By Molly Snyder Senior Writer Published Mar 09, 2016 at 12:04 PM

"Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee is back for another round, brought to you by Great Northern Distilling: grain to glass spirits, handmade in Wisconsin. The whole month of March, we're serving up intoxicatingly fun articles on bars and clubs – including guides, the latest trends, bar reviews, the results of our Best of Bars readers poll and more. Grab a designated driver and dive in!

According to the new owner, Angelo’s Lounge, 1686 N. Van Buren St., will reopen – if all goes well with the final inspection – on Tuesday, March 22.

Last summer, Nate Fried, who also owns Hybrid Lounge, next door to Angelo’s, leased the business from Angelo Martellano, Jr., the son of the original owner and namesake of the bar, Angelo Martellano, Sr. The elder Martellano passed away in January.

Fried kept the name and many of the photos that were in the original lounge to honor the late Martellano.

"The place will always be a tribute to Angelo, Sr.," says Fried. "He left so many cool things in the bar that are still in there, including an 8-x-10 photo from Frank Sinatra that is signed, ‘to my Italian friend Angelo … Francis.’"

Although he made significant upgrades to the space and the offerings, Fried's goal was to make it feel very much like the original space. He added new tap lines for beers and cocktails, moved the stage to the center of the south wall of the lounge and hired a local furniture maker to rebuild the tables and back bar area.

Fried plans to offer a variety of upscale cocktails as well as less-highbrow offerings like the "Mellow High" which is a Miller High Life and a shot of Kentucky's Mellow Corn whiskey for $5.

"That whiskey is 104 proof, so it brings the heat," he says.

Angelo’s will be open Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sundays at 3 p.m. There will be a daily happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. and live music Thursday through Sunday evenings, with an extra earlier show on Saturdays.

"The music will be primarily piano-centric, but I’ve received some really cool inquiries from different types of bands, so we’ll see," says Fried. "I could see using the space for a variety of things, including a monthly comedy night, along with the usual Angelo’s entertainment."

Angelo’s will also be pet friendly, meaning customers are welcome to bring friendly and leashed dogs into the lounge. Eventually, Fried says he may offer food to be brought in from Hybrid or Lucky Liu's, also on the block, but for now will serve drinks only.

Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more information about Angelo's and a first look a few days before the opening.


Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.

Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.