Brothers Jake and Flynn Woller purchased their Germantown-based bar and grill, N112 W21209 Mequon Road, two years ago, with zero service industry experience between the two of them. However, they had combined military, big box management and construction experience to build on. But most of all, they were both ready for a new life experience.
“I was excited to jump into something new,” says Flynn. “A new adventure.”
They named the establishment Bixenberg Tavern because the building has a long history hosting taverns and the area historically attracted German immigrants. “Berg” is “mountain” in German, and the brothers believe the area was referred to as bisschen, which is "a little," but the prefix changed over the years to Bixenberg. The Woller brothers are half-German. This part of Germantown is called Meeker Hill and has likely seen a tavern on one side of the street or the other since the 1860s which, according to the Richfield Historical Society, has made Meeker Hill a hot spot for people from Germantown and Richfield for a long time.
The first year was a learning curve, considering they were new to bar and restaurant ownership, but they picked it up on the fly and put their heart and soul into the business.
“We just turned on the lights and opened the door,” says Flynn. “We didn't do any advertising. We just learned as we worked.”
To this day, they both help out doing whatever is needed – whether it’s cooking, bartending, serving or bussing.
“I’ve always loved cooking, so I love helping out at the grill,” says Jake.
Bixenberg Tavern has many bottles and cans of beer and seltzers as well as numerous beers on tap including locally brewed Old Germantown, Foxtown Brewing, Bavarian Bierhaus and more. There is also a wine list and seasonal cocktail menu with winter concoctions such as “The Sasquatch” (Sasquatch imagery exists in numerous locations in the bar), “The Wilderness,” “The Whispering Pine” and “Mountain Mule.”
The tavern hosts a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. during which domestic beers are $2.
The food, which comes out of a small-but-mighty six-foot kitchen, is bar fare with a German twist. The most popular item on the menu is the Bixenburger, a single or double smashburger topped with cheese (beer cheese is an option), caramelized onions, tomatoes and pickles. It's served with handmade “from the mandolin to the fryer” chips, fries or broccoli slaw.
“I lived in California and when I moved back to Wisconsin, there weren’t a lot of people doing smashburgers at the time, so we got on the trend kinda early,” says Jake.
Other food items include a chicken döner kebab wrap (popular German street food), a German-style flatbread pizza called The Flammkuchen and German poutine that includes beer cheese atop of sausage, curds and fries.
“And we sell a lot of fried cheese curds,” says Jake. “It’s our most popular starter.”
Bixenberg Tavern also serves a Haddock fish fry every Friday that comes with potato pancakes, rye bread, tartar sauce and broccoli slaw.
Before the brothers purchased the building, it was home to KJ's Bar & Grill from 2004 until it closed in 2020. The Wollers did a massive remodel to make the space feel like a family-friendly “Up North Bar” with a woodsy, cozy vibe rather than a dive bar.
The brothers did most of the renovations themselves, including the floors, walls, bar and backbar. The bartop is epoxy poured over round tree trunk slices from fallen trees on the property and the backbar features illuminated wood-cut hills similar to those visible from the windows and spacious second-story patio.
The Wollers are pleasantly surprised how well-received their bar and grill is by the community. They say the people connection is the best part of ownership, both with their customers and their staff.
“I’ve met so many awesome people since we opened, and it’s so great to see them come back again and again,” says Jake. “That has a lot to do with our staff. They’re young and very hard working.”
Bixenberg Tavern is open Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday from noon to 11 p.m.; Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
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.
