Pufferfish — Restaurant in Milwaukee

Went here on Saturday night and had the strangest situation. Got in line at the bar inside and there were two people a head of me in line. Took about 15 minutes for their drinks to be made before I ordered with two bar tenders behind the bar! My bartender was super nice and very personable. After ordering my drinks he made the first beautifully! He went to make the second one and couldn’t find what he was looking for. He went to look in the back and asked the other bar tender for help and all he replied was that whatever he needed was there. And it wasn’t. My bartender left for a bit to check and came back saying it would be 10min until he could get it so I ordered a different drink! They were also out of that one so he left to grab more! I would like to say I am not at all mad about this at all! He was working super hard and handling everything is super professional and positive way! It was the issue that the other bar tender was standing there giving free tequila shots away to random people and sitting there talking to groups of people with out doing much else. When he realized my bartender was gone both times he would just yell asking where he went? And every time he’d come back would just complain that the line was getting long and that he needs to work faster. While my second drink could get made the girls next to me ordered the first drink they were out of from the other bar tender. He was annoyed when he found out there was a wait until they could get more (something my bartender had already told him). He started shouting that he would make it from scratch because he’s a magical bartender and the best at his job. A clear dig at my bartender. And honestly just being blatantly rude to him in front of everyone and super loud as well. I finally paid for my drinks and sat with my friend who thought I had ditched her because the whole thing took 35 minutes and also the line had formed all the way outside at this point. Like I said I’m not mad about the wait, but just rather saying great job to my bartender for managing the chaos the best he could while having the other guy just yell and provide no assistance besides promote a tequila he’s a rep for and give it away for free! (Hence the 3 stars. I’d give my bartender 5 and the other dude 1 if I could lol) Anyways give my bartender a bonus or something because he...

I am happy to see that what started as a pop up in Bay View, then on the rooftop of Hotel Metro has become a permanent bar for the foreseeable future!

The rooftop has one of the more unique views of the city… from within it as opposed to seeing downtown from a neighborhood or two over.

It’s a tiki bar that doesn’t feel kitschy, the decor is intentional and modern. The craft cocktails are where you feel the theme the most, there’s a little something for everyone (I’ve yet to have something off the menu that I didn’t enjoy).

My current go-to is the Lidocaine with a block ice cube, a glass that spins (my inner ADHD loves that), and a buzz button (an edible flower that makes your mouth tingle and your tongue numb). It’s an experience.

It’s no surprise it’s a busy spot - the bartenders don’t let the busy-ness water down their cocktails… the drinks are worth the wait.

As for the service, easiest 5 stars I’ve given… from the barbacks to the management. The leadership is strong because each bartender knows how to make a quality cocktail while engaging with the customers - you can tell the staff respects the management team and enjoys working there.

I’m always excited when the group suggests we grab drinks at PufferFish, even if it’s my...

Visited puffer fish on a Saturday with my girlfriend and we both had a fun time plus if you are looking for a great place with a view this is at the top of the list because it offers sites of Milwaukee that few other rooftop patio bars do. The vibe at puffer fish is definitely Tiki and while they do have an inside bar there is not much space and it was definitely meant to be enjoyed on their spacious outdoor rooftop patio which has its own bar. You will definitely not find your ordinary cocktails here and all of the specialty drinks come in fun different themed glasses along with a list of ingredients that may seem overwhelming at first but taste delicious and you can really see the work that the bartenders put into making them which does lead to a bit of a wait time but it's definitely worth it for the experience. It was pretty packed but that was expected for a Saturday night and the crowd was friendly and everybody seemed to be having a great time so I look forward to going back hopefully before it gets too cold and I would recommend others do the same while they still...