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Brunch has become a ubiquitous part of weekend life in Milwaukee and it seems everyone has a favorite spot to indulge. But if you’re looking to try something new, this series is for you. We’ll be highlighting a new brunch spot every week and bringing you all the tasty details. Click here to check out all the spots we've tried!
Black Sheep
216 S. 2nd St., (414) 223-0903
blacksheepmke.com
Brunch available: Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Make your reservation online
Carry-out and dine-in available
Brunch has always been a main event at Black Sheep, where it’s easy to celebrate the lazy weekend with solid drinks and a varied menu. Normally, I’d opt to reserve a patio spot for their brunch. But it was a dreary, colder day; so I decided that carry-out would have to do.
Carry-out brunch might not have all the charms off dine-in. But it has one main advantage: you needn’t worry about driving after enjoying a brunchy beverage or two. So, we ordered a mimosa kit. Black Sheep does it up right with a bottle of Campo Viejo Cava, a quart of orange juice and a naval orange for garnish ($30).
We paired up that liquid sunshine with an order of pancake battered cheese curds ($11), because why not?
The curds are a Black Sheep classic that have evolved over time to be lighter and crispier. The huge fluffy curds perfectly fine eaten on their own, but a dip into the accompanying maple syrup really does make them delicious (and significantly more brunch-worthy).
Maple syrup was also good on the not-too sweet cornmeal waffle, served with butter and blueberries ($6).
It was tender and tasty with plenty of small holes to soak up the syrup. Split between two of us, it provided a nice counter to all the savory brunch dishes.
From there, we dug into the fried green tomato and ham benny featuring an English muffin topped with fried green tomatoes, pulled country ham, fried eggs (they don’t do poached) and Sriracha hollandaise. It’s served with breakfast potatoes ($15).
I love the bright citrus notes of fried green tomatoes, so this was already a win. But the pulled ham was pretty darn good, balancing the sweet and tart with nice salty savory notes. That Sriracha hollandaise was nice too: smooth and buttery with a bit of complexity from the Sriracha.
We also tried their chimichanga stuffed with cheddar scrambled eggs, house chorizo, black beans, citrus creme and cilantro ($14).
As you might expect, this is everything you love about a breakfast burrito wrapped in a crisp-yet-tender flaky deep fried tortilla. Calories be damned; it’s brunch; and this was a filling choice. The caramelized cheese tuile that adorned the top was actually best pulled off and snacked upon. It tasted great (after all, it is crispy cheese), but it did make the chimi a bit challenging to cut.
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.
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