Take a seat at Elsa’s on the Park and you might be surprised to see that their little black leatherette menus are back. Open one up and you’ll see the familiar message inside the front cover: “Life is short… order dessert first.” along with a familiar listing of tempting sweet items, from its popular Golden Gate Cake topped with custard to a short list of sundaes made with Kopp’s frozen custard.
But that's not all. Keep turning pages and you’ll spot familiar favorites: marinated, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts; the Au Poivre Burger; and the iconic Pork Chop Calabrese.
After taking a hiatus last fall to refresh the interior and modernize the menu at the 46-year-old restaurant at 833 N. Jefferson St., and listening to the feedback from its customers, Elsa’s has once again taken a step back and readjusted its menu, bringing back a slew of classic items that guests have missed.
Nostalgia is strong
General Manager Chris Collins says that when they closed Elsa’s in the fall, the intention had been to refine its offerings and to bring them in line with the modern market trends.
“We’d been serving the same menu for 44 years, and some of the pub food was getting outdated,” he says. “My daughter, who lives out in New York, had been offering suggestions to me for a while."
They even brought in a Michelin-starred chef to help reimagine the menu, bringing on 18 new items, including the pizza that’s popular at the company’s other restaurant, Hanny’s, in Arizona.
But by the time January rolled around, Liz Collins, who has worked at Elsa’s since it opened in 1979, says they were getting a lot of special requests from customers.
“There was someone who’d call every day for lunch and special order the Ahi Tuna Salad," she says.
Chris noted a couple who regularly came in around 10 or 10:30 p.m. who were disappointed to see that Elsa's no longer made the Greek Maiden Burger. "I finally started telling them that if they called me a day ahead I’d make sure we had everything to make it," he noted.
Over the years, these classic dishes had become more than menu items — they were markers of tradition, shared during business lunches, birthday dinners and casual nights out. Even more, they had become part of over four decades of guests' most beloved memories.
“We’ve always made it a point to give people the best possible hospitality we can. So, when people began giving us feedback, we needed to respond,” says Chris, noting that they began taking a look at the menus and evaluating which items should be 86’d and which should be brought back.
Come back & taste what you missed
So what’s changed — and what’s back? Here’s a look.
The new menu at Elsa's is now filled with a combination of new items that guests took a liking to and a laundry list of items that are back by special request.
Favorite appetizers are back, including Elsa’s poached shrimp ceviche ($15), the classic Nueske’s bacon-wrapped water chestnuts ($13), plus classic sides like the Galettes ‘n Greens ($10) and Just Broccoli ($10).
Elsa’s new thin-crust Pizza will be sticking around. But it will be available as both an 8” personal sized pie ($10) or a larger 12” pie ($17-$18) with toppings like the Calabrone (spicy soppressatta, Italian sausage, hot honey, banana peppers and San Marzano tomato sauce); the Milwaukee Classic (San Marzano tomato sauce, Italian sausage, mozzarella, mushrooms and onions); and Cascade (San Marzano sauce with basil, pistachio pesto and Grana Padano cheese).
Classic burgers made with Elsa’s grilled custom half-pound burger blend and served on a toasted Italian roll are back. That includes fan favorites like the Au Poivre (with peppercorns and burgundy sauce, $17) and the APV II with Hook’s blue cheese and Neuske’s bacon ($22), along with classics like The Bigger Mac ($18) and the La Brisas (provolone, avocado, jalapenos, lettuce onions and salsa, $19).
There are also two new burgers to try. One is the Double Smashed featuring two 3-ounce burgers made with Kopp’s beef blend, topped with sautéed onions, special dijonnaise, pickled jalapeno and white cheddar on a brioche bun, $17. The other is the Elsa’s Bistro featuring Elsa’s beef blend with dijonnaise, raw onions, Nueske’s bacon, pickles and Hook’s blue cheese on a brioche bun, $20.
The list of chicken sandwiches is back again on Mondays, featuring offerings like the popular AZ/88, named for Elsa’s sister bar in Arizona. It features a 10-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast tossed in buffalo sauce, grilled, and topped with sautéed celery and blue cheese dressing ($17).
On the regular sandwich menu, guests will also find both the Chicken Milanese (breaded chicken, pickled onions, arugula and dijonnaise on a toasted Italian roll, $17) and Tuesday through Sunday, all three pork chop sandwich variations are back including the classic pork chop with a choice of onions (raw, fried or burnt, $17); Variation II (teriyaki pork with grilled onions, pecans, sliced tart apples and blue cheese dressing, $19); and the Calabrese (topped with sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, red pepper flakes and onions, $18).
Classic Cobb, Caesar and the Teryaki Pork salad are also back (the pork salad available Tuesday through Sunday) with its mixed greens, onions, pecans, apples, tomato, sprouts, avocado, olives, mushrooms, red onion, cucumber, bell pepper and blue cheese dressing ($15).
Meanwhile, larger plates that have made the cut include dishes like the Butterflied Rainbow Trout with brown butter, capers, almonds and roasted butternut squash ($25), which got great reviews from guests; and Chicken Schnitzel featuring classic breaded chicken served with arugula salad, pickled red onions and remoulade ($17).
Now, Chris says, their biggest job is to get the word out to guests that they haven't turned a deaf ear to the feedback that they've offered.
“I've started reaching out to people and letting them know that we have their favorite items back," he says. "People are excited.”
Liz says she’s excited to see people come back through the doors and try their favorite items once again.
“This was always a place where we served all sorts of people," she says. "And we can’t wait to see their faces again.”
Elsa’s on the Park is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
If you’re sharp, you may have also noticed that Elsa’s on the Park now has their own up-to-date Facebook page and Instagram page. Be sure to give them a follow for specials, behind-the-scenes stories and a bit of delicious nostalgia.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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