Too expensive, poor selection. Unhealthy menu. Fancy name but food is not. Not for me.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Nick Mathew
Outstanding food. We came here on recommendation from a friend who suggested the burger. We ordered the sourdough bread, onion salad, Diplomac burger, and the trout. All of these dishes were fantastic. The sourdough bread was amazing with the compound butter - definitely try it. You must get the Diplomac. This burger may actually be the best burger I have had. It’s nothing crazy, just a classic burger but done so ridiculously well. The American cheese in every bite was just something else. If you like burgers, you need to try this burger.
Cocktails were great and the beers and wines were also good. Service was great - the bartender took care of the bar whole room, not just the bar. Massively impressive because he was super polite and welcoming alongside that. Ambiance was also just cozy and great for a laid back date night.
TLDR: Definitely recommend and get the burger. I cannot wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Addie
EDIT!!!! AND PLEASE READ! Amazing. The food..beyond any expectations and lick the plate clean...to the last bite.
HERE IS UPDATED REVIEW..PLEASE BEAWARE: Have always had a decent time at The Diplomat, until last night. The owners, both of them, are the rudest, condescending, zero customer service skills I have ever seen. My very lengthy YELP review goes into more and after reading a couple of the less than great reviews on here I see this is typical behavior for them. The female owner was rude from the start with aunt. We order small plates but our entrees were taking longer than normal. Bartender went to see what was going on. They missed our ticket completely and would make our food as soon as they could. I asked if something could be done about this and the wait. Apparently you aren't allowed to question thier terrible service. We were give two options. They will pay for our meal so far but we would NOT be served our entrees and we can leave OR they won't pay for anything and we will be served our entrees. It was ridiculous, I questioned why these were our options. The male owner and chef came out by us, yelled, belittled, made a scene in front of everyone. We decided to cut our losses and just finish our fries and leave, which we werent allowed to do. Female owner began taking our plates away mid bites.
They wouldn't let us tip the bartender- said they would, even tho we tried I was accused of only wanting something for free-NOT THE CASE AT ALL We were yelled at FOR THEIR MISTAKE YOU FORGOT OUR FOOD! Got home and immediately reviewed them at almost 10PM I started receiving calls from the Diplomat, which i rejected but they would call back right away. 10pm!?!? This is a very late time to call someone and EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL. No voicemail was left. From another review they must have been calling to yell at me again. Proceed with caution when you visit this establishment as one other other the ego of the chef is out of control. There is a high chance you will be assaulted at the least verbally by the chef. Really hope they do not treat their staff this way also.
To the Diplomat- DO NOT CALL ME AGAIN.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Larry Bell
Excellent local cousine and dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Phillip Calvert (IG: Philwaukee)
Hands down the best burger in Milwaukee. And let me tell you—it’s not a cheeseburger, it’s a please-burger… because one bite and you’re saying “please, can I get another?”
What made the experience even better was the bartender—who just happens to be the James Beard award-winning chef’s wife. You know what they say: behind every great man is an even greater woman. And that’s totally her. She was welcoming, helpful, and just plain awesome.
The burger? Absolutely lived up to the hype. Juicy, flavorful, stacked to perfection. The Diplomac isn’t just a burger—it’s an experience. And trust me, you’ll be pleased. Ps. The ketchup is homemade ! And the fries are hand cut !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
michael best
There's nothing like going to an independent, family owned restaurant from a James Beard Chef award winner who's in the kitchen and his wife is giving you the best service possible! Outstanding, period, end of story.
I’ve been here once before and had an excellent experience, so I was eager to take my son and best friend last night. We had reservations and arrived early, and were seated. I ordered the chicken ($65) and they each ordered the NY Strip ($72). We did order the fries as an appetizer and got it and our drinks right away—started out perfect. After about 50 minutes my chicken came, but not the steaks. Another 40 minutes passed and still no steaks. We asked staff twice and didn’t get a satisfactory answer as if they didn’t know themselves what was taking so long, which was possible. We were getting really annoyed and had run out of patience so we asked for them to go because we had already been there almost 2 hours. We spent almost $400 and felt like the staff didn’t think there was anything wrong with waiting 90 minutes for your dinner. I’m not one to make a scene and I tipped 25% bc I always give the benefit of the doubt (it was a very busy, rainy Saturday night; he said something about a mix-up in the kitchen). The food was amazing, it was the communication and accountability that was sorely lacking. I truly feel they should have offered to pay for one of the steak dinners. I wasn’t going to ask and be an asshole—- it would’ve been nice if it had been offered though.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Lucy Telkamp
Absolutely excellent in every aspect. Food was wonderful, service was attentive and friendly. Dane and Anna are exceptional humans, and their establishment reflects that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marilyn Cannon Miller
Service is VERY slow. Food was OK.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
R W
Visited last Saturday when they lost power.
Showed up early for cocktails and had a great time at the bar. Bartender was great, but everything changed when we were seated.
Waitress took our order of 2 small appetizers and a cocktail each and then ignored us for over an hour. She was gone so long I had to ask another waiter for a new jug of water.
Waitress only came back after they lost all power in the restaurant. She came back and told us they will only cook fries and bread, which confused us. The waiter for the table next to us told those diners they were still cooking in the kitchen, so hearing about only fries and bread was disappointing. I asked my girlfriend what she wanted to do and she kind of froze since it was a bizarre situation in the dark.
I decide to order one of each and a bottle of wine since we went for a reason, but that was a mistake. We should have just left.
After I told the waitress, she then proceeds to talk to my girlfriend in such a manner she no longer felt welcome at the restaurant. I forget the exact details, but the gist was the stress they were feeling working there was a lot more the weirdness we were feeling being in a restaurant in the dark. What a bizarre thing to tell a paying customer.
So, my girlfriend leaves to go for a walk and I get the check. Once I pay, I try to bring up to the waitress we were disappointed in the service aspect. She then proceeds to basically blow up on me and said she takes great offense. Turns out, it’s the co-owner and chef’s wife. She then brings the chef over to hear the situation and I try to calmly tell him what I was feeling and he essentially doesn’t listen and kicks me out.
Overall, the most disappointing dining experience I’ve ever had. There are better places in Milwaukee, especially in relation to service.
I’ve been meaning to dine in at The Diplomat for a while now and I’m so glad I finally did. Everything from start to finish was phenomenal. We tried the deviled eggs, tartine, onion salad, the trout, the chocolate mousse and truly loved them all. There’s a lot of intention and care that goes into every little part of the experience. Cant wait to go back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Andrew B
Excellent meal at the diplomat! The burger is the best in Milwaukee!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gavin Lee
One of my favorite restaurants in Milwaukee for sure! Best date spot! My girlfriend and I have been 3 times and we love trying new things on their menu. We ventured out and got the venison tenderloin last Friday and we were not disappointed! So good! The pickled deviled eggs are must! 5/5 will be back again :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
g gerl
Andrew almost entirely potato dinner but so satisfied. Although still wishing had gotten the burger that two others were devouring and raving about next to at the bar. Excellent tartar with the salted fish hash brown, and it overall was glad tried. Could have skipped the wedges but we're great non the less. Fantastic cocktails, will be back for more and that burger next time in town
Too expensive, poor selection. Unhealthy menu. Fancy name but food is not. Not for me.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Outstanding food. We came here on recommendation from a friend who suggested the burger. We ordered the sourdough bread, onion salad, Diplomac burger, and the trout. All of these dishes were fantastic. The sourdough bread was amazing with the compound butter - definitely try it. You must get the Diplomac. This burger may actually be the best burger I have had. It’s nothing crazy, just a classic burger but done so ridiculously well. The American cheese in every bite was just something else. If you like burgers, you need to try this burger.
Cocktails were great and the beers and wines were also good. Service was great - the bartender took care of the bar whole room, not just the bar. Massively impressive because he was super polite and welcoming alongside that. Ambiance was also just cozy and great for a laid back date night.
TLDR: Definitely recommend and get the burger. I cannot wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
EDIT!!!! AND PLEASE READ! Amazing. The food..beyond any expectations and lick the plate clean...to the last bite.
HERE IS UPDATED REVIEW..PLEASE BEAWARE:
Have always had a decent time at The Diplomat, until last night. The owners, both of them, are the rudest, condescending, zero customer service skills I have ever seen. My very lengthy YELP review goes into more and after reading a couple of the less than great reviews on here I see this is typical behavior for them. The female owner was rude from the start with aunt. We order small plates but our entrees were taking longer than normal. Bartender went to see what was going on. They missed our ticket completely and would make our food as soon as they could. I asked if something could be done about this and the wait. Apparently you aren't allowed to question thier terrible service. We were give two options. They will pay for our meal so far but we would NOT be served our entrees and we can leave OR they won't pay for anything and we will be served our entrees. It was ridiculous, I questioned why these were our options. The male owner and chef came out by us, yelled, belittled, made a scene in front of everyone. We decided to cut our losses and just finish our fries and leave, which we werent allowed to do. Female owner began taking our plates away mid bites.
They wouldn't let us tip the bartender- said they would, even tho we tried
I was accused of only wanting something for free-NOT THE CASE AT ALL
We were yelled at FOR THEIR MISTAKE YOU FORGOT OUR FOOD!
Got home and immediately reviewed them at almost 10PM I started receiving calls from the Diplomat, which i rejected but they would call back right away. 10pm!?!? This is a very late time to call someone and EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL. No voicemail was left. From another review they must have been calling to yell at me again. Proceed with caution when you visit this establishment as one other other the ego of the chef is out of control. There is a high chance you will be assaulted at the least verbally by the chef. Really hope they do not treat their staff this way also.
To the Diplomat- DO NOT CALL ME AGAIN.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Excellent local cousine and dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hands down the best burger in Milwaukee. And let me tell you—it’s not a cheeseburger, it’s a please-burger… because one bite and you’re saying “please, can I get another?”
What made the experience even better was the bartender—who just happens to be the James Beard award-winning chef’s wife. You know what they say: behind every great man is an even greater woman. And that’s totally her. She was welcoming, helpful, and just plain awesome.
The burger? Absolutely lived up to the hype. Juicy, flavorful, stacked to perfection. The Diplomac isn’t just a burger—it’s an experience. And trust me, you’ll be pleased.
Ps. The ketchup is homemade ! And the fries are hand cut !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
There's nothing like going to an independent, family owned restaurant from a James Beard Chef award winner who's in the kitchen and his wife is giving you the best service possible! Outstanding, period, end of story.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sourdough Bread, Roasted Chicken
I’ve been here once before and had an excellent experience, so I was eager to take my son and best friend last night. We had reservations and arrived early, and were seated. I ordered the chicken ($65) and they each ordered the NY Strip ($72). We did order the fries as an appetizer and got it and our drinks right away—started out perfect. After about 50 minutes my chicken came, but not the steaks. Another 40 minutes passed and still no steaks. We asked staff twice and didn’t get a satisfactory answer as if they didn’t know themselves what was taking so long, which was possible. We were getting really annoyed and had run out of patience so we asked for them to go because we had already been there almost 2 hours. We spent almost $400 and felt like the staff didn’t think there was anything wrong with waiting 90 minutes for your dinner. I’m not one to make a scene and I tipped 25% bc I always give the benefit of the doubt (it was a very busy, rainy Saturday night; he said something about a mix-up in the kitchen). The food was amazing, it was the communication and accountability that was sorely lacking. I truly feel they should have offered to pay for one of the steak dinners. I wasn’t going to ask and be an asshole—- it would’ve been nice if it had been offered though.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Absolutely excellent in every aspect. Food was wonderful, service was attentive and friendly. Dane and Anna are exceptional humans, and their establishment reflects that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Service is VERY slow. Food was OK.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Visited last Saturday when they lost power.
Showed up early for cocktails and had a great time at the bar. Bartender was great, but everything changed when we were seated.
Waitress took our order of 2 small appetizers and a cocktail each and then ignored us for over an hour. She was gone so long I had to ask another waiter for a new jug of water.
Waitress only came back after they lost all power in the restaurant. She came back and told us they will only cook fries and bread, which confused us. The waiter for the table next to us told those diners they were still cooking in the kitchen, so hearing about only fries and bread was disappointing. I asked my girlfriend what she wanted to do and she kind of froze since it was a bizarre situation in the dark.
I decide to order one of each and a bottle of wine since we went for a reason, but that was a mistake. We should have just left.
After I told the waitress, she then proceeds to talk to my girlfriend in such a manner she no longer felt welcome at the restaurant. I forget the exact details, but the gist was the stress they were feeling working there was a lot more the weirdness we were feeling being in a restaurant in the dark. What a bizarre thing to tell a paying customer.
So, my girlfriend leaves to go for a walk and I get the check. Once I pay, I try to bring up to the waitress we were disappointed in the service aspect. She then proceeds to basically blow up on me and said she takes great offense. Turns out, it’s the co-owner and chef’s wife. She then brings the chef over to hear the situation and I try to calmly tell him what I was feeling and he essentially doesn’t listen and kicks me out.
Overall, the most disappointing dining experience I’ve ever had. There are better places in Milwaukee, especially in relation to service.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Clean establishment. Nice aesthetics. Welcoming owner
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve been meaning to dine in at The Diplomat for a while now and I’m so glad I finally did. Everything from start to finish was phenomenal. We tried the deviled eggs, tartine, onion salad, the trout, the chocolate mousse and truly loved them all. There’s a lot of intention and care that goes into every little part of the experience. Cant wait to go back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Excellent meal at the diplomat! The burger is the best in Milwaukee!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of my favorite restaurants in Milwaukee for sure! Best date spot! My girlfriend and I have been 3 times and we love trying new things on their menu. We ventured out and got the venison tenderloin last Friday and we were not disappointed! So good! The pickled deviled eggs are must! 5/5 will be back again :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrew almost entirely potato dinner but so satisfied. Although still wishing had gotten the burger that two others were devouring and raving about next to at the bar. Excellent tartar with the salted fish hash brown, and it overall was glad tried. Could have skipped the wedges but we're great non the less. Fantastic cocktails, will be back for more and that burger next time in town
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