Conway’s Smokin’ Bar & Grill

Mouth… moist. Enough said. The meatloaf? Don’t get me started… and I don’t even like meatloaf. The people, the open jam, the hometown ambiance, shall I continue? Yep…
The owners are the Johnsons. Classic Milwaukeeans with some down home Wisconsin flavor, Barbecue flavor that is. When a menu titles their food lil’ Johnson, big Johnson and the pork tornado, my interests are peaked only to be met with genuine satisfaction. Even better, their veggie option is name Annie Lenox. Epic.
This place doesn’t need to pretend to be a barbecue joint, it is. Thank you Johnsons!

The hidden gem of the Marquette area. I don’t think words can describe how good the smoked ribs and wings are here. A little pricey/​slow but more than worth it. Hands down best baked beans I’ve ever had as well.
My only real complaint is that the bartender has been rude every time I’ve been there. But otherwise an amazing place!

To comment on Ron Rs tip I think he missed what this place is because it’s not a BBQ joint, it’s a dive bar that has smoked foods on the menu. I make smoked food at home but I’m not making Bbq so with that being said I will start my review of the place.
First off I had no expectations of the place but I didn’t think it was an all out BBQ place so I didn’t know what to expect. When I first walked in and looked around and my first thought was wow this is a cool dive bar and I will post pictures. It smells like a old school dive bar and I liked the unique character of the place.
The place had a stage and I think the bar tender said Tuesday is open jam night. The blond woman painted the murals she said. I saw about 12 taps of micro brew which was unexpected. There is a pool table, pin ball machine, ATM, juke box, shitty big screen tv and other bar regulars. The wall below the food boards show what’s on tap.
I had the shock top Belgium white which was too mild for me. The River west all malt Amber lager was a better option for me with a fuller flavor.
The cook and the woman bar tender are a couple and were very nice and chatted me up about the business so I can’t complain about any service issues.
Now on to my food and not thinking I was going to get full blown BBQ place I ordered the smoked ribs that come with beans and jalapeño corn bread. I liked the beans because there’s was a sweet Smokey flavor in them and there is smoked meat mixed in while they were tight and not watery. I usually toss the corn bread but not today because I got hooked with every bite. It was on the edge of dry but not like the ones you can’t choke down with out a drink that I throw away. The corn bread left me with no real jalapeño flavor but what I liked was the rich buttery flavor with maybe a tiny tiny heat finish.
They don’t call the ribs BBQ and I would not call the ribs BBQ. The ribs were spare ribs so they are meaty. What we have here is smoked ribs that are finished off on the grill to so the sweet glaze will stick, see my pictures. The sweet charred glaze was mild enough as to complement the smoke flavor of the ribs which I liked and not BBQ in any way. To my surprise from a dive bar the ribs were very moist, tender and juicy which come clean off the bone and they leave the tips on. I have had lots of ribs in my life that were dry and hard so to find moist tender ribs from a dive bar is very cool.
Overall with no misconceptions of this being a BBQ joint I enjoyed the beer and food so I will be back for the moist charred ribs again. This dive bar really impressed me and the food which will not be found anywhere else so I find it to be a hidden gem.

We found this place through Unilocal,but we were disappointed. Wish the sides had a little more seasoning. The cornbread was way too buttery without any flavor. The beans were over microwaved and bland. The ribs were just ok, but there was a lot of meat on the bone which was nice. Bang for you buck is a plus.

Now, this was a surprisingly good meal. Everything was good, and fresh this is a place where I’m planning on coming back to try again
The chicken was fresh and tender, ribs fell off the bone good with the beans coming out nice and hot, but the jalapeño cornbread was just a tad bland, and if that’s the worst then I’m OK with that.

While waiting for laundry to finish at the nearby Tanning and Coin Laundry a buddy and I decided to try Conway’s.
After walking 5 blocks or so to this divey looking bar, we bellied up at the bar salivating for some ribs we saw on the menu. FYI you need to walk to the other portion of the bar to order food.
We both ordered The Big Johnson — 6 fairly large ribs, side of beans, and cornbread.
I’ve eaten a lot of ribs in my life and these were some of the best hickory smoked ribs I’ve ever had. Sipping it down with a pint of Spotted Cow doesn’t hurt either. The ribs aren’t too saucy at all, you can definitely taste the smokiness but also the wet rub of sauce lathered on before grilling.
If you are in the Marquette University area and are feeling some bbq I highly recommend Conways.

Thursday’s are great because you can get delicious spaghetti for $ 5! I love the wide variety of microbrews on tap. This place is spotless– like they won an award for cleanliness (tmj4 blue ribbon award). The hot smoked wings legit turned me into a meat-​eater. Way better than point east wings. Potato salad is great. P. s. Hate mom’s meatloaf? Try conway smoked meatloaf sandwich; you’ll still hate your mom’s meatloaf.

Amazing ribs… It takes real confidence to minimize the sauce showing the true quality of the outstanding taste. I was walking away from this joint when the owner assured me that I would not be disappointed. If you are looking for a nice upscale family restaurant, this place is not the place, but if you are craving truly wonderful ribs, give this place a try… You just might be as impressed as I am.

Conway’s was Absoluely one of the best BBQ experiences i have ever had in my life.. .
On my first trip to the city of Milwaukee I went to The Rave for a concert, I was looking for someplace to get a meal before the show and found this little place tucked away in what looks to be a run of the mill dive bar a stones throw away from the Rave and Marquette University.
Without Unilocaling first we walked in and checked out the menu and since we were on a slightly limited time table both myself and my friend ordered the Brisket sandwich and fries with cornbread, I also ordered a side of beans.
After sitting down I then decided to look at the Unilocal reviews of the place and discovered the small number it had were all stellar. Also while we were waiting we talked to the owner as he prepared our food and he told us about the place and the neighborhood around it. As a staff of one he was very nice and a great host. It didn’t take long and our food was out in no time.
The brisket sandwich was pretty generous sized with a good amount of fries with it. When I rolled a piece of brisket onto the fork it was fall off the fork tender and it was great, perfectly smoked with a nice, molasses based sauce that lets you taste the meat without overpowering it. It was deffenitly some of the best brisket I’ve ever tasted.
The cornbread is decent flavored with jalapeño and has a nice flavor, I am more of a fan of a sweeter traditional flavor but this wasn’t bad.
Now I will say that the beans are 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt the best order of beans I have ever had in my life. A nice thick full flavor of smoke and BBQ with the special add on of ground up burnt ends added to the mix to give it that extra pop.
Absolutely get the beans as a side, the flavor is amazing!!!
Can’t wait to get back to Milwaukee for some more amazing music at The Rave and I will absolutely be back at Conway’s to try their ribs and fried chicken.

Amazing brisket and fried chicken in a comfortable bar setting. The food couldn’t have been better.

Amazing! Stumbled across Conway’s during my first trip to Milwaukee and I can’t wait to go back! The bar/​restaurant certainly isn’t fancy, but it’s the people and the food that make it great. Had a beer and ribs on a snowy Wednesday night and ended up having some even better conversation with the owners. THE BEAT RIBS IVE WVER HAD!!! Please, please, please don’t let the exterior fool you, this place is great and you won’t be disappointed. Take advantage of this hidden gem the next time you visit Milwaukee!

OMG!!! The ribs were phenomenal with the wings a close second!!! Don’t let the neighborhood scare you, they run a tight ship here.
The bar and restaurant although owned by the same person are separate and CASH ONLY which would be the only downfall.
The owner Debbie is very personable and we got a history lesson on the bar and the neighborhood :).
Will definitely be back again!
****btw… They have a $ 15 off $ 30 coupon on
right now ;)

Always very good! Big Johnson! I come to here every Wednesday, it is really amazing. The ribs is the best smoked ribs which I have tried. BBQ wings and another food are very good as well. BBQ and wonderful beer and amazing music, oh, good!

This place is a gem. If you happen to be near Marquette’s campus after 3 pm, you must stop in. Don’t be deterred by the fact that there are four locked doors that each seem like the front door: go all the way down to the one nearest to N 22^nd St. You’ll enter quite possibly the chillest bar in which I have ever stepped foot. Lit both by the green lights over the pool tables and natural light coming in from the windows (a winning combination), Conway’s is a spacious bar with a stage and arcade games each in separate corners. To order food (something you must do), make your way into a second room near the pinball machines and give your order (and your cash: no credit cards accepted) directly to the cook at the counter. Almost all of the items are identified by musical puns: the «Spice Girls» breaded chicken breast strips ($ 5) and John Poppers cream cheese jalapenos ($ 4) in the appetizers section, for example, and sandwiches like the Annie Lenox veggie burger, the Pork Tornado, and the Bob Dylan smoked corned beef reuben (all $ 7 with fries). Oh, and the Korn Dog ($ 2.50) and the Snoop Dog ($ 2). I had the «Cowboy Mouth» smoked BBQ beef brisket sandwich and good Lord, it was the most delicious beef brisket sandwich I have ever eaten. The meat was so juicy and it was piled with caramelized onions. My three dining compatriots all enjoyed their meals as well, although they were disappointed that the bar was out of so many beers on tap when we were there.
The folks working there were super friendly and my experience far exceeded my expectations. I can’t recommend Conway’s highly enough!

I came in here for a drink the other night, and was pleasantly surprised. The bartender was a good guy. This place is the true definition of a dive bar. Seems like the locals love the place.

I’ve been here 3 times now, and all 3 have been great. I like attending concerts at a venue a few blocks away, and this place is a perfect location to pre-​party without spending an arm & a leg on drinks. Each time I’ve visited, there wasn’t more than 6 total people in the bar at once, which is just what I look for. Their menu is basic & affordable with everything named after musicians or artists. I think it’s funny that you have to walk into a separate room, place your order at a counter, pay for it, then the cook will bring it to your spot at the bar. Very laid back place each time I’ve been here.