The Original

The Original is new venue with excellent food, a very nice wine list, and excellent pairing suggestions right on the menu. The service was outstanding. Take a date, take a client, take your mother. It's all good.

Great overall and a great bar

My husband and I were celebrating my birthday and very much enjoyed our first visit after a strong recommendation from a friend. The craft cocktail list is very impressive; we both really enjoyed our old fashions! Our waiter also gave us an extra dessert! I would recommend this restaurant to everyone!

Best cocktails in the city! Service is professional and friendly at the same tome. Food is interesting and delicious.

Be sure to order a bloody!

The scallops were excellent

Every aspect of The Original was special. The chef is particularly talented. Our wait person was knowledgeable and personable. Eric the owner has created a terrific restaurant,

Always outstanding!!

The drinks and food are excellent, and the service is even better! Highly recommend going and giving The Original a try, you won't be disappointed

Love this place. It is great for occasions or just a Tuesday night dinner. I have never had a bad meal or experience here.

Fun, neighborhood place with great food and excellent cocktails.

The food and service were “good”. I can’t say I was blown away by any dish or that there was any dish that I would want to have again. The atmosphere does not match the prices.

The Original lived up to its name with unique dishes that will satisfy anyone's palate. Also the options for a craft cocktail are endless. And the homemade tonic water was a fan favorite with my table.

I celebrated my birthday at The Original with my wife. Both of us had a kale salad. For our dinner, I tried the sturgeon and my wife had lobster/crab cake. The salad came out light on dressing. My wife asked for extra dressing which we both shared. That was all it needed - salad was delicious. My wife quite enjoyed her lobster/crab cake. I was curious about the sturgeon. It was a meaty fish, almost like shark or tuna, but not quite that dense. The flavor was more delicate like that of a scallop, and therefore took on the taste of the sauce. All in all, the fish was enjoyable, and I would consider ordering it again.
We had great service the entire evening.

Always a great meal & great ambience

We went for brunch. It was fabulous! We had house donuts (a must have) and all 3 entrees were delicious. The service was great! One of the owners stopped by our table to chat. We can’t wait to go back for dinner

One of the very best on the East Side! Eric and Craig have established an exceptional neighborhood spot.

We love The Original. We have not been disappointed any time we have gone. The food is well thought out and executed by the chef and carefully and accurately described by Craig. The house cocktails are creative and the wine list has wide appeal. Noise level is a little high on weekend nights but everything else is so well done it’s all worth it.

One of the best cocktail menus in Milwaukee, and the staff is very helpful with suggestions if you need help deciding. The food menu is not extensive, but everything on it is first rate. Personal favorites are the duck breast (in whatever way they are preparing it that day), the deep-fried pork chop, and the sturgeon. For dessert, the bread cheese is a unique sweet/savory treat.
The atmosphere is that of an old school friendly neighborhood establishment (which it is). The space is small and intimate, but can get loud when in full swing. In the summer there is covered outdoor seating too.
The Original remains one of my favorite restaurants in MKE, which is a pretty high bar given the competition.

The Original is great all around! Food, cocktails, service, were all perfect. I highly recommend.

Went for my spouse's birthday. Treated well--most of all, not rushed; comped desert. Both of us had the butternut squash with apple soup, which we felt was fairly unique & delicious. My wife has swordfish special, which she liked very much, & I had the short ribs, also excellent. Deserts were chocolat pod de creme & flan-like raspberry - something combination, both of which we enjoyed. House wines by the glass were quite good & not too expensive. Altogether an enjoyable evening.

A very cozy place. The service was impeccable. Had a very pleasant and funny wait person who was great. The food was glorious. We will come back often!!!

Disappointing brunch. All of our dishes were extremely greasy, as in puddles of oil and butter. The bloody Mary has thousand island dressing, which we found out only after the fact. Gut buster, literally.

Great place for breakfast/brunch! Delicious food and friendly server - we will go back.

The pairing menu for New Year’s Eve was delicious and our server was attentive and swift. Will definitely be back again. Great place for a date night!

My wife and friends had a very pleasant New Year's Eve dinner at The Original. The food was tasty, the service was friendly and attentive, and the ambience was fun.

This was recommended by a friend of ours so we booked New Years Eve dinner made reservations well in advance, day before getting a call telling that they are have a pre fixe dinner @$75 ea and $100 with alcohol. Unfortunately 24 hrs earlier is not enough time to make decent adjustments. Poor planning, period. That said the food was outstanding- a little high for what we received. The flavors and 4 courses were good - spot on! We will go back because we wanted to try a few things on regular menu. Learning curve.

My all time favorite MKE restaurant. Perfect in every way. Had the brunch this time with family and it was all good. If you can’t decide, do the The Original. All the classic menu items and ample portions. Best craft cocktails in town. Period!

We always have a great time at The Original. The food is amazing, the cocktails are delicious, and the service is on point! Highly recommend.

Our server was amazing and had great recommendations. We ended up getting The Burning Giraffe cocktail which was so delicious. Brussel sprouts for the appetizer, they were smoky and they didn’t last long because they were so good. For entrees, we got the market fish which was a rainbow trout and the roasted duck. Both were A+. Nothing was disappointing. Price was a little high but it would not deter us from coming back.

The food is always fantastic! It has the old milwaukee feel to it. The people working are always very welcoming & attentive. Love this spot!

Family in for holidays !

Consistently excellent food, service, and overall experience.

A wonderful space that has kept its “original”roots but been updated to serve the fresh and well prepared food of the 21st century by attentive and knowledgeable staff. Loved it.

Really impressive meal. Service was great, low key, but very attentive. Amazing cocktail menu which were executed perfectly. Would highly recommend just going for drinks and an appetizer if you are not in the mood for dinner. Nice menu offering and all the meals were really well prepared. Great flavors and service pace was what it should be. All around excellent meal and I look forward to going back.

The Original hits on all cylinders!! Food, atmosphere, service and the cocktails--oh my! Love the small, intimate size and the owners are present and gracious!!

The grilled romaine salad was delish!

Excellent food, setting, and service. Quaint spot with inventive menu and great drink selection.

Everything was great. The four of us ordered different entrees and shared. Each one was prefect. The cocktails were tasty and well balanced. The service was warm, attentive but not overbearing. Great evening well worth the time and money.

Excellent dining experience. Great food and atmosphere.... I shall return!

This is the second year in a row my husband and I have chosen the Original to celebrate our wedding anniversary and they continue to wow us with stellar food, wonderful service, and delicious drinks. Definitely recommend for special occasion event if you live anywhere near Milwaukee!