Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Milwaukee

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best overall restaurants in Milwaukee? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Saz's State House Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (340)

$30 and under

Barbecue

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

In 1976 Milwaukee native Steve Sazama, a.k.a. Saz, opened Saz's State House Restaurant in a historic building nestled beside the railroad tracks on the West Side of town. Saz knew how to make his customers happy with great food and stellar service. What he didn't know was that 45 years later Saz's State House would be the cornerstone for a thriving operation that includes successful Catering, Festivals and retail Barbecue Products divisions. Get the insider scoop on Saz's - click here to read the whole story!

Top review

Rick

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

Fun place with the family - Sazs did a nice job in accommodating a larger group than my initial reservation. Food is solid and atmosphere is fun.

Cafe Manna

4.9

4.9 (886)

$30 and under

Vegetarian / Vegan

Brookfield

About the restaurant

Café Manna is one of the first 100% vegetarian restaurants in Southeastern Wisconsin. We are committed to bringing you fresh, “made from scratch” delicious food. We have produce delivered daily to ensure our dishes are fresh and full flavored. Many of our ingredients are locally grown and chosen for seasonality. Additionally, we use a reverse osmosis water purification system. Café Manna was the first restaurant in Wisconsin to reach the 3-star Green Restaurant Certification level. We have been the Open Table "Diners' Choice" award winner, and also the "Best of Milwaukee" winner for best vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free restaurant. Our fresh menu features many vegan, gluten-free and raw dishes and our specials change up every 2 weeks. Visit us during the summer to enjoy patio dining, or indoors for a more intimate experience. Our friendly staff is ready to serve you!

Top review

KathleenVIP

Dined on Dec 11, 2024

While not vegetarians, we always enjoy great tasting food and delightful service. A true gem!

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Thai Peanut Cauliflower

Santino's Little Italy

4.9

4.9 (128)

$30 and under

Italian

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Santino's Little Italy, tucked away in a quiet neighborhood with rich history echoing years gone by in the City of Milwaukee. The building housing the restaurant is over 130 years old and has been beautifully remodeled by talented designers and carpenters. The vibe has an old school Brooklyn New York feeling and is the perfect place to make wonderful memories with friends and family.

The menu features delicious gourmet pizzas / house-made pastas / salads / appetizers / deserts along with delicious Italian wine / cocktails and are professionally served to you by our attentive staff. Our amazing Neapolitan Style Pizza is hand made with the finest and freshest ingredients and cooked in a 6,000-pound Italian woodfired oven. With humility and gratitude our pizza was ranked nationally as the 46th best pizza in North America and we are very proud to serve many happy diners here in Milwaukee.

Reservations are highly recommended as space is limited. We look forward to serving you.

Top review

chris

Dined 1 day ago

We love Santinos. We have been going for a few years now. From dining in the main room or sitting at the bar, it’s fantastic. The bartender is always great! Just ate there last night again. 12-19-24.

Birch - Milwaukee

4.9

4.9 (957)

$50 and over

American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

A hyper-seasonal New American Restaurant celebrating Wisconsin farmers & food producers and cooking over an open fire.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 3 days ago

Made a reservation and we didn’t know that it was the French Bistro pop up night. Wow! What an amazing experience from the service (thank you Lola) to the drinks and ultimately the food. Outstanding experience!

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Experience

New Year's Eve

Transfer Pizzeria Cafe

4.9

4.9 (225)

$31 to $50

Pizzeria

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

You are cordially invited to visit Transfer Pizzeria Café, located in the Harbor District on the corner of 1st and Mitchell Streets. Established in 2008, the namesake is Transfer Pharmacy, a classic cornerstone drugstore from a bygone era that for decades supplied a thriving community with goods and services as evidenced by the stained glass windows still in place. The pharmacy was appropriately named for the constant activity that took place just outside - the boarding, departures, and transfers of the countless daily commuters of the time. The tradition of a reliable cornerstone establishment continues today, as Transfer Pizzeria delivers a unique dose of delicious pizza, drink, atmosphere, and friendly service.

We keep an active wait-list and gladly accommodate walk-ins as part of both our lunch and dinner service.

Top review

Joel

Dined 3 days ago

Perfect place for a hip night out, especially when Cameron Webb is on the stage and Eric is behind the bar.

Zarletti - Downtown

4.8

4.8 (2915)

$31 to $50

Italian

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

DINE IN & CURB SIDE SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE!

CURBSIDE FOOD AND RETAIL WINE SERVICE
MONDAY-SATURDAY 1:00PM-8:00PM

DINE IN FOR DINNER ONLY
MONDAY-THURSDAY 4PM-8PM
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 4PM-9PM

PLEASE CALL 414-225-0000

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Zarletti is a fine dining northern Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. Executive chef and owner Brian C. Zarletti focuses on creating regional Italian cuisine inspired by lessons learned in his grandmother’s kitchen and on his extensive travels in Italy.

Top review

LyndaVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Great dinner before a show. Food was delicious and service was outstanding. Intimate setting and easy to have a conversation.

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Popular dish

Pasta alla Bolognese

La Merenda

4.8

4.8 (2743)

$30 and under

Tapas / Small Plates

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

La Merenda is a bar and grill located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that specializes in serving globally inspired cuisine, local beers and wine. The restaurant offers a casual dining with upscale flavors.

La Merenda has an emphasis on using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, so the menu is constantly being updated with new dishes based on available ingredients. The main menu at La Merenda offers a selection of snacks, seafood and meat entr�es. Menu selections include such dishes as Wisconsin farmers� salad, seasonal gnocchi, veal stracotto, Sambal Goreng Udang with Gulf shrimp and pork and shrimp tostadas.

Top review

James

Dined 5 days ago

Food and service fabulous. Acoustics bad. Couldn't hear each other. Unfortunately when we walked in we smelled Fabuloso cleaning solution. It permeated the bar and dining room until our food came. The worst was the bathroom. It was so strong it almost caused a headache. Quite a turn-off mixed with food.

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Popular dish

Truffled Potato Skins (WI)

Popular dish

Argentinian Style Beef (Argentina)

Popular dish

Goat Cheese Curds (WI)

Mo's A Place for Steaks - Milwaukee

4.8

4.8 (2492)

$31 to $50

Steak

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Mo’s...A Place for Steaks has an ambience others strive for. A sexy yet sophisticated feel, combined with great food & unmatched service create a customized dining experience. It’s not just the wet-aged steaks that arrive beautifully cut, cooked & plated, or the extensive wine list: Mo’s is a luxury that feels luxurious. Settle deep into a leather chair, listen to tunes playing on the baby grand or relax while sipping a martini & think just how good it feels to be you! Culinary delights don’t end with the steaks – you’ll find a wide selection of delicious entrées, appetizers, sides & desserts.

Top review

TonyVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Great service and food. Highly recommend this place.

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Popular dish

Shrimp Cocktail

The Capital Grille - Milwaukee

4.9

4.9 (2818)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Make it a day to remember. From birthdays and anniversaries to professional milestones, we aim to make every gathering special at The Capital Grille. Open seven days a week, The Capital Grille is best known for our expertly prepared steaks, which are dry aged in house for 18 to 24 days and then hand-cut by our restaurant's on-premise butcher. The Capital Grille's wine list features more than 350 selections, and its floor-to-ceiling wine kiosk regularly houses 3,500 - 5,000 bottles. Reservations are recommended but not required. For more information, please visit our website. We look forward to delighting you.

Top review

KimVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Our server, Angel, and the table staff Juan and Maria were fantastic!

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Popular dish

Coconut Cream Pie

Popular dish

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

Safina

4.9

4.9 (318)

$31 to $50

Italian

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

It’s been over four years since guests last tasted the Sicilian dishes from longtime Milwaukee restaurant Giovanni’s. But all of that changes with Safina: a new casual Italian concept that comes to the historic building at 785 N. Jefferson St.

Focusing on comforting dishes with roots in Sicily and the southern regions of Italy, Safina's goal is to keep the menu familiar and accessible. The restaurant also features a full bar and second-level seating, complete with wood and marble finishes that highlight the rustic, modern Italian ambiance.

Top review

Nick

Dined on Dec 13, 2024

What a gem to the city of Milwaukee. Place had excellent service and amazing food.

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