Sandy's Tavern

During my search for a local joint who would brave the crowds and air a Packer game, I found this little gem.
I started my search closer to my house, and after failing at the 'higher end' places, I turned to yelp to find a divey place.
In Milwaukee it seems normal to indulge in a few libations by yourself in the middle of the day, and I found myself getting a few strange looks around here - until getting to Sandy's.

I walked out of the sunshine and into the dimly lit, musty little place, and instantly felt at home. I was greeted promptly, and took a place a the bar. Another couple came in soon after me and we chatted for a while.
The tap selection is nothing to write home about, but that's the point of places like these - go for a Grain Belt or a Coors, stay for the company.

As the other people started to filter in a out, the bartender and I got to talking. She talked me into a burger, even though I wasn't too hungry. I got a cheeseburger with sauerkraut and olives, which was their recommendation. It was really great! It reminded me a lot of Lion's Tap or the late Andy's Tap. I opted for the tater tots as a side, and they were phenomenal. I ended up eating every last bite.

Several grain belts later I had to bid farewell toy my new friends at Sandy's but I will be back as soon as I'm back in town.

I've been very anxious to try Sandy's since I heard they were voted "Best Burgers" and what do you know, only a few miles from home! How I love Mpls for their non-corporate, non-chain, every other block food and drink establishments.

Sandy's reminded my of a small, divey burger joint out of the cities. Dim lighting, neon beer signs, video games, pool tables and plenty of tv's.

Food was good. Nothing over the top great though. We thoroughly enjoyed Sandy's brat burger with sauerkraut, Sandy's sizzler with pepper jack, jalapeños and chipotle mayo and their basic burger with cheddar. Everything is served al la carte, and with plenty of options to add on (cheese curds, fries, tator tots, etc), we chose the tator tots and I'm glad we did.

It would have been nice to see a larger, more expanded beer selection. The only descent beer on tap is Killian's red.

All-in-all, good burger joint that will be seeing us in the near future in sure. :)

Sandy's Tavern could earn 5 stars for their burgers alone.  They are THAT good.  But what's awesome is that along with this awesome burger, you get this awesome atmosphere as well.

My family has always loved Sandy's Tavern because it has a family friendly, laid back, house-turned-bar kind of feeling to it.  It's very welcoming, despite the fact that it is poorly lit.  It's nice because it obviously has a bar feel to it, but you still feel comfortable bringing your kids in.

The menu isn't large, I'm not going to lie.  Your choices are basically burgers, other types of sandwiches, chicken wings.... and then like a bazillion different sides.  (fries, cheese curds, jalapeno poppers, tater tots, breaded mushrooms, etc.) But everything on the menu is cooked with love, and to perfection.  So there is no need for a million choices.

Anyways, on to the mouth-watering burgers I spoke of earlier. All of the burgers at Sandy's are consistently cooked to juicy perfection.  It melts in your mouth with a buttery taste, and sends your taste buds into a frenzy of deliciousness. You literally can't go wrong no matter what kind of burger your order.  However, my all time favorite burger to order at Sandy's is the Olive Burger.  A cheeseburger with green olives and sour cream.  The first time I tried it I was pretty young, and I was nervous when ordering.  I've always loved green olives, but on a burger? With sour cream?  Well I learned a valuable lesson that day ..... Cheeseburger+Tons of Green Olives+A healthy dollop of sour cream= FOODGASM.  And Sandy's does it the best.  I have tried Olive Burgers at other restaurants and nothing compares.  Nothing even comes CLOSE!  It seems so simple a concept, but Sandy's Tavern has mastered it.

Side Note: When ordering fries, be careful.  You probably only need a half portion per 2 people.  They serve them in baskets, and you get a lot more than you're expecting.  Also, you only get 1 free refill on soft drinks, so sip carefully!