An out of town friend and I stopped in during Friday Night Live. We were sat at a high table with stools. That was fine, until I sat on the stool(?) which was a piece of wood about 15" long by 4" wide. We found a couple of empty padded stools (with backs) to trade with. Now at least we were comfortable.
I wasn't impressed with the menu. A couple of sandwiches, some flat bread, and pizza. We ordered a cheese and sausage pizza. Probably the worst restaurant pizza I've ever had.
They need to do something with the decor. Or maybe they are just not finished with it. There are no walls, just wall studs. Are they going for the barn yard look? Not sure.
This pub is known for it's specialty beer. So, if you want good beer and watch a game, this is the place.
The other food might be better. I'd like to give it one more try.
I need to preface this review, by stating that I manage bar/restaurants, so some of my problems are going to stem from this, and really may not concern you, if you are just looking for a place to drink.
Having said that, this is a nice place. Â It is large, and has quite a bit of room, with several TV's. Â We watched the 6th game of the Stanly Cup there, and it was easy to see the game. Â I did not look at the liquor, as we were there for the beer. Â They have a very nice selection of beer there, on draft and in a bottle, and you won't be disappointed by the selection, other than to be a bit heavy on New Belgium. Â We did not try any of the food, so I can not comment on that. Â The one thing I will say, is the bar is too high, for the stools that are there. Â If you are looking for a place to watch a game, and enjoy a good beer, this place is a good fit for that.
Now, this is the part where I will make my complaints. Â There were 3 bartenders, and 2 servers on. Â We were there around 9:00pm. Â The one female bartender, was drunk, and wearing sandels. Â You can not wear open toed shoes behind the bar. Â She had messed up the drink order for the couple next to us, because she was too drunk to understand what they ordered. Â One of the other bartenders, had to fix the order. Â He was the gentleman that served us, and he was very pleasant, and had to pick up the slack for the other two. Â The other, older bartender, while he would serve drinks, spent time talking to one particular customer, and the drunk bartender. Â Meanwhile, while this was going on, the two servers had to get their own drinks for their tables. Â This may be their policy, and not a reflection on the staff. Â But, 5 people behind the bar is way too many, and makes it hard to control stealing, pours, etc. Â Also, there was a group of about 6 regulars that we were next to, and were constantly being poured free shots by the drunk bartender, who would enjoy then. Â Once again, coming from a management point of view, this is lost money, as they were not even wrung up, and comped. Â It makes you wonder how the service will wind up being there, if they are busy, which there were not very busy when we were there.
This is a good place to go, check it out, as we will give it a chance again. Â But, watch the staff at work, because that is the real entertainment.
Bernie's has a good selection of beers on tap. For Waukesha it's a great selection. It is a spacious place. I generally want a relaxed bar where I can enjoy a good selection of beer at a reasonable price and talk to a friend without having to yell. Bernie's filled that niche in Waukesha for me. Noise level was very low, no obnoxiously loud music or hollering drunks. The patrons there were all relaxed and having a good time. The bartender was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the beer selection which included the usual Wisconsin microbrews as well as New Holland, Founder's, Three Floyd's and Alaskan Brewery. The food menu looked interesting but I didn't try anything. Maybe next time because I will be back.
Review Source:Descriptive word: Craft-brew.
Bernie's is a new pub on Main St downtown Waukesha. It fills a giant space that was sitting empty for years. It's directly across the street from House of Guinness, and is a great addition to the growing bar-scene in Waukesha.
The owners have added a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the original stepped entrance, which is a gigantic plus in my book, considering a number of the older bars in Waukesha are not accessible.
This is a giant space. There is a long bar on one side with the rest filled with both smaller tables and large, beer-hall style wood tables. Personally I think the owners should choose one or the other (beer hall!), because it just didn't seem like they both fit. One wall is covered in a giant projection-screen TV. There's also a kitchen in back that is barely covered with a faux-wall. They serve apps, but I didn't have any.
The bar itself is neat. There are something like 20 different Wisconsin craft-beers on tap, and all are served in the brewery's actual glasses. That's a fun touch that I've never seen before on this scale. They also serve wine on tap, which I didn't try but could be interesting. There is seating at the bar and the bartenders are great.
It's a new place, and they need to work on the decor a bit. I did really like the fact that the owners stripped the walls and left the original brickwork bare. It gives it an old-town flair.
Overall, I think Bernie's is going to be a great addition to downtown Waukesha and could end up being the biggest bar draw for new people to the area. Stop in if you get the chance.