Solly's Grille

4629 North Port Washington Rd., Milwaukee, WI - (414) 332-8808

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Posted By Michael Stern on 5/11/2009 11:10:00 PM

If you haven’t been to Solly’s in a few years and you see the new location, just down the street from the old one, now titled Solly’s Grille rather than the familiar Solly’s Coffee Shop, you might think the old diner has gone upscale. The moment you walk in, you are reassured that it’s still the same estimable burger joint. The air is filled with the smell of sizzling meat and dripping butter – the two ingredients that make a hamburger at Solly’s so divine. Steating remains merely two horseshoe-shaped counters with stools; and the staff of uniformed waitresses still go about their business with well-seasoned hash-house aplomb.

Here is the great butter burger of Milwaukee, a city where burgers are a passion. It is a fairly thin patty of beef, cooked through, served on a bun literally dripping with butter. Not margarine, not flavored oil: pure, dairy-rich, delicious butter. You can get a Super burger (2 patties, and a good idea; to us, a single one is overwhelmed by its bun) or a Super Special, which adds lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise to the mix (also a good idea), as well as cheeseburgers and burgers topped with mushrooms, onions, and Monterrey Jack cheese. The biggest of all burgers is the Cheesehead, which is a half pound of sirloin with Swiss and American cheese, stewed onions, raw onion, and mushrooms. It is virtually impossible to eat with one’s hands, but it’s fun to try!

There are a few other kinds of sandwiches on Solly’s menu, none of which we’ve tried, also omelets and fish fries, excellent crinkle-cut French fries, and made-here pie. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, we recommend you reserve it for a milk shake, which is Dairy State-rich and made in flavors that include chocolate, hot fudge, strawberry, pineapple, vanilla, and the superb fresh banana malt. Another confectionery alternative is a black cow made with Sprecher’s root beer. And, this being a city where ice cream is even more beloved than butter burgers, there is a full array of sundaes, too.

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

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"Double butter burger"
Michael Stern

"The cheesehead is the ultimate Solly's burger: 2/3 of a pound of ground sirloin, grilled mushrooms, stewed onions and raw onions, Swiss & American cheese. Plus, of course, plenty of butter. "
Michael Stern

"Pounds of butter, ready to be loaded onto hamburgers"
Michael Stern

"A Milwaukee landmark, and one of the great hamburger shrines in America"
Michael Stern

"This butter burger was sliced in half before all the butter atop the burger had a chance to melt into the meat."
Michael Stern

"There are three good glassfuls of fresh banana malt in the silver beaker"
Michael Stern

"Seeing a sign for homemade pie, I couldn't resist. The reward was an excellent slice of cinnamon caramel apple pie."
Cliff Strutz

"Almost all the seating at this busy burger joint is at one of the two large U-shaped counters."
Cliff Strutz

"Solly's used to be known as Solly's Coffee Shop. Now it's Solly's Grille. Inside, the food is as good as ever, and the counter seats are a diner delight."
Michael Stern

"The 2011 Roadfood.com eating tour completely filled up Solly's one evening in October."
Michael Stern