I've been to Riverwest Filling Station twice for brunch and both times were amazing.
So far I've tired the Challah French Toast, the egg enchiladas and the shashouka (sp?). I highly recommend the Challah French toast, which is served with bacon, fresh fruit and an orange maple syrup. If you're feeling a little more adventurous the Shashouka is also delicious, although it comes with a spicy side sauce that I used sparingly. The egg dish is served in a cast-iron skillet along with a tomato-based sauce and bread on the side.
I liked the egg enchiladas but not as much as the other two only because I would have liked more of the green tomatillo salsa. The enchiladas were a little dry on the edges.
I have yet to dine any other time but that will be our next adventure there.
The servers are very friendly and eager to please! My husband and I are happy to continue to support this local business.
Just finished lunch/brunch and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of my meal. Ambience is great, love the look and feel of the place.
Our server, Marcelo was helpful with the menu, friendly and efficient... Quick with the refills on the drinks, bright us out some pickles when my daughter wants one like my son had... Overall very prompt sunny service.
We are originally from Israel, so when we saw shakshookah on the brunch menu there was no way we weren't going to try it! It was fabulous!!! Just like my mother in law would make for us! The tomato, pepper based sauce was perfectly seasoned and the eggs poached in the sauce were perfectly cooked. I couldn't get enough of it. Had I closed my eyes I could have been sitting in her kitchen. Â My mom had the honey cilantro tuna salad was large, crisp, fresh and the dressing was yumm. My son had a hamburger and steak fries which he said was really good, I had a few fries and they were nice and crispy and tasty! Â My daughter had the challah French toast with cram/orange maple syrup which she loved as well!
Prices for the size and quality of each dish was more than reasonable! Overall we all really enjoyed our visit to the Filling Station and we will most deffinately be back again soon!!!
Thanks for the great meal!!!
Big SHOUT OUT to NATE for being a FANTASTIC server!! Â Took the niece and her boy toy for brunch on Sunday. Â When we arrived there was already a line waiting for the restaurant to open.
Luckily we scored one of the last tables; the place was packed and rocking. Â We ordered our own first round from the bar; decent bloodys (could use more garnish-pickles, celery, etc), I had a fabulous top shelf Margarita so we were off to a great start. Â Was pleased to hear that brunch includes any of their sandwiches or appetizers in addition to what is offered on their brunch menu. Â The four of us all chose different things; Â egg enchilada, breakfast burger, chicken curry chicken salad on a bagel and the Riverwest burger. Â No one was disappointed. Â My chicken salad was some of the best I've ever had and the sweet potato fries were hot and crispy!
The niece's eggs were cold but she was so hungry and the taste was so good she ate them all anyone despite Nate offering to get her some new ones or anything else she wanted.. Â
He is the reason I am giving 4 stars. Â Customer service is lacking at so many eateries these days; whoever the owner of Riverwest is better hold on to this guy!! Â The place was packed the whole time we were there and no one seemed to leave unhappy. Â We will definitely go back to try some of the other menu items. Â The building is lovely--anyone who has been there when it was Albanese's will barely recognize it. Â One negative was the overflowing trash can in the ladies room but I am going to give them a pass on this, just this once, since it was crazy busy and the place was packed.
I also really wanted to like this place because it's in my neighborhood, but it's only okay. The first time I came, my friends and I shared the trio of hummus, babaganouj, and tahina. It was good, but they gave us three large bowls of the spreads and not enough pita. We had to pay extra to have more pita, which I think is lame. They didn't have the vegetarian sloppy joe so I got a veggie and tempeh dish with tahina (I thought it was tahini, am I going crazy?!) and it was decent.
The next time I visited, I tried the vegetarian sloppy and it was really bland. I was so disappointed. The sweet potato fries were good, though. The service was okay and I like the look of the place. Overall, I couldn't help but keep thinking "I've experienced better."
Decided to stop in here while out for a cruise on a nice day and returned a couple weeks later for brunch. The bar staff is friendly and attentive. We ate brunch at the bar and she immediately noticed that my food was not bright out correctly and fixed it before I could even say anything. I had the Challah French Toast with cran/orange syrup and it was awesome. The portion sizes are just right, I was satisfied without being belly busting full and at $8-$9 a plate (for brunch) I would say its a good deal. We also had the Groupon and since I don't drink bloodys they were happy to accommodate with a different drink. I also don't drink beer, but their taps are extensive and they also have a white and red wine on tap which is fantastic (and seems to becoming more popular).
The space is really cute. Unique art at the walls, plugs, ports, and bag hooks at the bar (!), lots of windows, outdoor seating, and a garden on the roof. It's located in a quiet part of Riverwest and on a Sunday afternoon was quite busy. Beer drinker or not, I will be back to try some more tasty food and a white on tap.
Very pleased! Â I purchased a Groupon for 2 bunch entrees and 2 Bloody Mary's and this place will definitely have me coming back! Â
The atmosphere was so eclectic. Â I especially enjoyed the music playing and the artwork. Â Our server was very attentive and did apologize for my scrambled-egg enchilada with salsa verde (delicious by the way) taking so long. Â It was all good, though, because my friend and I were thoroughly enjoying our well made bloodies and chasers. Â My friend had the lox-and-goat cheese sandwich and really liked it.
All-in-all, I'm happy I tried this place and can't wait to try other items off the menu!
I should have heeded Chris A.'s warning in her 5/22/13 post. I read it right before I ordered and I so wish that I would have taken her advice.  The Shakshouka is a deplorable dish. It's basically two eggs that are cracked into a cast iron pan filled with some chunky marinara and then placed in the oven to cook.  I would imaging that this dish costs them about 80¢ to make and I have to be honest, I don't even know if it's worth that.  The eggs were selatinous and undercooked.  There was a weird film of about a 1/4 inch of some liquid that had formed on the surface.  As soon as I broke the yolks, they were hopelessly lost in the marinara and filmy liquid. I ate about four bites and called it quits.  The wife ordered the Breakfast Burger which was tasty enough but drastically overcooked from the Medium temperature that she had ordered it at.  As other reviewers have queried, why even take a temp on the burgers if you're just gonna cook th piss out of them anyway? The fries with the burger were undercooked and not crisp at all.  Service started out great and then turned to non-existant once our food was dropped at our table. I don't think we'll be back.....
Review Source:Went in last Saturday afternoon, seated by the host. Â No other contact for 15 minutes. Â No water, no acknowledgment, no "hey I'm really busy be right with you" from a server, nothing. Â We left. Â
The reviews about poor service seem spot on. Â
Such a shame since I live blocks away, they lost a potential regular on a really bad first impression.
I was happy enough with my visit here. Â The beer selection was great, and the growler prices were very reasonable. Â Food-wise we had the hummus plate and some sweet potato fries. Â The fries were great but the hummus was pretty bland and the pita breads were stale. Â One of the co-owners gave us a fresh plate of bread which was much appreciated.
I'm sure I'll be back at some point but my first visit just wasn't awesome enough to make me outweigh trying some other new place.
OK, so after the second try I think this place is figured out.
Just don't go here to eat. The service is terrible and the food is bland or overdone. The hummus had a pool of oil on top of it, no thank you. From what others have told me their orders of hummus were completely dry and bland. Well at least they didn't get lubricated stomachs from their orders. I hope this inconsistency in food being served is because they are trying to better their items, but it just seems like they weren't prepared with good finished menu items.
The beer list and happy hour is good, if you can stand the late night hours, but really, who needs another bar in Milwaukee?
In regards to what Bryan A. said in his response to my first review: "Second, we never had nor intended to have steak in our enchiladas...don't know what you heard."
We definitely heard our waiter as he was delivering a dish and say, "who had the steak and egg enchiladas?" The table was confused and the waiter said "Oh, sorry, we used to put steak in our enchiladas." Brian A. might want to talk to his staff before dismissing a reviewing patron.
Don't order the Shakshouka. Â Over cooked eggs in stewed tomatoes. Â Â My husband ordered the brunch burger and after giving me a bite I wish I woulda ordered it too.
If I was to rate this place by what I ordered it would be a 1 star. Â That bite of that burger brought it up to a 2. The Bloody Mary's weren't anything exciting, but I did like the cheese and summer sausage garnish. I'm a softy for garnish (or am I a softy from eating too much garnish?)
I did grab another groupon just to give it another shot. Â Stay tuned....I'll let you know.
Wanted to like this one and for this joint to prove me wrong...
I came in with low expectations, considering the mixed reviews, but I wanted to give this place a shot as some of my favorite spots are in Riverwest.
The atmosphere of the place obviously felt very new, clean, and bright, maybe a bit sterile.
Service was iffy. We had a larger group (6) and the server didn't ask to take our drink order before our food order, therefore I felt a little rushed. Our drinks came fast enough, but we were never asked if we wanted another round - the server just asked if everything was okay and disappeared... also made me feel rushed/unwelcomed.
The food took a while to come out of the kitchen for a bunch of sandwiches... the baguette on the chicken sandwich was twice as long as the piece of chicken...kinda odd. And most of everyone's fries were soggy. I don't think their fryer was hot enough as the table next to us got served fish fries twice and complained both times about them not being crisp enough.
I don't think I'd make it back to this joint, hopefully they can get their stuff together.
The decor is great and I want to like this place more than I actually like it. Â
They do have a good selection of beer and the growler filling contraption is very cool. Â But their servers are aloof. Â They can be helpful and answer questions but their demeanor is kind of off-putting. Â
We had the eggroll poppers and they were really bad. Â Greasy with way too much dough and the filling was a bland, mushy mess. Â
We then split the BLT with sweet potato fries. Both were quite good. The bread was average but the bacon more than made up for it.
After all the remodeling, all the hype and the great location I was really looking forward to my first taste of Riverwest Filling Station. There were 9 of us and not one of us enjoyed our meal. Not only because no one could hear over the poor accoustics, but also the food left much to be desired. I had the Cajun Shrimp Linguini, and it tasted of canned vegitables in an unsavory thick salty spicy sauce poured over linguini noodles and then microwaved until rubber.
The poor plating of the Shitake Encrusted Ahi Tuna means it was plopped on top of a square piece of nori. The Miso-Tahina Sauce over Steamed Vegetables and Tempeh tasted like rubber salt sticks over salted quinoa.
The look of the place was fresh and inviting, but if they don't get a chef that knows how to prepare food the restaurant part of the business is doomed.
A couple of delicious vegan options, including a tempeh stir fry with veggies (which I had the first time we went), and a lentil sloppy Joe (which I had the second time - just need to get it in a different bread than it usually comes on). Very tasty sweet potato fries. I'm not a beer drinker but my husband appreciates all the options and the take-away growler. Overall, I love what I've had there, but wouldn't mind a couple more vegan entree  options!
Review Source:we were very excited to try this new addition to the Riverwest scene. We went on a Saturday for  lunch/brunch. We ordered four meals. The BLT was very basic and lean on the bacon. The sandwich looked to be thrown together as it was falling apart on the plate when served. The chicken pesto sandwich arrived pink in the middle and was returned. The catfish sandwich was quite tasty until I got to the thicker part of the fillet and found it to be uncooked. The meal ordered off the brunch menu , eggs in a skillet with spicy sauce, was fair. they did take the catfish meal off the bill and served us a complimentary "mousse-like" dessert without inquiring if we even wanted a dessert. A small taste revealed a thick sweet frosting like dessert. The bloody's were fair. Loved the decor and what they did with the space. May go back for a drink. No one really seemed to care that our food really bombed. No one said good bye as we left. The staff mostly talking amongst themselves at the bar. Was surprised the 'chef' did not come to the table to apologize for the under cooked food. Our group comprised of two hip 60 somethings and two 30 somethings in from CA.
Review Source:I have been telling all my friends about this place since going there last week. Â
Yes, they did drop their growler (64oz jug of beer to-go) prices down to reasonable rates - $8-$12. Â You can bring your own growler to avoid paying the $4 new growler fee - unless you need your own. Â
The beer selection here is great with around 40 beers on tap and tons of bottles. Â The ambiance of the place was really cool with reclaimed wood features and a polished concrete bar. Â The beer selection guide is a throw back to my childhood days of collecting baseball cards with the plastic protector sheets that held 9 cards. Â Riverwest Filling Station uses these will beer cards to tell you the brewery, name of the beer, ABV, IBU (Higher the number the more bitter it is), price per pint, and price per growler. Â
Allen was helping us all night and was great. Â We went there around 6 on a Saturday and by 6:30 there was a line out the door. Â We sat at the bar and had some brews before ordering some apps and burgers. Â
For starters we enjoyed the Eggroll Poppers - japapeno stuffed with goat cheese and prosciutto. Â AMAZING and must get if you go. Â
For the burgers, I got Filling Station Burger that was really good with the garlic stout aioli. Â I love the Fontina cheese on the burgers to give it an extra something special. Â My girlfriend had the Grilled Portabella and Pesto Sandwich which was AMAZING. Â I had just a bite of it but wish I would have got that instead. Â
Overall great food and great service but very busy at times so make sure you get there early.
We were excited about trying this new place and really wanted to like it. Â As regular brunch go-ers with a taste for good bloodys we hoped we could add this restaurant to our rotation.
But from the moment we walked in that was not so. Â Upon walking in the door the smell of body odor was so strong we nearly lost our appetites. Â We were then seated for 10 minutes before a waiter came to our table.
We ordered bloody mary's and water. Â We were told we could not have water because all the other tables had bloody's and water and there were no more glasses.
Our food arrived about 20 minutes later (still not water or bloodys at this point). Â There were two tables next to us with four glasses each waiting to be cleared since we place our order.
We asked for water and were dismissed. Â Our bloodys finally came 5 minutes after the food and they were completely undrinkable. Â Tomato juice and and tablespoon of ground black pepper does not make a palatable drink.
Our server did not return to ask how things were nor did he bring water. Â After our meal (very average french toast and mid-eastern eggs) we asked to speak to a manager.
Only then did our server return with water (nearly 70 minutes after we first asked).
Management was very indifferent to our concerns and did not seem to understand the importance of good customer service.
Checked out this place today for the first time. Â We had a brunch Groupon that included 2 bloody marys and 2 brunch entrees. Â We are big brunch enthusiasts and love trying new places and we will definitely be adding the Filling Station to our list of regular go-to destinations. Â The bloodies were absolutely delicious- just the right amount of spice with delicious cheese n sausage, and a shorty chaser. Â There were about 6 brunch options, out of our group I think we tried 4- french toast, breakfast burger, lox and goat cheese sandwich, and breakfast burritos. Â All of them were amazing, everyone was 100% content with their meals. Â The service was amazing and the restaurant itself is just so cool. Â The owners did an amazing job restoring this building and it's going to pay off for them!
Review Source:I absolutely love this place! Â I've lived in the NoLo section of RiverWest and have been watching the progress on the remodel of this place for a long time waiting for it to open and be my new neighborhood haunt and I have not yet been disappointed. Â
I have been in here over a dozen times, both to eat and to drink and have always felt extremely welcomed and satisfied. Â First off, the beer selection is fantastic and I love that I can take a Growler to go! Â Second, the whiskey selection is even more amazing than the beer [if you're into that] and I am slowly making my way through the 3 shelves of different whiskeys and bourbons. Â IF you ask nicely you can even have a sampling of some of them (just don't ask for too many!) Â Same goes for the beer.
In terms of food, get the open-faced Catfish Sandwich! Â It's amazing! Â The burgers are great and I love the names (i.e. The Meatwad). Â If you're vegetarian, there are also some great options for you too. Â I recommend the Grilled Portobello Sandwich.
The clientele is a great mix too! Â Locals, non-locals, folks from the factory down the street or the peeps who work there and are hanging out off-shift: Â I've come in here both with friends or by myself and have always had great conversation with the people around me. Â Overall, it is a very friendly vibe.
The staff is incredibly knowledgeable about the beer [and whiskey] and if you tell them what you normally like to drink or want to try, they're guaranteed to have a great suggestion.
If Kyle is working (server), tell him a joke! Â He is very fun and entertaining and will help you to have a great night when you're out for dinner.
If Josh is 'tending, ask him to make you a fancy cocktail! Â He's great with the mixing, and he's not bad to look at either.
Also, if you bought the Brunch Groupon, BE PATIENT!!! Almost 700 people bought this and this is not a giant bar/restaurant. Â Wait a couple weeks before you redeem this and if you drive past and people are waiting, either belly up to the bar and grab a drink while you're waiting or come back a little later.
I ordered a Groupon for two brunches and two bloodies and was super excited to try out this new establishment. Â When we arrived, we noticed that the location was a bit odd (close to an industrial park), but may set them apart from others. Â Parking was easy and when we entered the place was packed! We were quickly greeted and seated. Â I believe our server's name was Matt and he was excellent. Â The bloodies were a little spicy and very good. The brunch menu only had 6 or so options, I ordered a curry bagel sandwich with sweet potato fries and my husband ordered their challah french toast, both of which were very tasty. Â The seating is very close together and we heard much of the conversation of the couple directly next to us. Â As we were finishing up our food, my husband decided he wanted a Growler. Â So, we looked over the menu and Matt offered us to try the 3 we narrowed it down to. Â We decided to go with the Jinja Ninja, so we ordered it....and waited.... and waited. Â It was clear that many patrons were using the Groupon and that maybe they hadn't staffed accordingly. Â However, we waited 30 minutes for our check and Growler, then after the check came, another 10-15 for the Growler. Â I love the idea of this place and that they specialize in craft beer, I also love what they have done aesthetically to the old building it is in...the art and repurposed tables complements it well. Â I would give this a 3.5 if I could, but we were there for over 2 hours, so a 3 it is. Â
I will return and encourage others to try it out, however I also think that the manager/owner needs to properly staff it (especially on the opening weekend of a brunch Groupon).
The visit started off on a bad service note, The serer dropped off our menus with out any explanation of the fa ct the the entrees on the menu are not available during brunch. He also did not take any sort of drink offer or even bring water., and when asked, the server directed me to the bartender to get the wifi password.
Once we were finally able to order drinks, my friend's Bloody Mary was basically just tomato juice and maybe a little vodka. He brought it back to the bar as the server was nowhere in sight. The bartender graciously made another, a bit more spicy, but he says that it wasn't much better. Every brunch should have a good Bloody Mary. This one apparently doesn't, or at least it didn't that day.
I got the Breakfast Burger, a bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg on top. As I was asked how I wanted it, I told him medium. It came well done, but that wasn't the problem. The egg was done over hard, the yolk was solidly cooked through looking like the inside of a hardboiled egg. The server insisted that I had asked for it to be over easy. I had done no such thing, I said so, and the people at my table agreed. Even if I had, I would not have expected it to be overcooked so much. The place was almost empty so there's really no excuse. None.
Then someone from the kitchen came out, presumably the chef, and insisted on a reason why I sent back  the burger while explaining to the server that I didn't want it replaced. He was quite aggressive with me, and I deemed him pretty rude. After the way he had been standing over me and leaning in a little, one of the people at my table commented that he was afraid the person the came from the kitchen may strike me, or at least attempt to.
This was my first visit to Riverwest Filling Station. I had been looking forward to checking it out as it is a new restaurant/bar in the neighborhood, and after meeting the proprietors at  Center Street Daze this summer, I was left with a very positive outlook for it. Unfortunately, this experience did not live anywhere near up to my hopes and expectations for it.
I sincerely hope that they get their act together as far as service and food go. This could be a really cool place. I am giving this place 2 stars as opposed to the one star that they likely deserve simply because I know there is a lot of potential for this place and I hope they will start to live up to it.
Was visiting Milwaukee with friends & we stopped by Riverwest Filling Station. Great place. Small and intimate, nice decor, and a friendly environment made the place great. Fantastic & unusual beer selection was a treat. Loved the burger I had. Will come back next time I'm in town! Would like to try the weekend brunch next time.
Review Source:I finally got the chance to check out this place! I must say I think some of the reviews for this place was being harsh on this new river west establishment. The menu I thought was excellent. Prices where pretty good and yes there is lots and lots of beer. So heres the info $5 initially for the growler (62 oz i believe) than all the fill ups ranged from 10 - 28 depending on milwaukee brews to fantastic german imports. Definitely worth checking out. Â
Now, I had the mushroom burger with goat cheese it was 1 of the best mushroom sandwiches i have had in ages. The mushroom was huge and thick and the bun was delicious. Great toppings and the fries where the perfect combination of crunchy and soft. Will be coming back for this 1.
Finally the bartender I had was very knowledgeable on the types of beers and where they came from so if you need tips on what to put in your growler im sure they can help.
I say good job Riverwest Filling station cant wait to come back!
They should have called this place "The Riverwest Feeling Station" because they have a very relaxed groping policy and an all-male staff of unlicensed massage therapists. Also, they play "Bambi", "Where the Red Fern Grows", "Old Yeller", and "The Outsiders" on TVs around the restaurant, which inspires SO MANY FEELINS'.
If you believed any of the above, your punishment is to eat at McBobb's. There aren't really any creepy touches or sad movies.
I came to this place with a couple of friends after a hard day of moving into my new apartment. The guys were immense help and I wanted to buy them dinner and beer as thanks. We decided to try somewhere new and I was curious to check out the Filling Station. Game on Garth!
First off, the restaurant/bar is in a-way-out-of-the-way part of riverwest, which is fine, but it's kind of a dead area for business' sake. They're going to need to do an exemplary job running this place if they plan to draw from out of the neighborhood, which I'm sure is a must. The place used to be Albanese's Italian Restaurant and was more or less abandoned for a number of years. Flux Design was brought in to gut and renovate the space and they did a fine job. It's really great, aesthetically. Hardwood, some exposed brick, even an original pressed tin ceiling in part of the dining area. Nice use of metalwork touches and a great window-wall facing the front
of the building, which ads needed light and a feeling of space.
Great tap beer selection. Outstanding, actually. Errbody already knows you can get growlers here. I'd encourage you to do that as it facilitates the trying of beers in the comfort of your hippie crash pad.
Our server, Danielle, was spot on and friendly (cute too!). So far so, good eh? Well, here's where it loses: We got beers, ordered a hummus appetizer, soups, and the entrees. Myself and one of the others ordered a vegan sloppy joe thing that sounded good. Danielle told us that it was sold out the previous night. Bummer that it was all out, but wouldn't you think that a menu item is something you'd make fresh daily? Hmm... I got a portabella mushroom sandwich instead. Then, Danielle came back and told us that the soup my friends had ordered was actually all gone. They got the other soup, I gave it a try and it was pretty good.
Lentil something. Â
So along comes the hummus, which was a huge portion that came with 2 pieces of pita bread. We were told we could have more bread if needed. Looked great, had some oil drizzled on it and a gloop of babaganoush on top. We were starving and tore into that sheeit. I was so hungry it took me a minute to notice how very, very bland it was. I kept adding salt to the bits of hummus I scooped onto the bread. There were 3 of us and a giant bowl of hummus, so the 2 pitas didn't last long. I asked for more and found out that the pitas were a dollar a piece. Kinda chintzy, doncha think? I got 2 more anyway. Fuck it. Didn't change the blandness of the hummus which I kept shoveling down as I was tremble-hungry.
The entrees arrived to much anticipation. I forget what the other guys got, but they both were impressed. Me, not so much. The portabella mushroom sandwich came with arugula, red peppers, and some mayonnaise variant. The mushroom cap itself was about 3 inches across and didn't substantiate the large sesame seed roll it came on. The additional ingredients of the sandwich were sparse as well, and the flavor was really just not there. Places that serve a portabella sandwich need to realize that it's a better idea to chop them shits up into strips, sautee with something interesting to give it some zip, and sorta throw the whole works onto the bun/bread. A big bite of mushroom only followed by big bites of nothin' but bread does not a good sammich make. It came with fries, which were one of the options also including sweet potato fries and cole slaw, I think. The fries were a-ok.
Prices are what you'd expect, for the most part. Somebody will probably get shot a half a block from here sooner or later, hope it doesn't ruin business as there is potential for the place to be great. If that happened it might be called "The Riverwest Killing Station". Summarily, a restaurant can get by on beer and good looks alone only very temporarily. The kitchen needs to step it up and deliver on the good ideas the menu features, but 3 stars because it's a new place and they deserve a second chance, at which point I may call it "The Riverwest Thrilling Station" or perhaps the "The Riverwest Illing Station". Can you think of a clever parody of the restaurant's name? Prizes for 1st-3rd place!
I followed the remodel of this place on facebook for months and couldn't wait until it opened. In short, my expectations were met tonight (it was a Wednesday, and it was packed).
I'll keep it super brief:
Food: I only had one thing--the Cajun Shrimp Linguini. It was FANTASTIC. Highly recommended.
Service: Highly attentive. No complaints. Once they are open longer, I would expect them to be able to give more suggestions on food, beer, and pairings, but that will come with time. They were very friendly.
Ambience: I went with a friend and it was a perfect place to have a good conversation. You don't feel like you're on top of everyone, it wasn't too loud, and the setup is conducive to small groups.
As someone who loves historic preservation, this is a fantastic reuse of an old corner building in a quintessential Milwaukee neighborhood. The new decor is a pleasant contrast to the old brick walls and tin ceiling. Â Interesting art work, too.
Well done!
I just ate at this place today and I really was into the whole experience here.
First of all, someone with a serious attention to detail oversaw the decor of this restaurant. Â Pretty cool place with some nice design features. Â Made for a cool place to grab a quick bite.
The beer selection is very, very good and reasonably priced.
We ordered some hummus for the table and it was very well done... you could tell that it was made fresh. Â
My pesto chicken sandwich was delicious and the sweet potato fries were very good.
Overall no complaints. Â We tried to order a couple things, but they were out of them. Â I think this place is new so they are probably still figuring some stuff out. Â However, I can only see this place being a popular RiverWest destination. Â Happy to have found it.
Riverwest has opened a few great restaruants in the past few years my wife and I have used this as an excuse to drag my parents down to show off all the great dining our neighborhood has to offer. It's also a chance to show off why we love living where we do (though it often gets a bad rep from outsiders looking in).
It was a pretty easy to decide to go to the RW Filling Station for my birthday a few weeks ago as it had everything we could ask for: a great interior, great beer, and a great sounding menu.
With a great selection of mico brews available we were able to all find something that we wanted pretty easy. However, they all start at 5 bucks, which, as someone said above, is kinda steep for this part of town.
We're the kinda family that likes to try everything that everyone orders, and everything was fantastic. They really utilize the grill well as my wife had curry scallops and my dad had a spicy shrimp linguine. Both came grilled to perfection. My step mom and I both had the special, an open faced tenderloin sandwich with arugula and fries. We both ordered them medium rare.
My wife and dad's were great from what I tasted and they were both very happy with their meals. My steak came back rare, but it had a great sear on it, and I don't mind it a little red so it didn't bother me. My step mom's however was super rare compared to mine and had to send it back. They apologized for their misstep and when it was brought back it was a perfect medium rare and she loved it. In my opinion they skimped a little on the arugula though.
The place is definitely working out it's kinks, but when the food is nailed down, it's gonna be a great place for date night. I thought the menu was reasonable for what they're serving but the beer price could be a buck cheaper per tap. I hope that changes.
On the way out I refilled a growler I had of Lakefronts 25th Anniversary Stout. The Growlers were completely reasonable ($14 for 64 ounces, a 4 pack is $10/$11 in stores) and they fill them up so you will have no foam on your pour.
Besides a few minor setbacks I'll be back and I hope others get a chance to go too!
I really like this space, and the growler bar concept is really cool. Â I think Riverwest definitely needs more places like this, or maybe just more bar/restaurants in general. Â Â I visited with friends last Sunday - I met up with them after they had both already had two beers. Â As general stout/darker, sweeter beer drinkers, they were really enjoying the beer menu. Â For me, not so much, which is a complaint I generally have during the winter season. Â I tend toward more wheaty or Belgian beers, and while they had a few on the menu, most were beers I've had before. Â I ended up getting a New Glarus Two Women which I actually hadn't tried, and it was good for what I wanted at the moment. Â I hope that once the seasons shift, there will be more options for me!
My friends also ordered food before I got there - I think they both got chicken with couscous, and they agreed that it was good. Â I also tried some of my boyfriend's leftover curry dipping sauce that came with the fries - so good, he took it home with him! Â As for me, since I've been on a "healthy" kick recently, I decided to get the spinach salad with bacon, mushrooms and red onions. Â It said on the menu that there was a bacon vinaigrette on the salad, but I found the spinach to be a tad bit dry. Â I requested some balsamic vin, and a dab of that really turned it around. Â The bacon in the salad was perfect. Â That's the only way I can describe it.
I was a bit lost on the menu - I wasn't sure exactly what kind of vibe they were trying to go for. Â There seemed to be a lot of different types of cuisine on the menu, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Â I just wasn't really sure what to go for. Â I'll definitely be back to check out any changes to the beer menu, and to try something a little meatier to eat. Â I am looking forward to this place growing into itself.
My boyfriend is very into the local craft beers and was ecstatic for the Filling Station to open. We're hoping our experience can be chalked up to opening kinks because we left very disappointed.
The sandwiches we ordered were good, but portions were small and not worth the $11 dollars each. I ordered broccoli instead of fries, and received a tiny bowl of unseasoned, butterless broccoli somewhere between raw and steamed- and sitting in an inch of water. It really baffled me as to whether they just forgot to finish preparing it and accidentally sent it out? The waiter seemed very new to serving, so maybe that was on him.
The restaurant is definitely well renovated with a cozy atmosphere, but did feel kind of cramped. Other reviewers seem to have the same consensus = work on the menu and cooking, please please please. Despite living down the street, I'll probably wait a while to try this place again. Hopefully the kinks will be smoothed out by then.
Went here with my boyfriend on Valentines Day. Â It is great to get more places like this in the Riverwest neighborhood. Â Bayview doesn't need ALL of them! Â The food was very good. And the prices were reasonable.
We got a few micro-brews to start. Â Most of the beer is priced $5-10 per glass. Â
Then we got the appetizer of prosciutto popper eggrolls. Â They were tasty. Â Goat cheese is a classy step up from cream cheese.
I got a hamburger braised with beer. YUMMY! Â They have fries, sweet potato fries and cole slaw to choose as a side. Â I love it when you get that option. Â I got the sweet potato fries, which were good. (I had a feeling they were from a bag, though) Â The fries cover about 3/4 of the plate, which is too much if you ask me.
My boyfriend got the catfish open-faced sandwich. Â He seemed unimpressed. Especially since it was laying on a single slice of white bread! Â For and $11 sandwich lets get something a little more hearty!
All in all it was good. Â Would have given it 3.5 stars if I could. Â Our waiter seemed to have no experience. Â Don't know if they hired all their friends or just anyone with a beard.
Will go back!
His meal: Â The Meatwad. Â
Her meal: Â Steamed Vegetables & Tempeh w/ Tahina over Quinoa. Â
The reactions: Â Om nom nom yum yum. Â
The verdict: Â Impressive. Â Â
Oh, and the beer. Â Yes, yes, impressive tap list, yay growlers, etc etc...but it's the guy behind the bar who can ask what you like and perfectly pair the beverage with the meal that makes the experience.
First thoughts:
The owners of this place did a FANTASTIC job renovating this building. Â The ambience is spot on. Â Although I did feel that the lighting was a little bit too bright at the bar (I notice little things like this).
Beer: The amount of good beer they have on tap makes me very happy. There is no other bar in that immediate area that has that much beer on tap.
Food: Â I think this is an area that they need to work on a little more. Â The menu is all over the place. Â I think they need more vegetarian options, based on the neighborhood. Â I had Marinated Chicken with Dried Fruit on a Bed of Couscous which was pretty good, I enjoyed it. Â My date had Miso-Tahina Sauce over Steamed Vegetables and Tempeh-which was bland and half cooked. Â Hoping they will add some more vegetarian options and focus the menu more!!
Overall I like the place and hope to come back many more times!
Was hoping for a craft beer bar in the neighborhood and was excited to hear about The Riverwest FIlling Station.
I give them 3.5 stars att he moment.
I checked it out on the first Saturday they were open so I know they've plenty of kinks to work out. But overall it was a good experience and I look forward to going back soon.
FOOD:
First we ordered the Eggroll Poppers but were told they were 86'd. I don't know if they've removed them from the menu or they just ran out. So then we started with an order of the Buffalo Calamari. It smelled good. The breading was tasty but, unfortunately, there was just a bit too much of it. I was disappointed with the quality of the calamri as it was very very thin and not meaty at all. [NOTE: another reviewer mentioned the place smelling of seafood. I was two seats down from him when this order arrived so maybe that was what he smelled!]
For entrees my friend and I ordered the Cajun Shrimp Linguini & the Indonesian Scallop Curry w/ Udon Noodles. His linguini dish had about 5 large shrimp and was tasty. Not outstanding, but solid. My 5 large scallops were perfectly cooked. The noodles were a little overcooked and overall the dish felt like it was missing something. A little addition of salt livened it up a bit.
BEER:
This is what I was excited about - 30 beers on tap. They do have a wide selection, but I was hoping to see more hoppy IPAs on the list. Maybe I just like American crafts more than Imports. I was disappointed to find out the keg was kicked on my first beer chioice. Then I selected two others that they had also run out of. I chalk this up to them having a busy week and still learning what sells to their customers. As long as they keep the beer fresh and selection varied I'll be back for this alone.
Big Tip to the owners: As of this moment (5 days later) they still have these kicked kegs listed on their beer menu (on Facebook and their website). Follow the lead of Roman's and update your online beer menu DAILY (& post the time). Nothing will disappoint customers more than showing up with a growler for a specific beer they found online only to find out it's not available.
SERVICE:
No complaints. We sat at the bar and were attentively waited on. They inquired about more beer when our glass was about to be empty, and they gave us menus without badgering us to order. It was also during a shift transition, so, good work.
AMBIENCE:
Honestly, the place looks fantastic. I love all the natural light pouring in, the discovered tin ceiling, the woodwork and art. They outdid themselves in the remodel, and it feels like a great place to have a beer and munch on something.
BONUS:
The place seems kid friendly. Look forward to bringing the family for a lunch time visit. Maybe you could get a bit more creative with the kids menu.
OVERALL:
3.5 stars until they work through their opening week kinks. I wish them success.
I've visited twice so far, and each time has been a positive experience. Â The staff has been extremely nice and helpful, and considering each time it was busy as heck, did an amazing job staying positive and being friendly.
I've nibbled at a few of the dishes so far, and they have all been pretty good. Â I have to give the benefit of the doubt in that they have only been open a week and this will improve. Â There was nothing wrong with the dishes per se, but nothing that stood out quite yet. except perhaps the egg roll poppers. Â My burger was good, though it was a bit blackened...but it was also on opening night when the place was jammed packed. Â I can not blame them for that, and I look forward to trying it again on a slower evening. Â Actually, the curry dip for the french fries was great.
To the beer, the reason we are here:
The selection as it stands now is pretty nice, lots of variety and always something to try. Â I do really hope that when they cycle some of the barrels out that they put in some more hoppy options. Â There was only one IPA on tap, but about five stouts. Â It needs a bit more variety. Â I only really looked at the tap list however, as I'm not a fan of getting bottles at a beer bar. Â That's just me.
The fact you can fill growlers is awesome. Â I can't wait till they have it in full swinging order. Â Especially if they get some good IPAs or pales on tap. Â
So, ultimately, I'd say this place has lots of potential and I can't wait to see how it evolves and develops over the next few months. Â Right now, go there, support them, and give them feedback! Â It can only help them improve and stick around for years to come. Â As it stands now, you won't be disappointed - especially if you came for the beer and find the food a bonus.
Stopped in for an afternoon beer. I'm apprehensive to review The Riverwest Filling Station since I didn't eat their food, but I gotta tell ya, I'm a little nervous about this place's future.
Here's a few reasons why:
1) A very odd menu. I'm always apprehensive when an establishment serves the cuisine from varied cultures. They wind up trying to satisfy all, but run the risk of pleasing only a few. Here's two entrees from The Filling Station's menu: Indonesian Scallop Curry with Udon Noodles and Southern Style Fried Chicken with Grits and Beer Gravy. Hmm. Each may sound appetizing on their own but when you see them on the menu together, you kind of lose your appetite a bit, don't you?
2) Smells of seafood. You know what the office smells like after someone reheats last night's cod leftovers in the microwave? Yeah, it smelled like that.
3) The service. It's unique. Not necessarily bad, but it's apparent that there's a few kinks to work out. They probably will after a few more weeks of business. I gotta cut 'em some slack here -- they only opened a few days ago.
I like the selection of beers. There's a bunch of draught crafts. I didn't count 'em, but I bet there's at least 20. There's also a good selection of bottled brews too. So the beer lover in you should be able to find something that'll suit your fancy.
I'll give 'em  a few more weeks or months before my return. And when I return, I will return with a hungry -- they have a sandwich named "The Meatwad" which is just begging for my consumption!
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