try more of them)...and the food well prepared and delicious. Definitely a place to return to. By the way, Daniel mentioned that they source some of their produce from the Restaurant Supported Agriculture (RSA?) place that Braise uses, insuring extemely fresh ingredients.

    (5)

  • Justin T.

    My wife and I stopped by for an early dinner around 5:00 on a Friday. I think this place has a lot of potential but is working through some startup bumps before hitting its stride. The food was good, my wife's duck meat balls were pretty good although not as world beating as they sounded on the menu. I ordered the whitefish and it was phenomenal. Cocktails were also split, my aquavit smash was excellent, my wife's cocktail was fine but not inspiring. The cocktail and beer list in general are spectacular. The three star rating is based on the atmosphere. I recognize we were there before the restaurant filled up, so it was not bustling. Yet, I think the staff and management need to find a better place to discuss business and organization stuff. The back of house talk is a bit distracting and awkward for customers, and in a quiet restaurant it made the ambiance a bit weird. No one wants to listen to a manager critiquing service et cetera. We all get that at our own jobs. I respect that they were coaching and actively managing the staff, but I don't need to hear it. Perhaps some music during quieter times would help. Bottom line: I will absolutely be back to give them a number of chances to impress me. Reasonable cost for the quality and the physical space is great.

    (3)

  • Sheree R.

    Lately my husband and I have been attracted to the small plate and charcuterie restaurants, so Blue Jacket was right for us. We started at the bar with meticulously made cocktails - not something we are used to finding at home - and they were spot on. If you're looking for the "Wisconsin-style" Old Fashioned, this is NOT the place, rather the alcohol is the star and bitters and orange peel add to the aroma of the cocktail. Husband had a gin gimlet made with Rosemary - outstanding! We move to a table and ordered the cheese plate and the meat plate, an array of wonderful Wisconsin-made artisan cheeses and meats and we loved every bite. (OK, the head cheese is not our thing, but we both gave it a go and found it perfectly edible.) Then we shared a bowl of fettuccine with savory, locally grown herbs that was heavenly. Honestly, we love to eat this way. It's much more satisfying than the typical 4-course meal, where the app and salad course leave you feeling full before the entre has arrived. And fresh, locally sourced ingredients is the only way to go. Wisconsin artisan cheeses are the best! The service at Blue Jacket was perfect, very attentive but not overbearing. We'll be back!

    (4)

  • Steve S.

    I have nothing but praise for this wonderful addition to the Milwaukee food scene. The food may be a bit pricey but the experience is well worth it. Between the expertly hand-crafted seasonal cocktails, the well thought out menu, and exceptional service, Blue Jacket does not disappoint. I would suggest starting off with one of their signature planks to share (enough for 2 - 4 for an appetizer), followed by one of the meticulously prepared plates (I had the Crepinette).

    (5)

  • Christina D.

    Great food, great drinks, excellent service and atmosphere. I love that they take risks with their menu and offer things that you don't normally see in Milwaukee (octopus).

    (4)

  • Dana G.

    Thrilled with the cocktails: very dry botanical Seasonal Gimlet and Journey's End rum& bitters. Loved our Brussels sprouts and Mexican Corn small plates too. Lovely dining room and outdoor patio seating. Definitely want to return for more!

    (5)

  • John F.

    We had intended to go to the restaurant next door and happened to walk into the Blue Jacket out of curiosity. I am so happy we did. Mike was the 1st person we met and he is the definition of a craft bartender. It was refreshing to see appropriate sized cocktails! Thankfully, the 8 oz martini does not exist here. Great vibe at the bar, which is where we dined. The wait staff is experienced and proud of their new restaurant. The menu was well priced for the quality of the food we ate. The portions are appropriately sized. We are tired of restaurants that serve Wisconsin sized meals meals. Thankfully, Blue Jacket's focus is on quality not quantity. We had such an enjoyable experience on Friday night, we returned on Saturday night!

    (5)

  • Lisa J.

    My husband and I LOVE blue jacket! Delicious refreshing summer cocktails! We had the fish/cheese plank. I could eat a whole bowl of their whitefish rillette. I don't like beets but the salad was quite delicious! The steak was nice and tender, I'm a sucker for anything that is topped with blue cheese. Casual environment. Reasonably priced.

    (5)

  • Steve C.

    Welcome to the neighborhood! Our party of four was seated quickly during the Saturday night rush and taken care of by some very attentive staff, including one of the owners. Drinks were excellent riffs on some classic cocktails, but what would you expect from a bar program put together by the guys at Bittercube? The opening basket of truffled popcorn was a treat that reminded me of a dinner at Chicago's Graham Elliot back in 2008. A fun way to start the meal. The meal... well, we just about ordered everything. The pickles and deviled eggs were fun little bites to get us going. The meatballs were excellent. The whitefish was rich and not the least bit "whitefishy." We did one of each dessert, but I kept coming back to the ice creams. Purple Door, right? I read a Chicago Tribune article the other day lamenting the lack of restaurants in the city that truly celebrate and showcase the bounty of the upper midwest. Maybe they're lacking that in Chicago... but I'm glad to have Blue Jacket keeping things local right down the street.

    (4)

  • Rich W.

    What I love most about Blue Jacket is that the menu is not huge, but everything I had was fantastic!! I had the deviled eggs, wow! Some type of corn soup with a pepper sauce trickled over it, this was crazy good. I finished with the cheese and fish plate which was perfect with their nice selection of craft beers. Staff was great. I will definitely go back.

    (5)

  • Nick K.

    I was very impressed with Blue Jacket. We went for a light dinner and a few drinks last night, ordered the onion compote, which was to die for. SO GOOD! Our conclusion on the dish is it would be similar to a deconstructed french onion soup. But, one of the best french onion soups ever. We also ordered the cheese and sausage platter, which also came with a bunch of little pickled veggies (and apples!) which were fantastic. Overall, a tad expensive and not a wide variety, but will be back again to try more!

    (4)

  • Laura L.

    All the greatness of the drink mixology craze without being pretentious. Low-key, modern style. Friendly hipster service. They easily made recommendations. Chicagoans, the owner worked at the Violet Hour. All of the best of that place, minus the late-night bouncer and bros.

    (5)

  • Brad K.

    Blue Jacket is as good as it gets. The food is scrumptious. The decor is perfect for having a great time. And, the cocktails are out of this world. Try it once and Blue Jacket will make you a believer.

    (5)

  • Mario E.

    Today is opening night and the service seems to be decent. Milwaukee is pretty awesome!

    (4)

  • Giovanny L.

    I have to say only that this place is fancy, delicious and has a great staff. They also have the best gnocchi ever

    (5)

  • Eric M.

    Let's help get this place off the ground and flying, Yelpers! They deserve mountains of praise because Milwaukee needs and craves for more places like Blue Jacket. My girlfriend and I were wowed by everything that came in front of us and I don't think I have had more fun at a meal in quite some time. They just opened so the menu is limited for the time being, but their small plates rocked. But first I must talk about the cocktails. The guys at Bittercube (A Milwaukee based bitters/craft cocktail company) are part owners of this place, and they have crafted a WORLD CLASS cocktail list at this place. I had the pleasure of meeting Nick, one of the Bittercube owners who came to the table to discuss what we were drinking. These cocktails would hold up in any restaurant, anywhere in the entire world. Everything was so incredible, I must itemize what we had... TO THE WIND: My favorite cocktail on the menu. Made with 100 proof whisky, but you wouldn't know it with how smooth this Manhattan variant turns out to be. After a sip, it takes about 5 second before you notice the beautiful afternotes of cherry and chocolate dancing over your palate. A MUST try. They outdid themselves with this one. SLING OF SORTS: Amazing gin cocktail with hints of dill and a lovely summery refreshing experience. So tasty, I guzzled it down. Like the To the Wind, the Port really seemed to tie it together. Incredible. THE DAILY GROG: What I got first, and it was punchy and very tasty. A great blend of juices made me feel like I was in the Carribbean. OF THE OLDER BUMBO: Just a magical rum drink served with a rind of grapefruit which perfectly accents this drink. Served in a little bottle which you pour yourself. Very nice touch. The food... simply delicious and creative... CARAMELIZED ONION COMPOTE: To die for. Very sinful, and so nice served on perfectly toasted bread. ROASTED BEETS: My girlfriend especially love this wonderful combination of goat cheese, pesto, and arugula. Amazing, amazing, amazing... CHEESE PLATE: Innovative, diverse, and gives you lots of combination of things to put in your mouth. I felt like a kid in a candy store. PICKLED VEGETABLES AND DEVILED EGGS: Spread the dill cream mixture on the eggs for something absolutely great. A ton of hard work and careful thought went into the opening of this restaurant. IT SHOWS. Hats off the bittercube and Laura, one of the owners who I had the pleasure of meeting. You guys killed it. I will be back many times and will be spreading the good work. Viva Milwaukee!

    (5)

  • Molly B.

    Honestly not a great experience at Blue Jacket. For small/large plates, the portions weren't ideal for sharing and certainly not worth the price. Any fan of reasonably priced tapas should walk the few extra feet to La Merenda.

    (2)

  • Ashley K.

    We live right around the corner from Blue Jacket and have been anxiously awaiting it's opening. The transformation from the old Triangle Bar to Blue Jacket is incredible, it's hard to believe it's even the same place. The restaurant- both inside and out- is absolutely beautiful. We were there on the 3rd day open and were the first to sit on the patio. All of the staff was extremely friendly and the service was great. The drink menu was refreshingly unique from specialty cocktails to wines to beers other then the usual Miller and PBR. We just had a couple appetizers since we weren't really hungry but those were great. I can't wait to go again and try some of their entrees because they all sounded amazing. Get to this place before it gets discovered because once it does it's going to be crowded all the time!

    (5)

  • Jon S.

    Ate at Crazy Water and Blue Jacket about 5 hours apart in the same night. Crazy Water was great. Blue Jacket has potential but.... a few problems: 1. It was about 11pm and some of the staff seemed a little wasted. I kept seeing them stick their finger in a large glass of cream concoction behind the bar that they were putting in peoples drinks. Then they let one of the bar patrons stick their finger in it. 2. Sitting at the bar, I started with tea, and nobody came back to ask if I wanted another drink (which I did) 3. Food was sloppy... duck was medium well and there were strong whole peppercorns on the duck that were not ground at all, meat tray was subpar and no bread was offered, gnocchi were really greasy, rice way over-dressed, caramel based desert cake came out almost frozen cold when it should have been warm. (kimchee deviled eggs were amazing though) 4. We ordered the pho and they brought us duck instead (huh? ... see #1 wasted staff) Nobody came back for 20 minutes to see how our food was so we just ate it. A hot restaurant is a hot restaurant in this city I guess, but this place seems to lack management and service at this point... still better than eating at George Webbs late night I guess. Other people on this sight seem to be happy with the service and food so maybe we just got unlucky... Will try again in a few years.

    (2)

  • Jim S.

    New restaurant with a good vibe. Cocktails are great. Atmosphere very nice. Service can be uneven. 5 of 6 small plates were excellent. Loved the corn soup and chicken plates, but mushroom was very small and disappointing. Desserts seem overpriced -- might be better off walking to get ice cream at Purple Moon. Overall, would return to see what seasonal items have come up with. Come early to beat the crowd and get better service

    (4)

  • Jennifer W.

    Sometimes you just need to get in touch with your inner fancy pants. On these occasions, a place like Blue Jacket will really fit the bill. Imagine my surprise when I arrived all confident and full of certainty on a Tuesday night at 5:30 that my two friends and I would secure a table with no problem. Au contraire! We did get a table, but it was the last one available. On a Tuesday. In Milwaukee. At 5:30. Our waiter, Marquez, was fabulous and adorable and it was only his second day on the job. We started with an onion/gruyere spread and the roasted vegetable poutine. Both were very rich and very delicious. For the entrees, two of us had the seared scallops (amazing) and the third had the sirloin steak which was impeccable. The menu is small but diverse and inviting. The ambiance is very nice, though as the evening progressed it got quite loud and quite warm. This is clearly a hip and happening place, with a really great chef on hand. I would probably only go for a special occasion, but would recommend this place to anyone.

    (5)

  • H B.

    WOW. Very impressed. Great service. Excellent attention to detail. Most importantly amazing food. The Egg Bake is out of this world; the flavors. Top that with a fresh croissant; good to go. Daily quiche's with clever combinations. A new little gem for Milwaukee.

    (5)

  • Bob O.

    Blue Jacket is a fantastic place to hang out with friends and their cocktail program is one of the best - where else can you find must-try drinks made with Sri Lankan arrack ?! Where do you find this stuff?

    (5)

  • Steven W.

    Just left BJ on a Friday night. Place was pretty empty tonight. I've heard lots of good stuff about the food and vibe here. Our waiter was relaxed and friendly. The cocktails were complexly unique. It's hard to know where each drink was going. The food was good but did not wow me. A salmon poke was missing the salmon! The fettuccine were cold and too al dente. The mussels were nicely done but the portion seemed to be under a half pound only. The bread pairing with the mussels was a hearty multigrain that did not match the mussels. The octopus was sparse, as well. Our party shared a combo plank appetizer. It came with 6 small slices of bread. This is way too little for such a large sharing first course. We asked for more and were told it would be $2!!!! On principle, we refused to have 6 more small slivers of a baguette for $2. This ranks as the dumbest and stupidest way to irritate your customers. The extra bread might cost the restaurant $0.25!!!! Overall this experience does not portend well for Blue Jacket. I have lots of better choices.

    (2)

  • Victoria C.

    Went here for brunch last Saturday with family. The duck patty melt was amazing. The bread was slathered and fried in butter which was like crack. I am gluten-free but this was a vacation so I went with it and it was so delicious. Now I want to buy ground duck and create my own at home sans bread. The server was on it and the outdoor seating was a nice urban treat. The only downfall I'd say is the place reminds me of a ship, so brunch is probably the only time I would come.

    (4)

  • Jill K.

    I'm far too lazy to write what's already been said but suffice it to say that Blue Jacket wins on all 3 of my most important categories: atmosphere, service and food. Everything was delicious. Gotta love that there are more restaurants embracing the local concept. We'll be back.

    (5)

  • Kaela Z.

    Really liked this new bar/restaurant. Loved the beachy ambiance and easy breezy feel. Food was good, drinks were good, service was good. I'll definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Candice O.

    Fantastic meals including dessert. Will return for sure to try the drink menu

    (4)

  • Thomas G.

    Just logging in to star how cool this place is.

    (5)

  • Morgan M.

    I felt the need to post about my 5 star experience: Off the path location. Great vibe. Simple and modern decor. The Wine, beer, and spirits list was perfectly price pointed. Cheese plate had 3 cheeses and awesome pickled veggies. Market salad had fantastic dressing and was wonderfully crisp. Steak was handsome and cooked to a buttery medium rare. :) Not to mention that the service was fun, hip, and attention driven. Couldn't ask for much more.

    (5)

  • Ellie M.

    Gorgeous spot, attentive staff, sweet drink selection and, oh, the food. The charcuterie and cheese plate was especially fab -- and didn't have your average inclusions (read: pickled apple). The night we went was really warm, but with the huge windows open, letting in the lake breeze, it was perfect. Can't wait to get back to this place, even in the middle of winter.

    (5)

  • Melissa S.

    This was my first visit to Blue Jacket and I started off my experience by sitting outside on the patio it's close to the street but because this place is at the end of the block the traffic was pretty light. View faces Downtown which looked nice during this lunch hour. Would like to check it out at night. Shared some plates so we ordered the cheese plate, mixed meat plate and beet salad with goat cheese. Cheese plate offered two unique cheeses and classic aged cheddar along with baguette, apples, pistachios and honey. Meat plate was gastro pub at its best with thin slices of tongue, a shrimp turrine and house made thick sliced bacon. Couldn't resist trying one of their many cocktails so opted for the Dali which is blend of tequila, yellow chartreuse, aperol and lime. Quite refreshing but had to wonder what kind of tequila they used. Had enough bite to be a reposado but would have been smoother with an anejo. Overall a good first experience and I even got to use a City Tin coupon. I'll definitely be back to try out other options on their food and cocktail menus.

    (4)

  • Erin L.

    Didn't quite live up to the hype or the price tag. Service was SOOOOOO slow. I had to get my own bread, water, and even the bill. I swear they forgot we were out there. The meat and cheese plate, was okay. The best part was the cheese, but the blue cheese was a little too blue if you know what i mean. we had the octopus and the salmon, and I would get the salmon again. The best part about our experience were the BANGIN cocktails, while expensive, they were good and I would come back for those and maybe just go eat at la merenda next store :)

    (3)

  • Dave S.

    I can't believe they have been open two years and this is our first visit. Great location just off 1st and national. Super cute outdoor eating, check. Garage door in front so even inside is out on a nice day, check. Really interesting menu. Meat and fish plate had tongue, thick house cured bacon and a shrimp dish. Also had the cheese plate with three cool cheeses and pistachios. Finished off with a refreshing beet salad. Solid four. Will be back for sure and perhaps a five in the future.

    (4)

  • P A.

    This place was just silly. The plates are very small, which might have worked if the tastes were exquisite. Unfortunately the flavors were generally just boring and awkward. The cheese plate reminded me of a bird feeder. The drinks were pretty tasty but served in tiny water glasses.

    (1)

  • Kristina K.

    Gorgeous new restaurant/bar in Walkers Point. This is a must on anyone's list of things to do this summer. Cute patio, tasty cocktails, and fabulous eats. We had the ricotta pancakes, which came with a dollop of sour cream and sauerkraut, sooo good. I was really hoping to have a chance to taste the rye crusted cheese curds, but apparently the chef didn't like their consistency and has now taken them off the menu...Either way, I am excited to see how their menu develops.

    (5)

  • Rick R.

    Since my visit in November right after the change in chef to the current Chef Justice Neal, I've noticed great strides in improving the menu, especially with my most recent visit for dinner a couple of weeks ago to try the new Spring menu. This review is more of a 4 1/2 star review because I said the word "wow" on this dinner visit, as I did on my prior lunch visit, and the chef continues to tweak and improve the dishes and the menu. That's what I look for and I expect 5 stars is in the near future. After getting recommendations, we started with the Blistered Asparagus ($9). A stack of asparagus spears, topped with pickled onions, rested in a plate of citrus, shallot, garlic and honey. They were perfectly cooked and I enjoyed the flavor combinations of sweet, salty, a bit of sour and bitterness. Next up was the Beet Salad ($10). If I remember right, the orange beets were pickled and the red beets were roasted and both were combined with frisee, arugula, croutons, goat cheese-creme fraiche, and a honey vinaigrette. The goat cheese-creme fraiche was beneath the salad, so we tried to get as many ingredients together as possible to taste with it for the intended bite. We enjoyed the beet salad, but would have liked more beets, so it would be featured more than it was in a dish carrying its name. We were then treated to an experimental dish for a possible future menu or special.Pastrami Crusted Pork Belly, served over house made spaetzle and red onion jam and drizzled with a mustard creme fraiche. I don't think I have to tell you how great this dish was, but I will anyway. The pork belly carried the spicy flavors of the pastrami and provided a great balance of meat and fat. The sear was absolutely perfect. Our only suggestion was to go a bit lighter on the seasoning, since we tasted a bit too much salt. The spaetzle was not the usual boring, bland and soft variety that I've had at several places before. It was lightly seasoned and slightly pan fried to provide a crisp texture to contrast the soft center. Loved it! The red onion jam and mustard creme fraiche added great layers of salty, sour and bitter flavors. I would definitely order this dish if I saw it on the menu. Finally, we ordered the special of the weekend, a 14-ounce bone-in ribeye (ordered medium rare), served with chopped asparagus spears, roasted fingerling potatoes, morel mushrooms, ramps, sorel, and an incredible rampy butter! Yes, I said RAMP BUTTER! This was probably the most flavorful and perfectly prepared ribeye I've ever had! The seasoning and exterior sear were both spot on. The steak was cooked to medium rare as we ordered, with a couple of center spots closer to rare. We worked to get all of the ingredients on the plate into one bite. We tasted the ramp butter on its own several times, then with various other ingredients. It was rich and creamy and perfectly salty, while lightly bitter. It was brilliant! Ofcourse, we would have loved more morels, but they were certainly present. We just had to move a few other ingredients around to find them. We went on our own mini morel foraging mission. This was easily one of the best dishes I've had anywhere, and at $40, it needed to be. You'll pay $40 for a steak WITHOUT the potatoes, morels, and asparagus at some of Milwaukee's steak houses, but they won't all taste as good as this one. Blue Jacket always uses fresh and local ingredients, and the steak alone was clearly of very high quality, so I have to issues with the price of this dish. The ramp butter alone would have been worth at least $5 to me. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for announcements of weekly specials, such as Wednesday night swings and Thursday night housemade pasta. I'm pleased with where Blue Jacket is and where it is heading. If you haven't been yet, go. It's time.

    (4)

  • Katie K.

    Really glad city tin 2014 and 2015 brought me back. I have been to Blue Jacket maybe 3 times now, with the first being a poor experience. There have been many change overs since, manger, chef (twice now I think), menu's and my last three experiences have been solid. I took the last two opportunities to use my City Tin (man I love those!). I recently read Blue Jacket is once again have difficulties (Chapter 11) so I was hesitant to go. I was wonder, well, does this mean it will be sub par again? I am hear to say no. Service was really friendly, I haven't had personal problem with service. I really love the location and restaurant itself. The structure is very open with lots of windows but yet very cozy and warm inside. Perfect place for a date night. If you read my last review I was extremely disappointed in the Scallops. They were cooked to perfection this time. I will say presentation was better last time (see pictures) but that doesn't matter much to me. Did they taste good. Yes. Cooked correctly. Yes. I am not sure about the carrot puree though. A bit bland. I am a no salt type of gal so this probably speaks volumes for those of you who like a little more sodium in your diet. Also for $28, three mussels with a smear of puree will no way fill you up. So pricey for a little amount. Maybe with a risotto I would be a little more satisfied. Sean's Mussels were in a different broth this time. They were cooked perfectly. I prefer the curry broth on one of our prior visits. Curry is very hit or miss. You either love it or hate it. I happen to love it. The waitress gave Sean extra bread to finish his broth this time, he really enjoyed it. I also had what is called "Pasta" knowing that three scallops leave me hungry. Pasta was very good. Not too much, not too little of a serving. I would order this again. I just love feta cheese so if this isn't your thing, Pasta isn't for you. I have to be honest here, Pasta is good but doesn't blow my mind. I could make this at home. I go out to eat for items I will ruin in the kitchen, say like, scallops. Pasta is simple. Maybe too simple. What I miss is the daily grog. I didn't see it this time. Blue Jacket used to have a really cool, unusual cocktail menu. This visit the cocktail I ordered was good (something with Gin naturally) but not great. I think Blue Jacket needs to get a little more creative with their cocktails again. I read somewhere the bitters were too expensive, took too much preparation but there are a few other restaurants in the area really blowing my mind with Gin concoctions. My rule of thumb is: can the husband make it at home for me? If yes, well I wouldn't need to step out to buy it then. Dessert. Not impressed. Bland mouse with some kick butt peanut butter topping but mixed with pineapple. See picture. Would not order again. Overall, I will likely be back again and recommend this place. What is lacking is a really creative/ blow my mind menu for dinner or for cocktails. I really hope Blue Jacket can pull it together because this is a super cute location!

    (3)

  • Renee H.

    Blue Jacket was phenomenal. My friend and I started with the aged Wisconsin cheddar and black truffle popcorn and cocktails. I had the Summer Mule which tasted like summer and was amazing. We followed that with the cheese board and the pancakes. The pancakes had an amazing blend of flavors. The best dish, while all were delicious, was the pork chop. We shared everything and it was a great mix. We finished the meal with a Chipotle ganache that was rich, but a perfect mix of flavors once again. We have already recommended it to other friends and can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Rachel F.

    Finally made it to Blue Jacket... and for lunch, no less! This place seems to be really up and down with Milwaukee Yelpers and the community on the whole; people rave, and well, also not so much. I went in with a neutral expectation, as I'm a big fan of the whole "try for yourself, then decide" way of doing things when it comes to polarity in reviews and feedback. (If there's no prevailing aggregate sentiment, you have to go in with zero expectation IMO.) So! Lunch. I was the first person there on a really nice Friday afternoon. The ambiance is darling and our server was really nice; she went out of her way to explain certain menu items and made sure that my dining companion was fully informed on her options, as she's was/is/will be in the future a veggie. I opted for the cod sandwich ($12) with soup - cream of beet w/ a cilantro drizzle. The soup was AWESOME. The sandwich was pretty dang solid/okay: a little bread-y for my liking (bread to fish ratio = 2:1) but other than that, it was good. The batter on the cod was light enough as our server explained it would be, so not too heavy and no surprises there. 3.75, rounding up to 4 stars. Did I fall in love w/ Blue Jacket? No. Would I return for lunch? Yes. The price points were reasonable enough and the location in spot on. Milwaukee's lunch game is abysmal and I see opportunity for them to standout in that regard. I didn't really pour over the dinner menu, so I'd definitely do that online before committing to a dinner res and scrill drop to make sure I knew what I was getting into, but... yeah. Good job Blue Jacket! You're A-OK/pretty dang solid by me.

    (4)

  • Carrie G.

    At the request of friends I decided to give Blue Jacket another try. And I'm not so glad that I did. The one star that remains is for the cocktails, which are stellar. My third visit this summer was for brunch and both Bloody Mary selections are can't miss. The Red Snapper incorporates the mellow Citadel Gin for an interesting cucumber-ish twist. And the Caesar taps into Clamato juice for a seafood infusion type bloody. Very sadly that's where the good news ends. I'll spare the terrible details but it amounts to poor service (indifferent, inattentive, untrained) and poor food (RAW poached eggs, hard as rock bread, and cold food that should be served hot). All errors and miscues fall into the Restauranting 101 category. This is a really cool remodel of an old corner tavern in a foodie haven that it's a shame Blue Jacket can't seem to up their game.

    (1)

  • Stefanie C.

    This place really blew my mind! The food, we had: pork hash, huckleberry pancakes and 2 eggs with sausage, potatoes and a biscuit. I can't say enough. We shared everything between friends and all agreed, best pancakes we've ever had! The servers are exceptional, the owner was super engaging. He's repurposed most of the wood work in the restaurant. Check this place out!!

    (5)

  • D S.

    Outdoor seating. Good, but small-ish, drinks. Excellent food, particularly the steak. Waiter could have been a liiiiittle more attentive, but he was pleasant. I can't imagine how little seating there is in the winter. Would DEF go back!

    (4)

  • Mary Beth Q.

    I don't know what I"ll miss more going back to New York -- the brussels that I want to eat by the vatful for the rest of my life or our delight of a server, Brid. I mean Brian. He gets it. I mean everything was great.

    (5)

  • Theryan A.

    The service by the ancillary staff was excellent. My water glass was constantly refilled and the hostesses were exceptionally friendly. Our waitress was also friendly, but it seemed as though they were understaffed as there were long breaks between her visits. There the compliments have to end. After spending close to $100 on a meal for two, I walked out of the place just as hungry as I had been walking in. My girlfriend ordered the rillette and the brussels sprouts, and I ordered the lamb. The taste of the food was fine. I'd give particular compliments to the brussels sprouts, but really, when you're deep frying anything and covering it in parmesan cheese, it's not difficult to make it taste good. I did have a bite of my girlfriend's rillette, and I confess I wanted more, but since the portion size was about that of a chicken nugget, I couldn't in good conscience take more. The same goes for the lamb that I ordered, except even worse. At twice the price of the rillette, I expected either twice the quality of food or, as the waitress had indicated, an entree sized meal. Nope. I got two pieces of lamb with maybe one strawberry sliced thin atop a bed of arugula. I will say the arugula was fresh, but each piece of lamb had meat roughly equivalent to a chicken wing*. And it wasn't particularly flavorful. The portions are just laughably small. If you decide to order the entire menu, and money is not an option, you might feel OK about this experience. So, right now, don't go here to eat. At least not for dinner. If you'd like to pay for a really expensive tasting, do it. I hope the members of the waitstaff do well for themselves, though, as they were the best part of the experience. *sorry for all of the chicken comparisons, but the portion sizes and shapes, in addition to the fact that I had to go to a bar and order chicken wings immediately after so that I could actually feel as though I had eaten something, led us to this point.

    (1)

  • Kelly B.

    I stopped in around 6:30 on a Friday for dinner and drinks. I didn't have a reso and didn't feel like waiting so we quickly snagged two open seats at the bar. The bar was small, maybe 10 barstools? Maybe less. The drink list was complicated and a lot of the ingredients needed to be described to me - luckily the bartendress was attentive and thoughtfully explained the cocktails. I settled on the Winter Gimlet. She got to work measuring and swirling and concocting - she handed me a tiny chalice with a refill carafe. There was a mint leaf floating on top with three drops of bitters. It was a deliciously strong drink. We started to look through the menu and there were no vegetarian (also don't eat fish) options! I was shocked. The ladies that were seated next to us (read, pretty damn close) ordered a charcuterie platter that came out absolutely covered in pickled fish. It reeked SOOOO bad that we seriously felt ill. I stuck my nose in my glass to keep from vomiting, and then we slurped the rest and bailed. Overall, disappointed in the food options, but the drinks were top notch!

    (4)

  • Lisa A.

    You know, we walked in and were asked if we had reservations (pffff...I'm never a reservations type of gal.) The restaurant appeared to be packed but we were assured there was a window booth available and promptly seated. Given the menu, this place in my mind still skews more towards drinks and apps or a light meal more than the main course, but my issues from previous visits were all alleviated. The drink menu seems to have grown, and the cocktails all were interesting and varied in price. We only ordered a couple apps and desserts but our bill was very reasonable (with one boozy and one non boozy drink it came to $30.) Our service was very good. The atmosphere, lighting and music all remain very good and make this an inviting place. Upgrade!

    (4)

  • Kev H.

    Belly. Brussel. Pasta. Salmon. These are the names of legend, forever mythicized in print. To invoke their names is to summon these heroes of another age, ready to wage war against the insatiable beast of hunger and unslakable thirst. Out comes Salmon, ready with protection of a light sear. Although drenched with a torrent of lobster broth, it is undaunted, as there is support found with the buckwheat noodles. With a clean and pure feint of flavor, the salmon soothes the groans of the stomach. Not to let Salmon swim upstream on its own, Brussel leaps to action. Weighed down with a light rim of salt, Brussel stumbles out of the gate, and barely manages to keep an even keel with a little additive use of performance enhancing parmesan. The leader of the quartet rumbles into action. Calling on the spells of spicyness and zest, the Belly launches an avalanche of cous cous to distract the hunger, and follows up with a crispy pork belly rind that sneaks into succulent meat and fat. Finally here to perform the knockout, Pasta uses the comforting taste of wide flat noodles covered with lamb bolognese to send the hunger back into a deep slumber. Victory!!! As the heroes take their much deserved rest, the 24 hr news cycle quickly springs into action, alternatingly criticizing and praise the events that transpired. A critic points out the excessive costs of war and wonders if it couldn't have been done cheaper. Another is quick to decry the speed with which Salmon was deployed, almost as if it were suspiciously ready to preemptively attack before the order was given. A blogger elaborates extensively on the variable quality of the support service. Ultimately, however, historians will note that Hungergate 2014 was a rousing success.

    (4)

  • Jenn D.

    Came here on a Friday. It was busy but not crazy which I like. We made a reservation and got in right away. Service was good. They were attentive and helpful. Salmon and Rillette were awesome! Gratin and gougere were just okay. Good experience, would recommend it!

    (4)

  • Codi A.

    Not impressed. Came with a group of 8 because of their 'shareable' plates... Soup is not shareable! Big mistake. Food was nothing special and way overpriced. The drink menu was fun but they came out the size of shots for $8 to $10! We had a fun time though...mostly making fun of the hippy dippy waitress attire and the sheer ridiculous of the drink sizes. Blue jacket will survive though based on la merenda over flow. Take this advise, go to la merenda if you want shareable plates or crazy water if you want a awesome meal. Don't waste your time or money here.

    (1)

  • Becky D.

    The atmosphere here: A+ The Drinks: B+ The Food: A- The service: A So we went here at 6 on a Saturday. We expected a wait, but were seated right away. The atmosphere here is clean, modern, casual and top notch. The service was friendly, knowledgeable, attentive and fast. We ordered a new fashioned (a little sweet for my whiskey sour tastes, but it came in a mini chalice!) and an old fashioned sour (good, really good). The food we opted for small plates. The Cauliflower and Kale finishing with a shared pasta entree. The cauliflower had a cheese sauce that was so good. The Kale was flash dried and came with bacon and oranges. The pasta was a little disappointing. As a whole the flavors were good but unless you got everything in one bite it was a little bland. I liked the atmosphere a lot. I think I will be back just for that reason!

    (4)

  • Sean B.

    Well they have had issues that in the past, and appear to be in trouble, but I consider that unfortunate. Went last night to use City Tin before we got Prodigaled again, and my things again where very good. Started by opening their keg of Tyranena's Fatal Attraction :) Had mussels in a completely different broth than last time. Many scallions in it yet still very yum. Since they didn't screw Katie' scallops this time (during one of those chef transitions) I had time to soak it all up as they gave me a second extra bread! Bit of pasta I had was good, veggie shred on the scallop worked well, and the toffee bits on top of the nights' special choco mousse was an excellent combination of tastes and texture.

    (4)

  • Pamela M.

    Here's the deal: Food, mediocre at best. The value proposition is way outta whack. You will get a small portion for big portion prices. Blue Jacket has a great ambiance and I will be back for that. But the food, sadly, isn't the draw here. You come for drinks and maybe a snack. I ordered the lamb meatballs with polenta and duck egg. The meatballs were dry and lacked flavor. I'll salivate when I see there's creamy polenta dishes, and it just did not even stand out in this dish at all. The duck egg was nice but I could've used two of them - the creaminess of the yolk helped with the blandness and lack of flavor of the meatballs. I saw a special of the day that had "cherry ketchup". I asked for some to try it (privately it was because the meatballs needed help). It was really interesting! Friend had the beet salad, which surprisingly was the best bite I had. Again very small. She said nothing about her fish dish (in the broth). So, I know it wasn't very good. She also ordered the cream puffs for dessert and made me eat the last one. Not for me. The cream inside wasn't the WI State Fair cream, which is doesn't have to be that... but if it's not, it must be better and this wasn't. The servers boasted it was grapefruit but I tasted orange. It was like eating a melted push-up pop (remember those as a kid! they were good then but not now and not melted). I'm sad this food wasn't better, total buzzkill. I can't believe they're not seeing this. Prices need to come down to match the portion size. La Merenada was packed next door.

    (3)

  • Justin L.

    WhOa mama! New favorite place in Milwaukee hands down! I wasn't expecting much and thought this place would be just like all the other contemporary joints we constantly see popping up, but this is soooooo not your average place. It is such a refreshing place..lakeside/marine feel...comfortable decor. A small place but it packs a big punch in terms of thoughtfulness and taste. Their dishes are delicious and light...they don't make you feel like a heavy glutton afterwards...also great for fish. Each plate has elements of every taste and texture. Plates are tapas-like and decently priced especially with the quality they are serving up. The service was also wonderful and down-to-earth. Food: Lamb Belly - Small piece of lamb belly that was crispy on top. Not sure how they did it but it worked so well with the light mint ice cream...yea, I said it...ice cream! A little different from your typical run-of-the-mill lamb & mint I would say... In love! I think each person should have their own plate. Don't share! Fried Smelt - Not usually a fan of smelt 'cause of the fishy odor, but the chefs take care in taking the odor out (something about soaking in different washes/batter) and make them delicious and crunchy. They have a little citrus/vinegary taste to it...like adult fish & chips/fish sticks said our server. I would agree. Duck & Mushroom Meatballs - Love! 3 meatballs and I wanted more! The polenta was very soft and creamy just how I like it and the duck egg (poached perfectly!) was the perfect 'sauce' to it. White Superior Whitefish - Usually not too big into whitefish but that broth, mushroom, & fried beef jowl made me find a new love in this 'plain' fish. The plate is reminiscent of Japanese fish dishes that come with dashi. Tip: You HAVE to have a fried jowl piece (think chicharones here) with every bite of fish...yum! I'm still puzzled at how they get that jowl to stay flavorful and CRUNCHY in that broth. Cream Puffs - Small cream puff...nothing too spectacular other than the tart custard they use which was good to break up the rich sweetness than cream puffs usually have. Overall, amazing! Can you tell? P.S. The daily grog (daily cocktail special) is $5 on Mondays. Not sure what the other specials are the rest of the days but I'm about to find out soon! And...they're open 'til 1a?!? Thank you Blue Jacket!

    (5)

  • J. Omar A.

    AMAZING!!! Chef Matt is an outstanding addition to the team. Experienced his first night of the new menu. We ordered the Brussels, followed by the beet salad, next was parsnip soup, then gnocchi (best my wife ever had), finally shared the sirloin & the lamb. Each dish was excellent. Attentive service and comfortable atmosphere. Highly recommend reservations on weekends. We will be returning soon...and often. Absolutely my new favorite restaurant in town. Can't wait to try his new creations. Thank you.

    (5)

  • Jeff G.

    My wife and I were able to eat a quality, late dinner here on a Thursday night. Good small plates menu with a comfortable, well designed interior and friendly service.

    (4)

  • Kelly T.

    High hopes for this one....disappointed with the selection, and the insane prices??!! I could have cooked at home for 1/10 of the price. Food didn't taste bad, however we are in Milwaukee not NYC. Thumbs down.

    (3)

  • Becky S.

    This review is overdue but better late than never. Two visits (one for a Yelp supper club, one for drinks and dessert on my birthday) have left me quite pleased with Blue Jacket. I love their delicious cocktails. I've gotten the special daily grog each time. I once even got a little lesson on bitters from one of the bartenders. Drinks aren't cheap but the daily grog isn't bad at $7. The food is also stinking fabulous. I absolutely loved the duck and mushroom meatballs. Everything on that plate, including the egg, meatballs, and polenta were scrumptious. Desserts are sweet, rich, delicious and not to be missed if you have room. The food is amazing, but the one con is that everything is a little pricey. However, it works when you share with people or when you want a nice, enjoyable, tasty night out. Will definitely be back to Blue Jacket. In fact, I want to go soon.

    (4)

  • Kelsey P.

    The best part of Blue Jacket is their drinks. Truly original and interesting. I'd be excited to go back just to drink. The food was A-ok. I thought it was a tad underseasoned. The best part was the meat and cheese board we got. Everything was so good and they put more thought into it than just throwing some meat and cheese onto the board. There's a bunch of delightful pickled vegetables and different fruity things on there as well. I'd definitely come back.

    (4)

  • D W.

    Nice environment. Calm, and possible to have a conversation there. Professional and friendly staff. I have been there several times and each time is a good experience. Walked out of Crazy Water the other nite (since it was too noisy and trendy) and came to Blue Jacket. What a relief. Had a nice meal at the outside patio. Great and reasonable wines, delicious cheese and fish plates, mussels and sauce were tasty. This is my restaurant of first choice now for Milwaukee.

    (5)

  • Merete M.

    Though the cocktails were on the small side for the price, they were delicious. The menu was thoughtful and didn't disappoint. The owners went out of their way to make sure we didn't all get sunburned while sitting outside by bringing out umbrellas for the table. Very nice gesture!

    (4)

  • Bobby P.

    Very stylish and pleasant dinning room/bar, the sturgeon was a very fine piece of fish, prepared perfectly. Also had a tasty Vegetable Stew. The cocktails are great esp. the Gimlet.

    (5)

  • Kevin C.

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin I dinned at the Blue Jacket in October 13 with 6 restaurant business associates. We tried nearly everything on the menu. A couple items (the poutine for one) were pretty good. The rest were mediocre at best. The mushroom small plate was terrible. Billed as mushroom"s" plural, i swear there was only one chewy mushroom, with some type of sauce that tasted like anise was generously added. All 6 of us agreed it was awful. And for $10, very disappointing. The lamb belly w ice cream was just plain weird, creative yes: tasty no. On a positive note the duck meatballs were very good. The place is trendy and the service was very good. The food however was not.

    (2)

  • Joe P.

    Descriptive phrase: exquisite cocktail concoctions (plus some food). Blue Jacket has been on my list of must-hits in Milwaukee since it opened a few months ago. Katie K. and I made reservations for 2 at the bar (tables were all taken) at 6 on a Saturday night. It's located right next to La Merenda in a slowly-developing part of Walker's Point (/ Harbor View). Make sure to find the private parking lot across the street. The building itself is fairly small (though would be larger with the outdoor seating), and reminds me of a hut for a fisherman on a pier. There's plenty of wood, but it's aged. I liked the feel, which they still managed to make classy. We arrived around 5:55, expecting to wait a little bit since we only gave them 5 minutes. There isn't really anywhere to wait, and the staff was extremely apologetic (which I found unnecessary). They even at one point suggested we grab a drink next door to wait, which struck me as odd. Instead, a couple of people who were just ordering dessert at the bar got up and let us have their seats. To say the bartenders are all hipster would be an understatement, but that doesn't mean they don't know what they're doing. On the contrary, they seemed so adept at the craft that I would suggest requesting seating at the bar to watch them, rather than at a table. Come here to venture into new waters with your cocktail choices, and order off their seasonal list. I had the Daily Grog ($7), which changes every day. It was absolutely fantastic, tasting like a watermelon Jolly Rancher. I followed that up with a From Ashes to Gold ($10); this drink had fruity undertones that was countered well with strong liquor. Katie loved her Strait Jacket ($12) and Wintry Gimlet ($10) as well. I'll be honest, these were some of the best cocktails I've had to date in Milwaukee, and each included ingredients I would've never normally ordered. For food we got the Rib ($16) and Salmon ($24). The ribs were maybe a quarter rack (~4) touched with barbecue sauce and laid upon a bed of chopped sweet potatoes, onions, and avocado. This dish was delicious, due mostly to the tangy-sweet bbq and cilantro sauce combination. However, the serving looked absolutely pitiful on a gigantic white plate. They need to change the presentation. Our salmon was served in a bowl with a fishy-broth, spaghetti noodles, muscles, and mushrooms. The fish itself was well-cooked, but I found the muscles to be a bit gummier than normal and the broth definitely took some getting used-to. I did not like the Salmon dish that much (especially for $24) and as good as the Ribs were they were priced a bit high. Long story short, Blue Jacket offers decent food at slightly-high prices but phenomenal drinks and excellent service. I will undoubtedly be back for more cocktails, but will eat elsewhere.

    (4)

  • Ilana O.

    I went into this place with high expectations....I'm not sure why, but I expected it to be similar to Odd Duck. It started off odd.......but no duck to follow. The place: The entryway is sort of awkward. The hostess table is at the other door of the space.....the door that you can't enter or exit from, so I just felt sort of uncomfortable walking past patrons to crowd around the hostess, where there wasn't really room to crowd around. And, while I appreciate eavesdropping as much as the next person, and the placement of the tables make that possible, I don't necessarily need the couple next to me hearing all my business. If you don't mind though, go forth...but I wouldn't advise doing any confidential business. The taste: Smoked fish plank.....delicious. Light, served nicely....salty, but not too salty. Some carrot dish with nuts....also, something I still think about. The beet salad was just meh, as the beets were salad bar beets. I don't remember the other dishes we got, which should say something in it of itself. I expected better ... maybe that was my fault, since I think their main focus seems to be fancy cocktails (and I would go back to try one out), but for a $75 meal for 2 people, I really should like all the food. My face: Meh. Service was fine, although we were asked to move from our table to a booth mid-meal, and weren't offered anything on the house, which would have been kind of them. Less excited to go back than I was to go the first time, but I'd consider it in another season....assuming there's more space on the patio outside.

    (3)

  • Stephanie S.

    We went there because we always heard good things, but never went there. We made reservations for 6 and when we got there, an awkward gentleman put us at a two top table in the middle of a walkway. We were kinda annoyed (NO ONE would be able to get around us)- so we decided to sit at the bar. Best decision ever! We had an awesome bartender/waiter (dang I wish I remembered his name!) and was super friendly and really knew his stuff! I had a Hemmingway and a "new" old fashioned- both were tasty. The husband drank beer...no complaints from him! We ordered the Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and a meat/fish plate, and the specials- one I can't remember, but the other was the smelt fry (HELLO WISCONSIN!)- All were good! Now this is where our bartender shines...when they brought out the cauliflower he was disappointed in the amount we received and brought us another one, on the house- it was amazing. What awesome service! We had such a great time, we will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Kimberly J.

    Beautiful decor. Love the idea of this place. The food: presentation. Stunning. Just absolutely perfect. Portion size. Tiny. Like crazy tiny. The planks are spectacular. We had the cheese plank. Which had maybe two small bites of cheese per selection. There were four cheeses. A scattering of pistachios, a few almonds, two strawberries, 5 paper thin slices of a quartered Granny Smith apple, and a few slices of bread. Needless to say, we were still very hungry. We ordered drinks, those were the all stars of the evening. Incredible! A great collaboration between bittercube and blue jacket. I had the red sky at night. Wowza. I also got to taste the daily grog. Which was outstanding!! Great cocktails at this place. Very friendly staff. Totally attentive and nice. Still starving. So I ordered a salad. Shaved Brussels sprouts, garden peas, carrots, arugula, greens. Perfectly seasoned and dressed. Just tiny. My compadre had the special. Gnocchi, fava beans with morels. It looked wonderful and expertly prepared. Also tiny. biggest complaint - Teeny tiny portions, and very limited menu. I still strongly encourage people to check this place out. The cocktail program alone is worth investigating blue jacket.

    (4)

  • Bret B.

    The food was unbelievable. We ordered the cheese plate, pork belly, porchetta and fettuccine dish. Lovely! The waitress (Annie) brought out on the house dish - Asparagus w/egg. Crazy good. Cocktails were mixology level. Can't miss joint if you have a diverse pallet and like all things yummy.

    (5)

  • Boris B.

    Whoever set the price point for this place is wrong. I had two drinks, an appetizer and two entrees and paid $120 (plus tax and tip of course) AND did not even had most expensive items from the menu. Next time, Lake Park Bistro here I come for that kind of money. Food was good, thus 3 stars, but again not worth $120.

    (3)

  • Christina L.

    You know the old saying "don't judge a restaurant by their cheese plate"? Well for a long time I raved about Blue Jacket based on having stopped in for a drink/cheese, but had not had a meal there. I will definitely be back for drinks and the cheese plate, but not for dinner. Recently, the wife and I decided to stay for dinner. We had our usual cheese plank and a drink while we decided what to get. I realize it's small plates, but figured a $28 pork dish should be plenty to split considering we had the starter. The bartender, while very nice, didn't bat an eye at our one plate order or mention that it would maybe be enough for a toddler. When our food arrived, it took everything in my power not to burst out laughing. It was the smallest portion of food; maybe 4-6 thinly sliced pieces of pork and 4 mussels. Ok, the quality HAS TO make up for the quantity, right??? Nope. It was ok, nothing exceptional, but considering what we paid and the portion, it should have blew my mind. We spent around $80 for two drinks, a cheese plate and a tasting of pork only to leave hungry. I want to love Blue Jacket. I love what they did with the space, the bartender is always very nice and the drinks are good, but as a dinner destination, it leaves something to be desired.

    (3)

  • Jen W.

    This seems like the kind of place I would love. But I don't. I love small, innovative, farm-to-table, intimate restaurants and this had all of the markings of being a place I could rave about. But other than the space, I can't really rave about anything. The service was abysmal and the food was just okay. There are limited vegetarian options but I made a meal out of a salad and a bowl of soup and both were pretty boring, though I understand the salmon was pretty good. Our server pretty much ignored us the entire time unless we flagged him down. It's a really cute space though and I can see myself going back for a drink at the bar and a snack, but I wouldn't plan on eating dinner there again.

    (3)

  • Jeff C.

    There are so many things to love about Blue Jacket. It's such a comfortable space to walk into and I always find myself relaxing more than I expect to when I have a seat. Sure the food is fantastic (really fantastic) and the drinks are some of the best in the city (I've never had a cocktail here I didn't really enjoy) but the people who work there make it an incredibly enjoyable experience. You owe it to yourself to stop in.

    (5)

  • Clay M.

    Not really my style. It was pretentious, over priced, the server was awkward, and the space seemed cramped not intimate. The menu was indecipherable using unfamiliar words to describe simple things. It seemed like a spot for hipsters and older people who are having a mid life crisis. Aside from the uncomfortable ambiance the food was good. I ordered a 'small plate' called belly which was a chunk of pork belly resting in a shallow bowl of runny grits garnished with sugar snap peas. It was absolutely delicious. Despite the poor consistency of the grits (I'm from the south, grits are not supposed to be as runny as cream of wheat) the dish was good. My wife ordered the monk fish with mushrooms and green beans in Thai pepper sauce and the server warned us it was spicy. Usually I don't even bother being concerned when anyone who isn't Thai warns of spicy food but this was HOT. It was delicious and we both enjoyed it but if it was any hotter I wouldn't have been able to eat it. If you want to try some unusual dishes this place is creative in their menu but it seemed to be trying to be some snooty, fancy, big city gourmet place and it was more awkward and fake feeling than anything.

    (3)

  • Matt M.

    Jerks. This winter we stopped in for a happy hour drink at 4:50. The doors were open and candles lit on the tables. Our group of 6 walked in and grabbed a few tables by the bar, excited to check out the hot new place in our area. Nobody seemed to be around. About 5 minutes later, two guys walked out from the back. One, the manager, said loudly to the other, "What the hell are they doing in here? Don't they know we aren't open yet? Who left the door open?!" We were embarrassed and said as much when the same server came over to tell us they wouldn't be open...for 5 more minutes. We said, "no problem. We don't mind waiting." His response, "No, you'll have to leave until we open." We laughed, but he was not joking. We left and never came back.

    (1)

  • Shannan L.

    Oh Blue Jacket.. . I really REALLY wanted to like you. I did. But tonite, FAIL. All of the tables were full, so we sat at the end of the bar. Not a problem. The bartender ( blonde girl with curley hair and a black "whiskey" shirt) DID NOT want to be there. She was wayyyyy too busy cleaning wine glasses to wait on us. Did I mention the bar WASNT busy? ? They literally give you a "book" of their wine, spirits, beer, etc. My mom's pretty basic, and was a little lost on their selections. Did the bartender ask if she needed explanation? Any recommendations? Nope. ... Thank god I've bartended for like 15yrs, right? Don't worry, I'll help you. FAIL. :( I felt like she was just too busy cleaning glasses to bother to tell us what the specials were, what's good, ANYTHING. SOMETHING. We ordered a fish platter, paid, and left. Just an epic service fail. Not going back.

    (2)

  • Shannon E.

    Great music, personable service and a really unique cocktail menu are what brings me back to this spot. The big windows roll open and it's like sitting outside. Tonight though - fried broccoli. OMG the first plate was so fantastic we had to order a second. If it couldn't get any more fab, the plank showed up with amazing local cheeses, smoked fish, and crazy flavors. Love this place.

    (5)

  • Tina D.

    We found this place via City Tin & had a wonderful evening. The drinks are interesting. I had the Dali & it was very refreshing. The Brussel sprouts are fabulous! I had lamb & husband had veal. Both delicious. We shared the deconstructed s'more dessert. We both hate marshmallows but these are like no marshmallow we ever had before. A fabulous evening with great food & service!

    (5)

  • Clay K.

    I had been hearing good things about Blue Jacket and was surprised to see it on the Journal top 30 list so quickly. My girlfriend and I both really enjoy small plate dining so this looked to be right up our alley. I was also pleased that they serve into the late night as I frequently find myself dining at late hours. We got to try it on Friday night and though I wanted to like this place in the worst way, we were sadly disappointed. The space is very pleasant with a cozy, inviting interior. The booths that ring the outer wall are nicely lit and overall the place presents as vibrant but also romantic. We had two of their specialty drinks and they were quite good. Our excitement gathered as we read the interesting and unusual items on their menu. Our first dish was a beet and goat cheese salad. It was good. The beets were pickled which gave it a bit of distinction for a dish that is being served in one way or another in a lot of restaurants right now. Our second dish was the pheasant. Small game birds are a real challenge. Being a fan of Alfred Portale's Gotham in New York I know just how amazing things like squab and pheasant can be. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most difficult to prepare as they can easily dry out. The pheasant here was so dry we had to send it back. It was simply inedible. The third dish we tried was a pork shoulder in a sauce described as cocoa and chili. This is essentially a pulled pork dish. Once again, the meat was disastrously dry as if it came from the last bit of a batch that had cooked far too long. The sauce was also peculiar. I'm a fan of mole, but this was more like a thin chocolate sauce and I didn't taste even a hint of chili. The dish had another issue. It was served only with a bit of sweet potato making for a sweet on sweet, mushy on mushy dish that lacked flavor and texture contrast. The service was impeccable and they met our issues with the first dish as they should - apologies and a complimentary replacement. My hope is that it was an off night. I'm going to give it another try and dig into more of their dishes. I'll revisit the review after I've done that.

    (2)

  • Linn E.

    My husband and I are huge fans of small plate dining, and have tried Blue Jacket twice. First off, the cocktails are terrific (no surprise there, with Nick and Ira behind the scenes). The food itself is also creative and delicious - but I have to concur with other reviews, the service can be lacking. Tonight, we left the smallest tip I can recall leaving and I was just torn up inside. I know how hard servers work for their income, but I also know that they should have a commitment to their position that ensures a pleasant experience for their customer. We were the first table seated of the evening, so service started out great. We ordered a few small plates...and then our menus were removed from the table. One would think that as a small plate restaurant, they would want to encourage continued ordering, but without a menu that's kind of hard to do. One of the plates we ordered was the cheese plate. The cheeses were identified by type but not by purveyor (do I sound too Portlandia yet?) - but I do like to know where the products come from in case I want to buy them for home. By the time there was nothing but cheese crumbs left on the board, it had been 15 minutes since we'd seen our waitress. After another 10 minutes of my husband trying to get someone's eye, I turned around in my chair and threw my arm over the back, looking at anyone at the bar to try to get their attention. The bartender noticed immediately and spoke to both the waitresses, who had been chatting at the far end of the bar the whole time. Our waitress came by and was quite brusque in all interactions after this, as if she'd already written off her tip. Well, with that reaction, she had. I love the location. I love the cocktails. I love the food. I want the service to be better - and with spillover from "that other small plate place" you would think Blue Jacket would be doing all it could to impress that crowd. Instead, it seemed that the bar regulars got most of the attention and the diners were left to themselves.

    (2)

  • Mbogne B.

    I loved the roast beet salad. The goat cheese was to die for. Nice atmosphere as well

    (4)

  • Chai Y.

    Pretty good, next to the La Merenda , twice try to went to Merenda, finally got in Blue! Last night been there, ordered red wine and Mussels, really good. Just I don't know if the wine' problem or I did yoga before the one glass of wine? Still headache until now! It's the next day noon already!

    (4)

  • Christopher M.

    It was decent. Just nothing too memorable or great. For my money, I'd rather be at la merenda next door. The kale was a bit too salted and the banana bread dessert was only ok.

    (3)

  • Christine P.

    Good, but overpriced food. Waiter neglected to tell us about the special so we all felt obligated to order from a very limited, mostly fish based menu (don't go there if you don't like fish, that's pretty much all they had). Waiter was also seemingly 'too cool' to wait on us. The setting is gorgeous and once while on a walk through the neighborhood we bumped into the owner who seemed very passionate about his restaurant endeavors. Wish I could say more positive things about the place as we really enjoyed meeting the owner. Having a competent staff makes a big difference.

    (2)

  • Mike C.

    Totally dug my first time at Blue Jacket. Cool place with light, sea-worn wood and a nice beer list. Looks like they make some tasty drinks too, but I kept my beverage selections from the back-bar tappers. For the beer lover, they've got some good Wisconsin local crafts -- I went with the Central Water Belgium Blonde and Minnesota's Summit Brewing Co. Summer Ale. The latter's not Wisco, but it's still pretty dang tasty. But good beer one can get anywhere. We came here for the food. We tore up three small plates: house pickled vegetables with sour cream and tarragon; sauerkraut, pecorino and ricotta pancakes served with apple sauce, chive sour cream and, for two extra bucks, smoked pork sausage; and kettle chip battered fried smelt with an orange, harrisa aioli. Smelt. Wow. I haven't had these since I was a kid. Smelt are an up-north delicacy. Folks up north catch 'em buy the net full then chop off the heads, slit the underbelly, slide out the guts and deep-fry 'em. Sounds crude, but also delicious. Blue Jacket's are similar, albeit a little more finely prepared. I like their smelt, but to tell you the truth, I may not get them next time. They're just sort of okay. But I'll tell you what I WILL get again: the sauerkraut, pecorino and ricotta pancakes! Dang. These things are tasty. And, take my word for it, you must get the pork sausage upgrade unless you're, you know, one of THOSE people. (Don't worry, THOSE people, there's plenty of things on the menu for you too.) It's great to see Blue Jacket's location also, in Milwaukee's Inner Harbor section of Walker's Point. I love the restored building that reflects the architecture of a hundred years ago. I think the architecture of Blue Jacket and the house immediately adjacent to the south would be considered "Puddlers' Cottages" -- one-story frame Italianate homes built primarily for blue collar workers. Please excuse my historical architectural discussion tangent. After all, this IS a restaurant review, but I just had to find a way to work the word "puddlers" into one of my Yelp reviews. So, what are you waiting for? Puddle your behind down to Walkers Point and get some smelts like they do up North! But only one order, 'cause you're going to want to save room for some of the other tasty selections on the menu! You puddlers, you. ;)

    (4)

  • Jennifer A.

    Blue Jacket may be the new kid on the block, but they definitely know an opportunity when they see one. They are a force to be reckoned with and will soon make a name for themselves if they keep up their good work. After looking over their delicious, summer cocktail menu (with love from the folks at Bittercube), I selected the Sling of Sorts. It featured a Gamle Ode Dill Aquavit that gave the drink an almost savory taste which balanced the sweetness of the port. It was quite the variation on the Bloody Mary for me and I was an instant fan. The Lake Bluff Gimlet had a hint of lavender that was soothing and refreshing on a summer evening. That was also refreshing and enjoyable and I was especially pleased that nothing was overly sweet. My eyes got away with my stomach. With that being said, I got a little carried away with the brown food. Regardless, it was all delicious. First, a heaping bowl of rye crusted, fried Clock Shadow Creamery cheese curds. To my delight, they were not boiling lava hot but warm and creamy in a light breading. The horseradish dipping sauce was not overpowering and complimented the curds well. Next up was kettle chip battered smelt. In addition to this salty and crunchy bowl, fried orange slices were tossed into the mix with a harissa dipping sauce on the side. The fried orange with a bite of fish knocked it out of the park for me. It even made me forget about my fish phobia and what smelt really are all about. For the small plate "main course" I had the sauerkraut, pecorino and ricotta pancakes with applesauce, chive sour cream and smoked sausage. I enjoyed how the pancakes cut the starchiness out of the typical potato pancake and added a creamy tang to things. The homemade applesauce, chives and smoked sausage frosted that delicious cake. Against better judgement, I ordered dessert. My better judgement made me bring it all home for later in a takeout container. I know I would kick myself later if I missed out on cream puffs with grapefruit curd. If nothing else, it is my morning doughnut. I would also like to give a nod to the fact that they picked a neighborhood to keep on the radar adjacent to another popular Milwaukee restaurant and also serve food later (full menu until Midnight) to accommodate some of the off-duty chefs in the area. They need good food and drink too! The service was attentive and the general manager even made a point to see how everyone was enjoying the evening and asked about our first impressions. I would have to say, this made a great first impression with me. The food and drinks were fantastic. My suggestion for improvement would be to add a bit more green to the plates. I ordered a lot of brown food. I would have enjoyed a bite of greens on the plate to cleanse the palate or a bite of fresh vegetable just to make the transition between dishes. They do offer a salad and several dishes with vegetables, but I would have had to omit one of the dishes I did want to try or over-order in order to balance that out. Also, being my first trip here there was no way for me to anticipate this. There are plenty of dishes and cocktails on my "to do" list here. I will surely be back and recommend you check out this new gem in the Walker's Point area. I dined on the patio but the interior is beautiful with clean, modern decor and an extremely tidy and well-kept restroom. They are open late so I hope to be back for drinks and a bite, if not dinner as well. Secret squirrel tip: If you don't see a spot you like on the street, a little birdie told me the lot across the street is available for overflow parking for the restaurant as well.

    (5)

  • Ellie M.

    Gorgeous spot, attentive staff, sweet drink selection and, oh, the food. The charcuterie and cheese plate was especially fab -- and didn't have your average inclusions (read: pickled apple). The night we went was really warm, but with the huge windows open, letting in the lake breeze, it was perfect. Can't wait to get back to this place, even in the middle of winter.

    (5)

  • Wisco V.

    I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food that I ate was yummy. However, I am a vegetarian, which means I snacked and couldn't really get a full meal. They only have about two vegetarian options that aren't light bar food (e.g. popcorn or nuts). I'll definitely be back for a drink on the patio but perhaps not to eat.

    (3)

  • Mags L.

    Loved. We went to Wolf Peach for brunch and left not satisfied so tried Blue Jacket and just was so impressed! 2 restaurants and totally different leagues.

    (5)

  • Tim H.

    Great atmosphere and special thanks to the host accommodating us even though we did not have a reservation. The food was creative and tasty. The Bartenders take their job seriously but with a great attitude. Overall a great experience and enjoyed the interior design.

    (5)

  • Lynn B.

    Just got back from my first visit here and was pleasantly surprised. It was trendier than I thought it would be, but not the type of trendy where you feel you don't fit in. Had a couple of their specialty cocktails including their Old Fashioned which was very strong and very good (plus I can't complain at $5!). Was unexpectedly busy for a Tuesday night. Our server admitted he was only on Day 2 but did a great job. Ordered several appetizers which were all very tasty, if not a tad overpriced. Wine selection is excellent. Loved the cozy vibe; it seems like a very warm place to cuddle up with someone during the winter season. We will definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Mike C.

    Totally dug my first time at Blue Jacket. Cool place with light, sea-worn wood and a nice beer list. Looks like they make some tasty drinks too, but I kept my beverage selections from the back-bar tappers. For the beer lover, they've got some good Wisconsin local crafts -- I went with the Central Water Belgium Blonde and Minnesota's Summit Brewing Co. Summer Ale. The latter's not Wisco, but it's still pretty dang tasty. But good beer one can get anywhere. We came here for the food. We tore up three small plates: house pickled vegetables with sour cream and tarragon; sauerkraut, pecorino and ricotta pancakes served with apple sauce, chive sour cream and, for two extra bucks, smoked pork sausage; and kettle chip battered fried smelt with an orange, harrisa aioli. Smelt. Wow. I haven't had these since I was a kid. Smelt are an up-north delicacy. Folks up north catch 'em buy the net full then chop off the heads, slit the underbelly, slide out the guts and deep-fry 'em. Sounds crude, but also delicious. Blue Jacket's are similar, albeit a little more finely prepared. I like their smelt, but to tell you the truth, I may not get them next time. They're just sort of okay. But I'll tell you what I WILL get again: the sauerkraut, pecorino and ricotta pancakes! Dang. These things are tasty. And, take my word for it, you must get the pork sausage upgrade unless you're, you know, one of THOSE people. (Don't worry, THOSE people, there's plenty of things on the menu for you too.) It's great to see Blue Jacket's location also, in Milwaukee's Inner Harbor section of Walker's Point. I love the restored building that reflects the architecture of a hundred years ago. I think the architecture of Blue Jacket and the house immediately adjacent to the south would be considered "Puddlers' Cottages" -- one-story frame Italianate homes built primarily for blue collar workers. Please excuse my historical architectural discussion tangent. After all, this IS a restaurant review, but I just had to find a way to work the word "puddlers" into one of my Yelp reviews. So, what are you waiting for? Puddle your behind down to Walkers Point and get some smelts like they do up North! But only one order, 'cause you're going to want to save room for some of the other tasty selections on the menu! You puddlers, you. ;)

    (4)

  • Renee H.

    Blue Jacket was phenomenal. My friend and I started with the aged Wisconsin cheddar and black truffle popcorn and cocktails. I had the Summer Mule which tasted like summer and was amazing. We followed that with the cheese board and the pancakes. The pancakes had an amazing blend of flavors. The best dish, while all were delicious, was the pork chop. We shared everything and it was a great mix. We finished the meal with a Chipotle ganache that was rich, but a perfect mix of flavors once again. We have already recommended it to other friends and can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Codi A.

    Not impressed. Came with a group of 8 because of their 'shareable' plates... Soup is not shareable! Big mistake. Food was nothing special and way overpriced. The drink menu was fun but they came out the size of shots for $8 to $10! We had a fun time though...mostly making fun of the hippy dippy waitress attire and the sheer ridiculous of the drink sizes. Blue jacket will survive though based on la merenda over flow. Take this advise, go to la merenda if you want shareable plates or crazy water if you want a awesome meal. Don't waste your time or money here.

    (1)

  • Jennifer A.

    Blue Jacket may be the new kid on the block, but they definitely know an opportunity when they see one. They are a force to be reckoned with and will soon make a name for themselves if they keep up their good work. After looking over their delicious, summer cocktail menu (with love from the folks at Bittercube), I selected the Sling of Sorts. It featured a Gamle Ode Dill Aquavit that gave the drink an almost savory taste which balanced the sweetness of the port. It was quite the variation on the Bloody Mary for me and I was an instant fan. The Lake Bluff Gimlet had a hint of lavender that was soothing and refreshing on a summer evening. That was also refreshing and enjoyable and I was especially pleased that nothing was overly sweet. My eyes got away with my stomach. With that being said, I got a little carried away with the brown food. Regardless, it was all delicious. First, a heaping bowl of rye crusted, fried Clock Shadow Creamery cheese curds. To my delight, they were not boiling lava hot but warm and creamy in a light breading. The horseradish dipping sauce was not overpowering and complimented the curds well. Next up was kettle chip battered smelt. In addition to this salty and crunchy bowl, fried orange slices were tossed into the mix with a harissa dipping sauce on the side. The fried orange with a bite of fish knocked it out of the park for me. It even made me forget about my fish phobia and what smelt really are all about. For the small plate "main course" I had the sauerkraut, pecorino and ricotta pancakes with applesauce, chive sour cream and smoked sausage. I enjoyed how the pancakes cut the starchiness out of the typical potato pancake and added a creamy tang to things. The homemade applesauce, chives and smoked sausage frosted that delicious cake. Against better judgement, I ordered dessert. My better judgement made me bring it all home for later in a takeout container. I know I would kick myself later if I missed out on cream puffs with grapefruit curd. If nothing else, it is my morning doughnut. I would also like to give a nod to the fact that they picked a neighborhood to keep on the radar adjacent to another popular Milwaukee restaurant and also serve food later (full menu until Midnight) to accommodate some of the off-duty chefs in the area. They need good food and drink too! The service was attentive and the general manager even made a point to see how everyone was enjoying the evening and asked about our first impressions. I would have to say, this made a great first impression with me. The food and drinks were fantastic. My suggestion for improvement would be to add a bit more green to the plates. I ordered a lot of brown food. I would have enjoyed a bite of greens on the plate to cleanse the palate or a bite of fresh vegetable just to make the transition between dishes. They do offer a salad and several dishes with vegetables, but I would have had to omit one of the dishes I did want to try or over-order in order to balance that out. Also, being my first trip here there was no way for me to anticipate this. There are plenty of dishes and cocktails on my "to do" list here. I will surely be back and recommend you check out this new gem in the Walker's Point area. I dined on the patio but the interior is beautiful with clean, modern decor and an extremely tidy and well-kept restroom. They are open late so I hope to be back for drinks and a bite, if not dinner as well. Secret squirrel tip: If you don't see a spot you like on the street, a little birdie told me the lot across the street is available for overflow parking for the restaurant as well.

    (5)

  • Katie S.

    Hip and beachwashed. The gals and I ventured in for a drink and were pleasantly surprised! It's on a great corner location, albeit 3 blocks off the beaten path. There is a parking lot across the street, which always garners bonus points from me. It has those big garage door windows and it was a nice day out so it was pleasant and breezy. They had a decent beer selection and a smattering of crafty drinks. I had the daily grog with nutmeg which was fresh and fun. We grabbed a seat on the sidewalk which since it's not on the main drag was fairly quiet except for the occasional train. The server who stopped by was.....friendly, but in an odd, too cool for school, skinny pants kind of way. He suggested the last drink on the cocktail list, but we had to press him for a more descriptive word than "boozy". It was good...dark and sexy and warming and had some drunken cherries in it to boot. That drink deserved a bear rug in front of a fire in a stone hearth in a cabin with huge glass windows looking out at a thunderstorm. They had what looked to be delectable dishes but they all looked on the light side and we happened to be looking for a larger dinner that night. Overall, a good first experience!

    (4)

  • Samantha C.

    Delicious small plates and good beers! Great place for a romantic date or to hang with friends on the patio.

    (4)

  • Lauren S.

    They have good but smaller entrees. They were out of chicken and pork when our group arrived. They had fish left but it wasn't very good. The drinks were good but expensive.

    (3)

  • John A.

    Lets get the expensive thing out of the way. It was expensive. It was also very very good. Kimchi deviled eggs and mussels in a delicious broth made this dinner delicious. Had an odd gin drink as well, didn't like it much however I am sure that was my fault for ordering straight gin with a bit of some type of fruit in the middle of it.

    (4)

  • Sarah M.

    Amazing food. The fried Brussel sprouts were wonderful. Service is great. Fun side note, you can bring your own records and they will play the,.

    (5)

  • Nicole H.

    Just stopped for a drink and dessert, but so far so good. I'll definitely come back to sample more. The daily grog was a blend of tropical fruity coconut mango deliciousness that was refreshing on a crazy hot night. I'm a pate a choux snob, but my cream puffs were the perfect consistency - again with the light and refreshing on a hot night. Table-mates had the chocolate dessert (chipotle something something) and salted caramel ice cream with pistachios, both of which were delicious. Loved that the dessert choices hit all the different notes one might want in post-dinner fare. My bite of the chocolate thingy was good, but not what I was in the mood for. I was happy for my light, refreshing cream puffs and the zingy grapefruit was an unexpected but awesome flavor choice. The pistachio crumble on the salted crumble gave great texture to some truly delectable ice cream. So glad we came here and topped off the night.

    (4)

  • Michael H.

    My wife and I had dinner on Saturday (2/7). Excellent service and food. Great experience.

    (5)

  • Marge Y.

    I came into Blue Jacket for Mother's Day Brunch with my mother and sister, we had not made a reservation as our plans were a little last minute... but luckily they were able to slip us in on a highboy (but we were informed we only had an hour due to other reservations). I really had my eye on the outside seating cause it was such a gorgeous day, but failed to make the request. The overall feel of the restaurant is kind of cramped, due to the fact that it is a pretty small space (but the booths look nice and roomy). There is a rustic nautical decor about the place, very clean and simple. It took awhile for our server to greet us... I didn't even think she was our server cause she passed by us many times without acknowledging us. I'm guessing she didn't know we were her table right away... or at least that's what I like to believe. My sister and I both had mimosas while mom went for a bloody mary. The drinks were good, but nothing to write home about. I kept seeing this bubbly delicious looking pink drink with a strawberry slice on the rim and had to ask the server what and how I could get one of those. It was called Strawberry Rhubarb I believe, and it was on the specials board... an outstanding drink! I don't exactly remember what we all ordered... I was very satisfied with my pancakes though, I recall them being very delicious and topped with an orange cream (just a little dollop complimented each bite). I know there was another ingredient that pulled the whole dish together, but I cant remember what that was. Mom had the chorizo and egg tacos, which were average at best... It just seemed like something was missing that would've pulled the whole dish together. My sister had some sort of breakfast bowl type thing which consisted of potatoes, eggs, and pork... which was surprisingly good. Forgive my lack of detail on the plate descriptions... the experience is no longer fresh in my memory. Blue Jacket is definitely over priced for the size of their plates, but I do hold an understanding of how much small businesses put into their pursuit to be successful and maintain high quality... so I do understand how price comes into effect that way. BUT when the quality of your service is below average it ruins the whole experience, it's what can make or break you... and from what I've read in other reviews, not many people have been satisfied with the service they have received here. I personally was indifferent about the service we received; the waitress wasn't very present or informative. It would've been nice to have someone warm and welcoming... especially on an occasion such as Mothers Day. I firmly believe in tipping no less then 18%, and that is exactly what we tipped... It's a shame because she probably knows she can get by on the bare minimum of service and still make a decent cut due to the fact that the bill is typically a large amount. It's really hurting the business owners I'm sure, cause who wants to go out and spend good money for below average attentiveness?

    (3)

  • Tina L.

    Went on a Saturday night, with a reservation made that same night, and loved it. First of all they have parking (big plus). We sat outside and the patio was very cute and we had plenty of room. The hostess was great and our server was phenomenal. The food and drinks matched. Big drink menu and we had four total that were delicious. We ordered 4 plates and dessert and were not disappointed. I found the plates to be sized right according to this type of place. The food tasted amazing! Eager to go back and try brunch.

    (5)

  • Cheri G.

    Are restaurants typically closed on Sundays? After yelping/driving around trying to find somewhere to have an early evening meal, we came across Blue Jacket. A cute corner-restaurant with an open and inviting dining area. We were looking for a light meal and the plates offered looked delicious. Right away we were greeted with pure friendliness. Brian was extremely thorough with the whole menu, suggesting that the Roasted Vegetable Poutine would be just right for two. We ordered that along with a bowl of Sweet Corn Soup with a douse of Chili Oil. The Poutine is extremely addicting. It IS enough for two, however it is so good I could have easily eaten the entire thing myself because you just cannot stop eating it. Dangerous dish! The Sweet Corn Soup was amazing as well: Silky smooth and the chilli oil was a great compliment. The atmosphere was amazing, relaxing, and the bartenders/wait staff are all extremely friendly. We will be back soon, I can't wait to try some of their cocktails!

    (4)

  • Preeti B.

    We got a lot of snacks between 5 of us..the Rangoon and the "extra bread" was to die for!!

    (4)

  • Cory T.

    COME HUNGRY. LEAVE STARVING. When we walked into the newly minted Blue Jacket, I had high hopes that this tapas restaurant would break a losing streak amongst "small plate" venues we've sampled. But the breathtaking makeover of the former Triangle Bar proved that beauty really is only skin deep. RESERVATIONS If you have a party of six or more, you'll need reservations. We had five in our party, and seating was diners' choice. We decided to sit outside in the patio area. It was a slow start until traffic began to fill the tastefully appointed restaurant, and perhaps it was a foreshadowing of the excruciatingly long wait we had ahead of us. Spoiler alert: we arrived at 6, and left at 8:30! I knew we were in trouble when Jeeves started in with the pretentious bullshit that is apparently mandatory for a tapas restaurant. We have our "wine program" and our "beer program," and our... Not offensive, but comical. Why do places feel a need to do this? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The list is printed on a paper menu, no doubt crafted with the assistance of that sommelier--known to his friends as "Xerox." And where is the sommelier to charter us through "the program"? I don't seem to see him anywhere. NOT AMUSED. AMUSE-BOUCHE'D. We ordered drinks and an appetizer (more like an amuse-bouche) deemed the Artisan Cheese "Plank." I highlight "plank," because the way it dwarfed the food offerings, it might as well have been a surf board. What was missing? The cheese. There were five of us, and about an ounce of gorgonzola, four 1" X 1" shavings of pecorino, a splinter of brie, and some crumbles of bleu cheese. Then there was a gherkin slivered into four pieces (I kid you not!), a pickled string bean, a pickled dried chive, a savory cucumber slice, a teaspoon of peach preserves, seven shelled pistachio nuts, and three marinated apple slices. It came with two slices of bread and some unleavened water-cracker style pieces. Unless you are a table of Liliputians, you will not appreciate this "plank." A five year old could pick more out of his nose. $14. Two of us ordered Market Salads ($7). I didn't have one, but they were fresh, colorful, and the presentation was appealing. THE WARNING Meryl Streep (Death Becomes Her): "And NOW a warning!?!" After waiting a queen's age for our very good drinks to make the journey from the bar to our table, we were served up a warning: "being that our kitchen is small, and we want to serve the food at the correct temperature, we tend to bring out the entrees as they come up. There might be a small wait in between dishes." We ignored the warning, not realizing the full impact of what our waitress was trying to tell us. NOT WORTH THE WAIT Where was our food? It was 7:15, and nothing. I was ready to break out a Ouija board for a prediction. Mussels ($12) came up first. They were oddly paired with a curry seasoning, and served with the life-sustaining bread. This dish was inhaled. The rest of us just sat there looking at each other, and trying to ignore the awkward wait. Who would be next? The answer came twenty-five minutes later at 7:40, when one pork loin, and one chicken breast entree arrived. One tepid, one ice cold. Flavors were good, but not spectacular. Why? Because even the best dishes fall short when not served hot. Although, at this point I'd have eaten the ass out of a skunk and been grateful for the privilege. That left two without entrees. STILL. All I could think about was how I wish I could get a looped track of the Jeopardy Theme Song and harass the kitchen staff with it until they produced our food. There is hardly any food on any of these damn plates, seriously how long do they need! At one point, the conversation had turned to accurately naming the marshmallow shapes and colors in a box of Lucky Charms. I think that says it all. I wished I had smuggled in a bowl of them. T-I-I-I-I-ME IS ON YOUR SIDE--NO IT'S NOT, NO IT'S NOT!!!!!! We asked if we could order a basket of bread, since one of us finished our meal, and two had food in front of them, and two had NOTHING. The bread came out at...wait for it....wait for it...8:05! But that's not all folks....The brain trust brings it to the table next to us, who is probably new to tapas dining and no doubt thinks it's complimentary. About five minutes later, out comes our bread. No wonder some of the pieces were unleavened--symbolic of the bread the Jews packed for their little 40-day stint in the dessert. Finally the remaining entrees came. If you're paying attention, it is now 8:10. THE BILL I thought it a bit tacky, if not petty, to include the bread that took nearly a half hour to arrive, and was only ordered because of the GM assembly-line disparity in timing between entrees. Nothing on the menu stood out as something for which one would return. Not a good value: $44 per person. The vote was unanimous at our table: WE WON'T BE BACK.

    (1)

  • Nick G.

    Girlfriend and I dined there with another couple last night. Here's the deal, it's small, super chill and sexy, and very busy. Had a res at 900. Sat comfortably at the bar for an hour. The hipsters (I am not one but say that with affection) staffing the joint could not have be more apologetic about the group lingering at what would have been our table. When we were sat, we were purchased a round of drinks on the house. Try to find somewhere these days that will throw down like that. Not many will. Especially at $10 a drink. The food an drinks are superb. I def don't throw out 5 stars often. Blue jacket deserves all 5 on this trip. Our server was also kind and entertaining! Awesome!!

    (5)

  • Kelsey J.

    The ambiance was great. It was a beautiful autumn night, the windows were open and I loved it. Very cute inside. The drinks were also fun lots of good craft cocktails. Service was attentive and upbeat, but then came the food... very mediocre. We had a pickled veggie tray with a deviled egg, nothing special, very very small, a few julienned veggies and 1 egg. For our entrees we shared the panzanella salad and duck meatballs over polenta. Our bread salad was not very good, portion very small as well and too much vinegar, veggies didn't have much flavor, mushy, overall kind of blah. Meatballs were dry and luke warm, the polenta was good but nothing special. I don't mind small portions but they should be priced appropriately. Overall I loved the ambiance, I would go back for a drink but the food, lackluster.

    (3)

  • Abby T.

    Great cocktails, but very limited menu. There are only a few apps and meals to choose from, which ended up being delicious, but I was disappointed in the lack of variety. Prices are on the higher side, but I would go back for an appetizer and drink before eating dinner elsewhere!

    (4)

  • Val S.

    I had a great experience at Blue Jacket last evening. I am an outof towner, and decided to drive down to Walkers Point area and randomly look for a restaurant. I saw the rating for Blue Jacket, and decided to give it a try, without realizing that it was a new restaurant. I was by myself, and had some computer work to do, and took a seat at the bar with the intent of mixing document editing with food and drink. I was fortunate that the seat I chose was very close to where Daniel, the manager, was working mixing drinks. Throughout the evening, I was able to watch him make a number of interesting cocktails, and he provided some explanation of the flavor profiles he was trying to achieve. In addition to his work at Blue Jacket, he also has a relationship with the Bittercube Bitters company, and he had a few moments to tell me about their product. My only regret was that I ordered a beer initially when I sat down...though it was tasty, in retrospect I wish I had started with their Grog...I will have to rectify that next time. My meal was very good.....roasted beet salad with goat cheese....pork loin with charred peaches and an aux jus.....and a Chipotle Sabayon which Daniel suggested pairing with a Negroni. At the end of the meal, the Chef came out and asked me how I enjoyed the meal, and we chatted for a few moments. Overall....very relaxed atmosphere.....very nice wait staff.....Daniel the manager was great....cocktails were tasty and inventive (though I need to try more of them)...and the food well prepared and delicious. Definitely a place to return to. By the way, Daniel mentioned that they source some of their produce from the Restaurant Supported Agriculture (RSA?) place that Braise uses, insuring extemely fresh ingredients.

    (5)

  • Justin T.

    My wife and I stopped by for an early dinner around 5:00 on a Friday. I think this place has a lot of potential but is working through some startup bumps before hitting its stride. The food was good, my wife's duck meat balls were pretty good although not as world beating as they sounded on the menu. I ordered the whitefish and it was phenomenal. Cocktails were also split, my aquavit smash was excellent, my wife's cocktail was fine but not inspiring. The cocktail and beer list in general are spectacular. The three star rating is based on the atmosphere. I recognize we were there before the restaurant filled up, so it was not bustling. Yet, I think the staff and management need to find a better place to discuss business and organization stuff. The back of house talk is a bit distracting and awkward for customers, and in a quiet restaurant it made the ambiance a bit weird. No one wants to listen to a manager critiquing service et cetera. We all get that at our own jobs. I respect that they were coaching and actively managing the staff, but I don't need to hear it. Perhaps some music during quieter times would help. Bottom line: I will absolutely be back to give them a number of chances to impress me. Reasonable cost for the quality and the physical space is great.

    (3)

  • Sheree R.

    Lately my husband and I have been attracted to the small plate and charcuterie restaurants, so Blue Jacket was right for us. We started at the bar with meticulously made cocktails - not something we are used to finding at home - and they were spot on. If you're looking for the "Wisconsin-style" Old Fashioned, this is NOT the place, rather the alcohol is the star and bitters and orange peel add to the aroma of the cocktail. Husband had a gin gimlet made with Rosemary - outstanding! We move to a table and ordered the cheese plate and the meat plate, an array of wonderful Wisconsin-made artisan cheeses and meats and we loved every bite. (OK, the head cheese is not our thing, but we both gave it a go and found it perfectly edible.) Then we shared a bowl of fettuccine with savory, locally grown herbs that was heavenly. Honestly, we love to eat this way. It's much more satisfying than the typical 4-course meal, where the app and salad course leave you feeling full before the entre has arrived. And fresh, locally sourced ingredients is the only way to go. Wisconsin artisan cheeses are the best! The service at Blue Jacket was perfect, very attentive but not overbearing. We'll be back!

    (4)

  • Steve S.

    I have nothing but praise for this wonderful addition to the Milwaukee food scene. The food may be a bit pricey but the experience is well worth it. Between the expertly hand-crafted seasonal cocktails, the well thought out menu, and exceptional service, Blue Jacket does not disappoint. I would suggest starting off with one of their signature planks to share (enough for 2 - 4 for an appetizer), followed by one of the meticulously prepared plates (I had the Crepinette).

    (5)

  • Christina D.

    Great food, great drinks, excellent service and atmosphere. I love that they take risks with their menu and offer things that you don't normally see in Milwaukee (octopus).

    (4)

  • Dana G.

    Thrilled with the cocktails: very dry botanical Seasonal Gimlet and Journey's End rum& bitters. Loved our Brussels sprouts and Mexican Corn small plates too. Lovely dining room and outdoor patio seating. Definitely want to return for more!

    (5)

  • John F.

    We had intended to go to the restaurant next door and happened to walk into the Blue Jacket out of curiosity. I am so happy we did. Mike was the 1st person we met and he is the definition of a craft bartender. It was refreshing to see appropriate sized cocktails! Thankfully, the 8 oz martini does not exist here. Great vibe at the bar, which is where we dined. The wait staff is experienced and proud of their new restaurant. The menu was well priced for the quality of the food we ate. The portions are appropriately sized. We are tired of restaurants that serve Wisconsin sized meals meals. Thankfully, Blue Jacket's focus is on quality not quantity. We had such an enjoyable experience on Friday night, we returned on Saturday night!

    (5)

  • Lisa J.

    My husband and I LOVE blue jacket! Delicious refreshing summer cocktails! We had the fish/cheese plank. I could eat a whole bowl of their whitefish rillette. I don't like beets but the salad was quite delicious! The steak was nice and tender, I'm a sucker for anything that is topped with blue cheese. Casual environment. Reasonably priced.

    (5)

  • Steve C.

    Welcome to the neighborhood! Our party of four was seated quickly during the Saturday night rush and taken care of by some very attentive staff, including one of the owners. Drinks were excellent riffs on some classic cocktails, but what would you expect from a bar program put together by the guys at Bittercube? The opening basket of truffled popcorn was a treat that reminded me of a dinner at Chicago's Graham Elliot back in 2008. A fun way to start the meal. The meal... well, we just about ordered everything. The pickles and deviled eggs were fun little bites to get us going. The meatballs were excellent. The whitefish was rich and not the least bit "whitefishy." We did one of each dessert, but I kept coming back to the ice creams. Purple Door, right? I read a Chicago Tribune article the other day lamenting the lack of restaurants in the city that truly celebrate and showcase the bounty of the upper midwest. Maybe they're lacking that in Chicago... but I'm glad to have Blue Jacket keeping things local right down the street.

    (4)

  • Rich W.

    What I love most about Blue Jacket is that the menu is not huge, but everything I had was fantastic!! I had the deviled eggs, wow! Some type of corn soup with a pepper sauce trickled over it, this was crazy good. I finished with the cheese and fish plate which was perfect with their nice selection of craft beers. Staff was great. I will definitely go back.

    (5)

  • Nick K.

    I was very impressed with Blue Jacket. We went for a light dinner and a few drinks last night, ordered the onion compote, which was to die for. SO GOOD! Our conclusion on the dish is it would be similar to a deconstructed french onion soup. But, one of the best french onion soups ever. We also ordered the cheese and sausage platter, which also came with a bunch of little pickled veggies (and apples!) which were fantastic. Overall, a tad expensive and not a wide variety, but will be back again to try more!

    (4)

  • Laura L.

    All the greatness of the drink mixology craze without being pretentious. Low-key, modern style. Friendly hipster service. They easily made recommendations. Chicagoans, the owner worked at the Violet Hour. All of the best of that place, minus the late-night bouncer and bros.

    (5)

  • Brad K.

    Blue Jacket is as good as it gets. The food is scrumptious. The decor is perfect for having a great time. And, the cocktails are out of this world. Try it once and Blue Jacket will make you a believer.

    (5)

  • Mario E.

    Today is opening night and the service seems to be decent. Milwaukee is pretty awesome!

    (4)

  • Giovanny L.

    I have to say only that this place is fancy, delicious and has a great staff. They also have the best gnocchi ever

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Tue

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Brunch, Dinner, Dessert
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : No
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Trendy
    Noise Level : Average
    Music : Background
    Good For Dancing : No
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Happy Hour : Yes
    Best Nights : Fri, Sat
    Coat Check : No
    Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Blue Jacket

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