"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!
The Mad Planet
When it comes to delivering an out-of-this-world night on the town, the OnMilwaukee readers still pick The Mad Planet as their destination of choice, as for the umpteenth year in a row, the retro-fueled Riverwest hot spot has claimed the title of Milwaukee's best club/DJ/dance venue.
Located at 533 E. Center St., the brightly painted nightclub has won over diverse generations of Milwaukeeans – from punks to goths to hipsters to boomers and millennials and everyone in between – with its equally eclectic mix of music – including retro dance parties every Friday, spinning the dance hits of the '80s and '90s. Plus, you never know when Coolio might drop by for a performance.
Jo-Cat's Pub on Brady Street finished in a close second, while La Cage, Victor's and Whiskey Bar wrapped up the top five in the readers' vote. Meanwhile, Victor's took the top spot in the OnMilwaukee editors' minds.
OnMilwaukee editors' pick: Victor's
Runners up:
2. Jo-Cat's Pub
3. La Cage
4. Victor's
5. Whiskey Bar
This year we also asked a variety of prominent Milwaukeeans to weigh in on their pick for specific categories. For this category, we consulted Terrell Morgan, co-owner and creative director at Maldonado & Morgan, as well as co-owner of the upcoming Walker's Point tapas and craft cocktail bar Snifters.
Morgan's pick: Hot Water & Wherehouse or Plum Lounge
Milwaukee is filled with many talented people and awesome businesses in the service industry. I believe the best place to get a real groove on has to be Hot Water & Wherehouse on a Saturday night. The electric Latin energy that vibrates everything from the people to the walls forces you to wanna move your feet – or envy those who can.
The best DJ to move a crowd has to be Travis Chambers, aka DJ Heathen. From fundraisers to the Fresh Empire anti-tobacco teen movement, the versatility of this DJ is awesome. A personality on the mic and a friend to the dance floor for sure.
The best lounge/club overall has to be Plum on Jefferson. The atmosphere is the perfect one to hear head-bobbing hits and vibe out to the groove. It's definitely the place in the city to party.
