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Balistreri's Bluemound Inn
Categories: Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Italian Pizza, Italian [Edit]
6501 W Bluemound RdMilwaukee, WI 53213
Neighborhood: Wauwatosa
(414) 258-9881
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 2 am
Fri 11 am - 2:30 am
Sat 4 pm - 2:30 am
Sun 4 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
18 reviews for Balistreri's Bluemound Inn
18 reviews in English
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Review from Joanna T.
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Is it a coincidence this Italian Supper Club is located within just a few blocks of several union headquarters, including the Teamsters? I'm just saying, Balestreri's looks like a place Jimmy Hoffa might have liked.
Not to be confused with the pizza place on the 68th, this Balistreri's is the "classy" one with many fewer screaming children. It's still owned by the same people and serves the same recipes though.
Key differences:
*Much quieter and less chaotic. It gets busy but the crowd is much older.
*More comprehensive menu with more entrees and higher price points
*A swanky bar upfront
*Free shuttle to Brewers games!
I'm a fan. The food is good, the people are nice and it's swanky in an old school way (dress up clothes not required). Plus you can scarf down a pizza on game day and grab the shuttle. WIN!Listed in: Anno Centum, Time Capsules
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Review from Michael O.
Milwaukee, WI
2/6/2012
I went out this last Friday for an 8PM dinner with my wife, my sister, and her semi-boyfriend. It was my sisters birthday. 4 stars for food and 2 stars for service. Almost went with a 4-star, but I had to go for the avaerage. I want to break this one down...
Ambiance- Before even reading any reviews, I thought that this place reminded me of a supper club. I love the sit-down wrap-around bar, and I plan to go back just to eat at it. We were sat in the area to the left of the bar which was very nice.
Service - Average, at best. Our server was new, and she seemed to have a bit of a cold. That being said, she just did not seem that into helping us. We tried to drum up conversation, but it was not getting us anywhere. We waited for everything, we had to ask for a lot of things (plates, condiments, etc), and we were there over 2 hours. We also had a birthday at the table, which we let everyone know about. Aside for an acknowledgement, she really did not do anything. I was not expecting a cake and candles, but what happened to the good old days of a restaurant celebrating a birthday with dessert or a drink? We would have gladly paid.
Food - Outstanding! I really liked it. We went a bit overboard, but I would be fine going back for some pasta, salad, and bread. Here is what we ate:
Appetizers - smoked salmon Terrine and onion ring stack. The salmon was layered with cream cheese and capers, and it came on a salad with some crunchy bread. The onion rings were really good...the kind you just cant stop eating...but they needed a sauce. We ordered ranch, but it came after most of the onion rings were gone
Meal - One 10 inch pizza, one fried code fish fry, one pasta carbonara, and one Balistreri's salad. The pizza was very good. Nice and thin, with fresh toppings. The fish fry was also very good, with a light, crispy breading. I enjoyed the tartar sauce it came with. The pasta seemed good, though I did not try it. It seemed to have a lot of peas, which I know I would have enjoyed. It came with a Caesar salad that also looked good. The Balistreri Salad was good, but a bit too much mustard for most everyone we were with. I had it the day after, and I liked the mustard flavor along with the blue cheese. All-in-all a solid meal.
Overall we had a good experience, and it might have even been a nice change of pace to sit at a restaurant for 2 hours. We were really able to talk and relax. I will go back to try more of the Italian items, and I definitely was surprised at how late they serve food. It just became a new late-night eats place on the radar! -
Review from Jay G.
Cooper Park, Milwaukee, WI
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
The fish fry is good alot of food the server was at best fair buss girl did a better job
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Review from Melissa F.
Milwaukee, WI
11/5/2011
My husband and I took my parents for lunch when they came up to visit. Based on the reviews, I expected this place to be some great Italian.
I had the Ravoili Trio. It tasted like something that was once frozen. The sauce was tasty though. The rest of our party had various sandwiches and thought it was fine. No rave reviews in the group. My meal came with soup or salad and I never received either nor was I asked for it. I had to ask about it later and then was asked if I wanted it after my meal nor was our bill adjusted for it.
For the fact that we were one of 5 parties in the restaurant, the service was incredibly slow. Took a long time for my dad to get a drink refill, took awhile to find our waitress to alert that we did not get all of our food (2 of four meals came incomplete). It also took quite a bit of time to get our check taken to be paid.
I don't think we'll be back here even based on the positive reviews by others. I expected more from a Balistreri's restaurant! -
Review from Cindi W.
8/18/2011
I'm super excited to brunch again at Balistreri's!
Tried 'em for the first time last weekend and were well pleased with the specials: spinach & Swiss frittata served with home-American fries and Swedish pancakes with fruit, whipped cream, and maple syrup.
The patio is FANTASTIC (large, clean & each table has an umbrella to shade from the elements).
Service was impressive. At first, we were bummed because the Swedish pancakes were supposed to come with fresh fruit, but were served with parfait. However, by the end of the meal, our server realized this was a kitchen error and had them slice two orders of fresh fruit for us to take home. I thought that was very considerate, even if it didn't come with the meal -- it was thoughtful and something I think most customers would appreciate.
Also, our server spent some time answering our questions (like, what's the protocol for utilizing the Balistreri's shuttle?!) And the answer to that is, anyone can call anytime and request that their group be transported by the shuttle after dining. The group last week was headed to the Brewer's game! Shuttle is free -- your car stays parked in Balistreri's lot!
p.s. If you friend Balistreri's on FB, you can receive incentives, like free mimosas with every brunch special AND I just emailed them and they responded regarding happy hour: "Our happy hour special runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday $1.00 off cocktails, glasses of wine, and bottled beer."
Thanks Balistreri's! You have a new fan. -
Review from Erin B.
9/28/2011
The food here is great. I went for dinner for the first time with a friend last month and it really exceeded my expectations. This was always the "I've been meaning to try that" places that I just recently got around to.
The service was great. Let me let you in on a little something that I absolutely LOVE (that happened to me here): when I'm done with my meal and just sitting around chatting with friends, the server still accommodates me and continues to refill my drink! Fantastic!
I had a seafood pasta dish that was filling without being heavy, with just the perfect amount of garlic and olive oil. I heard the leftovers were even better the second day, but I can't attest to that because they were wolfed down by Mr. Erin B before I even had a chance to warm up the microwave.
I probably wouldn't make this my weekly date-night restaurant, but it's definitely worth another visit!
Entree (sans cocktails) + appetizer about $30/each for 2 people -
Review from Skydiving N.
Milwaukee, WI
3/16/2012
This place says it was one of Milwaukee's top 5 fish fry dinners. If that's true Milwaukee doesn't know how to fry fish. The fish try we got from here was AWFUL. The pieces of fish looked nice and big but the first bite revealed that it was 50% breading. I can't speak to their other dishes but don't get a fish fry here.
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Review from Thomas N.
Milwaukee, WI
2/13/2012
How did this place receive four stars they use canned mushrooms on their pizza?
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Review from David P.
Sun Prairie, WI
8/30/2011
Awesome food. i would give it 4.5 if I could. Parking isn't the greatest (hence the 4 stars), but for the price and location you can't go wrong. I always go for the house salad and their pizza.
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Review from Steve G.
Milwaukee, WI
9/29/2009
The chicken parmesan meal came with a breast so big, I thought it was an implant! But Balistreri's didn't get the chicken from Los Angeles so it turned out to be 100% chicken.
The pizza was really thin and delicious. All the typical toppings are available to choose from and they put just the right amount on the pizza. I could only eat half of it and can't wait to raid the fridge later tonight. -
Review from Carol K.
12/27/2009
I haven't been to the Bluemound Inn in years, yet on a recent visit to Milwaukee, I stopped in for a nightcap with a friend and all the memories of this place came flowing back.
First, the smell. It smells like pizza fresh out of the oven, and warm bread sticks and melted cheese. Smells can instantly transport you to another place and even though I had just had dinner- my mouth was salivating at the smells in this place. I was reminded of all the times we stopped in here for dinner and had the pizza or one of their pasta dishes. The portion sizes are huge and one meal usually equals two or three. A great value for sure!
The decor is old school Milwaukee supper club all the way. Even the bar that was decorated on this visit for the holidays with lights and ornaments strewn about, still looked dark and intimate.
The drinks are cheap, the clientele interesting (what was with that crazy guy at the bar?) and the bartenders quick to listen to what ails you. And if you are a regular (as our new friends who invited us there were) the bartenders take great care of you!
If you find yourself in the area, stop in and see what a classic Milwaukee restaurant looks like. With all the chains moving in, they are getting harder to find these days. Then sit a spell, have a beer and some pizza and create your own memories of the place! -
Review from Jen Y.
Milwaukee, WI
12/27/2007
Nice, simiple Italian meal. Reasonable prices and huge portions!
My favorite thing here is definately the rice balls. I make these at home and this is the first time I've seen this on a menu. They are very big, usually end up taking lots of food home.
Big menu w/variety of Italian items. This is where we tend to go with the fussier eaters as they are sure to find something here! -
Review from Leah M.
Kimberly, WI
4/3/2008
We took the day off and headed to Chicago for the day to do some shopping at Gurnee Mills. After a few long hours, we decided to head back to Milwaukee to eat dinner. One of my friend's had gone online and did a search for Italian restaurants. He came up with Balistreri's because they had Beef Carppacio on their online menu. We got to the wrong location and decided to head over to the Bluemound Inn to get the beef.
We arrived at this quaint old fashioned dining room and found out the online menu was very out of date. No Beef Carppacio. We sucked it up, ordered appetizers and entrees and sat back to watch"Dancing with the Stars" on the four big tvs. It was an odd addition to this old-style restaurant.
Appetizers came(we ordered Bruschetta, Bleu Beef, Mozz and Matoes. The brushetta was good but the garlic overdone. The beef tips were so-so and the best thing about the Mozz and Matoes was the balsamic vinegar reduction.
Our entrees came but we were too full to eat anymore. We each had a few bites, found all of it was very good( I had Pasta Balistreri, T had veal cutlets, Frank had pizza and Tanja had Bow Tie Pasta). We had to take it home. The doggie bags were full.
It was a nice experience but not what we expected. It was a little more casual than we wanted but the leftovers were tasty the next day. -
Review from Tonya C.
6/21/2006
This is more than just a pizza joint; this is a place to enjoy a full-blown celebration meal. Their gourmet entrees feature steaks, fish, and other, more elaborate offerings. Their spiedini stand toe to toe with homemade cooking and their steaks come with sides that make them truly shine. But be sure to save room for dessert... I fell in love with a seasonal offering that had a creamy custard and fresh berries that I STILL dream about (which, unfortunately, I don't see on their latest menu any more... but for that, the chocolate and white chocolate mousse is just as delectable).
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Review from garrett p.
New Berlin, WI
8/5/2011
Good food at a good price. The tables are a little to close together for me.
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Review from Deepa J.
Chicago, IL
11/28/2007
The warm, homely milieu at Balisteri's is the perfect refuge from these dark, depressing wintry weekday afternoons in West Allis. Don't be fooled by the forlorn exterior here: inside, the luscious dark tones, the pleasant tunes and the holiday decor in full bloom set the mood for an enjoyable lunch break.
I've been here a few times for lunch and have been quite pleased with my options - soups, salads, sandwiches, pillows of cheese (ravioli) - they're all quite delectable. Love the hearty tomato bisque soup and the caprese salad in particular.
Service is not their strength - at least not always; just today we barely ducked a liberal shower of ice cubes, had our bread and dipping sauces brought in when we were about done and listened to many a gratuitous tip about cutting our lunch costs!
Nevertheless, this little restaurant is quite the neighborhood favorite and justifiably retains its loyalty base. -
Review from Laura P.
Milwaukee, WI
12/28/2010
best fried eggplant in town!!
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Review from David Z.
Austin, TX
1/9/2010
We actually went to this restaurnat by mistake (a friend who was in charge was thinking of another place and took us here incorrectly.) However, once you're inside, you experience a homey atmosphere with some elegance (white tablecloths, nice table settings). It was Friday lunch so we looked at fish entrees. Two of us had Wallye and rendered it excellent. I had a restaurant special which seemed like a ham and noodle casserole with vast Alfredo sauce poured over it, defnitely not a heart-healthy dish (which, of course, it didn't claim to be). Wait staff was attentive. Full bar. We will be back for lunch.
