"Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee is brought to you by Miller Brewing Company, calling Milwaukee home since 1855. For the entire month of March, we're serving up fun articles on bars, clubs and beverages – including guides, the latest trends, bar reviews, the results of our Best of Bars poll and more. Grab a designated driver and dive in!
Barnacle Buds
Since OnMilwaukee brought back this category in 2014, Barnacle Bud's has been voted the best bar for day drinking five years in a row.
It’s clear readers' favorite place to imbibe when the sun's still out (an overcast day is fine, too) is this Kinnickinnic River shack with the Floridian feel of a beach-style tiki hut, which includes an oyster bar and tropical drinks but without the searing sunburn.
Every day now, we move further away from the cold and dismal winter. The river gets a little less frozen, the nights get a little less long and the allure of drinking an adult beverage in the daytime becomes that much harder to resist. Many say that Barnacle Bud's patio reminds them of Key West and, whether or not that’s true, the seclusion, proximity to water and overall good vibe definitely give it an "on vacation" feel.
Located at 1955 S. Hilbert St., there are few places in the city that, on a warm, summer, weekend afternoon, beat sitting out on the edge of the river, drinking a beer and listening to the pluckings of Jimmi T. Arrive by boat, bike, car or foot, grab a picnic table under an umbrella, leave your shades on and enjoy something delicious, refreshing and colorful. Or just have a Corona; you're day drinking by the water anyway, so who cares?
Meanwhile, when it came to the editors pick, the OnMilwaukee staff reached outside the top five for its choice cocktail: Newport.
OnMilwaukee editors' pick: The Newport
Runners up:
2. Steny's Tavern and Grill
3. Leff's Lucky Town
4. The Garage
5. Nomad World Pub