By some accounts, Walker’s Pint is Milwaukee’s longest-running lesbian bar. It features Packers parties, pool, darts, drink specials and—come the warm season—a beer garden in back. It has been a favorite watering hole for a select crowd of Shepherd Express readers, winning top honors in this category four years

“Margarita” is a Spanish word meaning “hands-down the most precious liquid in the history of the world, even though water sometimes tries to steal its glory.” Admittedly, that’s a loose translation. Luckily, to find the exact definition of Milwaukee’s Best Margarita, you only need to know one word: Cempazuchi.

One of the best known of the growing number of locally owned microbreweries, Lakefront specializes in handmade beers like Riverwest Stein, Eastside Dark, Klisch Pilsner and Organic Extra Special Bitters, which frequently feature ingredients grown in Wisconsin. In 2006, the brewery said it shipped 8,863 barrels of . . .

Part cocktail lounge, part dance club, Decibel/Deep Bar put a shiny swagger back into Milwaukee’s nightlife when it opened its doors in spring 2007. In gutting the smoky remains of club-land castaways (Mantra Lounge, Esoteria and Micro.Bar: RIP), the venue proved that reinventing an image built on cocktails . . .

For years now, the Up & Under has been a haven for those seeking live entertainment. Under new ownership, the club has remained a hot spot for blues and reggae while expanding into the area of harder rock acts as well. Monday nights are open mic at the Up. If you’ve spent any time down on Brady Street, you . . .

If you can't find a place to play pool in one bar, you have two more bars to choose from, along with 16 lanes for bowling. Also, one of the bars is available to rent for private pool parties. The tables are well maintained and the competition is keen for those who seek a higher level of play.

It’s a funny name for a romantic bar, but then, romance often assumes a melancholy hue. Blu is a comfortably furnished bar with wing-back chairs and warm mahogany. The biggest attraction of this perch atop the historic Pfister Hotel is the perch itself, with views of the lake through the east windows by day and . . .

Truly, it’s all about location. Try wedging a sawbuck into the underpants of the person in the adjoining pew, and you’ll likely end up getting upbraided, excommunicated and a job in Washington. Selfsame behavior at On the Border, however, will be much appreciated by the huge roster of lovely ladies performing each day at the . . .

Located on Bay View's northern edge, the Highbury Pub offers Milwaukee a raucous and fan-involved soccer experience. Singing to support the team is not only welcomed, but encouraged. Even if you don't know your Wigan Athletic from your Bayer Leverkusen, the regulars welcome anyone willing to enjoy what everyone

In Milwaukee, a clean glass, a few decent taps and some good friends can make for a great evening. Tasty tavern fair can elevate the experience even further, and no place serves up better food from behind the bar than Hooligan’s.