Brunch has become a ubiquitous part of weekend life in Milwaukee and it seems everyone has a favorite spot to indulge. But if you’re looking to try something new, this series is for you. We’ll be highlighting a new brunch spot every week and bringing you all the tasty details. Click here to check out all the spots we've tried!
Good City Wauwatosa
11200 W. Burleigh
goodcitybrewing.com
Brunch available: Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
It’s been almost two months since Good City softly opened its third location at the Mayfair Collection in Wauwatosa, and the new tap room is picking up speed. The tap room hosted a grand opening the weekend of June 18, expanding its hours to include lunch and dinner service with hours starting at 11 a.m. daily. This past weekend, they also added brunch. And, based on a first taste of their inaugural menu, they’ve got a good start on being a worthy West Side brunch destination.
First off, they’ve got a big, beautiful patio featuring sheltered dining tables, plus a beautiful sun-drenched collection of beer garden-style picnic tables in the grassy area right alongside. So, it’s a great locale, not only for enjoying a few craft brews, but also for reconnecting on lazy weekend mornings.
Meanwhile, the brunch menu includes a combination of Good City favorites (like burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches), along with an entirely new collection of brunch-worthy specials, including mimosas ($8); beermosas (Spare Time Hazy IPA and OJ, $7); and the Mosaic Radler with Motto Pale Ale and Top Note Grapefruit ($7). There’s also Stone Creek coffee or Rishi tea ($2.50/$3), plus their entire menu of Good City taps to round things out.
Steak Rancheros features huevos rancheros made with a kicky housemade salsa and corn tortillas topped with scrambled eggs, aged white cheddar, lime crema and served with grilled flat iron steak ($16).
I don’t normally go for the steak and eggs, but I'd happily order this take again. The well seasoned flat iron was beautifully cooked, well seasoned and tender. The ranchero sauce had just the right among of kick, and the remaining components – from the eggs to the cheese and crema – offered a balanced plate of complementary elements.
Meanwhile, the Deer Creek Omelette features diced ham, chopped bacon, baby arugula, caramelized onions and white cheddar and is served with sourdough toast and a choice of petite green salad or herbed breakfast potatoes ($14).
This meaty omelette offered a bit of everything, from salty to sweet, with peppery arugula giving things a lovely fresh kick. The breakfast potatoes were also pretty stellar: tender inside with a nice crispy exterior.
We didn’t try the chilaquiles (though they sounded good), served with a fried egg and topped with Duroc pork shoulder, tomatillo salsa, queso fresco, pico de gallo and habanero crema ($15). But we did share a Cinnamon Lover’s Pretzel (a Milwaukee Pretzel Co. Bavarian pretzel coated with butter, cinnamon and sugar and served with cinnamon cream cheese for dipping, $11).
It was pretty fantastic nibbled alongside our brunch drinks as we lingered, taking in the hum of conversation around us and distracting us from the fact that Monday morning was right around the corner.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
