Cafe Hollander

Beer selection and quality of fantastic. Food menu is great, but quality is horribly poor (stale buns on burgers, soggy fish fry, flavorless pasta dishes) all the hype comes from the atmosphere.

Many, many Belgium beers, and a menu like it’s sister restaurants. I like to go in summer and sit outside to people watch Downer Ave.

Nice vibe and staff, but unfortunately only mediocre food. The cheese curds and cheese board were both fun and tasty appetizers, and their root-​beer floats looked wonderful. However, I ordered the salmon, which was over cooked, and the meals of those with me were a bit of a letdown as well. Their homemade macaroni & cheese was bland, the chicken club was dry, and the seafood medley had a strange flavor to it. Overall, not a bad experience but also not one I would recommend rushing out to try.

Great food and drinks for any day of the week! We loved the BLT & A and the Kulminator. The chicken and waffles on the brunch menu will start your day with some heat! Belgian beers abound in the European themed café. But don’t overlook the bloody mary selection either. We make it a point to come here every time we are in MKE.

OH MA GAWD. So delicious! Let me explain.
First off, Hilary was amazing. Friendly, smiling, helpful, attentive. Thank you. She’s everything a server is supposed to be.
Now the food: The Chorizo Mac and Cheese is surprisingly light on the chorizo but wait– it’s the spice from the chorizo flowing through the cheese sauce that is spectacular! I didn’t expect the cheese to have such a nice kick to it but I loved it. The red peppers throughout provided a sweet relief from the heat and the green onion finished off the dish with that light onion flavor. Sorry, I somehow forgot to add that there are TWO FRIED EGGS on top!!!
Wtf… Café Hollander you’re killing me in the BEST WAY!
My side of pancakes at less than $ 2 each with the Makers Mark Pecan Butter were inhaled with no shame in under 2 minutes. #sorrynotsorry
This was a way better experience than my last with a male server who thank God I did not see today. On that visit I had the French toast with Strussel crumbles and that Makers Pecan Butter and I nearly climaxed. That toast had me saying my boyfriend’s name!
Great food Hollander! Thank you!

Update! Went out on a limb and got the Cajun Shrimp Sandwich (Challah roll stuffed with crispy buttermilk and cornmeal breaded shrimp, fresh slaw and a house-​made Cajun remoulade). Honestly, so good! The bread was absolutely fantastic and the slaw was exactly what the sandwich needed. Honestly, I don’t really need the shrimp to be breaded, but they were still good. Get the siracha mayo dipping sauce for both your fries and to sauce up your sandwich!

A fun place located in the heart if North Prospect Ave near the beach to have fun and brunch with pals! The patio is always packed with happening crowd! The servers are very hospitable and friendly :) we ordered brunch specials-​skillets, mediterrenean omelletes and brewcity omlette. Everything was tasty and fresh! But the best was Wisconsin special cheesecurds :) Mimosas were pretty average, tasted «weird» stale bitterness! Maybe they used a different brand of champagne (?).
The server recommended a delectable dessert named Fudge Skillet that ruled our moods and bought a million dollar smile!

Stopped in on Saturday for lunch with some friends. When we got there shortly after noon, they had beaten us there & were sitting at the bar. We fought our way through the line of people waiting to see the hostess to get to them at the bar. They had already put us on the list & were told 30 – 45 minutes later. We got some drinks & were chatting away at the bar, growing increasingly more hungry by the second, and finally checked in with the host to see where we were at on the list. We were told they were waiting for a table to open up upstairs for us (I’m guessing since we had a baby in a car seat /​wanted to give us more room?) and we were next as soon as one opened. WELL over an hour later, we finally got a table.
*Sidebar: One of the bartenders came up to us about 15 minutes into us being there and let us know that she accidentally put someone’s latte on our bill because she thought they were with us also. I mean, one extra latte on your bar tab isn’t the end of the world, and she did offer to fix it (but the guy ended up just giving us cash instead) — but it was just another annoyance added to our already ridiculously long wait.*
We were all ready to eat our arms off at that point so we were elated to get one step closer to food. We were seated at a table right by a window and it was SO so so cold. The window wasn’t drafty, but the exposed brick that we were sitting right next to was literally freezing to touch it and cold air was just streaming off of it. Not exactly what you want when it’s already freezing outside & you’re INSIDE trying to enjoy a nice meal with some friends (and be comfortable while doing so). Anyway, the service was ok, the food was all pretty good, but the whole process leading up to being seated at our frigid table was enough to make me not want to go back anytime soon.

Always a good time and delicious food to be had here. I’ve been to this location several times now and never had a bad meal. Ever. Food is served hot and delicious, the waitstaff are super attentive so those refills and beer replacements are perfectly timed. Everyone is so friendly and the restaurant is actually … bigger on the inside. During warmer happier times you can find patio seating available.

I am a big fan of this place for brunch! So much so, that I went 2 Sundays in a row!
They have a nice brunch menu, with some unique items on their menu. The first week I had the hot mess skillet — eggs, bacon, sausage, Black Forest ham, potatoes, tomatoes, cheese sauce, and shredded cheddar cheese. It was really good!
The second time I went there I got the chicken & cornbread waffle. Wow. Just wow. It was outstanding! It’s southern fried chicken and a cornbread waffle with sausage gravy and fried eggs. My mouth is just watering as I type that!
Finally, I had a bloody mary. I’m new to the whole bloody mary thing, but the Milwaukeean was so good! It was served it a cute «Milwaukeean» glass. And had some classic bloddy toppings — the bacon was extra tasty.
Great brunch spot. Usually busy!

Café Hollander is a good compromise for the foodie in my and my picky, burger-​loving boyfriend, or for my when my parents come to visit. My dad approves of the burgers and even if my mom doesn’t actually order a beer she always marvels over the wide variety. My partner’s favorite is High Speed Wit.
They have great bloody mary’s and offer a casual but nice dining experience. The menu is broad (salad to burger to salmon) and their brunch is spot on. They changed up their menu for the better recently. They now have ribs and a huge yogurt parfait. Come here for a snack, brunch, later in the night — it’s a good standard choice.
The menu is similar to Benelux (same owners), but it’s better and has a more intimate feel. Trocadero is the same way, in my opinion.
I’ve only ever had great service, and their patio in the summer is nice despite being right on the road.

Cool bar. Really packed on sunday mornings so expect atleast s 30 min wait. On first floor, the bar takes up more of the space than the actual dining tables but I was cool with that. My fav here was the mimosas, Wit beer and the haahbrowns. My burger was overcooked which sucked and I had to ask them for lettuce, onions and tomatoes after they brought my meal out. Guess I thought these were items that would automatically b provided unless I requested otherwise. Good atmosphere and good bartenders overall.

I love Milwaukee because I think the people are real, the food is always a great value and the ambiance of corner bars like Café Hollander makes me smile from the moment I pull open the door.
So why not a higher rating for this cute spot? I wanted Milwaukee friendly people and what I got were people who acted like they wanted me to go elsewhere to eat. Was it because it was at a lull in the afternoon? Or that they were prepping for their dinner business? Or that I didn’t order my normal drink? I have no idea. But from the time I pulled open the door, to the time I left, I felt like I was an imposition. Hmmmmmm. .. .. .
So this story begins with the host telling us that we need to sit in the front area as the server doesn’t want to walk all the way to the back. Uh. Okay. Just seat us and don’t tell us why.
Our drinks were brought over and the server asked what we wanted. She was helpful insomuch that she told me the salad I wanted couldn’t exclude some things as they were in the mix so she steered me toward a different choice. My dining companion went with her suggestion of the meatloaf dinner.
After a long delay, the food came up. My salad was quite good but my friend said that his food was over salted. We finished and waited for the server to return with the bill or to check on us or anything. Nothing. So I went to the bar to pay and the two people there looked at me like I had committed an unpardonable sin by not waiting for the server.
Oh well. i paid and we left but not without wondering if this was standard or an off day.
I own a place in the neighborhood and have stopped in here several times to have a beer (they have an amazing selection) and a cool drink. But this is the only time I have actually eaten here and it left me feeling lukewarm about the place. Too bad as their patio and cute ambiance reminds me of everything I like about this town I called home for many years.

I have overcome my recent grudge with café hollander and have found it to be a fairly nice place, very fitting of the Downer Ave setting. Previously I went to dinner twice here and both times was not at all impressed with the dish I received (2^nd time was the seafood sautee and the first time i cannot recall which dish) which was enough for me to just give up on café hollander. I thought I was just having a bad day… on both days… but then my girlfriend also didnt like her dinner on both occasions. So we thought, yeah we’ll just avoid this place. People would ask me to go and I’d avoid it like the plague.
Then my gf went for breakfast one day on her own and to her surprise she loved it, even saying it held its weight against pancake house across the street. Bah Humbug, I didnt want to give it a second chance but I did and I DO NOT regret it at all. What won me over was the chicken and waffles. I dont think I have ever had a better chicken and cornbread waffle dish. Definitely a saving grace. My gf on the other hand loves the eggs Benedict. On occasion we get the maple glazed bacon which is decent, and more recently we tried the beignets which were pretty tastey.
I think in general café hollander is a nice place, especially in the summer when there is outdoor seating. They also seem to be pretty dog tolerant as long as you’re outside. I find it nice to go here before a packer game or after a night of heavy drinking. Sadly winter is coming, but the indoor atmosphere is just as good as the outdoor one and there is a mix of youthful crowd and older residents that makes for a nice time. In short, my opinion is that dinner is best served somewhere else but breakfast is definitely worthy of a try with café hollander.

The quote of my visit was «we’re out of that».
I had heard great things about Café Hollander, so when our group was looking for dog friendly outdoor seating, this place was the clear winner. I was excited to give this place a try, and the menu looked excellent. Upon arriving we were quickly informed that they were «basically out of almost everything». I thought it was a joke until I realized that they were truly out of so many menu options! Our poor waiter seemed really frustrated, but he was friendly and joked about it with us.
I had a loaded grilled cheese sandwich and washed it down with a nice cold beer. The beer was my third choice beer as they were out of my first two! The sammie was hearty and ooey gooey so a total win for me. Everyone at the table seemed to enjoy their food and drinks, but many people were not able to order their first choice meal.
All in all, this place is probably pretty great most times, but my experience was poor at times due to the lack of availability.

This granddaddy of The Lowlands Group isn’t high on Katie’s list, yet they do me no wrong, and it’s bike race centric location means I end up eating something there a couple times a year.
The fries here may be a bit soggier than their other venues, but it’s their beer list which brought those other venues into being. Lots of Belgium (a few made just for them) and craft brews, well organized by type, with useful descriptions.
For my last visit, brunch, I tested the two types of Glass O’ Bacon! Strangely the guy who served it guessed wrong at which was which. For a bit I thought the spicy was going to blow my tongue away as the sweet was so spicy already, ohhhh not the case. Normally I would think the Spicy would greatly outdistance the Sweet for me, but it was held back by not being warm. I doubt this is required for it’s spicy dry rub to stick. It’s a thick amount of rub, which will help you want more of the great beers. But non-​crisp with the fat holding tough is not the best presentation. The Sweet was freshly made and had all the qualities of well made tasty thick slice bacon. Nom².
I tried the Belgium sausage with my one egg Americana meal (Menu pricing mismatch secret: save $ 2 by skipping at egg!). There’s a reason Belgium isn’t known for sausage (Beir, mussels, chocolate, fries, and sometime pies, sure), but sausage nothing special. I do remember their other meat products tasting better. Scrambled eggs and potato hunks were just as liked them, well cooked!
And a special shout out for the «whole wheat toast» that came «standard» with the Americana. I think I was upgraded to nine-​grain toast as it was far and away above any normal toast. Multiple grains and seeds, medium cut, a mist of butter, and flawlessly toasted. Absolute toast perfection!!!

I’m dining in the twilight outside on Downer Ave with the mosquitos brushing against my legs whiling listening to the 4^th of July fireworks popping around me. The bloody mosquitos can go burn themselves alive, but nonetheless, this is set up to be a great dinner.
I was not wowed by Café Hollander, but this is a generally positive review. I ordered the Kulminator. You know how some dishes give you an idea what to expect? Other than being under the sandwich section, I had no idea what I was going to get when I ordered the Kulminator. Using the wizardry logic of Dustin of House T, first of his name, King of the Andels, and Elite of the Unilocal,«thy must order the coolest sounding dish on the menu.»
For those out there who are just like me and don’t bother reading the jumble of small font next to the bolded KULMINATOR, it’s a grilled cheese. It’s a fancy $ 11 grill cheese. It’s hard to make an outstanding grilled cheese, but also difficult to make a crappy one. This is a solid grilled cheese with 2 squishy big pieces of bread. I’m sure you can imagine what a solid grilled cheese tastes like. This is probably pretty close to your imagination + some oddly squishy big pieces of bread.
gawd, I hate mosquitos
TLDR: Screw the mosquitos; cozy atmosphere; Kulminator is a fancy grilled cheese

This place was great! Very eclectic and the sandwich I had was really tasty. I like the bike they had there on display. That was different. I came here bc the original place I was going to go to was booked so came here instead. No waiting. Great start. Loved the décor and the overall design of the place. It was also nice that they had two floors of seating available.
Idk if I’ll ever come here again, since I’ll be moving further away, but my experience when I was there was great and I do hope to return someday.

Can’t wait to come back! Service is speedy but friendly! Their cream of mushroom soup is to die for… creamy, earthy mushrooms, love! There’s so much on this menu that I want to try: bone marrow butter burger, mac & cheese, meatloaf!
I was impressed by the choices of steamed mussels and frites… one of my all time favorite dishes! Ordered a pound of the classic steamed mussels and was definitely Italy impressed! Frites were tasty too!
They sell growlers of their beer and have a ton of choices on tap. I couldn’t pass up their bloody mary ($ 9) complete with crispy bacon, cheese curd, pickle, and olives!
Tons of patio seating for the summer too!

Café Hollander is hit or miss. I’ve had very mixed service experiences there — apathetic servers and vanishing bartenders, but occasionally really friendly and accommodating waitstaff during other visits. So I’d say that the service is usually lackluster, with good/​outstanding service being an anomaly.
We go to Café Hollander knowing — or expecting — the service to be meh. What brings us there time and time again is 1) location, as it’s very close to where we live, and 2) the soft pretzel. Sometimes, I just want a soft pretzel, and I always get it with some sort of aioli, as their grainy mustard doesn’t really lend itself well to dipping — it’s so dry that it doesn’t stay on the pretzel.
Another reason to go to CH is their beer list. They have an extensive variety of beer, if you’re into that sort of thing (and you are, since you’re in MKE). And who doesn’t like beer and soft pretzels?

Ein amerikanisches Restaurant an einer tollen Location Lakeside Milwaukee.
Bei gutem Wetter gibt es hervorragende Plätze draußen.
Der Belgium Salat ist sehr empfehlenswert und wird auch als Side zum Burger angeboten.