District Fore, a restaurant, bar and entertainment venue, is now open at 233 E. Chicago St. in the Historic Third Ward. It’s located inside the former SPiN/Evolution GastroPong.
District Fore is owned and operated by the owners of neighboring Sweet Diner: George Prassus, NLL Holdings and George Karkalis. The 9,000-square-foot space features an extensive food and drink menu, high-tech games, private party environments and more.
“This place is really great for parties,” says Mike Kischer, operations manager for District Fore. “It’s also great for work outings, dinner, nights out and families because the action will definitely tire the kids out.” (Kids are welcome in the space until 9 p.m.)
District Fore has two multi-functional Full Swing golf simulators which are also programmed to offer other gaming experiences including basketball, baseball, football, rugby, zombie dodge ball and more.
Interactive Dartsee dart machines have real steel tips, automatic scoring and double as photo booths that photograph people while playing and then provide a QR code to download the photos.
Watching televised sports is one of Distric Fore's core offerings with 18 TVs – including two massive center screens comprised of four 85-inch screens – adorning opposite walls.
District Fore’s food menu features items made entirely from scratch. Their specialty is New York-inspired pizzas with a thin, soft crust that’s made from dough that sets for three days before rolling out. During our visit, we had the 16-inch Margherita pizza topped with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil and olive oil.
The entree menu also boasts a large selection of burgers, chicken parm salads, grilled shrimp tacos, sandwiches, soups, meal-sized salads and a Friday fish fry. A solid selection of starters include cheese curds, Thai-style pork shank wings, nachos, a “big meatball,” burrata and more.
District Fore also prides itself on scratch-made desserts such as a chocolate lava cake, vanilla bean creme brûlée and an “ooey gooey butter cake” served with vanilla ice cream, fresh berries and caramel sauce.
The large bar stretches across the open, airy space and offers a wide selection of beer both in bottles and on tap, ciders, hard seltzers and cocktails.
“We carry a ton of local stuff,” says Kischer.
During our visit we tried an Old Fashioned made with Bulleit Bourbon and a Vodka Smash, a refreshing concoction of Grey Goose, lemon juice, simple syrup and mint. The Old Dog New Tricks – made with Ilegal Anejo Mezcal, Braulio amaro (Sicilian liquor), simple syrup, bitters, and club soda caught our eye and we’ll try it for sure next time.
“Our cocktail menu will change with the seasons. We literally work every day on coming up with new recipes and creating new drinks,” says bartender Chase Barthel.
According to Barthel, the bar attracts an enjoyable mix of people, from those working and shopping in the Third Ward to travelers staying at one of the nearby hotels.
“It’s a fun yet chill environment,” says Barthel.
District Fore is open daily at 3 p.m. and may soon open earlier for lunch. Stay tuned via Facebook and Instagram.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
