Ever wish you could enjoy a venue’s beautiful patio while eating food you made yourself? Or carryout from another nearby venue?
Well, you can at Cloud Red, 4488 N. Oakland Ave., in Shorewood.
The charming neighborhood bar has recently added an adorable new fenced in patio behind the restaurant that comes complete with festoon lights, picnic tables, tasteful potted plants and a fire pit for cool nights.
And it’s the perfect spot to enjoy one of the bar’s cocktails or myriad craft beer offerings. But it’s also a good spot to enjoy your own homemade snacks, carry-out or delivery from another nearby restaurant.
Yes, you heard that right. You can carry in your own food.
It's a case of the venue recognizing its own limitations and attempting to provide the best possible experience for customers.
As the bar noted this weekend on Facebook, their tiny kitchen is not equipped to cater to the additional demand created by extra patio guests. So, they’re inviting guests to provide their own.
So, gather up your sundries and head out for an evening of chillaxation on the Cloud Red patio. But don’t be rude. Be sure to give the bar some good business while you’re there. After all, it’s their patio, not your backyard.
Cloud Red is open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
