Balistreri's Bluemound Inn — Restaurant in Milwaukee

UPDATED downgraded review. March 14, 2023 I was initally very excited due to prior good experiences. Went last Friday with son and wife mid afternoon. My fish fry was 3 smallish cod loins not big chunks of cod, undercooked to raw and breading was not crisp - too light like sprinkled with breadcrumbs. There is no option for potato pancakes just fries. My wife ordered baked cod - she was expecting a nice rectagular chunk seasoned with butter/spices and got small chunks of unseasoned tasteless boiled cod on top of spagetti. It was basically all spagetti with some small pieces of boiled cod on top. My son ordered clams and liguine - he did not complain but he gave me a clam and it was way too salty. The clam chowder they serve is manhattan style (tomato/vegetable soup based not creamy new england chowder) and we were hard pressed to find any clams in it. The place is run down, the men's bathroom floor slants and needs a remodel. The whole place is dark and needs a remodel. Wife says the women's bathroom was very dirty and old as well. I would suggest spending some money on cosmetic improvements and upgrading the menu including a fish fry with choice of potato, better crunchy battered fish, and New England Clam chowder. We will come back when that happens. The french fries were good. It's too bad they didn't take advantage of Covid for an overhaul. The place needs it badly - feels the same as in the 1980s!. The waitress and service staff was excellent.

Older review Excellent - Never a Disappointment. When you want a fine meal in classy and attentive atmosphere for a resonable price, this place never ever...

When we walked into the restaurant, we stood there for a moment, there were a few people at the bar, but the main dining area had several open tables. No one greeted us. I had to walk up to the bar and ask where we should go to be seated.

Instead of a friendly welcome, the bartender simply asked, “What do you need?” I told him we were looking for a place to sit, and he pointed us toward the hostess stand. When we approached, there was a man who was not uniform (who appeared to be a manager) standing with a group of women. The man greeted us with a sharp, unfriendly “hi”, no smile and the women looked at us as if we were unwelcome. One waitress elbowed another to quickly grab menus. She then looked at the man, who signaled toward the back. She seated us in the back of the restaurant.

Back there, we noticed only one other Black family and two women seated. No one else was ever seated in that section during our entire visit. When we left, we walked through the front again and noticed the area was now full, every table taken and all of the customers appeared to be white. The contrast in how we were treated and where we were seated left us feeling very uncomfortable. It gave the impression that this restaurant is not welcoming to Black patrons, people of color, or members of the LGBTQ community.

The one positive note was that our waitress was pleasant and provided good service. However, the overall atmosphere was unwelcoming, and we will not...

Have been a fan of Balistreri’s Bluemound for many years. However, last night the food was awful. Just awful. I had the chicken Parmesan.. one small piece of chicken that was over fried; was burnt on the bottom and so dry. The tomato sauce atop was scorched and for $26? Way overpriced. My sister in law had the chicken Alfredo…chicken looked like it was boiled, sauce was very low quality. Husband and brother has the Milwaukee pizza…$32! Absolutely the driest worst pizza ever. A cut up boiled hot dog and boiled brat. (they stated polish sausage but it was a hot dog. Never seen such a narrow polish) with scant sauerkraut atop. The meat was added after they baked the crust and was cold and boiled! The most ridiculous pizza ever. Also, there’s no presentation of the food. Just bland, poor, over priced. Don’t know what the owners and management are doing to the food… to go so downhill is a shame. They can’t blame the pandemic on the horrible food and they’re gouging with their prices. We’re done with this place. Another lost Milwaukee business to poor quality and greed. By the way, look at the negative reviews … this is how their manager responds “ we are sorry to hear that your visit wasn't perfect. Please give another try, we look forward to serving you again soon. Salute! Sincerely, Jeremy Koss Dining Manager Balistreri's Italian Restaurants… Jeremy needs to do...