Crisp Pizzabar

Crisp is one of my absolute favorite places for pizza in the city. My two pizzas of choice include the Chicken Pesto and the Black Peppered Scallops. The crust is absolutely perfect every time!
Now do they have the best ambiance? Not really. It’s a bar/​club at night so it’s got a darker atmosphere, black walls, etc.
Do they have the best service? Again, not really. Our chicken pesto pizza was delivered without the chicken once (but they did take $$ off our bill) and the wait staff isn’t the best I’ve seen.
But, would I come here for great pizza again and again? OF COURSE!

Revisited Crisp for dinner last night. It was relatively slow, with a few tables and people at the bar. Our waitress, though nice and attentive, was maybe a little too attentive. It seems like she wanted us to order as soon as we sat down. We had to tell her a couple times we needed another minute to look over the menu… maybe it’s because most people just come in for a slice? Not sure.
We ordered the large Chicken Pesto pizza, and it came out in a reasonable amount of time. It was very good, I enjoyed the blend of cheeses and the chicken was done perfectly. These pizzas are LARGE and I love the leftovers.
While I do like Crisp, I have a few recommendations:
1) Introduce new pizzas to the menu, as they seem to have had the same options for the past two years. And change the individual slice menu as well. This would keep people interested in coming back over time, and not just to use Groupons.
2) Thicker crust. I prefer a thick crust, and theirs hits somewhere between thin and handtossed. I do like it, but I just wish it was a tad thicker.
3) More personable wait staff. I’m pretty sure the 3−4ish times I’ve been here I’ve felt the same wait about the staff; they just seem… awkward.
4) SPECIALS!!! They need to have specials to draw in a larger crowd and get people to try new things (other than those, like myself, who buy the Groupons to get a deal so I feel justified in trying various menu items). They desperately need normal time happy hour drink and food specials, none of this after 10pm deals that they offer.
Honestly, I’d rate Crisp 3.5 stars but I’ll keep it at 4 because I do like their pizza (that truffled potato bacon was the best one I’ve had!) and find the interior space interesting.

I love the fact that you can order pizza by the slice and they have a good selection of beer. If I am in the area, I typically stop for a slice :)

Eh.

I have been to Crisp at least four times now and I still am on the fence about the place. I’ve only ever gone during lunch or early dinner, so I have never seen the pizzabar in full force. The service has been different each time, ranging from good, to terrible when they forgot our breadsticks, rushed and burnt them and then mischarged my card and was forced to run it twice! The pizza has been disappointing every time, and I’ve tried both slices and the personal, especially when you can get Ian’s (which has never been less than fabulous) for way cheaper and quicker. He’ll, I’d even prefer the Grease Pit, a.k.a. Pizza Shuttle, to this place.
But. Their breadsticks, when they aren’t burnt, are the best I have ever had hands down. Omg. They are soo flaky and buttery, and that balsamic glaze is so good I scrape it off the plate with my fingers when the breadsticks are all gone! Those sticks, and the groupons, will keep me coming to Crisp but I think I’ll try the salad next time because I’m done being underwhelmed by their pizza.

Had a typical meal here with my friend, some BBQ wings and a small pizza.
The wings were surprisingly really good. Crisp and not too hot. Very well done, for a place that did not look like a wings place.
The pizza itself was hot and delicious. Very greasy, but hey you only live once. Their breadsticks are also pretty damn clutch.
A little tad more expensive, but its a sit down, so I don’t expect Pizza Hut prices here. Although I had some wings and half a pizza (which more than filled me up) for $ 10.
Now at night, I probably would avoid this place as a nightclub… completely different atmosphere and crowd. It really does shine for dinner though, wish they would keep it as a nice lounge area instead of some dark dance club.

Horrible food and AWFUL service. Was dumb enough to go back a second time and will never make the mistake again. Young red-​headed male waiter was CLUELESS. So stupid.
I ordered a simple chicken Caesar salad and my boyfriend a side Caesar salad and the artichoke dip (to all come out at once). Keep in mind this is 1:30 on a sunday, super slow there. The artichoke dip came out about 35 minutes later then we waited an additional 10 minutes for our SALADS, which should take 15 – 20 mins max. My chicken was cooked to all hell, so dry, and cold, as if the waiter forgot! My boyfriends salad had no chicken nor dressing… so it was lettuce on a plate with cheese. My boyfriend complained and the waiter said he’d bring more chicken and then I couldn’t resist but to complain about my awwwwful salad and the ridiculous timing. He didn’t really say anything, stumbled over his word for a second then hesitated to ask if I wanted different chicken.
When the check came, I gave him my credit card which he was gone with for a solid 15 minutes, no joke, then came back and said the card wasn’t working. (it was fine when I used later that day) IDIOT. The total was around 22 dollars and I gave him 30 cash. He had the nerve to ASK if I wanted change!!! Ummm YES incompetent moron.
NEVER GOING BACK EVER

We brought a large group to Crisp Pizzabar on a Saturday evening, we were seated quickly and courteously.
Note in the name the word BAR; it’s a bar with pizza, Bars are for adults, right?
It was obvious when entering that this ain’t Pizza Hut; East coast style artisan pizza is what they serve here, and they have some great specialties such as their Vegan Pizza.
The Mac and cheese pizza looked nummy; next time I am in the area I definitely want to try it.
Nacho appetizers were off the hook delicious and priced right. Some on our group ordered salads and they looked very good indeed.
Everyone in our group of 25+ thought the food and drink were great and reasonably priced all things considered; the hand-​tossed and wood-​fired oven-​baked pizza crust was super tasty.
Crisp features Lakefront Brewery microbrews on tap… if you are unfamiliar with Lakefront’s beers, I’d encourage you to try one. Yes they also have the usual suspects on tap as well as a full bar.
Overall we had a very good experience and would recommend Crisp to anyone looking for good food and drink in a cozy (if somewhat industrial-​ish design), adult atmosphere.

It was our absolutely last night to use our Groupon here. We picked the wrong night. We had come twice previously for lunch only to find them closed. We came around 5:30PM with my 6 year old daughter. This place is not kid friendly! The only place to sit were on these very tall uncomfortable seats. The table came up to my daughter’s chin. I was worried about her falling off! They could easlily fit a row of tables in the middle of the place.
We were seated and given water. Then we waited because there were no menus. Another 15 minutes roll by and our waiter comes. He said they were short staffed. I asked about the drink special outside on the chalk board. It read «Happy Hour 4 – 7.» Below that was written $ 2.00 Long Island Ice Teas. I asked our waiter about it and he said the drink special doesn’t start unitl 11PM. I told him that’s not what the sign said but he really didn’t care. We ended up just ordering diet cokes. The drink menu was very over priced.
Our drinks were never refilled the entire time except for water which was overflowing. We ordered the matchstick french fries. They were the average fries you get at Webbs and came with ketchup.
After sitting there for about 45 minutes our pizza came. The pizza was meh. It was dry. We ordered the pesto chicken pizza. There was hardly any chicken on it. It needed salt to give it some flavor. We asked for our check and container at the same time. We left our cash inside the envelope and left. We seriously weren’t going to sit there for another 20 minutes.
Would we come here again? Probably not. Rustico is closer and has better pizza.

The atmosphere is nice, contemporary, with art from local artists on the wall and for sale. My favorite of the décor is the booths with old magazine ads under resin. A number of different styles of music plays over the speakers when we were there, none of it too loud, none of it unlistenable or offensive.
The décor and atmosphere was good, but the service and food were lacking. We got seated right away, but it took the server at least 5 minutes to come back and even then only took a drink order then disappeared for another 5 minutes. When he did reappear to take the order, he was very pleasant and efficient. However, it took forever for the pizza to come. A half an hour or possibly more for a thin crust pizza that probably cooks in 5 minutes is too long to have to wait, especially when you are hungry, your girlfriend is hungry, and her son is hungry, and all you want to do at that moment is eat.
When the pizza finally came, the toppings were pretty sparse. i wish I had actually counted them. There was a little sauce, some cheese, but not enough, about 10 pepperoni on the entire large pizza, as many pieces of artichoke or less, less than a handful of onion, and a few pieces of mushroom.
The worst part of it all is that I was initially charged $ 28 for a pizza that should have probably cost $ 22, and that is if there was an adequate amount of toppings. He was able to pull it down to $ 24, and as long as it took for him to do that, I just wanted to leave and not argue.

I dont understand all the rap on this place food wise, I personally think their pizza is nothing short of fabulous, especially for the price. All kinds of fun options, think lamb, goat cheese, all kinds of veggies and meat and cheese, but even better is the amazing vegan pizza that is just covered in vegetables. Very enjoyable, especially drunk after bar close, or with some siracha.
My only gripe with this place is when the dining scene ends and the club/​bar aspect of the place opens up. Its got a lot of shady characters, and can get pretty grungy and dive-​ish, in that trashy hipster «i think im cool cause im covered in pbr» kind of way. The dubstep constantly blaring out of the awesome sound system doesnt really help either. Crisp can be fun from the bar aspect, or it can be really, really shitty quick. Also, I love upstairs concept, but the dance space on the floor below the main bar is just not a good idea.
Outdoor, awesome 2^nd floor patio for smokers is a plus too.

The Good:
–Yummy wood-​fired pizza with a good balance of ingredients. Try the Sausage and Pepper or the Truffle Potato.
–Pizzas are very fairly priced for the quality!
–A decent sized and priced beer list averaging about $ 4 a beer
–Friendly waitors
–Interesting industrial décor and friendly bar tenders
The things that could use some work:
–The wine list didn’t have a wine under $ 8 a glass
–The service was a little slow, it seems they could use a few more staff
–The hostess also was a bit slow and confused about how to seat all the parties they had… just a few hiccups I think they can get over with a little better management.

I don’t want to be too mean so I’ll keep this short. The pizza here is not good. First off, their pizza crust is not crispy as the name of the restaurant would suggest, but rather fairly crunchy. Despite having what appeared to be a very unique menu with some interest pizza options, this place fails in execution. The pizza sauce, when it’s detectable (our pizzas were surprisingly dry) has an odd, almost too sweet taste to it. I wasn’t too impressed by the quality of the ingredients either.
After that experience I decided to give it another shot and had brunch there with a few friends. None of us were impressed with our meals. I had a disappointing monte cristo. The french toast was way too thick and way too dry. And then the unthinkable — they poured syrup over it! How am I supposed to eat a sandwich that’s smothered w/​syrup?! A buddy had french toast and had the same complaints, adding that with four very thick ½ slices of french toast, more syrup could have been provided. Another had a sandwich (that I can’t recall at this moment) and was underwhelmed. One good thing about our meals, the very tasty sweet potato fries.
The servers I had for both of my visits were attentive, responsive, and overall very nice. No complaints there.
I’d bag this place and just take the two block walk east to Zaffiro’s. The menu looks good, but like I said before, the execution could be better.

ONE OF THE ONLY TIMES I’M GLAD I DIDN’T CONSULT Unilocal FIRST.
I’m actually glad I didn’t consult with Unilocal for Crisp Pizzabar because I probably wouldn’t have dined there based on the mixed reviews.
SITUATION: Thursday night and the fridge is empty. Head to Brady Street and decide to walk until we find something I’ve never heard of and dine there. We arrived at around 7:45 P.M. and was greeted by a friendly hostess.
ORDERED: I like Crisp’s menu with the clipboard and the fonts/​typography used throughout. My dining partner and I ordered the night’s «special» appetizer of STONE CRAB CAKES ($ 15), a TRUFFLE POTATO BACON personal pizza ($ 12) and each ordered a BUILD YOUR OWN SALAD (small $ 5).
TASTED: Our waitress, India, described how the Stone Crab Cakes were used from crab that they only harvest the claw and throw them back in the ocean to live. It’s a peace of mind to know somewhere out there are crabs that are really pissed off they’re missing a claw but happy to be alive none the less. The two crab cakes were SPOT ON. The dijon mustard mayo was subtle and complimented the cakes nicely.
The salads were really great. How many greasy pizza places can you go and enjoy a healthy spinach salad like you’re at Whole Foods? We actually sent a tip back to the «salad dude». Hostess said it made his night. The PIZZA was on the menu as «personal» sized but it would take a person with a large appetite to finish one. I really enjoyed the chewy crust of the pizza.
END HITS: Our waitress explained Crisp is on it’s third head chef. This may explain the sub par reviews? Crisp doesn’t yet have a dessert menu developed but one is coming soon. I’m really glad I stumbled upon Crisp.

I’ve been going to Crisp for over a year now, and keep coming back for a reason. Their pizza and bread sticks are great and I appreciate that they have a vegan pizza option although I am not vegan.
They have decent drink specials and cheap Jamo shots, which is always nice when you are looking to drink on the cheap.
On Monday they have a good happy hour and pizza is ½ off until a certain time.
The atmosphere reminds me of a club sometimes, yet without the club feel. They have a great covered outdoor patio for the smokers, live DJs (usually with no cover) and a neat upper bar area that opens up to the main floor.
At times, I would say the female restroom is pretty nasty, but other than that it’s a clean place.
I highly recommend!

The pizzas ok. The brunch not so much. Breadsticks are yummy! The drinks are decent and service has overall improved 1000% because I think they read the early reviews.
It is more of a club than a restaurant. Ok to take hippish mom and dad early in the evenin but wouldn’t take kids here.
I know Some Unilocalers don’t like the bar crowd here, but id still pick it over the hihat or the garage (or god help us, Jo-​cats) for a night out. Its just often kind of random… like the dj just misses the mark a little. Still. I’ve wound up here like 20 times… so go figure.

After our third visit here, the bf and I looked deep into each other’s eyes and whispered softly, «let’s never come here again.» Agreed! (We’ve also had this exchange in reference to Dave & Busters, Buca di Beppo, Wal-​Mart and the city of East St. Louis).
Where does an establishment that has the phrase «Pizzabar» in it’s title get off being so snobbish? They are straight-​up racist against people wearing hats, claiming that headwear is against their «dress code.» Say it with me people, «Pizzaaaaabaaaaar.» You don’t get to have a dress code. Dress codes are reserved for swankier places where there are not people snorting lines in dark corners and hookers one roofie away from being permanently comatose swaggering around like they’re in search of their next baby daddy.
The douchebaggery is so thick in the air on a Saturday night that you could slice it with knife. We had the grave misfortune of, a few months ago, coming on a night where they were doing a cross promotion with some tattoo shop. They were having a tattoo contest which basically consisted of the stars of the
website dressing as slutty as humanly possible without showing actual vagina. Horrible. The music has always been terrible, the crowd has always been abysmal and the service and staff at Crisp is the absolute worst.
They get two stars because they do have the best smoking patio on Brady Street and because they have decent drink specials ($ 2 PBR is alright by me!). That’s about it. I feel as though we have given them a pretty fair chance, and I’m just not digging Crisp. Every time I walk past here, I do a little jig because I’m going someplace else.

Ouch, some of the reviews on here are really bad!
Luckily, my experience was much better. I did have a long wait for my Vegan Slice, so I am deducting one star for that. I am a very picky pizza eater and I was really impressed with the Ultra thin crispy crust that was Bubbly, Flaky and Tender, yet stayed crisp under the toppings! It was so good that I tore off the outside edge of the crust of and ate it separately.
I am not a Vegan and I mistakenly ordered the Vegan Pizza, thinking it was a Veggie, so when it came without cheese I was a little surprised, but I ate it anyway and really liked it. It had Asparagus, Fresh Mushrooms, Red Onions, Olives, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Artichoke Hearts and a Saffron Infused Tomato Sauce. It was topped off with Micro Greens, Virgin Olive Oil, and Balsamic Glaze. With all that going on, I did not miss the Cheese!
I ordered a Local Lemonade to drink. It had, VeeV Açaí Spirit, Lemonade, topped with Lakefront I PA. This was very refreshing on a very hot day! The coolest part of ordering this drink is that for every one sold a tree is planted in the Rain Forest! So you can catch a buzz and help the Planet!
When I walked in they did not have any wheelchair height tables, but before I could even ask, they set one up for me. The Men’s room is small, but wheelchair accessible.

The photo that was added is from St Patrick’s Day… they had a 10 foot beer bong, any questions?
Seriously though? That is crazy. Who would be standing after a 10 footer?
So, I actually did eat here, not on St Patrick’s Day, but a couple months ago. I thought the ‘za was just Okay. Personally, not my style. There are so many other pizza joints in Milwaukee that make my short list way before this place. So, I probably won’t ever eat here again based on the fact that Zaffiro’s is a couple blocks away and this place did nothing special… except maybe that they have a 10 ft beer bong…

First, note that this is a review about a visit in July (I recently joined Unilocal). I went with my family and a couple of friends to this restaurant on my birthday.
We sat down at 7pm. A waitress came by and took our drink orders. She did not return. 20 minutes later, another waitress approached and told us our old waitress left because she had to come back to do another shift later. Waitress #2 then re-​took our drink order. She brought them within 10 – 15 minutes (yeah, that’s right, after waiting that long) but forgot one person’s drink, did not go get it, and took our order. She then disappeared again.
In the meantime, the table next to us was served their food. They sat down after us. We even had a reservation (big group)
We kept looking around and saying to eachother «what is going on here?» when she didn’t return.
20 or more minutes later she came back to our table and informed us that she had to DELIVER a PIZZA to SOMEONE’S HOUSE! We saw her walk out the door. It was past 8pm. She did not return for 40 minutes.
At 9pm, still food-​less, a staff member came to our table and informed us that we would be forced to pay cover ($ 10 for each member of the party). We argued with her as we felt this was ridiculous, we were still waiting for food and our waitress disappeared. We considered leaving.
I am guessing the host talked to the waitress, because our food came shortly after 9. They basically said we needed to get out ASAP as a band was starting. The food was COLD. Drink orders were not refilled even though we requested refills. The pizza was nothing to go back for. This was honestly a 0 star experience.