Dick’s Pizza & Pleasure

Why are they still open?? It’s like the same douchy people from Oak have wandered over and took over a new spot? YUCK.
Please do milwaukee street a favor, and close like 720.
BRING BACK EVE AND UMAMI MOTO.

Used to be okay when it opened but it’s constantly crowded now and the crowd isn’t necessarily the type of people you want to associate with at an upscale lounge.
There’s a lot better opportunities for Friday night in the Milwaukee area.

The upstairs bar-​club area is not really my scene but they do make some pretty good pizza!

So random. We were in Milwaukee hoping to find a lounge and my friend Unilocaled it, of course. He jokingly said «let’s go to Dick’s Pizza & pleasure.» …or at least I thought it was a joke.
We got there and low and behold, despite the confusing? name, this place actually existed. It was about 11pm on a Sunday of a 3 day weekend. There were barely any people there on the first floor, that’s really just set up like a pizza joint. The pizza sitting in plain sight looked kind of dried up, but hell, there was a full service bar, so we sat down and started drinking.
My friend had to use the restroom, so he headed upstairs. He seemed extremely giddy on his walk back and when I asked him what was up, he explained that the upstairs was like a complete different world and we should check it out. We got there and it was what he described. A different world. It was like a small dance club/​lounge, but without many people. The music was suprisingly good. I grabbed a drink upstairs and we left.
The whole experience was bizzare albiet not terrible.

Came here after hours and at first I was really thrown off by the bar downstairs and smell of stale pizza… However, when I went to find the restroom, I discovered the club upstairs! SO COOL! Surprisingly the DJ was pretty good and I had myself a really good time dancing the night away. Guess I came for the pleasure… Maybe next time I’ll try the pizza. :)
Definitely worth a stop by if you’re in the area.

This review is for Brick 3 Pizza inside Dick’s.
I’ve ordered take out from Brick 3 twice now and let me just say: AMAZING. I have this weird thing with having a lot of food (large portions or really big food) — it is just so entertaining to me. The large 20″ pizza does not disappoint… it is HUGE!!! Seriously the pizza box was so large I could barely get it through the rear door of my car. Then I had to manage to get it out of my car, into my house, and eventually in the fridge (just for the challenge). The slices themselves are gigantic. The biggest slices of pizza I’ve ever seen, bigger than a plate — see my photo for proof!
I have ordered 2 different pizzas from Brick 3: the spinach feta and the lasagna. Both were delicious and either would satisfy a picky eater and someone who is more adventurous, but not extreme duck-​testicle-​adventurous, at the same time. The crust is between a thin crust and hand tossed. With how big these slices are, it is great to not have the crust overwhelm the flavors or act as a «filler.» I really like the big clumps of ricotta/​mozzarella cheese on the lasagna pizza — messy and delicious! I didn’t even really care how many calories I was consuming because it was so good.
I highly recommend getting a side of the fried ravioli. Unlike other places, Brick 3’s has a nice crispy outside and tender inside. It also comes with a side of marinara dipping sauce.
The space itself: I’m in love with the huge animé photos. I really want to take one home with me! It was not busy during either my visits (but I came around 4:30pm on a Wednesday and 8pm on a Friday) and appeared very clean. The staff was friendly and efficient.
I did experience difficultly trying to place an order a couple weeks ago at this Brick 3 location. It was a Tuesday evening, around 6pm and every phone number I tried was either down or went to voice mail. I asked about their hours and was told that Mon/​Tues/​Weds they usually close around 5pm because they don’t get dinner orders. Thurs/​Fri/​Sat they are usually open late (the voicemail says 3am but I’m not sure if they would actually be open that late on a Thursday). And they are closed on Sunday. I honestly think they would do a lot better if they were on the East Side. I usually avoid going places «downtown» because of parking issues… which is why I’ve only ordered carry-​out, so someone could drive the car around the block while I ran in to get the food.
I definitely want to come back for a single slice and grab a drink at the bar as I really like the atmosphere.

I have to say it this place needs new bouncers. I understand fire code and maximum capacity, so let’s just put that aside. When people come up and are trying to get in don’t ignore them or treat them by saying «you wait until I say so». Then let your homie from 6^th grade in who obviously doesn’t work there and then his friend. Oh wait, and then do it again. Fist bump… 10 people walk out and no acknowledgment of whether we wanted food or to get in the club. We dropped $ 500 in drinks that night elsewhere. MKE hottest nightclub you ain’t.

Good tasting slice. Not as good as NY but pretty close

Came here for drinks/​dancing not that long ago.
It looks and feels like a bathroom. I wonder what the bathroom looks like…
Do any of the staff know how much their drinks are supposed to be? I never got charged even close to the same amount for the same drink each time I came up to the bar — way overpriced. I’m paying for a drink, not for a bunch of ice.
Not impressed.

Thin crust pizza with interesting and unusual toppings. Not just the standard cheese or pepperoni, I had one slice of spinach & feta cheese and one slice of buffalo chicken. Both were okay and well topped — no scrimping here. But the pizza just left me unfulfilled. Maybe it was the loud music?
On the plus side, they have beer on tap, they have TV’s tuned to the current sports game and they have wifi.

25 minutes for 2 pieces of pizza to go, Dicks? REALLY?
I won’t even mention the torturous and deafening dubstep. Oh, but I will.
Disappointing — when it should be amazing.

I come to Dick’s almost every Thursday and Saturday night. I don’t always remember what happens but I know that the rest of my week until Thursday rolls around is full of crazy tales of my friends and I’s hilarious shennanigans. I even had my friend’s birthday party this March and it was definitely one of the best nights of my life. To Winchester and his crazy wit and awesome Bouncer talents, to DJ JaeBea, resident, crunk slinging kick-​butt DJ, to Mike Edler hands down best guy in the club management business. He keeps a packed classy house that never breaks the bank but always keeps you dancing. This club will definitely be here for many years to come and we will be having all of our parties here from now on.

This review is for the Bar /​Night Club only. I never even knew it was a «legitimate» pizza restaurant. I always thought it was some side business to make money off drunk people who have the munchies. Then again, I have never been to dicks before 11.
As a club though, this is my absolute favorite in Milwaukee.
The music selection is always solid: American pop mixed with some European House /​Pop music. It almost feels like a little slice of Europe, albiet a very small enclosed space compared to any big city nightclub.
There in lies the beauty of Dick’s. Not too big but not too small. Its a place where you can mingle and meet new people. The music is at a tolerable level. The added bonus of everything is white, and the fact that you can actually see someone’s face when you are talking to them, unlike the pitch black place next door.
The crowd is pretty upscale and unlike 720, the girls are much less snobby. I never have a bad time at Dick’s and it always seems to be decently packed. Overall, my favorite club in Milwaukee to dance and mingle at the same time.

Evaluation of food, not night club:
A quiet night at Dick’s pizza. The atmosphere: Animé + Mr. Clean + 1950s diner + bar serving pizza.
However, there were 3 ants in the women’s bathroom. I guess Mr. Clean missed that spot.
You can’t order by the slice until 12am. They have a walk-​up window.
Only groups of 4 or less can come here. Marble slabs stick high out of the wall and have 4 bolted down barber style chairs around them. I wonder what they would do with a group of 5?
The atmosphere is more bar than restaurant. We arrived at 7:15. They had pizza already prepared under warming lights by the front — the very pizza they won’t sell until 12am. Huh.
The menu is small, a selection of deep fried apps and expensive fancy salads, and then a variety of pizza. No house salad. I asked if they had a house salad, a smaller, regular salad with veggies, and the answer was no. I was told that the expensive salads were «small» so it was like a house salad.
The pizza had interesting options, white sauce, meats, truffles, specialty cheeses, etc as well as build your own. I ordered the white and black (specialty cheeses and advertized black truffles, for $ 15). The crust was great. However, the crust is 70% of the pizza. The sauce was very unevenly distributed on my pizza. The black truffle was canned, packed in oil, and about the size of a penny (one per slice, 6 slices in total). The overall flavor was good, but the truffles were a scam. My boyfriend got the salami pizza — he said it was incredibly salty.
My parents shared a build your own pizza and ordered mushrooms, onions, and tomato in addition to regular sauce and regular cheese. The mushrooms cost $ 3, the onions and tomato $ 2 each. There were, I kid you not, 4 mushroom slices. Probably not even 1 full mushroom. The onion portion was even more pathetic, certainly no more than ¼ cup for the entire 12″ pizza.
Dick’s also has milkshakes. I would go back to this place to try a milkshake or maybe even to order one slice of pizza. I would not go back for dinner based on their extremely stingy portions.

LIKE THE BEAUTIFUL WOMAN THAT RUINS THE FIRST IMPRESSION WHEN SHE OPENS HER MOUTH…
The first thing I noticed upon entering was the white retro floor tile, carerra marble countertops and tables, and white subway wall tile, with punches of red from the backlit bar and red sparkly vinyl seating. Sans the red, the place reminded me of my own home, so naturally I was instantly a fan.
Our waitress, Amanda, was charming and attentive, acknowledging us right away and apologizing that there were no open tables. She snapped right to it when a table opened, and got it ready for us. Amanda was five stars across the board. I thought Dick’s would be a perennial favorite of our group, but then…
The Appetizers…
Dick’s was out of wings, calamari, and mussels, leaving only the two types of bruschetta as options. That didn’t bother me, since I was not in the mood for the out-​of-​stock items, but others might have felt disappointed. The Cherry Tomato and Split Pea Bruschettas came out and, OMG «tapas»! I COULD SCREAM!!! Read my reviews of Ginger and La Merenda if and you’ll quickly learn I EFFIN HATE «TAPAS», and these appetizers were «tapas» disguised as an appetizer.
There were three little crackers on each bread board, with a spoonful of toppings on each cracker. Okay, again, four guys and three crackers. Again I ask, «don’t you just LOVE tapas?» Minus one star, instantly, for cheap ass portions! I mean really, can’t a place at least portion their appetizers to serve everyone at the table – especially for the ridiculously inflated price. You’re getting $ 2 per cracker already just because some people depend on perpetually having food in their mouths at all times and will DIE without it. Luckily, we ordered two appetizers, so everyone got 1.5 crackers. The flavors were good, especially the split pea – the appearance foreshadowed the fresh garden-​like taste that followed.
Frankly, it pisses me a litte bit that people can’t wait just a few minutes for the food to arrive. But I’m always stuck with the person that claims to be «hypoglycemic» (read heavy Wisconsinite) and they just «can’t survive» five seconds without a morsel of food in his mouth. I think we all have a friend like this.
The Drinks…
Soft drinks here are served in a mini glass with the avant-​gard 8.5 oz. metal bottle as a sidekick for $ 2.50. Okay.
Two people in my party ordered milkshakes. I had a sip and they were deliciously good. But for $ 11 each I think they SHOULD be damn good.
Another guy had a dark pilsner ale. I don’t drink beer, so I have no clue. It was $ 4, which seems in line.
The Food…
Here is where it really falls apart. A place can have everything going for it: great atmosphere, superb service… BUT if the food sucks, it counts for nothing. That’s pretty much what happened at Dick’s. Minus one star for food that tasted spoiled.
This place touts «coal fired pizza». I really wish these places would STOP with the gimmicky methods of allegedly preparing pizza and just make an honestly good pizza. Spare me the wood stove or coal furnace.
The pizza was lacking two very important ingredients: sauce and cheese. Kind of important when you’re talking about pizza. And the sauce it did have was horrible! It tasted like something fermented that the cat yacked up. Visually, the pizza had all the appeal of a plate of Ken-​L-​Ration or Mighty Dog. The crust was both puffy and tough at the same time, if that’s possible – and it had an odd «egg-​y» flavor. Like sulphur? Could it be from «the coal furnace?» It’s pretty bad when your «headliner» menu item sucks this badly. Bligggh, yuck, puke.
The Final Bill…
Can you say sticker shock? With tip, it came to $ 80 ($ 20 per person) for each guy to have a drink, three (very small) really nasty pieces of pizza, and 1.5 crackers with some dip on them. For a few bucks more, I can eat at a fine dining place and have a steak with all the accoutrements. I guess I’m just not trendy enough to appreciate getting financially assaulted for a really putrid meal.
Am I the only one who thinks this type of dining experience is insane?

Nights out used to go a little somethin like this… It’s about 1145, I’m happily drinking and lookin around the dance floor … And then my galpal goes «u think there’s any place in here to get food? I’m really kinda hungry.»
Ok, so she’s engaged these days and my fast clubbing days are waning, but I still remember the dilemma this situation created. Do we leave the place we spent a long time (and cover) gettin into to go find food? Well problem solved with a place like Dicks.
Although we actually plan things better than our younger selves did and arrived at around 9 for pizza. We split a margherita pizza (bout $ 11 & more than enough food for 2 girls) I wanted to try a milkshake
(Cuz they look and sound way yummy,) but decided a tummy full of dairy didnt mix well with an nite full of drinking and dancing. Pizza was good… kind of that wood oven, not greasy type of fare. Our service was gr8 but there weren’t
Too many ppl eating there actually. (I guess slices are only sold after 1130 pm or around the lunch hour)
Anyway, we headed upstairs upon its 1030 pm opening, and true to our waitresses words, we were the first ppl up there. It didn’t seem to get busy until around 12.
The décor was very white, clean, with animé (I think I saw a pic from the crow?) And purple lights throughout the dance area. We didn’t discover the 3 rd floor until late (ie after a few drinks) in the evenin. I really really liked the décor (throw a hello kitty character or 2 in with the mix and id have been in heaven.) There are no dark corners for hiding on that dance floor though. And at least on the 2^nd floor, no seating unless u reserve the VIP at the far wall.
Drinks were about what I expected
— $ 7 – 9 for a tall. It did get (quite) busy later in the night with a 20s to 30s ish crowd. The music was a mix of dance/​80s/​hiphop (if I remember it all anyhow)
So I liked this place. Theres not too much seating in the pizza part, but It’s nice to have an option to sit and chill for a bit. Reminded me of a little more Milwaukee st-​ish Crisp. More than anything, i like that someone is trying out something new other than another club or another restaurant.

Upon walking in, it was like I was in some crazy Otaku club bathroom. The huge pictures are pretty awesome, but the total austerity of white marble tile and paint makes me feel like I’m in a bathroom. A very clean, very sanitized bathroom, but still… a bathroom. .
When we decided to finally eat there instead of taking pizzas to go like the last time, it was 7 on a rainy Saturday. Not as busy as a normal day would probably be. Wonder how they’ll do with continued heavy flow of business once the summer shows up and the ridiculous drunk crowd is here.
Bar service was a manager-​type and bartender. Both seemed pretty fluent with the bar setting and knew the menu, which is good. The server behind us taking the tables, well, she was cute? I guess it’s not so much a knock on her as it is the seeming tendency of these places to hire a pretty young face before checking to see if they have any experience, then forgetting to train them because some friends of someone important just showed up at the bar.
Anyway…
Milkshake menu was interesting and moderately priced. I tried the Lightning Rod, forgoing alcohol on a rare occasion. If the charged up versions compare, they’re a fair deal. But, being a milkshake, more would always be nicer
Food was good. I liked the mussels and bruschetta, and the two pizzas we ordered were really well flavored. Strangely, one was square shaped and the other was a football. Segue to…
The drawback with the consistency of the crust. I like pizza. Been eating it pretty much forever. And invoking the idea of Italians in the early 1900’s In NYC and their contribution to what pizza is, well… It’s like someone telling me the Olive Garden is awesome Italian. Pulse quickens, sight goes red, and I repress what comes next.
«An unrivaled dough that was crisp, yet chewy and airy» is what they seem to be aiming at. I really don’t see them hitting the mark. I grew up folding slices on the sidewalk in Brooklyn, and it wasn’t cracker thin, breaking apart crusts with the occasional thicker portion that stays soft.
Someone else compared it to Piccola, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Except, Piccola maintains a better consistency, and they don’t advertise themselves as being the best pizza experience in the Midwest.
It’s the claim that gets me. If you state it, you’d better deliver it. It’s like writing a bad check.
As I write this, I’m thinking about it more, and getting more annoyed at the premise and going about it all wrong. I feel like I’m arguing about the quality of popcorn at the theater. You pay more for it than it’s worth, because you’re eating it in a place where you’ve also paid for entertainment. Ugh.
It’s a bar/​club on Milwaukee St that does what places such as SoHo, 720, Eve, Texture and the rest did before them. And they also serve food.

Since my initial review, I’ve been back a couple times, and was going to upgrade my rating. I’ve had a couple good pizzas, then back to a not so good one.
I have to say that they have created the perfect formula for inconsistent food quality. One thing that I have gleamed is that the shape of your Pizza directly correlates to the quality of the food. The shape of your pizza (ie how round it is) is a direct indicator of the talent and dedication of the person making it. Time your visits for when Brad is cooking if possible!
The place Sparkles and has a Hip and Fun vibe (the bar staff is also much better than my first review).
All in all, they’re making changes — the original chef is rumored to be gone, they DO have quality talent helping out the people who don’t make the grade (yet) — I have high hopes that they will improve (and frankly it’s been fun/​interesting to see the progression).
Despite my low (2 star) review, I WILL be back. I want this place to be better — and I think they have it with-​in reach.

Just got into town yesterday and I was craving Hue’s on KK in Bay View, but my brother-​in-​law was craving Dick’s Pizza so being open to trying new places and knowing how fussy he is about pizza I said yes. I was not disappointed as you can see by my rating. I lived out east for over 20 years and have eaten from the best coal oven pizza places around and Dicks is defiantly right there.
The décor grabbed my attention right away stark white and a series of huge Animé artwork. To me it translated into clean, modern, young and fun. We had prompt service got our drinks and ordered two pizza’s the margarita and black and white. The taste was fresh with the right amount of sauce and toppings. And the Dough was light and airy and puffy on the crust which I love kind of like getting a thin and thick crust pizza in one.
My sister and her husband came in once with their children and the GM remember them and what they ordered last time they came in, he was so nice and attentive and my family couldn’t believe he remembered them. He also gave us a tour of the club Thursday night is lady’s night and lady’s drink rail for free, so I will be coming to check that out on one of my Thursdays. The décor upstairs follow’s the same stark white theme and the GM explained acts as a blank canvas to the lighting they use for the club at night.
For lack of trying more of the menu I didn’t give it a five star but I will be back before my visit is over and I’ll be making sure to bring more friends and family here who haven’t had the pleasure yet to make sure they put this place in their dinning rotation. If you haven’t tired it come, and if you have and everything wasn’t going smoothly, try again. Every new business has it’s kinks to work through give them another chance you won’t be sorry.

COAL FIRED PIZZA AND ANIME.
ORDERED: Calamari — $ 9, Margherita — $ 11 (Mozzarella, organic San Marzano tomato sauce, torn basil), Vanilla Milkshake — $ 4
TASTE: The Calamari starter was on par with affordable Italian bistros, light and crispy tempura breading with small ramekin of cocktail sauce. Tubes and legs were tender and not chewy. Portion size appropriate for two people.
The PIZZA was similar to Pizzeria Piccola, which uses wood burning ovens. Unless you’re some kind of super-​foodie you won’t be able to tell the difference between coal and wood fired, I didn’t. The San Marzano sauce, which is a variety of plum tomato, was in perfect balance with the licorice tasting fresh basil and cows’ milk mozzarella. The crust was chewy and a bit burnt on the bottom — which is how it’s supposed to be.
My dining partner LOVED her Vanilla Milkshake that arrived with a straw the width of a garden hose as to not clog.
SERVICE: Our waitress could tell we were a little confused at Dick’s concept. She explained the pizza on the first floor, boozy boys and girls on the top two floors situation. She refilled waters, took away dishes and had good timing. Great service.
PEN: The «I Heart Dicks» ink pen used to sign my receipt accidentally ended up in my pocket and given to my girl as a gift.
YOU HAVE TO GIVE DICK’S CREDIT for bringing something unique to the Milwaukee dining scene. The juxtaposition of college-​aged kids going clubbing, business men drinking craft beer at the stark white bar, dorky foodies chowing on pizza (me), and animé décor is something to see. Mark S.‘s iPod remark describes Dick’s perfectly.