South Shore Terrace Kitchen & Beer Garden

Beef sandwich was alright. Great fries. Flavorful root beer. Good service.

Nestled along the shores of Lake Michigan in the historic South Shore Park Pavilion, South Shore Terrace Beer Garden offers a singular blend of Milwaukee heritage, thoughtful culinary execution, and an enviable beer program—rendering it far more than a seasonal diversion.

Though the day’s weather veered toward the inclement—cold rain rolling off the lake in sheets—we were fortunate to dine indoors within the beautifully restored WPA-era bathhouse. The structure itself, with its fieldstone architecture and civic-era charm, evokes a sense of continuity with Milwaukee’s past while providing a warm and character-rich refuge from the elements.

The beer selection was both expansive and curated, favoring a robust rotation of local drafts with a discernible emphasis on craft quality and variety. It’s a rare pleasure to encounter a public venue where the beer list reads more like a regional anthology than a predictable catalog.

Our meal, taken leisurely, began with the “Farmers Salad”—a medley of greens, fruit, vegetables, and cheese presented with a sense of restraint and freshness that speaks to thoughtful sourcing. Each element felt deliberate: the produce crisp, the fruit balanced, and the cheese nuanced in flavor.

The lobster roll was, quite frankly, a standout. A generous portion of tender lobster meat tucked into a buttery split-top roll, unpretentious in its plating but indulgent in every bite. The accompanying fries, while visually eccentric—somewhere between rustic and whimsical—were texturally perfect and paired beautifully with a bright, garlicky aioli that elevated them beyond the realm of side dish.

In sum, South Shore Terrace exemplifies how casual dining can still maintain an intellectual respect for flavor, setting, and historical context. It is a rare place where a simple lunch can leave one feeling both nourished and quietly inspired.

Beautiful place with scenic view of Lake Michigan. Great for sitting outside with the dog and some friends. The staff was quite rude to us, I get that they were busy but it was over the top. I’ll still come back a lot this summer and try to kill them with kindness

Super fun, great cheese curds, good beer

Service was great & attentive. The beer and IPAs were great and tasty. Really enjoyed bringing your fur friends to enjoy the day here with us and catch up with family. Plenty more space once construction is over around the place.

Food, atmosphere, and service are good; I just wouldn’t recommend the fish fry.

Nothing better than a beer 🍺 by the lake ⛵️

Can’t say enough great things about this place. The location is beautiful, the food is great, and the staff are all wonderful. Highly recommend!!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Hoen Bridge Burger and Sidewinder Fries

Very unique spot, it's a shame the serving hours aren't a little later than 8pm, good orders were backed up 45 minutes when we got there but got the burger and fries and a few beers and the noj alcoholic root beer which was really good.

Very nice atmosphere and places to sit.

Prices weren't super great but not terrible either

Parking was hilarious though; only street parking and had to park like on the far side of the park.

Was still a really Fun time with co workers being right next to the water?

Parking: Parking was a pain in the butt to say the least, mostly dependant on the time of day

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Milwaukee Pretzel Company Soft Pretzel

Didn’t order food, but from what I’ve seen, it looks good

Kid-friendliness: It’s a park, has space and room for kids to run and play. Also has a small play area for kids to play.

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

This is a nice beer garden done by the Milwaukee county Park system. It's close to the South shore yacht club. The food is good The beers are cold and there's quite a few to choose from.
When you order food they'll bring it out to your picnic table. Next to it there is a nice swing set for kids.
There's also a very nice asphalt path that stretches for a long ways that goes past this restaurant

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great place to enjoy a wonderful view of the city. In the beer garden we had a great service and there’s a decent amount of parking available in the area.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Friday 9/13, 6:30 PM, the staff *visibly mocked* my husband after he asked where our food was. We've been there TONS of times — we know they get busy, we've both worked in food service — but our order was obviously missed. While he was visibly frustrated (our pals who ordered with us had their food for 20 minutes and we both had 3 yr old with us: We ordered at 5:45), they did not (1) apologize and "take a look" or (2) outright say "oh man, we missed it so sorry, it'll be out right away" (which we get). They blindly said it will be 10 more minutes (it was fries, wings, and a pretzel — they were refiring). 4-5 people then spent the next 10 minutes mocking him, hands waving, staring at our table, and making whining gestures. *It was super rude.* Things happen but come on guys — man up, apologize, and move on. We live here and tell people to go there often. Yikes.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 1

Great beer garden!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Fun outdoor atmosphere. Plenty of drinks options and snacks. Lot of outdoor seating options. Near by parks. Dogs friendly.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5