Odd Duck

"Odd Duck regularly appears on lists for must-visit spots in Milwaukee and the Chefs behind their phenomenal dishes are nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest. It’s pretty clear why. Edit: After writing this review they were also awarded one of the Best Restaurants in the US by USA Today. Most plates draw inspiration from a variety of cultures. Their menu is filled with creative ideas and a wide range of ingredients that makes it difficult to choose. I would recommend coming here with friends and splitting dishes to get a full experience of their menu. Most dishes are small enough that you can put in the middle of the table and pick at it while having some drinks. The top item for me had to be the mushrooms. Probably the best fried mushrooms I’ve had and a well balanced dish by including some acid from the green tomatoes and a fat with the mayo and a little heat from the creole mustard. It sounds like a lot on the plate but the balance between everything made every bite phenomenal. Hainan Chicken has been a dish I’ve wanted to try for some time and I was elated to see it on the menu. I can’t speak on the authenticity of it, but it was delicious and met my expectations. They give a breakdown of the dish and the proper way to eat it when they bring it to the table. That really stood out to me because it shows respect and passion for the dish to ensure their customers enjoy it as intended. For being rice and chicken, it was bright and aromatic dish. I don’t want to break down every dish, but I will say as a Filipino the lechon and kare-kare inspired plate was impressive. It was filled with familiar flavors like shrimp paste that is essential to kare-kare, but the addition of basil and mint was a nice touch. I think a few dishes are priced a little too high but overall I think the prices are well worth the experience. These chefs take time to research, construct, and execute every item on their menu. Their hard work clearly shows with each dish and is a place I would not hesitate to support again. All the praise I’ve heard is well deserved. It’s great to see places like this in Milwaukee that stray away from the usual and introduce Milwaukeeans to a melting pot of cuisine."

"Cocktail #98 6.4/10 surprisingly bitter Deviled eggs 9.4/10 delicious but they literally bring you out one egg for $8. A bit ridiculous. The Gouda cheese pairs amazingly well with the beef tongue pastrami. 8.8/10 Pork belly. 9.5/10. Close to perfection on the pork belly. Short rib 8.2/10 perfectly cooked, but the sauce is slightly overpowering. Duck cassoulet. Drier than duck should ever be. 5.2/10 but the rest of the dish is rather good. Shame they tripped on their namesake. Lambert Shiraz. 8.4/10. Darn good Shiraz. And you do have to use your hands to leave the bathroom but the paper towels are nearby Overall a great place to spend $100 per person on a lovely experience"

"Odd Duck features a rotating menu that changes often and without warning. They play into seasonal ingredients and offer their own fresh renditions on familiar cuisines. While you probably shouldn't get too attached to anything on the menu when you dine here, you should be excited about an exciting new experience on your return. I came here and shared a few plates and bottle of wine. The selection of beer, wine, and spirits is plentiful - you will find something you like. There are plenty of house cocktails to keep things interesting. Service here was outstanding! Our server was helpful and friendly without being the slightest bit overbearing. Water and wine were never empty and I truly appreciated it. The menu is split into three; snacks (this includes charcuterie), vegetables, and animal. Snacks are one to two bite "appetizers" for lack of a better term. We tried the deviled eggs and were surprised by how tasty they were. The Fried Oyster Mushrooms were my absolute favorite. They were so crispy, and the mushrooms were perfectly cooked. All of the ingredients tied everything together. As a Filipino, I had to give the lechon and kare-kare a try. I have to tip my hat to Odd Duck on this rendition. The kare-kare sauce tasted like bagoong, or at the very least, some kind of shrimp paste. This is indicative of a kitchen that does their homework and pays their respects. I recommend coming here with people that love to eat and won't mind sharing. This is a meal best enjoyed by ordering multiple plates and sharing everything. This way you get to try the most off the menu. Prices were on the higher side but the quality more than made up for it! Overall, all of the food we tried was very well prepared and equally as balanced. I was very impressed by the kitchen's execution and will be returning. Odd Duck is a foodie's dream and is likely the best restaurant I've visited in Milwaukee. As a former service industry grunt, you all have my deepest respect."

"Visually enticing and cozy as far as the atmosphere. The food was even better yet. We shared 5 plates and left gloriously stuffed. Im vegetarian and loved the many options. My husband is a meat eater and thoroughly enjoyed the vegetarian options. So delicious."

"This place exceeded expectations! The food was delicious with every dish more interesting and exciting than the last. We started with the pimento cheese and Brie and ordered the broccoli, curry with squash, wood ear mushrooms, pork belly, and short rib. The curry and short rib had to be my favorites but so hard to choose as everything was so unique and bursting with flavor. The service was top notch as week. My husband gad a few cocktails and I tried two of their mock tails which were fantastic. We finished with the brown butter pear soft serve."