{image1} Old World Third Street has become a hot spot for nightlife in Milwaukee, and joining its ranks on Sept. 15 is Buckhead Saloon, 1044 N. Old World 3rd St. In the spot that until last November was Bar Milwaukee, Buckhead Saloon is what general manager Tate Winckler is calling "an upscale party bar."
Set up to resemble as Aspen ski lodge, the interior has a fresh wood smell and a Northwoods cottage-like feel. But just because the inside looks like something you'd find in the middle of nowhere doesn't mean they don't know how to party like the city folks.
"We've got a little bit of everything here," says Winckler. For the more cosmopolitan crowd, Buckhead offers a variety of martinis that guests are welcome to sip on the back patio, (or anywhere else, of course) which connects to the Riverwalk and offers a full view of Downtown.
{image2} The music-minded will find live cover bands playing (on a freshly built stage) on the weekends and DJs beckoning dancers to the floor. Those looking for a more intimate and personal experience can cozy up on the love seats inside the cabana huts at the back of the club.
"We've really put a lot of work into upgrading and opening up the space," says Winckler. Knocking down interior walls left and right, he says the club now has about twice the capacity that Bar Milwaukee had. Instead of dividing the area into different rooms, they've created one very large, cohesive space with a bar at each end.
Buckhead Saloon is a chain nightclub, and has locations in Altanta, Ga., and Charlotte, N.C. In Minneapolis, Minn., Baltimore, MD., and Columbus, Ohio, the same chain is called the Lodge Bar. Since Milwaukee already has a bar called The Lodge, Brew City got Buckhead Saloon.
"I think this is an awesome pick for Milwaukee," says Winckler. "Not only is a ski lodge atmosphere appropriate for a place like Wisconsin, but people here also love live music and love to party. Most importantly, they want to be comfortable when they're out."
And what could be more comfortable than a Northwoods cottage, complete with love seats and, for when the weather turns a bit more Wisconsin-like, a working fireplace?
Buckhead Saloon is hosting a VIP grand opening on Thursday, Sept. 15 and a grand opening party on Friday, Sept. 16.
The Buckhead Saloon Web site is buckheadmilwaukee.com.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
