.jpeg "Dominic the Food Reviewer")
At OnMilwaukee, we believe in lifting up all voices and using our platform to support others’ dreams. And that's what we hope to do for Dominic the Food Reviewer. When I first met Dominic almost two years ago, I was impressed by his passion, his curiosity and his interest in improving his writing. Over time, I’ve not only enjoyed getting to know him better, but he has taught me as much as I have him. My hope is that you’ll not only enjoy reading Dominic’s reviews, but also glean understanding and joy from seeing the world of food through his eyes. -- Lori Fredrich, Dining Editor
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Don’s TV and Repair, 1100 S 1st St in Milwaukee. Don’s is actually a speakeasy, so it's a restaurant hidden inside Don's Grocery & Liquor. You have to have the code to get into the rest of the restaurant. I have the code, but you have to read to the end for it.
I had the honor to meet Sean Wille, who is the Director of Marketing for the Stand Eat Drink Hospitality Group that also operates Movida at Hotel Madrid in Walkers Point. Sean said that this building really was a TV repair and retail store at one time. But they turned it into a diner, bar and full-service restaurant two years ago.
But the story goes back farther than that. Don’s originally opened in 2018 as a classic diner (Don's Diner). But in March of 2020, they turned it into Don's Grocery & Liquor, adding the speakeasy component (Don's TV & Repair) the following July.
If you want to try some refreshing boozy milkshakes and great burgers, this is your place. It was named for Don Gersonde, the grandfather of one of the Stand Eat Drink co-owners, Aaron Garsonde. Don was a fighter pilot in WWII, and the name of his plane was Naughty Angel. You can see the artwork from his plane on the walls in the restaurant.
The ambiance inside Don’s Grocery, Liquor and Repair is decorated with all kinds of 80’s and 90’s stuff like old time tv’s and objects with themes from movies, and TV. At our table, we had a TV with VHS tapes. They wanted this to be a fun space to hang out at, and grab a great meal and a shake. It was so cool in there seeing some booths with Gremlins stuff, one with Mario Brothers, and we sat in a booth with a Star Wars theme. It was one of the coolest restaurants I’ve been in.
Our waiter, Danny, took outstanding care of us and Sean, Danny, and Michael, the manager, were all extremely friendly. They have lots of specials that include 1-cent tater tots on Tuesdays, a Friday fish fry, 99-cent burger night on Wednesday and 10-cent martinis on Thursday nights, and brunch on weekends from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The naughty Angel burger is their most popular dish and I tried it for my main course. It has a brisket patty, American cheese and naughty Angel sauce on a brioche bun.
That Naughty Angel burger was to die for. The American cheese mixed into the butter had both a nice buttery and creamy flavor. The burger was also a bit messy; but I enjoy getting kind of messy when I eat.
It was served with tater tots and you can never go wrong with tater tots. They had a nice crispness and seasoning to them and I enjoyed dipping those bad boys into the ketchup. I could not stop eating those.
For my beverage, I had to try their famous shakes. I ordered their cinnamon milk shake, which was non-alcoholic. They made it look very creative, like a work of art. It was one of the coolest looking shakes ever. It had a very refreshing flavor and the cinnamon and whipped cream had a perfect balance with a nice creaminess.
When you go to Don's, you can order one of the milkshakes on the menu, which all have fun creative names. Or you can build your own milkshake.
My mom ordered their Game Boy shake that had pineapple rum, coconut rum, vanilla ice cream, Cool Whip and a pineapple slice in it. She thought it was very refreshing and so much fun.
I would highly recommend checking out Don’s and I would suggest giving the Naughty Angel burger a try. The milkshakes, the atmosphere, and the food make this a true must try.
Psst... the code to get in is "7-Up".
Dominic the Food Reviewer is a teenage writer and student at St. Francis High School who began sharing his passion for food by posting positively-focused restaurant reviews on Facebook. Since he created his page in 2019, he has been featured by multiple media outlets including Fox6, CBS58 and TMJ4. Dominic says his goal is to inspire other kids with special talents to find their own voices and passions.
