Diamond Jubilee: Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, Milwaukee

July 2021

Note: the restaurant closed in 2022, sadly. It was one of the first places to open on the newly expanded RiverWalk 25 years earlier.

I was ready for lunch and found a brewpub online that was open for regular business. I was in Milwaukee - having a lunch with beer seemed appropriate.

I took a seat at the bar. Eating solo at a bar is far less isolating than taking a table. I love watching bartenders and servers do their jobs as I eat. The beer was good and my beet salad was excellent (just way too small). My takeaways from the place were two:

Bartender

The bartender was excellent and I told him it was my first time in Milwaukee. I explained how impressed I was with everything I had seen thus far and felt surprised as I was told the city was mostly painted as "crime-ridden". He then proceeded to explain the city demographics to me (he was black) and the "tale of two cities" that downtown Milwaukee had become. I was surprised at his frank portrayal of things, but given he grew up in the city as an African-American he had a lot of opinions. I felt both disturbed (about what he told me) and refreshed (for his honesty) by the end of the meal. Basically, he felt the renovation of downtown was only down for a "certain class of people" and did not benefit the city as a whole.

Pirate

As I exited the restaurant, a man in full pirate regalia walked up to me and said, "Is the parking here free today?" I replied that I didn't know as I was a visitor. I have always regretted not saying, "You are a pirate. Park where you want."

After my very thoughtful (and funny) lunch, I set off to explore more of the city. I was going to view the rest of Milwaukee with a different set of eyes.