McBob's Pub & Grill — Restaurant in Milwaukee

Shady business practices. Came with 3 friends and none of us had ever been but had heard great things. I love reubens and was really excited to try them here and was hoping to make this a regular spot. Unfortunately, none of us will be returning. We had 3 sandwiches, 2 beers, and 2 shots, and our total was over $100. We were not given an actual check, just a total, so I asked the bartender why it was so much, and she had a really bad attitude and showed me a handwritten check. Each sandwich was $17. I was really surprised they would charge that much for a sandwich. Come to find out after looking at their online menu that the reubens are actually 11.50 and she had added supersize meat to each of them for 5.50 a pop, which none of us asked for, and in my opinion kind of ruined the sandwich. It was impossible to eat as all the meat was falling out and the bottom piece of bread was soggy. I also found out after looking at the "check" that she added on 18% gratuity and obviously wasn't going to tell us that when she told us the total so we would tip on top. I've been in the service industry a long time and I would never ever do something like this because I value my customers and want them to have a great experience so they come back. This was anything but. Very unfortunate and based on several other reviews, likely a common occurrence. I also wonder if they make up prices for beer/liquor depending on the customer, because our beers were $8 each. Seems a bit pricey for a dive.

Response to owner:

Ah, ok. I see what you did there. Changed the supersize Reuben name to just Reuben and called a normal Reuben mini(probably in an effort to boost sales because not many people would get supersize meat). I do see where the supersize Reuben is listed as 16.50 on your website, but yeah, we were charged 17. Also, I don't have a problem with gratuity being added. I have a problem with the waitstaff not being upfront about it. Yes, it's clearly listed on your menu but we never requested a menu because we knew we wanted Reubens. As I stated, we were not handed a check and were just told a total with no mention of the added gratuity, and yes, the total was $107, and the 18% was not "clearly stated" on the handwritten check. Shady, as I said. I also find it funny that you have numerous snarky replies to bad reviews. Surely you don't think this will make people want to patronize your establishment? One last thing, your place definitely feels like a dive, which I don't necessarily consider a bad thing, but an $8 beer in an environment like...

I apologize for the lengthy review, but I want to share my full experience. I was eager to try the food at McBob's, having heard wonderful things about it. Unfortunately, my visit on March 13th at 5:30 PM did not go as planned.

I called to order a corned beef Reuben sandwich with chili as a side. The staff informed me that my order would be ready in about 15-20 minutes, and I willingly provided my credit card information over the phone, trusting I could sign the receipt upon pickup. Shortly after, I received a payment confirmation.

Excited to try McBob's while visiting family in Milwaukee, I chose to forgo another restaurant. I arrived to pick up my order at 5:58 PM, but was informed it wasn't ready. Although the staff seemed busy, there was ample seating at the bar, so I decided to wait.

After about 15 minutes, I inquired about my order again around 6:15 PM. The staff returned after a short while to inform me it still wasn’t ready, and I thought it must be close since it had been almost 50 minutes. I assumed they were just busy, so I continued to wait.

Approximately 20 minutes later, a staff member finally asked if I needed anything. I mentioned I was still waiting for my call-in order. After sharing that I had been waiting for about an hour and 15 minutes, they went to check on my order. Almost 10 minutes later, they returned with a receipt, stating my order had been bumped up in the queue but was still not started, with about three other orders ahead of mine. When I asked for an updated wait time, I was told I might expect another 10 to 15 minutes—far longer than the original estimate. It’s worth noting that this visit was not on St. Patrick’s Day, when one might expect higher traffic.

Given the prolonged wait, I asked if I could cancel my order, especially since I had a family member with a medical condition who needed to take medication. The staff said they would need to check, which left me feeling confused and somewhat insulted. After about five minutes, they returned with a cancellation receipt and asked me to sign both the original and void receipts. I left around 7:02 PM, having wasted an hour and 30 minutes and feeling quite astonished.

Unfortunately, my experience at McBob's highlighted a lack of professionalism and consideration. While I understand they were busy, they were aware of my order status and should have communicated more honestly about the delays. Additionally, I was never offered anything to drink during my long...

St. Patrick’s day is another one of those holidays where Americans pretend to be anything but American and fortify long-lived stereotypes in the name of cultural heritage, but it has its perks. One, I look good in green. Two, I won’t turn down an excuse to practice the art of pouring a Guinness. And three, though it is falsely associated with Irish cuisine, I’ve been itching to try the award-winning Reuben at McBob’s Irish Pub & Grill.

It was a solid five minutes between my first bite of this bad boy and the moment the euphoric silence was broken between me and my friend: “I have no words to describe the beauty of corned beef,” I say. Michael looked at me, then down to his mostly devoured sandwich, then back at me. “Corned beef is just brisket doing a spot-on impression of ham.”

I’ve never heard a truer statement in my life. I don’t know how it's done, but I’m eternally grateful that McBob’s does. They pair it with Swiss cheese, horseradish mustard (no Russian dressing needed here), and the classic Milwaukee-mastered Sauerkraut that could make any unbeliever convert, all piled on artfully toasted marbled rye bread, resulting in a texture so magical the initial bite felt like a journey in slow motion. The rye bread had a crunch more satisfying than a step onto freshly packed snow, and, though it was enriched by the flavors of butter, it wasn’t sickeningly drenched like other Wisconsin sandwich staples. This was the threshold into ingredients that contrasted the crunch with a creamy personality of tender beef and all the good things a moderate amount of oils and acids have to offer. Let’s be clear: this is the best damn Reuben I’ve ever had. But if I had one complaint born purely of personal preference, it’s the imbalance between meat and tang. Whether it’s mustard or pickles or peppers or some other outlet for vinegar, a great sandwich needs a punch of acid. In the case of McBob’s Reuben, it’s the brilliant dual power of sauerkraut and mustard (try reading those words again without instinctively salivating), but if they want to breach perfection, cut that beef back 20% and fill those gaps with tang.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this experience. A poorly lit Irish pub crowded with afternoon drunks in a questionable neighborhood while seated at an uneven table delicately balancing two full pints of Guinness is the undisputed champion of settings for shoveling corned beef into your face. There is no judgment; only meaty...