Wauwatiki Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Wauwatosa

⭐ Loyal Customer with Dietary Needs Hoping for Consistency

I’ve been coming here for years and genuinely love the vibe, especially when dining in. Saturdays are my favorite ,because the owner is usually around, and when he is, everything just clicks. He listens, he understands dietary restrictions, and the kitchen and bar staff are consistently on point under his leadership. That’s why I often order out on Fridays( if I'm in a rush) and come back a different week but on a Saturday to dine in. I truly respect how he runs things.

That said, I’m sharing this with care and hope. I have celiac disease and react easily, so I’m extremely cautious. Despite ordering carefully, I’ve had reactions to the crack seasoning, and even lab results showing elevated markers after eating here. I suspect cross-contact at the bar may be the culprit.

Another concern: the coconut water served isn’t certified gluten-free. When I asked the bartender, he wasn’t sure and told me to “look it up.” It turned out to be Kirkland brand, which I’ve researched and unfortunately can’t have. That kind of uncertainty makes it hard for people like me to feel safe ordering especially when the owner isn’t around to ensure ingredient transparency.

I usually stick to my safe go-to: Caesar side salad, chicken strips with no seasoning, and fries without crack seasoning (this time didn't react the same way with the seasoning ) and noticed on Facebook celiacs that they react too,But I brought friends in recently, and the experience didn’t match what I’d talked up. One friend ordered pork tacos and said the tortillas were stale not soft, not crisp, just off. I tried them too and agreed. Another friend had the fried rice, crack fries, and sauces. The jerk chicken tasted boiled, not grilled or spiced like jerk should.

I’m not writing this to bash I’m writing this because I care. The owner is amazing, and the team is capable of delivering great food and service. I just hope that same level of care and ingredient knowledge can be consistent across the board(the bar not knowing anything about celiacs ooof), even when he’s not around. Anyone working the kitchen or bar should know what they’re serving and whether it’s truly gluten-free not “probably,” not “made in a facility,” but certified and safe.

Thank you 🙏 for all the times you’ve gotten it right. I want to keep coming back. I want to keep recommending this place. I even hoped my friend would feature it on her podcast ,but Friday’s experience made that hard. Maybe with a little extra love and attention, I can bring her back and update this review to reflect the best version of this place I know and love.

To the owner- I'm so sorry but I would have told you in person , but I had to do it here & I'll hold on other website reviews to see if this changes or not the next...

I was meeting people here for a small retirement /going away party for my Pharmacist and staff. I did not book or make reservations because I was not sure on the head count . We were happy that they were so accommodating and asked us if we would like the the back area. As more and more people came Megan our waitress was very eager to help us seat the guest and rearrange tables and chairs . Mind you, this was sour of the moment to them. She had more staff gelp as well. Every member was very kind and willing to work with us. I've been here 2 times before but with a small group and knew that my freinds and co workers would love this place. I told Megan that I would like everyone to get drinks and that at 815 we would like to place a food order. We ended up having 22 people sit with us and at different times up to 28. She made sure each amd every guest felt welcomed and she took their orders . We had some pretty spectacular drinks among us 22. Very time consuming works of art. I had an actual dolphin sculpted out of a banana. These drinks appeared in front of us magically. I noticed a crew of bartenders , Jimmy, Kory, Tammy and Tom working like a small factory to craft these drinks. ( As tipsy as I was I felt the need to jot these names down and pay thanks to them). They were delicious and everyone was so impressed. A Group of pharmacist and pharm techs taking pictures of drinks is a huge compliment considering they appreciate tge science behind it all.😊 The food was great and as soon as we soon as we were running low Megan had the cook whip up.some more. I never had a cook come out and ask how everything was. He was very concerned and wanted to know if we wanted anything else. Kudos to Collin. Mist of us stayed til Bar close. Jimmy was very kind to introduce his self to me and a.few of my friends. Was very pleased to see that I had a safe ride back to Muskego and thanked me and my guest for being so nice and easy to handle ( not sure if 24 is easy). My friends from Oak Creek, Muskego, New Berlin, Milwaukee , Greendale , Wind lake, West Allis etc...all said , " Wauwatiki " is where we are coming back to. We will all be back and I promise if it is a large group I will call ahead!!! Thanks for making this a very special Day for my PHARMACIST AND HER GOING AWAY PARTY AND A VERY SPECIAL RETIREMENT FOR MY MY PHARM TECH AND ALL OF US. You...

I had tried to dine here 2 separate times so I was very excited to finally eat here! My server was amazing and so was the food. I had the pineapple drink and was very excited to try it because I love pineapple! I however did not enjoy the drink. My experience was wonderful til the manager came over questioning me asking why I didn’t like my drink. I felt very uncomfortable and judged by his body language and approach. I spoke to him with a big smile on my face but didn’t get the same interaction back! He told me he would take it off my bill this time but next time I need to read what’s in the drink (because I mentioned I didn’t like the cinnamon) so that it doesn’t go to waste! I certainly did read what was in the drink but unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it! I even had the person I was with try it and they didn’t care for it either. I am disappointed in the way the manager handled this situation. It is unprofessional to make a guest feel uncomfortable and bad for not liking something that’s offered on the menu! I tipped the server the price of the drink which was over a 20% tip. She was very welcoming! As I was leaving I noticed the manager was the one behind the bar which caused me to think he felt some type of way because perhaps he made the drink. I will not be returning... REPLY- A part of 100% guest satisfaction is not only the food but it is also found in the overall dining experience. I am actually pretty fond of cinnamon in general and think it is very inequitable for you to compare the way a drink tasted to me to that of others. I believe your response aligns to my experience. I appreciate you apologizing for making me feel uncomfortable at the end of your explanation. I believe it is important to remember that body language speaks and so does tone. Had you assisted me like you said my server would have and explained the no return policy, I would have understood. Thank you for...