Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue of Milwaukee
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Carson's: Opened in 1977, Carson's is a restaurant run by third generation Chicagoan Dean Carson. The Carson family has been in the food and beverage business since the 1930's, so they know a thing or two about the biz. My family and I dined at the MKE location to celebrate my brother's college graduation. The following is my thoughts on each item that I ordered. Corn Bread Appetizer: For those unfamiliar with this type of bread, it is made with cornmeal and is associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It's been years since I've had corn bread and Carson's take on it reminded me just how tasty it is. The bread was warm, buttery, crumbly, sweet, and corny of course. Doughboy approved. BBQ Baby Back Ribs: As much as I enjoy a good steak, I had to try the BBQ ribs since the restaurant was bold enough to claim "American's #1 BBQ". The menu describes them as "No boiling, no liquid smoke, no dry rub. No marinades or tenderizers. NOT “fall-off-the-bone.” Carson’s legendary ribs, chicken, & chops are smoked for hours in a genuine hickory wood-burning pit. Real, authentic, slow-cooked BBQ". I'll start with the good, which is the BBQ sauce was on point be being flavorful and thick. Just the right amount of sweetness to complement the flavor of the ribs. I found the meat itself to be a little tough though and I wasn't a fan of it not being “fall-off-the-bone.” It was a challenge to eat both with utensils and just going for it with my hands and mouth. Just my opinion, but I've had better. Not bad, just okay. Side of Au Gratin Potatoes: In layman's terms, these are cheesy potatoes cooked in a casserole dish and creme sauce. This was phenomenal and easily the star of my meal. The outermost layer was perfectly crispy and the innards were extra cheesy and creamy. No question, Doughboy approved. Overall: Two out of three isn't bad for the food, so I would score them as a 4/5 based on taste. Our waitress wasn't the most attentive, but I also suspect they were understaffed that night. I quickly learned an "I'll be right back" equated to literally 10-15 minutes. The meal ended up lasting three hours from the time we sat down until the check was paid. This is actually one of the reasons I opted to skip my usual dessert. Even getting it to go would have been another wait. Factoring in the service I would give an overall score of 3/5 stars (good/average). I am curious how their steak is though, so I would be open to a future visit, just probably not for "America's #1 BBQ". Doughboy_Food_Reviews
Travis AKA Doughboy Food Reviews
00
Update: I checked again and the sandwich was not charged per the response from the restaurant. I had been looking for a credit on my statement and I was just charged less than the total. Upped a star for that. The rest of my review still stands. Also the plastic was *inside* the sandwich not on the outside. I was planning on eating it with a fork and it was mixed in with the meat in the first fork full. I want to also add I have worked customer facing positions my entire life and I'm not impressed with their customer service when I had a legitimate issue. I'm not someone who complains for no reason and I was super nice about it because I get it, stuff happens sometimes. They were very pleasant when I came to pick up the order, just not so much when I had an issue. Original review: I've only ordered "to go". On 11/14 I got home and found a piece of plastic in my pulled pork on literally the first fork full so obviously did not eat the sandwich. The meat is good but the sides here are really not. I called to request a refund for the sandwich as soon as I found the plastic (probably 30 minutes after picking it up), and was transferred to the manager named Max who told me they usually only issue gift cards. I told him I would like a refund (because why would I want to try their food again). I let him know they might want to check their pulled pork for plastic and he told me they portion it in saran wrap so that makes sense that I found plastic in the sandwich. He asked me to send a picture and he would refund me for the sandwich. Today is the 30th and I have no response to my email nor a refund to my card. I'm annoyed that I left a 15% tip on a pick up order that wasn't even edible and they won't refund the card. I didn't even ask for a full refund, just a refund for the sandwich. The other meal was fine.
Melee D
00
Was very excited and intrigued to try this new steak house in Milwaukee just to be totally let down. It was a close friends birthday and we (a group of 12) were willing to try a new steak place so we decided on Carsons. Appetizers were fine nothing to brag about but I was more interested on the main course. When it finally came out the presentation of the meal was great however when I took my first bite I knew immediately I got the worst steak I have ever eaten, while chewing on this steak that was supposed to melt in your mouth felt closer to chewing gum I immediately spat out the piece and my dinner was absolutely ruined. At the end they asked if I wanted a box I told them I will not be needing a box because of how awful the meal was, the restaurant manager came out and apologized and refunded my meal. The gesture was nice however i WILL NOT ever be back and would NEVER recommend Carsons to anyone who enjoys a good steak. Very disappointed. (do not go here) I really appreciate you defending yourself however I have had numerous ribeye steaks in my life and never once have I had a ribeye where I literally could not chew it and couldn’t swallow a piece of meat without a fear of choking. Why would it matter if I paid or not (which I was going to pay for it had it was on the bill) also why does it matter what person I was in the group? I just did not enjoy my steak and decided to leave an honest review. Not sure of where you want to go from here review is staying up.
jaime zarate
00
Decided to try Carson’s as I had a craving for ribs so made it a date night. Made friday dinner reservations for two and had no issues since i made them two days prior. Once we got there a few mins early we were immediately sat. The place had a nice dim, clean, modern steak house vibe. Our server Gregory was awesome, very personable and knowledgeable. We had lots of questions about the menu. We started with warm corn bread topped with whipped butter that was dangerously good…I knew I could eat the whole loaf but wanted to save room for meat! My date got the Cesar salad and Mediterranean Salmon with asparagus, she loved the salmon but next time would try potatoes over asparagus. I knew I wanted ribs but there were also combination options. Our server Gregory recommended the half rack of ribs with the Mediterranean pork chop so that’s what I got along with the au gratin potatoes. The pork chop was pretty amazing and I’m still thinking about it, every bite was so tender and flavorful. The ribs were good but the chop was better. Not the best ribs I’ve ever had but I prefer the fall off the bone kind and they tell you that they are not fall off the bone kind so that was fine and I was prepared. We had a great experience at Carson’s and would def come back to try other items on the menu.
Carlos Delgado
00
Wow, this place is incredible! I can’t wait to come back when I have a bigger appetite. Even with the small portions I ordered, everything was absolutely amazing. This spot is perfect for a date night. While parking in downtown Milwaukee can be limited and may come with a cost, it’s definitely worth the walk. Highly recommend!
Jasmine O'Conner
00
Delicious food, huge portions that will feed both people!! Affordable but fancy. Staff were extremely friendly and helped us locate a few restaurants and clubs after dinner! Upscale restaurant with delicious barbecue highly recommend if you in the area.
Caleb Rights
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Nearby Attractions Of Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue of Milwaukee
Milwaukee Public Museum
Hilton Milwaukee
Hyatt Regency Milwaukee
The Riverside Theater
UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena
The Pabst Theater
Deer District
Marcus Performing Arts Center
Cathedral Square Park
The Avenue

Milwaukee Public Museum
4.7
(3K)
Click for details

Hilton Milwaukee
4.1
(2K)
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Hyatt Regency Milwaukee
4.1
(1.7K)
Click for details

The Riverside Theater
4.6
(1.7K)
Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Carson's Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue of Milwaukee
Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse Milwaukee
SafeHouse
Mader's Restaurant
Milwaukee Brat House
AJ Bombers
DOC's Commerce Smokehouse
Build-a-Breakfast/Build-a-Burger
Points East Pub
Oak Barrel Public House
Mo's Irish Pub Downtown, Milwaukee

Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse Milwaukee
4.8
(3.4K)
Click for details

SafeHouse
4.3
(1.7K)
Click for details

Mader's Restaurant
4.4
(1.5K)
Click for details

Milwaukee Brat House
4.5
(1.3K)
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Basic Info
Address
301 W Juneau Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Map
Phone
(414) 223-3311
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Website
ribs.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.3
(807 reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Modern-looking BBQ chain link offering corn bread, babybacks & prime rib in stylish environs.
attractions: Milwaukee Public Museum, Hilton Milwaukee, Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, The Riverside Theater, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, The Pabst Theater, Deer District, Marcus Performing Arts Center, Cathedral Square Park, The Avenue, restaurants: Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse Milwaukee, SafeHouse, Mader's Restaurant, Milwaukee Brat House, AJ Bombers, DOC's Commerce Smokehouse, Build-a-Breakfast/Build-a-Burger, Points East Pub, Oak Barrel Public House, Mo's Irish Pub Downtown, Milwaukee
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