In this series, we’ll be hiking the burger trail to find the latest, greatest and most delicious burgers in Milwaukee. Click here for an explanation of the criteria used to rate each burger. Where have we been? Check out the complete catalog of burger reviews here.
Bougey’s Bar & Grill
16760 W. Greenfield Ave., Brookfield
(262) 784-4092
bougeysbar.com
Step into Bougey’s and you’ll find a pretty typical suburban bar, complete with darts, a pool table and a nicely appointed deck to enjoy during the summer months.
These days most bars serve some type of food, so it’s not unusual to find a spot that has a menu of appetizers, snacks, sandwiches and pizza. What is more unusual is to find a bar that not only offers food, but does it well.
Bougey’s seems to hit that nail on the head. It offers a variety of specials, from lunch specials (brisket on Mondays and Italian beef on Thursdays), a Friday night fish fry and brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Mushroom Swiss Burger is comprised of a half-pound beef patty, cooked to order, topped with sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese and served with chips, a hot pepper and a pickle ($8.50). I upgraded mine to include onion rings for $1.50 more.
Useful fact: Bougey's is pronounced Bo-gey, not Boo-jee, in case you were wondering.
Presentation: 8
The burger looks tempting with its generously applied melted Swiss and dark, sauteed mushrooms making an impressive showing. It’s just the sort of bar burger you want to come across when you’re hungry.
Bread/bun: 9
Bougey's buns are what I'd call split-top bakery-style rolls. They're soft and fresh and pleasantly yeasty with a lovely glossy top. And they're well sized for a half-pound burger, offering a near-perfect bun to meat ratio.
Burger: 6
The burger was lovely, sporting distinct charred marks on the exterior and nice crisp edges. It was also nicely seasoned on the exterior with a solid, if unremarkable beef flavor. Mine came out of the kitchen a bit overcooked; I ordered it mid-rare, and it was definitely closer to medium. So its texture was relatively firm, and I did encounter a few small pieces of gristle as I ate. I wouldn’t describe it as juicy, but it had enough moisture content to keep it from being dry. Overall, pretty solid.
Toppings: 10
The toppings were classic and nicely executed. The mushrooms were deeply browned and nicely seasoned, and they were applied generously (an element mushroom lovers will appreciate). The same is true for the generous portion of Swiss cheese, which was beautifully melted over the burger, allowing its sweet nutty flavor to have a presence in every bite.
Value: 9
This is a solid bar burger at a solid price. With a few tweaks, I’d have little hesitation in making it a perfect 10.
Total: 42/50
Looking for a solid half-pound bar burger? Bougey’s has one.
Bougey’s Bar & Grill is open daily beginning at 11 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.
