The Original is back … well, sort of. Let’s call it the sequel.
A new, more casual restaurant will open in its place in the quiet east side neighborhood just east of the Milwaukee River. And The Original co-owner Craig Rzepka is back at the helm.
In June, he closed The Original, the cozy, finer-dining restaurant at 2498 N. Bartlett Ave. that he owned with his brother, Eric, since 2017.
Now, Rzepka and backer Jay Stamates (owner of Milwaukee bars Sabbatic, The Standard and Stella’s) are opening a more casual restaurant in the same space.
The OG Pub & Grille could be open as soon as Nov. 1.
“It’s still my quality, my standard,” Rzepka said. “It’s still fresh, homemade, delicious food and great cocktails, but in a much more relaxed, inviting, casual environment.”
Rzepka said he’d been thinking about moving his restaurant in a more accessible direction for a while.
“Over the past eight years, the demographic spoke to me, and they love what we did at The Original, and I did, too,” he said. “But instead of people coming in once a month or so for dinner, I wanted to make a place that would be a little more economical, where people in the neighborhood come in daily, and maybe have a burger and a couple beers and relax.”
The turnkey operation of the space means little had to be done to convert it into its new life as the OG Pub & Grille. A few high-top tables will be added near the bar, and TVs will be installed, playing sports, movies and more as patrons drink and dine.
Burgers, pub fare and more approachable eats are on the menu
Matthew Bruns, who ran the kitchen at The Original before its closure, will serve as executive chef.
The menu will feature snackable, shareable appetizers along with mains like sandwiches and weekly specials.
For appetizers, expect deep-fried pickles with spicy ranch aioli, poutine, cheese curds, haystack onion rings, and beef or chicken sliders with house-made pickles, onions and OG sauce. There will also be pig wings: braised, deboned pork ribs rolled in house barbecue sauce.
“They are awesome,” Rzepka said of the pork wings.
Mains will be mostly sandwiches, all served on a brioche bun and served with house chips, french fries or a house salad. Sandwiches include barbecue pulled pork with slaw and house pickles; breaded chicken thigh with house pickles, haystack onions and OG sauce; beer-battered cod with house pickles, tartar sauce, slaw and a side of lemon; and the OG burger, made with two quarter-pound smash burgers with American cheese, fried jalapeños, caramelized onions and OG sauce.
Other mains include a pound of chicken wings and a Chicago-style hot dog, made with 100% kosher beef and topped with relish, chopped white onion, sport peppers, tomato slices, celery salt and mustard on a poppyseed bun.
Rzepka said the Chicago dog is an ode to his roots in the Windy City, where he lived for 38 years before moving to Milwaukee.
“I’m going to bring a little bit of my love for Chicago and my love for Milwaukee and infuse them both into the feeling of it,” he said.
The restaurant also will serve weekly specials, like Friday fish fry, taco Tuesday and Wednesday wings.
Craft cocktails, late kitchen hours and Monday industry brunch specials
One of the biggest draws at The Original was its lengthy craft cocktail menu. Customers can expect the same quality beverage program at the OG Pub & Grille, but with more paired down options.
The menu will include around five core cocktails from Rzepka’s original recipes, as well as five rotating cocktails that will swap out with the seasons. Wine and a house old-fashioned may be served on tap, as well as beer.
The restaurant will be open seven days a week, with brunch served on Sundays, and a special industry brunch on Mondays.
Rzepka said he hopes the OG Pub & Grille can be a regular hangout for those who work in the hospitality industry, with the kitchen staying open until midnight to accommodate those who work late.
When it opens, the OG Pub & Grille’s tentative dinner hours will be 4 p.m. to midnight daily, with the bar opening at 3 p.m. Sunday brunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Monday industry brunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New restaurant coming to former The Original space on Milwaukee’s east side
Reporting by Rachel Bernhard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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