Restaurants in Milwaukee: Key Takeaways
- Milwaukee has approximately 1,582 restaurants spread across various neighborhoods.
- Full-service restaurants are the largest category, with about 800 establishments.
- Pizza and burger venues are highly popular, with over 400 restaurants each.
Milwaukee offers a dynamic dining scene featuring 1,582 restaurants. This article presents a detailed breakdown by area, category, and cuisine, and explains why exact counts may vary.
Explore Milwaukee's diverse restaurant landscape by neighborhood, restaurant type, and cuisine, highlighting key trends and culinary variety in the city.
For more on industry stats, see our 2025 U.S. restaurant industry statistics guide.
Breakdown of Restaurants in Milwaukee by Area
Here is a detailed distribution of restaurants by prominent Milwaukee neighborhoods and suburbs.
| Area | Number of Restaurants |
|---|---|
| East Side | 200 |
| Downtown | 300 |
| Bay View | 150 |
| Third Ward | 180 |
| Riverwest | 120 |
| Walker's Point | 130 |
| Shorewood | 100 |
| Wauwatosa | 120 |
| West Allis | 80 |
| Greenfield | 90 |
| Oak Creek | 80 |
| South Milwaukee | 70 |
| Cudahy | 60 |
| St Francis | 50 |
| Glendale | 40 |
| Brown Deer | 30 |
| Whitefish Bay | 20 |
| Fox Point | 20 |
| Mequon | 50 |
| Bayside | 20 |
Downtown Milwaukee is the busiest area for dining, hosting about 300 restaurants. East Side, Third Ward, and Bay View also showcase vibrant restaurant scenes with 200, 180, and 150 establishments respectively.
Restaurant operators can benefit from best practices for managing servers to enhance service across busy districts like Downtown and Bay View.
Suburban neighborhoods like Shorewood, Wauwatosa, and Riverwest maintain steady culinary presence, with 100+ eateries each, contributing to Milwaukee’s extensive dining options throughout the city and surrounding areas.
Breakdown of Restaurants in Milwaukee by Category
Below is an overview of restaurant types that constitute Milwaukee’s food industry.
| Category | Approximate Count |
|---|---|
| Full-Service Restaurants | 800 |
| Fast Food and Quick-Service Restaurants | 400 |
| Cafes and Coffee Shops | 150 |
| Bars and Pubs | 100 |
| Food Trucks and Street Food Vendors | 50 |
| Pop-up Restaurants | 30 |
| Ghost Kitchens and Virtual Restaurants | 20 |
Full-service restaurants are the largest segment, with around 800 venues offering traditional dining experiences. Fast food and quick-service options are significant, comprising about 400 locations.
Operators should consider how to find the best staff for their restaurant as labor plays a pivotal role in each category's daily success.
Cafes, bars, and newer formats such as pop-ups and ghost kitchens contribute to Milwaukee’s evolving and varied foodservice landscape.
Breakdown of Restaurants in Milwaukee by Cuisine
Milwaukee’s restaurants reflect a rich culinary spectrum, detailed below by cuisine type.
| Cuisine | Approximate Number |
|---|---|
| Mexican | 324 |
| Italian | 116 |
| Chinese | 130 |
| New American | 155 |
| Traditional American | 383 |
| Burgers | 384 |
| Pizza | 411 |
| Seafood | 109 |
| Barbecue | 76 |
| Indian | 31 |
| Greek | 35 |
| Japanese | 44 |
| Mediterranean | 29 |
| Thai | 27 |
| Vietnamese | 16 |
| Korean | 7 |
| Cuban | 4 |
Popular cuisines like pizza (411 restaurants), burgers (384), and traditional American fare (383) dominate Milwaukee’s dining options.
Owners seeking to maximize their pizza or burger restaurant success may want to review key tips for hiring a cook, ensuring food quality across popular cuisine types.
Mexican cuisine features strongly with about 324 establishments, while Italian and Chinese cuisines remain well-represented at over 100 restaurants each. Smaller but vibrant communities of Indian, Japanese, and Mediterranean also add diversity.
Managers interested in maintaining excellence in diverse restaurant types can benefit from understanding various restaurant job descriptions.
Official Milwaukee Records and Registered Restaurant Businesses
The City of Milwaukee maintains official records through health department data and business registrations to keep track of food venues operating within city limits.
For those hiring in the local sector, our guide on posting restaurant jobs for free can be a valuable resource.
Such registries provide a reliable baseline count of legally recognized restaurants, ensuring compliance with safety and business standards, and forming an authoritative resource for accurate restaurant tallies.
Restaurants in Milwaukee Listed on Google and Other Online Platforms
Online platforms like Google Maps typically list actively operating restaurants that have an online presence and are visible to the public.
These sources may reflect differing counts from official records due to user contributions, closures, or new openings not yet captured in government data.
Comprehensive staffing information for restaurant managers helps ensure online visibility and operational excellence for Milwaukee venues.
Why Restaurant Counts in Milwaukee Vary and Conclusion
Variations in Milwaukee’s restaurant numbers arise from differences in data collection methods, definitions of what constitutes a restaurant, and timing of data updates.
If you're researching industry careers, our server job description guide provides detailed insights on key roles in Milwaukee's bustling hospitality sector.
Overall, Milwaukee's restaurant scene is a vibrant and continually evolving ecosystem with over 1,500 eateries, reflecting the city’s rich culinary culture and constant growth.
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