Harry's Bar and Grill - An East-side Secret!

Harry's Bar and Grill on the border of Shorewood and Milwaukee is probably one of the best restaurants you've never heard of in the Milwaukee area. Shorewood, which is not known for its abundance of bars and restaurants, is lucky to have a place like Harry's so close by! Their website says they "successfully combine neighborhood charm with big city sophistication" and I can personally attest that they have successfully done so!

I have visited Harry's more times than I could count and again found myself there last weekend! On this visit our group was seated quite quickly near the back of the restaurant. It was on a Sunday morning and the TV's were filled with pre-game football coverage. Luckily, Harry's has enough TV's strategically placed throughout the restaurant to make watching the big game possible from any angle. This makes for plenty of sports coverage without feeling like a sports bar.

The menu at Harry's provides enough variety to please any member of your group. On this last visit I focused mainly on brunch items, but check back for a more extensive review of their lunch / dinner items in the near future.

I skipped the regular brunch menu items and opted for a special this time around. There was an assortment of specials to choose from including the 'Oreo Pancakes,' which tempted me greatly, but I ended up choosing the Hopple Popple. This was a combination of scrambled eggs, red potatoes, bacon, red peppers and fontina cheese. This meal was served with fruit and sourdough toast.

It was a great brunch selection and I was glad to see this dish make it on the menu of specials. In talking to some Harry's patrons, the 'Hopple Popple' makes an appearance quite often and seems to be a big hit!

One person in our group went off the menu, asking for the Reuben Omelet. A while ago Harry's made the decision to take the Reuben Omelet off the menu; it was probably within good reason as most people I talked with didn't even realize it had ever been available or better yet, what exactly it was. For those of you that don't know what the Reuben Omelet was/is..it is an omelet filled with corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. The Rueben Omelet is served with toast, potatoes and fruit on the side.



I will be the first to admit this does not sound appetizing to me and luckily no one at the table offered a bite; I would have had to find a polite way to change the subject. If you aren't interested in this meal, don't worry. Like I said, Harry's took it off the menu and seems to only make it on special requests. Ask your server if you are interested!

The third brunch item is a personal favorite of mine, the Breakfast Burrito. Harry's keeps up with places like Chipotle and Qdoba when it comes to the size of their burritos, but they set themselves apart with great ingredients and uniqueness of flavors.

The Breakfast Burrito is made with scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage, tomatoes, a red bean puree, and pepperjack cheese, which is rolled into a flour tortilla, then topped with pico, sour cream and guacamole. The burrito has a spicy element from the pepperjack cheese and chorizo sausage. But don't be alarmed if you don't like too much spice. The scrambled eggs and red bean puree mellow it out to an overall nice smooth flavor! This is also served with Harry's traditional breakfast potatoes. I would highly recommend trying this dish the next time you are looking for a hearty breakfast!

Harry's Bar and Grill in Shorewood has drinks and entrees that should be able to satisfy your casual diner or someone looking for a fancier meal. The three items above are just a very small sampling of what Harry's has to offer when it comes to breakfast or brunch. They have an amazing selection of burgers and appetizers that rival your larger every-day chain restaurants. Definitely check them out and see why everyone in Shorewood wants to keep this place a secret!


Harry's Bar and Grill
3549 N. Oakland Avenue
Milwaukee (Shorewood), WI
414-964-6800


www.harrysbarandgrillmilwaukee.com