If the Hideaway Pub and Eatery was located a little closer to downtown Milwaukee, the habitual winners of the city’s “Best Buffalo Wings” awards (you know who you are) would get a run for their money. But alas, the Hideaway is indeed hidden, just off Ryan Road, sheltered by the expansive Root River Parkway in Franklin. The Hideaway’s inconspicuous locale doesn’t deter a crowd of devotees for 35-cent wings on Wednesdays. The sizable chicken wings are dredged in homemade breading, fried and tossed in your choice of nine housemade sauceswimpy, medium, hot, inferno, honey-mustard, barbecue, teriyaki, Thai-chili or jerk. These plump pieces of poultry should make reigning “Best Buffalo Wings” title-holders very, very nervous.
When a venue’s dining room shares the same space as the bar area, many assume the food is going to be your typical bar farepremade and frozen food from a box that has been heated and served. Not the case at the Hideaway. Owner Debbie Schaefer offers a rotating and balanced menu made with fresh, homemade ingredients. Customers will find a nice selection of appetizers, soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches and burgers, as well as robust dinners and specialty pizzas. A hearty bargain can be found six nights a week with a “daily specials” roster that includes prime rib and all-you-can-eat fried chicken.
With popularity on par with Wednesday’s chicken wings, the Hideaway’s Friday fish fry has carsanything from an Audi A5 to a Ford F-450 duallypacking the parking lot and lining the shoulders of 76th Street. Beer battered or baked cod and lake perch are offered every week, coupled with weekly fish specials like bluegill, mahimahi, coconut shrimp, walleye, salmon, grouper, catfish and tilapia. Patrons can burn off a few of those delicious calories shooting pool, playing electronic bar games or diving for a few volleyballs on the outdoor sand volleyball court.
When Schaefer and her husband, Steve, purchased the outdated building 10 years ago, they gave it treatment worthy of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The structure had seen time as an American Legion Post and had the fake wood paneling to prove it. The couple installed wood floors and spacious windows, and replaced the paneling with walls made of strong blond oak. The Hideaway offers on-premise catering in a spacious banquet facility capable of seating 230 guests. Hosts of an event held at the Hideaway work with Schaefer to build a creative and customized menu to be served on a platter or as a buffet.
As the Hideaway is just down the road from the Milwaukee County Sports Complex, this popular hangout would be a fun place to celebrate after a roller derby bout on the flat track with the Brewcity Bruisers. If you’re not in the Franklin, Muskego or Oak Creek area, a jaunt to this popular hangout can be a bit of a hike, but it’s well worth it.
Hideaway Pub and Eatery 9643 S. 76th St., Franklin. Call (414) 525- 1950 or go to www.hideawaypubandeatery.com. Bar: Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Kitchen: Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (closed on Fridays from 3 to 4 p.m.), Saturday and Sunday noon - 9 p.m.
Photo by Kate Engbring
