Food/Drink Roundup: Two weeks and change remain to visit Beans & Barley

In this installment of our bi-weekly Food/Drink Roundup: Beans & Barley will close January 31. Get there while you still can.

• Please enjoy (?) this short, simple, and depressing reminder: East Side landmark Beans & Barley, 1901 E North Ave., will close its doors for good on January 31, 2026. That’s two weeks and change, folks. Ugh. Get there while you still can.

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A post shared by East Side Milwaukee, BID #20 (@eastsidemke)

• Please enjoy (!) this short, simple, and HAPPY reminder: Custard and hamburger joint Dairyland is now open inside Redbar, 2245 E. St. Francis Ave. Dairyland departed 3rd St. Market Hall in June 2025; Redbar found itself sans restaurant when The Saucy Swine departed there in November 2025.

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A post shared by Redbar (@redbarmke)

• Please enjoy (!) this short, simple, and KIND partnership announcement from the Pabst Theater Group: “We’re teaming up with Milwaukee’s own Kind Oasis to enhance your live show experience. Fans can now enjoy curated, hemp-derived products at all Pabst Theater Group venues for even better vibes.” Nice!

Want a further taste/sip of the new food/drink places being planned for Milwaukee? Then buckle up for Tales From The City’s License Application Page…

• Owners associated with Thai-namite and Easy Tyger are planning a new restaurant called Wela for the soon-to-be-former Bavette La Boucherie space, 217 N. Broadway. Bavette’s last day of business will be January 17. Proposed opening date for Wela: April 1, 2026. [PDF]

• Owners associated with Shawarma Palace and Pita Palace are planning a new shawarma restaurant called Top Shawarma for the former Martino’s Hot Dogs & Italian Beef space, 1215 W. Layton Ave. Martino’s closed in December 2025. Proposed opening date for Top Shawarma: January 30, 2026. [PDF]

All of the above proposed businesses are just that—proposed—and are subject to city approval. Here’s a Weird Al song about food: