From what I can gather this place is permanently closed. What a shame.It was top notch back in the day.
Jenna M.
I love taking friends from out of town here. It's fun getting people excited to enter through the alley and uncover the magic of the "secret" bar. The drinks are top notch and the live music is always great. I've always had great times here and can't wait for it to open again to get my hands on a French 75.
nevada sanchez
Very very very nice.. love the whole speak easy concept.. the back ally (front door) the bartenders attire the live music .. it was very cool
Jade Buchberger-McKenna
We were there while they had live music and dancers. While small limited space added to its charm. Really enjoyed the themed atmosphere. Can't wait to go back.
Carlos C.
We came here looking for a nice bar and we were very impressed. We are from California and I really feel that this place is a must. I have to give Billy, our bartender a shout out. He mixed some amazing drinks and always stayed engaged with us. The live music was great (Just Dave) and kept us engaged the whole time. Check it out!
Dan Kryst
Some of the most amazing drinks I've ever seen!
Tim Holland
Music is terrible. Some woman on stage trying to dance for the first time in her life. Terribly disinterested bar tender and some security guy watching the stage with 10 people in the bar. Like a surreal bad nightmare.
Matthew B.
Very very cool entry but once you get to the bar, the speakeasy vibe vanished as the band playing was so I off theme it sort of ruined it. Quite crowded inside. Still worth a visit if you have never been there because the secret door behind an oLd world deli to get in is so unique.
Brian Pawlowski
Fun spot bartenders are really slow
Steve Hansen
Cool A$$ speakeasy bar with live music. Pretty cool.
This place has an identity crisis with freezing bathrooms. You have a speakeasy name with a cover band and a random girl dancing to the same beat, regardless of the songs. There are televisions that were either on sports or blacked out. Are you a sports bar? Are you a cover band bar? Are you a speakeasy. Not a huge fan but it's hard to mess up a basic drink.
Bishwesh Joshi
Decent bar and cocktails but with limited drink selections. The staff was very friendly and the music was decent. Not for whiskey/rye/Bourbon lovers but maybe YMMV with other drinks.
Kevin B.
It took us a year after Bugsy's opened, but we finally stopped in this past Saturday. I impressed my partner-in-crime by leading her down an alley in Milwaukee's Third Ward and telling her we were headed for an adventure. The door to Bugsy's is located on a loading dock in the alley, appears closed for business, and definitely doesn't resemble a bar. In all honesty, if I hadn't read about Bugsy's before we visited, I probably wouldn't have had the nerve to open that door and walk in. In that way, it's better hidden that the Safe House. (If you don't know how to find Bugsy's "main" alley entrance, you also can enter through the Water Street door for Gouda's Italian Deli - Gouda's is closed at night, but you can enter there and walk down a side hallway and back to Bugsy's.) The waitstaff are dressed in authentic 1920s attire (and as I'm writing this, I'm realizing that just one week from now, the 1920s will be a full century in the past). The space is cozy, boasts lots of dark, ornamented woodwork, and has no windows. The result is a nostalgic speakeasy feel. Despite the 1920s vibe, on the evening we visited the sound system played standards from the '20s all the way through the '50s. (A band did play starting after 9:00 PM.) We arrived around 7:30 PM and had no trouble finding seats, but by 9:00 PM all of the small tables were filled and there were just a few single seats left at the bar. The drink choices include some great specialty cocktails (I tried the malted milk ball martini, which was awesome) and a robust wine list. Bugsy's does not have any beers on tap, but offers plenty of choices in bottles (and the occasional can), including the usual Wisconsin craft brewery suspects. Bugsy's is open Thursday through Sunday evenings and (from what we can see) has live music most/all nights after about 9 PM. It you're looking for a Roaring '20s experience, sneak in one of these evenings. You may not find Al Capone's safe, but in most respects Bugsy's will leave you feeling like you've wandered through a time portal.
Andrea N.
The staff was very rude. There are many other (wonderful!) places in Milwaukee to enjoy yourself.
Justin N.
Used to be a really great place, 3 years ago I would send my clients here and come with friends... now staff is super rude... I watched them kick out 2 groups of people that were not being an problematic, no wonder this place used to be packed on a weekend and is now 1/4 full... many great places in Milwaukee to have fun avoid this one if you don't want a confrontation with staff... 3 stars says it all... read the other reviews I am not the only person that feels this way
From what I can gather this place is permanently closed. What a shame.It was top notch back in the day.
I love taking friends from out of town here. It's fun getting people excited to enter through the alley and uncover the magic of the "secret" bar. The drinks are top notch and the live music is always great. I've always had great times here and can't wait for it to open again to get my hands on a French 75.
Very very very nice.. love the whole speak easy concept.. the back ally (front door) the bartenders attire the live music .. it was very cool
We were there while they had live music and dancers. While small limited space added to its charm. Really enjoyed the themed atmosphere. Can't wait to go back.
We came here looking for a nice bar and we were very impressed. We are from California and I really feel that this place is a must. I have to give Billy, our bartender a shout out. He mixed some amazing drinks and always stayed engaged with us. The live music was great (Just Dave) and kept us engaged the whole time. Check it out!
Some of the most amazing drinks I've ever seen!
Music is terrible. Some woman on stage trying to dance for the first time in her life. Terribly disinterested bar tender and some security guy watching the stage with 10 people in the bar. Like a surreal bad nightmare.
Very very cool entry but once you get to the bar, the speakeasy vibe vanished as the band playing was so I off theme it sort of ruined it. Quite crowded inside. Still worth a visit if you have never been there because the secret door behind an oLd world deli to get in is so unique.
Fun spot bartenders are really slow
Cool A$$ speakeasy bar with live music. Pretty cool.
Restaurantji Recommends
This place has an identity crisis with freezing bathrooms. You have a speakeasy name with a cover band and a random girl dancing to the same beat, regardless of the songs. There are televisions that were either on sports or blacked out. Are you a sports bar? Are you a cover band bar? Are you a speakeasy. Not a huge fan but it's hard to mess up a basic drink.
Decent bar and cocktails but with limited drink selections. The staff was very friendly and the music was decent. Not for whiskey/rye/Bourbon lovers but maybe YMMV with other drinks.
It took us a year after Bugsy's opened, but we finally stopped in this past Saturday. I impressed my partner-in-crime by leading her down an alley in Milwaukee's Third Ward and telling her we were headed for an adventure. The door to Bugsy's is located on a loading dock in the alley, appears closed for business, and definitely doesn't resemble a bar. In all honesty, if I hadn't read about Bugsy's before we visited, I probably wouldn't have had the nerve to open that door and walk in. In that way, it's better hidden that the Safe House. (If you don't know how to find Bugsy's "main" alley entrance, you also can enter through the Water Street door for Gouda's Italian Deli - Gouda's is closed at night, but you can enter there and walk down a side hallway and back to Bugsy's.) The waitstaff are dressed in authentic 1920s attire (and as I'm writing this, I'm realizing that just one week from now, the 1920s will be a full century in the past). The space is cozy, boasts lots of dark, ornamented woodwork, and has no windows. The result is a nostalgic speakeasy feel. Despite the 1920s vibe, on the evening we visited the sound system played standards from the '20s all the way through the '50s. (A band did play starting after 9:00 PM.) We arrived around 7:30 PM and had no trouble finding seats, but by 9:00 PM all of the small tables were filled and there were just a few single seats left at the bar. The drink choices include some great specialty cocktails (I tried the malted milk ball martini, which was awesome) and a robust wine list. Bugsy's does not have any beers on tap, but offers plenty of choices in bottles (and the occasional can), including the usual Wisconsin craft brewery suspects. Bugsy's is open Thursday through Sunday evenings and (from what we can see) has live music most/all nights after about 9 PM. It you're looking for a Roaring '20s experience, sneak in one of these evenings. You may not find Al Capone's safe, but in most respects Bugsy's will leave you feeling like you've wandered through a time portal.
The staff was very rude. There are many other (wonderful!) places in Milwaukee to enjoy yourself.
Used to be a really great place, 3 years ago I would send my clients here and come with friends... now staff is super rude... I watched them kick out 2 groups of people that were not being an problematic, no wonder this place used to be packed on a weekend and is now 1/4 full... many great places in Milwaukee to have fun avoid this one if you don't want a confrontation with staff... 3 stars says it all... read the other reviews I am not the only person that feels this way