Milwaukee’s former Pabst Brewery is breathing new life. Pabst beer is no longer brewed here, but it is being served. The Pabst property is being repurposed, building by building, and Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub has taken up residence in one of those buildings.

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of four articles about Milwaukee’s Pabst family and the historic Pabst Brewery, at one time the nation’s largest brewery.

We met Katy Deardorff, Communications Manager with Visit Milwaukee, for lunch at Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub. As it seems customary to do in the former Pabst brewery, Skip ordered a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Once one of the nation’s most popular beers that eventually went out of favor, Pabst Blue Ribbon is making a comeback for both the nostalgia factor and the reasonable price, although the brand is now owned by a Los Angeles-based company. Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pubs also offers a dozen other Wisconsin beers on tap, as well as spirits from Great Lakes Distillery.

Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub Food

I had checked out the web site and menu ahead of our visit and was happy to see that Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub uses a lot of local Milwaukee ingredients in their dishes. While I knew I should go for a salad or a wrap, what jumped out at me was Grilled Cheese BLT. I ordered it with no mayo and a side of fresh fruit to curb the guilt factor. Katy suggested we order Wisconsin Cheese Curds to share, as we had to try them. Together with my sandwich, that’s a whole lot of cheese, but we were in Wisconsin, right?

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My sandwich was terrific, Provolone and Cheddar cheeses with Applewood smoked bacon grilled on sour dough bread. And the fruit cup, with fresh berries and melon, was refreshing.

The cheese curds? The most amazing cheese curds I have ever tasted. The salty tang of Wisconsin yellow and white cheddar, hand battered and deep-fried, melted like butter on my tongue.

Skip ordered a Cubano sandwich, pulled-pork, ham and Swiss cheese on a ciabatta roll, and Katy had a Buffalo Chicken Wrap. They both raved about their selections. The sandwiches were so large that we all needed to-go boxes.

Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub Atmosphere

As for the atmosphere, Jackson’s has done it up right, balancing the brewery’s industrial feel of high ceilings and exposed pillars and ductwork with warm colors, comfortable seating and televisions throughout the pub.

Room Service at the Brewhouse Inn and Suites

Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub also provides room service to the Brewhouse Inn and Suites, an extended-stay hotel next door to the pub. We took a quick peek inside the hotel, where they too, have combined modern comfort while retaining elements of the brewery, including six huge copper kettles on the mezzanine level.

If you go

Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub, located at 1203 N 10^th Street in Milwaukee, is open seven days a week. Check the web site for exact hours.

Accommodations: We stayed at the historic Pfister Hotel during our visit to Milwaukee. Find the best hotel deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor.

Disclosures: Our lunch at Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub was compliments of Visit Milwaukee. However, any opinions expressed in this post are our own.
This article contains an affiliate link, which means that if you book a room through the TripAdvisor link above, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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