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Potawatomi Casino Hotel
1721 W. Canal St., (800) 729-7244
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Everybody loves a good pub crawl. But it gets even better when you don’t have to worry about shuttling from place to place, fending off potentially bad weather or walking blocks and blocks to get to your next destination.
Enter the Potawatomi Casino Hotel Pub Crawl: an accessible tour of varied on-premise venues that can be customized to include short stints of gaming in between stops.
Last week, the OnMilwaukee staff took one for the team, working with the casino hotel to create an agenda that included visits to six different Potawatomi stops, complete with drinks and snacks. And we can officially report that the evening was a great success, offering plenty of time for socializing, drinking and – for many – experiencing some of the brand new venues that our hometown casino has to offer.
Here’s where we went and what we enjoyed!
1. Rock & Brews
Location: Skywalk level
We started off at this rock-music-themed bar and restaurant that features a huge selection of local and craft brews alongside great food and live music. We eased into the night with their Hand-hacked Guac and Chips featuring corn tortilla chips, guacamole and pico de gallo, paired up with pitchers of Dealers Choice Potawatomi Pilsner, an easy-drinking custom brew created by the folks at City Lights Brewing Co.
Pro tip: Be sure to make a stop to take your photo with the members of K.I.S.S.
2. Cream City Coffee Co.
Location: Skywalk level
From here, we headed just across the hall to Cream City Coffee Co., a posh coffee shop with a comfortable lounge area that not only sells morning pastries and lattes, but an impressive menu of quiche, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, blended drinks and… a collection of coffee-based cocktails, including a coffee negroni!
We went for a classic; espresso martinis served up alongside housemade mini muffins. A perfect little buzz to keep us alert for the next leg of the crawl.
3. ElevenHundred Bar & Lounge
Location: Skywalk level
As it turns out, 1,100°C is the temperature at which a flame attains its brilliant orange hue. It’s also the name of one of Potawatomi’s hottest newest hang-outs, an LED-lit bar that transforms into an extra special destination on Saturday nights when it features music from a live DJ from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Here, we upped our pub crawl game with a round of Lemon Drop Shots, which were served up with sugar-coated lemon wedges. They went down easy with the lemon wedges serving as the perfect chaser.
4. Street Eatz
Location: Skywalk level, adjacent to ElevenHundred Bar & Lounge
Just a few yards from ElevenHundred is Potawatomi’s new Street Eatz, a food-truck-themed venue that serves up a slew of options from BBQ and tacos to burgers and fried chicken.
Of course, we were there for the slushie cocktails, which are served in snazzy motion-censoring light-up sipper cups in flavors like blueberry-lemonade and peach-lemonade. They were a fun accompaniment to our loaded tater tots, which were topped with queso, pickled red onions, jalapeños and diced tomatoes.
5. Bar 360
Location: Ground level
Following our light up slushie-induced brain freeze, we headed down to ground level to a Potawatomi classic: Bar 360, a circular bar that’s been long known for its convivial vibes and great cocktails.
Here, we kicked back for a bit with the bar’s Loaded Bloody Marys, topped off with pickles, olives, pickled mushrooms, pickled asparagus, sausage sticks, celery, and a healthy mound of seasoned cheese whips. Seriously folks, this balanced cocktail wasn’t playin’.
6. Dream Dance Steakhouse
Location: Ground level
After tangling with our whippy cheese strands, we headed off to another Potawatomi classic: the bar at Dream Dance Steakhouse, which hosts a very special Late Night Happy Hour featuring options like $5 Old Fashioneds, duck fat fries, sliders and more.
We took advantage with two rounds of nicely balanced Wisconsin Old Fashioneds, sliders and shrimp cocktail. Amidst the food and drink, there was plenty of convivial conversation: a fitting end to an evening spent with our fun crew of Milwaukee-lovin’ office mates.
As always, be safe, drink responsibly, be kind to your bartenders and be sure to tip well.
Like the idea of a Potawatomi Pub Crawl? Stay tuned for more information about an official Potawatomi-sponsored Crawl opportunity coming soon!
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 each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, 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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