Our staff members reviewed a few of the restaurants in Sheboygan and Milwaukee:

Pier 17

My friend Brittanie Paulus (a Lakeland grad!) and I are foodies, and we recently tried newly opened Sheboygan restaurant Pier 17 on the lakefront. We started with the Southern-style chicken fritters with a tasty blueberry barbecue sauce. She ordered the grilled Mahi-mahi with mushroom risotto and tomato confit, which was very tasty. I’ll be ordering this in the future. I had one of the specials – gnocchi pasta tossed with tomato, basil, Andouille sausage and artichoke with Creole shrimp. The sausage added a welcome bite to this dish. For dessert we had black forest cherry cheesecake – another winner! Our total bill was $70. This is an ideal spot for date night, or a night out with friends to get a beautiful view of the Sheboygan lakefront.

4/5 Muskies

-Guest reviewer: David Gallianetti, director of communications

The Original Pancake House

This restaurant sets the standard for what breakfast should taste like. The food at The Original Pancake House in Milwaukee is so good that I’d go there every morning if I could. The second I tasted the Eggs Benedict, I began salivating in earnest at the rich flavor of the Hollandaise sauce.  The bacon is super thick and juicy, and the pancakes … I defy you to find better pancakes. The prices are a little more expensive than the average diner, but it is so worth it. With awesome food, excellent staff and a friendly environment, it is impossible to find a better breakfast.

5/5 Muskies.

-Karalee Manis

Lake Street Café

There is only one reason I give Lake Street Café four instead of five Muskies. This is because the last time I went, I was so excited to eat that I burnt the roof of my mouth so badly that I could barely eat for two days. Besides that experience, I would have to say that this cozy café is one of my top five favorite restaurants. It’s tucked into a corner of one of Elkhart Lake’s blocks, and you might miss it if you aren’t looking close enough. But please look close enough; it will be worth your time. Their lunch menu is reasonably priced (I can pay for meals and I’m a college student), and you can get escargot, brussel sprout bacon pizza or an Italian pressed sandwich that you will not forget. Just be sure to let your food cool before you eat because Lake Street Café serves delicacies at a lava-hot temperature, but at least you won’t have to worry about your food going cold.

4/5 Muskies

-Danielle Livingston

8^th Street Ale House

The 8th Street Ale House is located on 1132 North 8^th Street, right in the heart of downtown Sheboygan. The house is the home for great beer and has over 30 craft beers on tap. Not only do they have great beer, but delicious food for a reasonable price. To start off, I ordered a plate of cheese curds for the table. Those cheese curds, oh those cheese curds! It is rumored that this place has the best cheese curds in Sheboygan, and I can now vouch for that. For my meal, I ordered the Hoffbrau. The Hoffbrau is basically a steak sandwich topped with sautéed mushrooms and onions, and was priced at $13. The sandwich itself was delicious! The steak was cooked perfectly. However, half of a meal includes the side, and I was frankly disappointed. My side of fries tasted like the typical fries from the Muskie Grill with sea salt on them. I expected a thick cut fry from an ale house, but mine were thin as pencils. Overall, I am very pleased with my dining experience at the 8^th Avenue Ale House. My meal was splendid, the staff was friendly and my appetizer was outstanding.

 4.5/5 Muskies

-Amanda Bagnall-Newman