The Vanguard — Restaurant in Milwaukee

I wish I could give partial stars, as 4 seems a bit low... First off - great sausages - lots of options to satisfy a wide variety of palettes. From basic to unique, savory to spicy, there is a sausage for everyone. The ones that I have tried have all been excellent - some more than others but that is mostly due to my preference. I honestly don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

Service has always been on point with my preference of being at the bar. Solid beers on tap, even more in bottles and cans and a massive assortment of whiskey the likes of which I rarely see - pretty great!

Reason for the 4 over 5 stars? Noise and fries. The place is usually busy, but I always leave feeling like I have been screaming for the duration of the visit. The music is slightly too loud which forces patrons to up their voices leading to a pretty loud environment. Also, there is no sound abatement, just reflective surfaces that cause an echo and lead to a pretty loud environment. It is somewhat annoying to have to constantly yell to other members of your party.

Fries? Mediocre at best. For a place that has several options of poutine and other fry features, I would expect some hand cut double fried fries with the outside crisp and inside chew that can hold up to the toppings. The ones they have are basic and usually slightly underdone which sometimes leads to a soggy mess that isn't quite what I think they envision their poutine to be like.

Solid place. Still enjoy it and will...

Vanguard is a popular Bayview hotspot for custom dawgs and sausages, and a unique wrestling theme.

Food: My wife and I have been twice now. I have had the lamb dog, chorizo dog, Nashville chicken dog, cheddarwurst dog, etc…On a whole, we have found that the more traditional dogs (regular hot dog, cheddarwurst) have always been the best out of the lot we get. We tend to come up disappointed a bit on the more crazy dogs, but their standard dogs are leagues above the average dog you would get a a Dogg Haus or purchased in stores. For instance, their lamb dog and Nashville chicken dogs were fine, but didn’t overly wow. However, their cheddarwurst rivals the best hot dog I’ve ever had.

Atmosphere: Very friendly atmosphere. Cozy, with a back patio for summer. Wouldn’t recommend for larger groups, but with a group of buddies, their craft cocktails on tap and low cost hot dogs are a great way to tie a night off.

Service: Our bartender was very nice and prompt, and had a good knowledge of their alcohol selection.

My score: 7/10. I think a place like Vangaurd is great for a certain night out. Great for a cheap night out with friends in a fun part of town, however for a date night I’d venture elsewhere.

EDIT: 3/18/2022 - Would review now at 8/10. Have been back since and the menu has gotten better. Drinks on tap still a mix bag, but overall a very fun place for solid bar...

I invite you to bask in this photo of vegetarian deliciousness I provided! You’re welcome!

Vanguard, as the kids say, “slaps”. It slaps hard and it slaps everything, it’s just that good. This place is great for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans. We can eat in harmony as they have options for us all.

Here is my review of each item in the photo: top left- vegan chorizo Milwaukee style. Curds on top, phenomenal, vegan chorizo, my favorite of all the non- meat sausages by far and AND it’s all topped with homemade chiz whiz, get outta here! 10/10 Top right: vegan loaded fries, these babies are LOADED and delicious. I’d recommend wearing a bib because things are about to get messy 9/10 Bottom left: chili crisp fried cauliflower because health. I truly love everything at this place but this is on the lower level for me. It was still good but after a night of cocktails cauliflower isn’t always what the heart wants 7/10 Bottom right: the BEST thing on the menu, baked potato balls. If you get anything here it needs to be these balls! They are amazing, great to share and can be made vegetarian. Get them in your mouth already sheesh 100/10

In conclusion, Vanguard has great specials, delicious food for all, fun cocktails and when in season the out door patio is lovely.

If this is torture, you can chain me...