Oscar’s Pub & Grill

Absolutely love the place. Burgers are great and the beer is always cold. Very good staff too

Me and my family went there for the first time and we were very satisfied, nice atmosphere good service and awesome burgers

Beautiful place that I would highly recommend to either individuals, couples, or groups. Tonight was perfect to sit on the spacious outdoor patio but the inside looked nice and well kept, too.
We didn’t have any hard alcohol, but apparently on Wednesdays there is a 2 for 1 special on Budweiser — So if you are into that kind of beer, be sure to take them up on it. There is actually a Budweiser rep walking around the restaurant speaking about this promotion.
We started with the nachos, which were great. The jalepenos were fresh and spicy. It came with a side of sour cream, salsa and guac as well. The cheese curds were good if you aren’t from around here, but were a little crispy for my liking.
The burgers were massive, flavorful and SO CHEAP. The average burger on the menu was $ 6.50. Unreal for the size, ingredients and fries.
If you are looking for an affordable night out with quality food, this is your place. It is simple enough to be comfortable but also delicious enough to impress.

What not to expect: fancy atmosphere, diverse menu, safe neighborhood
What to expect: Personable staff, typical neighborhood bar, owners who take pride in their guests, bar food, casual atmosphere, great price range
The rank for the best burger in Milwaukee has for quite some time been controversial. The title seems to go back and forth between Oscar’s, AJ’s, Mason Street Grill, North Avenue Grill, and Sobelman’s. Burgers are my comfort food. So, obviously when I moved to Milwaukee, I needed to find the best burger. The things I looked for are beef grade, size of patty/​buns, appeal, taste, price, and bun quality! While AJ’s peanut butter burger is most original and Mason Streeet Grill’s is most expensive, I choose Oscar’s.
I recommend the The Big Aloha for a taste of pineapple and avocado– just in time for summer! The owners have no problem recommending their favorites either! As I have not met Elisabeth yet, Oscar is a people person with an inviting personality. Ask him about his motorcycle and you’ll be friends forever!

Delicious burgers! Vast selection of beers, some of the best homemade fries ever! The young kid who waited on us was super nice and very attentive. Didn’t catch his name but very friendly! Will def stop at Oscars when in Milwaukee again. I highly recommend the Big O burger!

This place is… amazing. If I could eat an Oscar’s burger for every meal, I totally would.
My boyfriend and I went here for a quick late lunch and were impressed by the overall food and variety of beers that were offered. We sat at the end of the bar where TV’s were set up along a wall full of spirits and knick knacks. There’s an extensive beer and drink list that comes with a small menu featuring appetizers, burgers, and sandwiches that we took a minute to browse.
I ordered the mushroom and swiss burger but decided to substitute the cheese for smoked gouda and asked to add tomatoes and onion. It was amazing and a perfect medium/​med-​well. The mushrooms tasted fresh and the cheese was melted and gooey. The homemade fries that accompanied the burger were amazing and were super fresh and perfectly salted. My boyfriend enjoyed the Aloha burger that had ham, cheese, and grilled pineapple. We both agreed that this was one of the best burgers we’ve ever had, and he devoured the sandwich in seconds.
We’ve already made plans to come back and try the Big O and the Bloody Mary which I’ve heard great things about.
Seriously, check this place out.

Absolutely amazing little spot !! Def found my spot for bloody Mary’s! They are so yummy and there burgers OMG! I will be back!

Oscar’s Pub and Grill, can be a powerhouse of a Burger Joint. They are one of the best burger places in MKE with their reasonable prices on beer and burgers. But the buck kinda stops there for anything else. Wings are eh, OKAY. Service is eh OKAY. It’s not horrible or bad, just a little slow if you’re sitting at a table. Best to got o the bars where it’s happening and they have 2 to 3 people helping take the orders.
I had the Big Gringo Burger! OMG so freaking delicious. And the choice of bun that they use is very good. Go here for a good time with Burgers and Beer.

I’ve heard so much about this place, and finally decided to give it a go.
I’m normally not much of a red meat kinda guy, with my delicate palette and all, but I was craving a burger BADLY.
We walked in and saw a «Please seat yourself» sign, and started to walk towards the back where the patio was, but after making awkward eye contact with a server we weren’t sure if we should just sit down, or let someone know that we were heading outside.
After double checking with one of the staff, we sat and were immediately greeted by a very young man who, while pleasant enough, was obviously new and unfamiliar with the menu.
When I tried ordering a beermosa, the server looked at the drink list and told me that they didn’t have those.
I’m not going to lie, I definitely gave him an involuntary look of «what the huh?»
I realize that not everyone knows every drink, and it’s no fault of his own if he’s never heard of it, it was just a bit of a shock. I told him it was basically just beer with some orange juice, and I’m sure the bartender could throw it together if they were inclined, otherwise I could order something else if it was a hassle.
Drinks came out fast, and my date’s bloody was spot on!
The food came out incredibly fast too, until a minute later, when the server came up and told us that they accidentally brought us the wrong food (to be fair, the other table had ordered the SAME thing we did, just with different toppings).
When our own food eventually did come out, it was cooked perfectly, and just what we had been craving, but for a second time, we had been served without silverware and had to ask again.
I don’t want to slam the server, as he was just new and flustered, he was incredibly nice and quick to make up for his errors. I did look around, and it seemed like there were a few new servers, I saw a lot of the «okay now what/​where do I go» dance that I remember when I was serving.
Outside of the slightly off service, the food was great, the place was clean and inviting, and I’d have no problems going back!

A place I would love to return to. This place was packed on a Saturday afternoon and I definitely see why. The prices are cheap, the food’s delicious and the atmosphere is very chill.
We ordered the cheese curds ($ 5) a few beers and the Big O burger which had 8oz patty, chorizo, chipotle jack, smoked gouda, bacon, jalepenos and a side of guac. Does it sound messy? It absolutely was but somehow the bun was able to stand up to the toppings without disintegrating.
Attentive bartenders and a place I would highly recommend for some cheap, great burgers. Also, the music was cool, playing mostly 70’s and 80’s pop.

This place was excellent. Questionable looking area but its Milwaukee… no worries. Private lot right next to building. Comfortable bar seating area — quite a few high top tables.
I ordered the Big O with fries and rings. The burger was one of the best I have ever had. It was 5 stars all the way. The fries were perfect. I found the rings to be average.
The homemade guacamole was very good!
Highly recommend this place.

We chose this Southside hidden gem for Valentines Day lunch and we didn’t spend over $ 20 (no alcohol beverages ordered).
Service is prompt, young, and friendly.
Prices on the menu are insanely cheap!
–Wings 10 for $ 7.50
–burgers $ 6.50 to no more than $ 10 (including Oscar’s delicious homemade fries and a pickle spear!)
–a great selection of beer
–diverse crowd
This is a friendly neighborhood pub & grill and definitely worth the adventure into the hidden parts of the south side.

I really like burgers, I really like divey set ups and I really like Oscar’s. The bloody mary’s, burgers and yes, even their cuban sandwich are the tops. This bar was a small joint until expanded a few years ago to accommodate the crowd. It’s a great casual place to grab lunch or dinner. Personally, dare I say it, they make a better burger than Sobelmans!

I have now had every burger on the menu (minus the veggie burger, but that doesn’t count anyway, IMHO) and can say that Oscar’s maintains it’s 5 star status. At least in my eyes, it does. I’m not a big burger eater… I much prefer chicken; but every once in a while you get a craving and, well, Oscar’s satisfies that itch. Sure, they have their off days. Everyone does. Overall, though? Solid as solid gets.
My ranking:
1. The Big O
2. The Big Foot
3. The Big Gringo
Tied for fourth: The Big Aloha and The Big Hongo (both, unfortunately, seemed equally bland to me)
The best thing I’ve eaten off their menu is the Cuban Frankie, and Oscar’s Fries are nothing to turn your nose up at, either.
If you haven’t been yet, I really don’t know what you’re waiting for…

Recommended by a good friend who’s appetite and taste I trust. Oscar’s didn’t disappoint! A classic, cozy and spacious Milwaukee bar feel to it. Pinball, a deck for nicer weather and super on point friendly service.
The food —
1.) The Big O Burger — Chipotle Jack, smoked gouda, hickory bacon, jalapeños, chorizo, fried onions and a side of house made guacamole served on a brioche bun.
HUGE, slap you in the face flavor! The beef is Wisconsin’s own and simple but so tasty. I had hesitation going into this burger as I’m hot and cold with guacamole and chorizo however, spectacular in this combo. If it’s your 1^st time here I’m told you have to try the Big O
2.) Jimmy’s Nuggets– simple and hand battered cheddar nuggets served with a side of blue cheese dressing (add hot sauce) nice cool cream stinky cheese flavor with a hot finish.
Washed it all down with a McDonald’s quality Coca-​Cola ($ 2.50 free refills) bit pricey but worth it.
So enjoyed this place and will definitely be back come the nice weather.

Seriously, if you’re reading this and someone else isn’t already diving the car TOWARDS this place, put down your phone and start driving there NOW! If you’re even remotely in the Milwaukee area and are even kind of hungry or thirsty-​come here.
This place was absolutely fantastic. First off, the atmosphere alone was laid back, had killer music and super friendly. It’s probably going to be a little busy, but that’s because everyone else already knows how awesome this place is. Don’t worry though, the staff was super speedy getting us a table. Drink you say? They have a TON of beer on tap, and really really REALLY cheap not to mention a full bar. The FOOD you say? A short and sweet list of cheap prices burgers that are not only had delicious Mexican twists (like chorizo and jalapeños for instance) but the burgers were HUGE.
I actually wish Unilocal let me rate higher than 5 stars…
Oh and here is the coolest part, halfway through our time there, the bartender actually turned out to be Oscar himself! Once he found out that we were going to a concert up the street, he INSISTED on driving us there in his free shuttle. Yes, the owner of the bar jumped in their shuttle that they use to give their customers FREE rides (usually to sports events) and gave us a FREE ride over to our concert venue. Honestly Unilocal reader, why aren’t you at Oscar’s yet?

Yet another place I’ve visited several times and never reviewed.
Oscar’s is currently my go-​to for burgers. I’ve had the Big O, the Aloha, The Bigfoot and recently the Hongo, which I added bacon too. All were great, but I will admit I wasn’t impressed with my Hongo yesterday. The meat seemed to lack seasoning and my patty was over cooked. I ordered medium. A lot of places seem to struggle with cooking a burger to medium. I don’t get it. That’s what you do. You cook burgers.
The other burgers I’ve had were cooked perfectly and they had a ton of flavor. I also love the fires, bot the house fries with garlic and parmesan and the chipotle and cinnamon sweet potato fries. I LOVE them both!
Thursday nights feature 45 cent wings, which are also solid, but note that you must purchase a beverage, any beverage, to get the wings at that special price.
The back deck is great for summer dining, but Oscar’s is a great place to go year round. It’s family friendly and the food and service are both solid.

Update: UPGRADE!
The burger at Oscar’s was the best thing we ate on our first visit to Milwaukee, so we went back on our second trip.
This time, the food was even better.
The Big Gringo (8 oz. Premium Black Angus Burger, Wisconsin White Cheddar & American Cheese, Thick Hickory Smoked Bacon) just melted in my mouth.
I feel like they’ve upgraded the fries from my last visit. They were lightly dusted with delicious parmesan.
We also sampled the nachos, which weren’t mind-​blowing, but they did have real cheese, which is more than you can say for a lot of nachos.
Oscar’s also has a good (cheap!) beer list.
This place is a must-​visit Milwaukee institution.
And it’s close to the Potawatomi Casino, so after you have a few burgers and beers, you have an easy way to throw your money away.

I love the Big «O»…
Come on guys, it’s a burger. Every time I come here, it’s the one I love to order. It’s a perfect combination of meat (beef, chirizo & bacon), cheese, and guacamole with a kick of heat from the fried jalapenos all served on a egg washed bun.
I’ve also managed to try the Big Aloha as well. The flavor combination of the pineapple, ham and avocado worked well. I expected the sweetness of the pineapple to overpower the burger, but it actually was a perfect balance of sweet and savory.
The french fries are homemade and the Bloody Mary’s are good.
The nachos are like the kind I would make at home in the oven, with real cheese (not neon stuff in a can), and reasonably priced at $ 5. It’s a perfect started before the burger course.
My one complaint is that it’s hard to get a burger that still pink. I order medium rare every time, and there is never any pink left by the time I take a bite. However, the burger is still moist and delicious, even without the pink. All in all, when I have a craving for a burger, this is one of the few spots in MKE that fits the bill.

Another visit that didn’t disappoint. As loyal Big-​O connoisseurs, we decided to change it up a bit. We started with an order of onion rings. They were done just right and I really enjoyed the beer batter. The boyfriend ordered the Big Foot which has blue cheese on it. After raving about it, I had to have a bite. Delish!!! I went with a grilled chicken sandwich which they graciously put in a wrap for me. It was good but I know I was wrong in not ordering a burger. As usual, the fries were spot on. Love the places that serve homemade fries. Could use a few more with the burgers/​sandwiches.
Sat on the patio and the service was good.
I know the prices are nothing that I can complain about ($ 6.75−7.50 for a burger), But would love to see more happy hour food specials!