In August 2023, a mini golf destination and family fun facility called Holey Mackerel (5401 W. Layton Ave.) officially opened in the former site of River Hills Family Fun Center, which had been a summertime staple in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield—not to be confused with Greendale or Glendale—for more than 15 years prior to its quiet pandemic closure.
Holey Mackerel is owned and operated by Tripper Duval, who is also an owner and founder of Lost Whale. He acquired the property after noticing the shortage of miniature golf options in and around Milwaukee. Initially, Duval’s primary focus was on getting the outdoor amenities up to snuff by replacing some greens, removing graffiti, repairing the batting cages, doing some landscaping, and tinkering with water features.
During that same time, the business’ newly-renovated clubhouse also opened up. Initially, it leaned heavily on the arcade element, as most of the space was allocated to games and other kid-focused novelties. As the bar itself was being finished, the grown-up beverage offerings were mostly domestic and craft beer. That was pretty much the case until late last year, when the work-in-progress family fun complex was finally in a place to take its next sizable step.
Last fall, Holey Mackerel announced “SipNShanty,” a seasonal pop-up concept that blends the cozy ice shanty feel with inventive cocktails and eclectic food offerings. With the bar finished and well-furnished, as well as the late 2024 introduction of the course’s ShortFin food truck parked outside of the business, Duval—a respected and accomplished mixologist—was finally able to transform the clubhouse of his suburban mini golf course into Greenfield’s best new cocktail bar.
While some of the arcade amenities remain, many of the machines have been removed or relocated in order to make room for more seating. Yes, you can still grab a tall boy to enjoy during a round or after some bubble hockey, but the new decor, cocktails, and affiliated food offerings are encouraging folks to stay a while to relax, watch a game, and enjoy well-crafted food and drinks in a disproportionately un-stuffy setting.
We’ve been keeping tabs on the various changes taking place on the Holey Mackerel compound in recent weeks, and we finally decided to stop by last weekend to see things for ourselves. We started our visit off with one of the clubhouse’s signature cocktails. The “O’Doyle Rules!” is far more elevated than its name (a playful nod to Billy Madison) might indicate, as white rum intermingles with chai and banana liqueurs, lemon juice, and aquafaba (a vegan egg foam substitute derived from legumes). The frothy and sweetly complex cocktail is topped with a burnt sugar shell.
Another concoction we sampled between rounds of Pull Tabs and Pop-A-Shot was the “Sage Mode,” a light and refreshing drink consisting of tequila, orange liqueur, pear and lemon juice, and saline garnished with some sage and a charred stick of cinnamon. Other cocktails currently on the seasonally-rotating menu include a pistachio-forward riff on an espresso martini (“Shell Shock”), a Scotch-subbing take on the Rusty Nail (“Rusty Auger”), a brandy slush that’s likely not going to make it through spring, and a classic Grasshopper. We’ve come quite a long way from having an Icee on a picnic table at Badger Sports Park!
And for those seeking something more simplistic, Holey Mackerel’s drink menu has five tap lines (a mix of local craft and expected domestic options), boilermakers, and a vast arsenal of canned beers (starting as low as $3 in price), seltzers, wine, and non-alcoholic options.
Drinks can be enjoyed alone or paired with food from ShortFin, a food truck—named after a type of squid that mackerel are known to eat—stationed outside the building from 4-10 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Given the limited kitchen space, the menu is small, but still punches above its weight with excellent executions of fare that’s far better than you’d expect from a mini golf course snack shack of sorts.
The burger features a flavorful seasoned smash patty, melt-y American cheese, secret sauce, and fresh veggies in a toasted bun. It’s reminiscent of burger from Wendy’s (good, late-’90s or early 2000s Wendy’s) and comes with an abundance of McDonald’s-adjacent fries.
As satisfying as the burger is, it pales in comparison to the Korean Chicken Sandwich, which seems to be ShortFin’s flagship menu item—and for good reason. Juicy fried chicken thighs are generously coated with an umami-packed barbecue sauce and topped with a savory house slaw and lemongrass sriracha mayo inside a brioche bun (also served with fries on the side). Could this be a top 10 Milwaukee-area chicken sandwich? It might be recency bias speaking, but we’re honestly having trouble thinking of 10 others we’d take over this.
Other ShortFin selections include tacos, cheese curds, poutine, loaded tots, truffle fries, and rotating specials like seared Ahi tuna, salmon, and a breaded cod sandwich that you can find on ShortFin’s Instagram page.
Even though Milwaukee and its surrounding suburbs has no shortage of places to enjoy an inventive and exceptional cocktail, and we also have oodles of options for spots to grab tasty sandwiches and sides, it’s safe to say that very few establishments offer all that and a game room, an 18-hole miniature golf course, and batting cages. In fact, we’re pretty sure there’s just one place in the region with all of that in one place: Holey Mackerel.
