Posts Tagged ‘Wauwatosa’

Wauwatosa, WI: Explorium Brew Pub

Posted: March 15, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Explorium Brewpub in Wauwatosa is one of those places that quietly does a lot of things really well. Known for their wide selection of craft beers and an expansive menu, it’s a great spot to meet friends, grab a bite, and—of course—order a Bloody Mary.

I went with their regular Bloody, though they also offer a spicy/pepper vodka option for those who like a little extra kick. This one came nicely garnished with a pickle, olive, a small piece of string cheese, and a mini beef stick. Even better, it’s served with a chaser of your choice from their extensive beer list—and Explorium has a lot of beers to choose from.

The flavor was really solid—well-balanced and easy to drink, making it one of the better Bloodies I’ve had recently. It’s the kind of Bloody Mary that hits the spot whether you’re starting a weekend brunch or just stopping in for a casual drink.

One thing that always surprises me is that Explorium never seems overly packed when I visit and its predecessors, ABV Social and Good City, were also never very full. However, with the quality of the food, the variety of beers, and a strong Bloody Mary to match, it’s actually a fantastic meeting spot right in the heart of the Mayfair Collection.

The Bloody Mary

• Spices/Flavor: Well-balanced and flavorful
• Fixin’s: Pickle, olive, string cheese, beef stick
• Chaser: Your choice of from their extensive beer list
• Presentation: Classic Bloody presentation with traditional garnishes
• Price: $8 per website

If you’re in Wauwatosa and looking for a great place to meet up with friends, Explorium Brewpub deserves a spot on your list. The Bloody Mary alone is worth ordering—and with all those beers on tap, you won’t leave thirsty.

Note: Explorium has two additional locations, including Greendale and the Third Ward.

Wauwatosa, WI: Buckatabon

Posted: March 2, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Buckatabon Tavern & Supper Club (from the Lowlands Group, which has built a reputation for strong Bloody Marys across all of its restaurants, including Cafe Benelux and Cafe Hollander) appears to have upped its bloody mary game since we last reviewed this spot in 2022, so we’re re-reviewing!

Once again, I tried the Buckatabon Bloody, their classic house version. Made with vodka, Bloody Mary mix, celery juice, and topped with Frank’s Secret Shake seasoning, it had a fresh, savory flavor profile with a little extra kick from the seasoning blend. The garnish lineup was simple but thoughtful, and the small beer chaser sealed the deal — especially at a very reasonable price point.

You’ll see they now offer several new bloodies including “That Dills My Pickle,” “The Smug Clam,” the “Spicy Badger,” and even a non-alcoholic “Side Salad” version — which shows just how seriously they take their Bloody menu.

The supper club vibes and strong brunch menu make this another solid stop from the Lowlands Group family.

Wauwatosa, WI: Crafty Cow

Posted: September 9, 2025 in Uncategorized
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If you’re on the hunt for bottomless brunch bliss in Wauwatosa, Crafty Cow is your new best friend. With unlimited mimosas, house Bloody Marys, coffee, and OJ, it’s a 90-minute feast of endless sipping—just bring your appetite and make an entrée purchase.

I ordered the bottomless Bloody Mary, and wow, this one is a keeper. (It should be noted that the restaurant has made great strides in its Bloody Mary game since we last reviewed them!) The garnishes are a little showstopper: a cheese curd, a pickled mushroom, two olives, a lemon lime, and a tiny modolito “sidecar” chaser in a cute little bottle. It’s the kind of drink that makes you want to linger, and paired with a brunch Sammy ($15.25) of eggs, bacon, breakfast sausage, American cheese, and cheesy potatoes, it was heaven on a plate. My dining companion’s Cali breakfast burrito—eggs, smoked cheddar, avocado, corn and poblano, cilantro crema, pickled red onion—was equally delicious, and we couldn’t resist some pancake-battered white cheddar curds with syrup for good measure.

The bottomless Bloody Mary experience at Crafty Cow is well-kept secret magic. If you’re a brunch lover in the Milwaukee area, this spot deserves a weekend stop—your taste buds will thank you.

The Bloody Mary

  • Spices/Flavor: Delicious, house classic
  • Fixin’s: Cheese curd, pickled mushroom, 2 olives, lemon-lime
  • Chaser: Tiny Modelito sidecar bottle
  • Presentation: Cute, thoughtful, brunch-ready
  • Price: $18–BOTTOMLESS!

If you’ve been sleeping on Crafty Cow, now’s the time to wake up and smell the bottomless Bloody Marys.

Wauwatosa, WI: Eldr + Rime

Posted: September 16, 2022 in Uncategorized
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We recently visited Eldr + Rime located in the Renaissance Hotel near Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. On Saturdays and Sundays, they offer a fabulous brunch from 9am-2pm, which includes Bloody Mary as well as other libation specials.

We’re assuming you’re here to read about the Bloody Mary, so here are the two options they offer:

  • SIGNATURE BLOODY MARY house blend of bloody mary mix, vodka, snacks, spotted cow chaser $12
  • ROYAL BLOODY MARY house blended bloody mary mix, grilled shrimp, shucked oyster chaser $20

As usual, we felt somewhat obligated to order and review the most special Bloody Mary on the menu, so of course we ordered the Royal. Here are the stats:

Spice & Mix: Perfect amount of spice, house mix. You can see per the photo, there is a lot of horseradish.

Fixin’s: beef stick, pickles, cheese curd, pepper, sweet potato chips, lime, three grilled shrimp & two oysters

Chaser: Yes-Spotted Cow

Price: $20

Okay, so I know what you’re thinking $20 might be a little much for a beverage; however, we’ve had Bloodies that have cost more in the past and this is actually pretty “reasonable” considering all of the “snacks” (we like how they used that term on the menu!) you get with it and the fact that it’s essentially a hotel restaurant where you usually expect higher prices.

As we’ve noted in past reviews, oysters and seafood in general really tend to pair well with Bloody Marys, so this was a tasty combination. If you don’t like seafood, are ordering a larger meal with your beverage or aren’t particularly hungry when you come here, I would suggest saving the $8 and going for the Signature Bloody Mary, but this is definitely a showpiece and delicious as a splurge.

We also got a little FOMO from the food we saw being delivered to patrons around us. This stop was a spur of the moment type thing and we had already had breakfast a few hours earlier so this was purely a Bloody Mary experience. However, next time we come back, we’ll definitely plan to check out the brunch menu! At the very least, we’d order the Royal Bloody again and get one of the amazing looking cinnamon rolls to share on the side!

Wauwatosa, WI: Drunken Cobra

Posted: July 29, 2022 in Uncategorized
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Yay! Another decent Bloody Mary spot in the Milwaukee area! We were out for a stroll one Saturday morning down North Avenue in Wauwatosa and decided to pop into Drunken Cobra to grab a bite and a beverage.

This is a bar and grill from the same owner of one of our favorite former Bloody Mary places, Red Dot (RIP!), so fingers crossed this one would be good too.

Spice & Mix: Perfect amount of spice, mix unknown. You can see per the photo, there is a lot of horseradish.

Fixin’s: Beef Stick, Pickle, Cheese, Olive, Celery

Chaser: Yes!

Price: $9 (per their website; we forgot to take note when we were there)

The verdict? This was a very good bloody, although not as good as Red Dot’s. Red Dot’s had infused vodka, which made all the difference in the world (so if you’re reading this Drunken Cobra, maybe just a suggestion?).

The food there is also good (again, Red Dot’s was better, but that’s just our opinion).

Wauwatosa, WI: Blue Mound Golf and Country Club

Posted: July 29, 2022 in Uncategorized
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Earlier this summer, we were honored to be hosted for a round of golf at Blue Mound Golf and Country Club in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It was a hot day spent on the links and the cold bloody on the patio afterwards was oh-so-refreshing.

Spice & Mix: Perfect amount of spice, mix unknown.

Fixin’s: Beef Stick, Lemon, Lime and Olive

Chaser: None offered.

Price: $Unknown

Blue Mound is a private club, so it will be hard to get another one of these, but if I have the chance again, I will jump at it! And, if you ever find yourself as lucky as I was to be on this course, be sure to stop at the 19th hole for one of these!

Wauwatosa, WI: Buckatabon

Posted: July 29, 2022 in Uncategorized
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I had been to all of the other Lowlands Group restaurants for brunch and bloodies and they were all very good, but had yet to try the relatively new Buckatabon in Wauwatosa. As you may have noticed, our going “out for bloodies” has slowed significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of travel/new places to try.

Thus, we were excited to put ourselves back out there with the Buckatabon Bloody

Spice & Mix: “Vodka, bloody mary mix, celery juice, dill pickle, mushroom, olives, celery, topped with Frank’s Secret Shake Seasoning” says the menu. This was not overly spicy.

Fixin’s: Pickle, Mushroom and Olive were present. We didn’t get celery or notice any Frank’s.

Chaser: Yes, your choice

Price: $9.5

Even though the bloody we received didn’t quite match the description on the menu, like all the others at Cafe Hollander (right next door), Cafe Benelux, etc. was very tasty.

They also had a special “Smug Clam” Bloody on the menu that we’ll have to try next time:

We also had the avocado toast, which was a little rich/saucy for our taste, but very good nonetheless. It’s always nice to have more bloody mary options in town!

Wauwatosa, WI: Crafty Cow

Posted: November 22, 2021 in Uncategorized
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This weekend, we checked out one of Wauwatosa’s newer establishments, Crafty Cow.

Crafty Cow is a family owned bar and restaurant with three locations: Oconomowoc (2014), the Bayview neighborhood of Milwaukee (2016), and East Wauwatosa (2021). They specialize in craft burgers and chicken sandwiches, as well as craft beer and craft cocktails.

We were excited to try their “award-winning” Bloody Mary, but unfortunately came away less than impressed:

Spice & Mix: “Award-winning house recipe made with veggie-infused vodka”

Fixin’s: Lemon, Lime, Bacon, Cheese Curd and Pickle (Menu notes olive also but we didn’t get one.)

Chaser: None offered.

Price: $11.

For a place with such a great-looking food menu that prides itself on the craftsmanship of its craft cocktails, I have to say we were very disappointed with this Bloody Mary. The cheese curd was dumped in the Bloody, floating to the bottom on its own, not a toothpick in sight. There was also no chaser offered, which is weird since you’d think they would be pairing it with a craft beer… it just seemed thrown together, almost like they didn’t even care.

Yes, it was brunch time on a Sunday, but the restaurant wasn’t busy at all. In fact, I had to get up from the table to find our server at one point to request more silverware.

As far as food goes, we both had the avocado toast and it was a generous portion with a unique spin (roasted brussels sprouts) and we will say that it was very good and very filling.

We had also dined at the restaurant when it was a previous establishment and we liked what Crafty Cow has done to update the decor.

However, overall, unfortunately we weren’t impressed by the Bloody Mary, the prices, or the service. For more bang for our buck and much better bloodies, especially on a Sunday during a Packers game, we’re heading to the other new burger joint in the neighborhood instead: Badger Burger Company.

Wauwatosa, WI: Tosa Bowl & Bun

Posted: January 21, 2018 in Uncategorized
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We recently stumbled upon a great soup and sandwich spot in Wauwatosa called Tosa Bowl & Bun.

An affordable deli with a soup du jour by day, Tosa Bowl and Bun also offers many dinner specials as well as take and bake and catering options.

We were so happy to find a good soup spot in the area and even happier when we realized they publish their daily soup offerings in calendar format online so you can plan ahead.

Those things alone make this a great spot to grab lunch, especially during these trying winter months, but add in the cute decor that is more than a nod to the building’s bowling alley roots (think tables made out of the wood from the lanes) and $4 Bloodies on Saturdays and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Yes, that’s right. Just $4 gets you this:

Photo Dec 16, 2 21 53 PM

Spice: Not too spicy, but tasty.

Mix: Unsure

Chaser: A shorty of Miller High Life.

Fixin’s: Two olives

Price: $4 on Saturdays

Now we wouldn’t come here specifically for this Bloody Mary, but we would come here especially for the soups….so if you’re offering a $4 Bloody, who would we be to turn that down? It’s pretty average and low on the fixin’s, which would normally be a hindrance, but at that price point, who can resist a Bloody Mary to pair with their tomato bisque?

We highly recommend you check out Tosa Bowl and Bun–it will become one of your regular lunch spots!

Wauwatosa, WI: Ruscello

Posted: December 7, 2016 in Uncategorized
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We recently dined at Ruscello, the Mediterranean-style restaurant located inside Nordstrom’s Department Store in Mayfair Mall. There, we enjoyed lunch and a Bloody Mary.

Photo Dec 03, 12 21 38 PM.jpg

Spice: Good flavor; lots of spice, but not too spicy in terms of heat.

Mix:Homemade.

Chaser: None offered

Fixin’s: Two Olives, Lemon & Lime

Price: $?

This was a day when the “hair of the dog” was needed–and much appreciated. You can tell that Ruscello at least doctored up a mix (if they didn’t make their own), by how many spices were visible within the drink. Despite the many spices, it didn’t have any odd or overpowering tastes and was not too spicy in terms of heat. I would’ve liked to see a chaser included and/or more fixin’s, but other than that, this was a solid beverage. Thanks, Ruscello!

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