Black Sheep MKE

A Sunday BRUNCH to die for! Service is attentive, not pushy. Limited menu, but what is done is REALLY done with charm and to perfection. Presentation was special, too.
Crab Benedict exceeded wildest expectations as did the ‘Waffle’ which was graced with braised short ribs. Vegetarian choices available, but limited.
What closed ‘the deal’ for my spouse & I were pancake battered cheese curds served with Wisconsin maple syrup!
Do NOT miss this Brunch!

Black Sheep is so exceptional! If you are interested in having a pleasant encounter where you are dressed up and need some little plates and cocktails it is an alternative… but where Black Sheep beams is you could be more nonchalant to go get a flight of wine (mix and match self serve) AND get a bomb hot dog (gf if you desire!). It is an excellent new thought for a Sunday Funday — or a more low key Friday night alternative if you have had a long week and need to quit someplace with your sig. other or lady pals.

The ambiance, drinks, and service here is great. I noticed recently the food menu changed a little. We went there actually planning on getting some pretzels and cheese curds which they use to have. We were surprised to fine entrees on the menu prices around $ 13-​$ 24 and nothing that really sounded appealing to my vegetarian friend. Disappointed, we order the cheese plate for $ 16 and it was kind of a let down. The bread was pretty brunt, some parts we didn’t eat. I’ve had a lot of cheese platters in my day and they definitely could step up there game. The one thing I did like about the cheese board was the honey, it was a nice touch.

We tried this place for the first time today thanks to the City Tins and really liked it. Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, 11 – 3. There is a polenta V option on the menu, but I asked to have the «white sheep» (eggs, toast, potatoes) without bacon and it was no problem. Big, hearty portions. Walking distance from Colectivo and Stone Creek and across from Purple Door. Several bus routes nearby: 19, 23, 15, Blue and Green lines. Friendly service and great ambiance.

This is a great place for happy hour, but a little pricy for dinner. The cheese and meat plates are well done and the Poutine is excellent. Drinks are always mixed well and I like the new menu, but I will say I’m missing my Trailer Park dog. All in all great joint in Walkers Point

After a few visits I feel comfortable saying I approve of a visit to Black Sheep, but wouldn’t make it a «must» destination. I have been there a few times, once for brunch and a few other times for drinks. I have never had a full dinner there, so I can’t review that aspect.
The atmosphere is very cool. I love the sky high ceilings and the lovely bar and design. However the set-​up with the wine dispensing area makes for some awkward movements throughout the visit depending where you’re sitting (sitting at the bar feels most comfortable to me and requires the least walking all over the place). The natural light around brunch time is delightful. At night I’ve been there a few times when I thought the music was too loud for any kind of conversation despite this being more a of a sit-​down venue.
The concept is cool– I want to try a bunch of wines, duh! However, be careful if you’re tasting on a budget. Those small pours add up quickly and you can easily rack up a hefty tab. The functionality of the wine concept has been hit or miss. I’ve had troubles with the card not working, had to wait multiple times while they restock various wines, and had awkward periods of waiting in line while drunk girls block the vending area complaining about their ex instead of pouring their wine. Don’t get between me and my wine people! The other cocktails I’ve had there have been mostly above average but nothing outstanding.
Service– not that awesome. Granted it’s always been decently busy when I’m there but I’ve had to do a lot of flagging down to get needed items, sat thirsty with an empty water cup and empty coffee cup, and had to ask multiple times for the same thing before obtaining. Everyone has been friendly and good intentioned, but overall service was rather slow and not impressive during my visits.
The food– meh. The pancake cheese curds… ummmm YUM. But all the other brunch food we tried was mediocre. Chicken and waffles– the waffle was something I could have made with my 30-​in-​1 infomercial grill and the chicken was mushy and salty. The biscuits and gravy were nothing to write home about either. The mimosa special was nice for a table of 3.
I’ll be back, but I won’t brag about it.

I had a good night in Walkers Point and we darted to Black Sheep before the kitchen closed. I will say the trip wasnt the best. It was a 78 degree night in May which was excellent and the patio looked like the likely seating place for us.
The waiter was the best thing about the night. I joked and said that he looked like Johnny Deep with a thick Spanish accent. So for the night he was Jack Sparrow dont tell him I said that, well you can tell him. The food and drinks took some time to come out and that was a little disturbing considering it was nearing the time the kitchen closed and not a lot of people were there at the time.
We ordered the cheese curds, the chicken, a drink and some fries. Everything was very subpar except the cheese curds which were excellent. The chicken was not good. I couldnt identify what part of the chicken it was. It was this greyish dark brown color. I didnt want to eat it. I tasted it and it wasnt good. It was coated in some sort of bread crumbs. The problem with deep frying bread crumbs is that if the grease isnt fresh they absorb other tastes and the bread crumbs burn quickly. Not a good choice, instantly I felt sick. There is no way to justify dark brownish grey chicken. I have never went to popeyes or KFC and got some chicken that wasnt the color of beyonce. Im just saying!
The inside is pretty cool even though the bathroom was pretty icky. The patio is a really nice addition. Im not sure of the specials that they have or the different types of beers, im not a beer guy. I would suggest a menu overhaul as I have seen most of the Unilocalers also wrote about.

My wife and I went here Friday for brunch. She ordered the chicken and waffle, while I had the biscuits with duck gravy. The potatoes along with the biscuits and gravy were perfectly done and had the exact right amount of seasoning on them. Both dishes were absolutely fantastic. We both ordered their Bloody Mary. They were missing a key ingredient (Worcestershire), so the taste was just a little off. They did run out and get some, and «filled us up» after that. All in all, it’s definitely a place I recommend.

Black Sheep has been on my radar for quite some time and it truly proved worth the wait. The menu is absolutely intriguing and no matter how satisfied you are with the meal you will see something else you will want to try.
To start I had the bread cheese which is absolutely right up my alley. I am all over cheese with various additions that help elevate taste. We actually had this same cheese grilled with honey at clock shadow creamery, the same place that Black Sheep got the cheese that is in this dish. I think about this 4 – 5 times a week now because of all the amazing flavor combinations. One of the best dishes on the menu
As for sides; we shared the Spicy Korean Cakes, Mac & Cheese, and Arancini. Our server recommended the cakes and she came through big time on that call. Fried warm cakes that are dipped in a sweet and sour sauce had me begging for more. The mac was good but not mind blowing and I did really enjoy the Arancini with siracha, another suggestion from the server.
For my main dish I had the burger which I will not spend too much time talking about because it was just ok and not cooked to medium rare as requested.
Really had a great experience at Black Sheep. The only thing holding back 5 stars would be the initial service which actually did not exist as we stood in the main entrance waiting to be seated far too long and the burger was not something I would order again. The menu has so many other options to explore and with sides like we had, I could go for beer and sides every day.

I just haven’t had a bad experience here. The place just rocks. The food brought me back and now the service is making me realize how magnificent Black Sheep is. We had another great dinner here last night and Kat our bartender made sure we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. I am impressed.
Loves —
Get it while it’s hot — 3 Sheeps Ghost Pepper, its a limited release IPA. I usually don’t like IPA’s but man, this is good stuff!
Poutine. Why the hell did I not try this before? Not sure but I’m glad I finally did. Really good dish served up correct in a cast iron with lots of gravy, homemade hand cut fries and clock shadow cheese curds! OMG all the way!
This dish was new to the menu and was every bit scrumptious. Pasta which was house made pasta (nice touch) also had in it bay scallops, dill, crème fraîche, lemon, fava beans, garlic, shallots, and leeks. It sounds like a lot but they do special things to this dish like braise the lemon half so you get smoky lemon squeezed onto your pasta. Also fresh cracked pepper served to you right after the dish comes! Yes please! Not sure who dreamt up this wet dream of a meal but WOW!
Also had dessert selected by our bartender Kat. I usually don’t order dessert but her selection was perfect. It was crème brûlée with fresh blueberries and strawberries. As if the meal wasn’t good enough we have this crunchy coated, creamy filled flavor full of love dessert! Man oh man just really nice on the pallet.
This place has a special spot in our hearts. Stellar ambiance combined with great food and excellent service. Got em!

I have to preface this review by stating that I have looked at the menu at Black Sheep MKE more times than I have actually dined. I’m not sure what kept me from dining here, possibly the notion that this may just be another trendy Milwaukee concept that lacks execution? Either way I’m thrilled to report that I look forward to going back.
First impressions are a big deal, especially in the restaurant industry and especially in front of house. Upon arriving we walked up the stairs to see a sign on a wooden pillar that asked patrons to wait for a host. My party of two, including myself, waited… and waited… and waited. A bartender noticed us but continued to tend to people sitting at the bar. A blonde server noticed us but continued to tend to the only table that had people sitting at it.
The interior has a trendy design with tongue-​in-​cheek artwork that makes me consider putting a giant painted sheep’s head on my wall. I’m not going to, for the record.
Onto the food…
To start:
Coalho bread cheese, fennel, pickled cherries, oats, and yogurt. — This is what dreams are made of.
To share:
Mac + Cheese — with as much pepper that was present in the sauce you would think its partner salt would’ve made an appearance. This was not awful but I would not order it again. Used too much roux because the sauce was thicker than gravy
Arancini — again with the lack of salt. When our server recommended the dish I was caught off guard by her mention that the chef likes to under-​salt the food because restaurant-​goers can just season the food to their taste. No salt was on the table and why would any chef ever serve a dish that was not seasoned properly, expecting the people paying to do it?! I’m going to assume that is not the chef’s intention and that was just her interpretation. The avocado aioli made up for the lack of salt and be sure to ask your server for a side of sriracha to go with them.
Spicy Korean Cakes — whoa. These sweet + spicy slices of crispy goodness were my favorite thing that we ordered. My only complaint is how they were presented. The mochi-​like slices were served in a deep bowl, swimming in the sticky sweet sauce. Please, just toss them in the sauce in a separate bowl and serve them in a clean bowl. The cup of sauce leftover after the sliced rice cake was gone was a little off-​putting but not enough to prevent me from ordering it a million times over again.
We will definitely be back in the near future. The bar snacks are calling my name and I need to try one of their wines. Definitely a great weekend spot to hangout with tasty food and extensive beer and wine lists.

Black Sheep continues to impress me. I’ve visited twice since my last update, once for brunch and again for dinner.
For brunch, my friend and I started with the Pancake Battered Cheese Curds ($ 8) with maple dipping syrup because they were great the last time I had them. They were great on this visit, too!
We ordered the Pork Belly Sandwich ($ 12) and Corned Beef Hash ($ 14) as our entrees. The pork belly was perfectly cooked with a great balance of meat and fat, served on grilled artisan bread and with a side of perfectly seasoned house cut fries.
The corned beef hash was fantastic! The corned beef and potatoes were cut into large cubes and mixed with diced onions and peppers. A perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned sunnyside-​up fried egg rested on top.
I also ordered a Bloody Mary. It had a great spicy flavor to it and ample garnish (cheese, pickled green beans, sausage stick, pickled mushroom, pickle slice and asparagus), easily one of the best I’ve had in town. The service was also great, and I felt we received an appropriate amount of food for the prices. This brunch visit was perfect!
Saturday, I went back for dinner with another Unilocaler. Again we started with the Pancake Battered Cheese Curds because I love them and she never had them. They were perfect again!
I ordered the Pork Cheek ($ 15) and she ordered the Poutine ($ 14), and we exchanged bites of each.
The pork cheek was incredibly tender and flavorful, served with a house made salsa verde and over Basmati rice, which was then served over a few thick cut plantain «fries.» The dish was also garnished with thin cut strips of jicama and a little cilantro. The rice seemed slightly sweet, so the natural flavor of the plantain and jicama balanced out the sweet flavor I tasted, but the pork cheek was clearly the star. I loved this dish!
The Poutine was served in a cast iron dish, and the serving was very generous. She took half home, even after sharing a bit of it with me. The house cut fries were nicely seasoned and the melted Clock Shadow Creamery cheese curds, house-​made southern gravy and chunks of pork belly elevated this Poutine. I want to go back and order one for me, but I’ll need someone to share it with since fries don’t really reheat well. Who wants to join me?
We received great service again, this time from Ashley. I ran into other Unilocal friends having pre-​dinner birthday drinks, and other friends were there having dinner for a birthday in that group. By the time we left, the place was hopping!
There are still so many more dishes on the brunch and dinner menu that I want to try. I can’t wait to go back!

While I’ve had drinks at Black Sheep a few times, last night was my first time trying the food and I will say I was for the most part impressed with the food. We were seated at the bar and the service was just plain excellent. Great cocktails, nice laid-​back atmosphere.
We tried three items here. The truffle popcorn is exactly what it sounds like, popcorn popped in truffle oil then seasoned with truffle salt. It was light and delicious. I’d take this over any theater popcorn, including the wonderful stuff at the Oriental and Downer Theaters. We moved on to the pork cheek with salsa verde, plantains, basmati rice, jicama, cilantro. Pork cheek is a real treat when you can find it. It resembles beef short rib in texture and flavor. This one was nice but while its preparation implied Caribbean treatment, the salsa verde was too tame and the meat needed salt. Fortunately I had a bottle of Caribbean curry hot sauce with me. It was total coincidence, but it really did add a nice kick to this dish.
Next up was a dish that is very popular these days, Brussels sprouts with parmesan. It was delicious although the portion a bit scant.
Overall, we really liked this place and will be back.

Change is good because Black Sheep did a major one and it is awesome! I have always wanted this to be a great restaurant and now I can firmly state that I will recommend them and their updated menu.
A group went for brunch and the menu is varied from some traditional items to more trendier ones like the pork belly sandwich. The pork belly sandwich was perfectly seasoned with the right texture… my only complaint is that I wanted more pork belly and a little less slaw. My hubby had the eggs benedict and the hollandaise sauce is probably one of the best I have ever tasted. His comment was «do they put crack in that sauce»?
Our friends had the burger and could not stop raving about it. Everything we had was extremely delicious. The service was great with beverage refills but the wait to get the food was a little on the longer side but not horrible.
If you look in the dictionary for hipster you will probably find a photo of Black Sheep in there. They have «unisex» bathrooms and the crowd is definitely rockin’ the skinny jeans and beard protocol. Makes a Gen X person feel a little old… but all good and all are welcome.
PS — My friend had two man-​mosas and they were EXTREMELY potent! Drinker beware!

Veggie Risotto?
More like Veggie Risot… oh! As in, oh man is this stuff good!
For a carnivore, the richness and heartiness of Black Sheep’s risotto almost stops my caveman-​like craving of a thick slab of roasted red meat.
Almost.
To satiate my more primitive tastes, I’ve also tried Black Sheep’s Beef Osso Bucco. This bone-​in shank is served in a bowl with tagliatelle, red sauce, parmesan, and parsley and it’s soul-​satisfying delicious. I could go for a bowl right now… and I’m writing this at 8:00 AM in the morning!
Black Sheep is in a cool space in Milwaukee’s Third Ward neighborhood. I like the long bar in renovated cream city brick building. I watched the daily progress of the refurbishment of this structure a few years ago and I was amazed at the final result. It’s very well done.
You know what is also very well done? The Tuesday night wine special. Bottles of wine are half off on Tuesday nights! That means you can share a Veggie Risotto, an Osso Bucco, a dessert and a bottle of fine wine for about sixty bucks! That’s a heck of a bargain for such high quality grub.
Oh, and as long as I brought up dessert… the Bulleit Bourbon Bread Pudding. JUST DO IT!

It was a cold November Sunday and I was on my way from Walker’s Point to the Third Ward when I just couldn’t take it anymore — it was just too cold! Solution: grab a drink in a bar en route and warm my tummy up!
Cue — Black Sheep MKE.
The first thing about this place is the décor. They nailed it. Industrial-​feeling while still grasping the artsy feel.
The bartenders and hostesses were equally cool. Not to mention attentive and sweet.
I was a little surprised at the lack of business at nearly noon on a Sunday, but the menu’s price point seemed a little bit higher than what some consider MKE-​norm, so not too surprised.
Overall, a great experience. A manmosa (orange vodka, champagne, OJ in a wine glass) and an irish coffee — what could go wrong?

Man. I was so excited about Black Sheep MKE after trying a sample at the Unilocal Battle event. If I remembered correctly, they even won the blind taste panel.
I feel Black Sheep is in restaurant limbo, in the sense that they’re unsure of who they are as an establishment. I have a feeling they want to be a higher-​end restaurant; however, I feel they’re more of a trendy bar that happens to serves food.
My friend and I are big on ordering multiple dishes and tasting each and every one of them. I appreciate that Black Sheep had an extensive menu, and was organized into seven categories: Bar Snacks, To Start, Boards, To Share, To Feast, Sides, and To Finish. We decided to start with the Wisconsin Fish Fry (Fridays only) and the Gnocchi.
The Wisconsin Fish Fry was really peculiar. The fish fries that I’m familiar with involves big slabs of flaky cod. However, with this one, I’m not sure what kind of fish it was. The pieces were thin; so thin, a few were curled like macaroni, and had a strange marbling that was foreign to me. And because the texture was smooth and chewy, it actually reminded me of squid. This meal also came with a side of hand-​cut fries, coleslaw, and remoulade. While the coleslaw and remoulade were both delicious, the fries were in the fryer for too long. I say this because the inside was hollowed out and after one bite, they all crumbled into flakes.
The Gnocchi was off the chain. The gnocchi itself was soft, and the mushroom ragu that was poured on top was both hearty and packed with flavor. My friend loved it, as well. I’d order this again.
We were still hungry so we ordered the Fried Chicken. They didn’t list how many pieces it came with, but because it was listed under «To Share», we were thinking maybe two or three pieces. We were a little disappointed when it only came with one, albeit a decent hand-​sized slab. After the initial bite, I fell into the same conundrum as I did with the fish fry. Except this time, I was unsure of what kind of cut I was given. I wanted to say that it was a thigh. The chicken itself was odd because it was gamey and had a stringy texture, but the sweet and spicy chili sauce helped masked the aforementioned issues. The sauce was thick with a great tangy flavor, but I really wish it was on a better cut of meat. The meal also came with a side of mac & cheese, and it was super yummy. The noodles were cooked al dente, and the cheese was gloriously rich and salty. My final verdict? I’d skip the chicken altogether and get the mac & cheese as a side for another dish.
You guys are probably going to judge me but I did ask for ranch dressing, and they informed me that they don’t carry ranch. Maybe I’m weird for thinking that’s weird but man, my heart– and clogged arteries– broke a little.
To be honest, it was tough writing this review. I think Black Sheep has a lot of potential to become that higher-​end, small plates restaurant, but the food needs some reworking. In actuality, almost every thing tasted good. However, the quality of the ingredients they’re using is what’s preventing them from standing out amongst the competition. In addition, I felt the portions were not matching the price, especially with the Gnocchi. While I enjoyed every one of them, in the grand scheme of things, I realized I paid $ 1 per gnocchi. And yes, the prices are similar to your standard small plates restaurants, however, because the ingredients weren’t the best quality, it was hard to justify the price.
My other suggestion would be a menu revision. It’d be nice if the items were more descriptive. For example, listing what kind of meats come with the «Boards», what cut of meat they’re using for the Fried Chicken, and what type of fish they’re using for the Wisconsin Fish Fry. I feel it would prevent a lot of confusion and guess work when ordering.
Overall, my friend perfectly summed up our experience: «I want to like this place and I should like this place. But I’m not won over.» As I said before, Black Sheep has a lot of potential, but there are a few things preventing them from getting out of that restaurant limbo. Nonetheless, the atmosphere was fun and energetic and if they take my ideas into consideration, I’d give Black Sheep another shot.

Yesterday was my first trip to Black Sheep — I knew them as the «hot dogs and vending machine wine» place but it’s not that anymore. The menu is your standard 5^th Ward mix (some small plates, stuff with pork belly in it, a poutine, artisan this-​or-​that) but the wine vending machines remain.
The interior is nice — again, your standard 5^th Ward set up with exposed brick, a communal table and some industrial touches. I do love the bathrooms, specifically the one on the left. If you’ve been in there, you know what I mean.
I stopped for «happy hour» which goes from 4 – 6 most nights. In the context of other happy hours, this one is more «reasonably pleasant» hour — no food specials and $ 4 taps and $ 5 house wines (not the wines in the vending machines). Speaking of the wine vending machines, now that Black Sheep is more of a restaurant than bar, I’m not sure those machines still make sense. If you’re sitting at the bar it’s convenient but if you’re in the middle of dinner, it seems odd to be getting up/​down to refill your own wine.
On the food front, we split a cheese board ($ 16) and the fried chicken ($ 12). The cheese board had good selections but was a tad skimpy for the price — like 2 – 3 smallish pieces of 3 different cheeses. The fried chicken on the other hand was a great value — 2 good sized pieces in sweet chili sauce (so, so delicious) served with a little crock of mac’n’cheese.
Service was really good too — they managed to be attentive without interrupting conversations which I think it sometimes hard to do. Overall, there were a lot of things on the menu that I’d like to come back and try. I think «new» Black Sheep probably needs to do a little more to distinguish themselves from the many similar places nearby but it seems like they are on the right track, at least in the food department.

Black Sheep has become one of my super-​solid, happy hour go-​to spots.
Why?
1. $ 5 glass pours of house wines that don’t suck
2. Friendly, attentive but not too attentive bartenders
3. Good tuneage
4. Great eats — bar snacks are affordable and awesome AND the regular menu is chock full of great, rotating selections too. Big ups to the fried chicken (covered in Mai Ploy or the house-​made equivalent — DELICIOUS), the pancake-​battered cheese curds, the truffle popcorn and their cheese board… oh. And that octopus. That octopus. :swoon:
5. A comfortable ambiance that begs me to stay for just. one more. glass…
Five stars, Black Sheep. You’ve come a long way, baby.

Interesting spot we visited while in Milwaukee on business. We read about their extensive wines by the glass and cool vibe so decided to give it a try.
The menu was very «casual» — haute dogs and sandwiches, sloppy joes, macaroni & cheese etc. We had a Wooster dog which is an Usinger beef hot dog topped with fig jam and arugula — it was really delicious. We also had mac and cheese — SO rich and delicious and the hummus.
The music in the background was classic rock, great service, great wines by the glass and bar menu.
Wouldn’t recommend for entertaining a client but if you’re in town and want a fun night with friends, check it out.