There’s a new diner in Milwaukee that goes way beyond simple plates of eggs and club sandwiches. This awesome Walker’s Point spot is like what would happen if the cocktail lounges of “Mad Men” met the blue collar diner of “Alice.” Don’s Diner is both kitschy and swanky and somehow super inviting. It’s corner bar meets local lunch spot, giving it the perfect vibe. That would be enough to make this place appealing, but what takes Don’s over the top are the boozy milkshakes and over the top drinks that have become their signature. If you’ve ever dreamed of a whole donut or piece of cake crowning your alcoholic milkshake, this is the place for you.
A place billing itself as diner and cocktails is definitely new, but it also makes a lot of sense here in the midwest. We love a cocktail lounge and you know plenty of grasshoppers and other ice cream drinks get served up nightly in our supper clubs. Don's has just taken the best of a lot of worlds and put them together in one comfy new place.
Inside, it's a retro-looking diner with a counter/bar. In the evenings, your table will be lit by neon as much as anything else. There's a vibe here and they've leaned into it hard. There are giant cakes on display dripping with ooey, gooey toppings. You might see someone walk out in the morning with a cereal bar. There isn't much these folks won't try or do.
But it's the drinks that have people already talking about this place. Enormous, ridiculous, delicious, over-the-top milkshakes with flavors like old fashioned, raspberry and chocolate or Brandy Alexander.
There are options that come with cake, but you can also just add cake to any of the shakes on the menu. There are traditional ice cream drink options, but you're welcome to also build your own. Pretty much everything they make can come in a non-alcoholic version, so there is that.
Even with an already large arsenal of ridiculous and delicious drinks, there are also specials that join the fray. The Shamrock Shake at St. Patrick's Day was chock full of Lucky Charms and topped with a green Twinkie.
Though the shakes are the big draw, they're probably not even the most ridiculous, over the top drink on the menu. That title belongs to the Crock Pot Old Fashioned. Seriously. Forget a fish bowl or giant martini glass. This takes the idea of a huge, shared drink to a whole different level. It's also so incredibly Wisconsin I don't even know what to say.
In addition to the other outrageous drinks, you'll find a campfire hot chocolate that tastes like a s'more fresh out of the fire. There's a very dangerous 10 cent martini lunch Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (limit 3 and when you get there, they'll also bring you coffee) and Old Fashioned Happy Hour at the bar from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. where the drinks and shakes are $5 and the giant old fashioned in a crock pot is just $15. There's basically no limit to how crazy these folks will go.
I'm sure there are other things worth checking out at Don's, but let's be honest, if we're going here, it's for these shakes. You've never seen anything like these amazing, delicious options. The Weekender is a coffee and chocolate liqueur shake topped with a donut that's only available - you guessed it, on the weekend.
Don's is serving up something the city has never seen and folks are falling in love. It's a cool little concept in the shadow of the Polish Moon clock tower. It's a throwback kind of place with a new twist, kind of like its neighborhood.
Don’s Diner is located at 1100 S 1st St, Milwaukee, WI 53204. They are open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and closed Monday and Tuesday. Check out their website here or head to Facebook for more mouth-watering photos.
