Bodway’s Live Music Grill
Burgers & Live Music
Waukesha has a number of choices for really great burgers. I recently added J. Lotti’s and now I’m adding Bodways. Both are located in the Downtown area of Waukesha which is admittedly a small Downtown but one that has two, actually three great burgers. In addition to Bodways and J. Lotti’s, Taylor’s Peoples Park has a great burger as does Fuzzy’s just east of downtown a bit. We’ll see if People’s Park comes back on the menu after the fire destroyed their place in February of 2011. They are rebuilding and even adding a second floor but have the slowest work crew ever. Hardly anything changes there when I’ve gone by even months apart.
Bodways is located on the far end of Main Street and on the part of the main drag that I’ve not been too often and missed that it was there. After being tipped off top the fact that they have the “Best Burgers They Ever Had” (at least that’s what their website says), I had to stop by and find out for myself. Now to address one thing here and that is about the fact that the website is Best Burgers In Milwaukee so what is this with Thiensville, Waukesha, New Berlin stuff anyway? Well, I’m looking for the best burgers in the area and I will take a little drive to check out a very good burger. I’m not driving two hours north or west or south for that matter but I will check out a any place within a reasonable driving distance form Milwaukee and maybe not make a special trip but I will swing by when I’m in the area of a place that has been recommended.
Bodways is actually a actually a live music bar and owned by Tony Bodway who is a music fan (and a fan of great burgers I imagine) who opened a bar to showcase local bands in a small intimate setting but one that offers great food in addition. The bar itself is in the shape of an acoustic guitar and the grill and kitchen is behind the bar so you can watch as your food is prepared.
The burgers are the Build Your Own concept and allows you to start with your choice of sandwich including Blank Angus steak filet, chicken breast, Mahi fish filet, black bean burger and of course a half pound Certified Black Angus Burger and all are in the $10 range. You have your choice of toppings and dressings as well as some suggestions of tried and true combinations.
The toppings include: tomato, lettuce, onion, fried onions, bacon, mushrooms, jalapenos,
Pickles, relish, corn salsa, bell peppers, bruschetta, guacamole and coleslaw.
The dressings include: ketchup, mustard, brown mustard, mayo, chipotle mayo, ranch, chipotle ranch, bleu cheese, 1000 Island, tartar, balsamic vinaigrette, honey BBQ, A1, Frank’s I-Put-That-Shit-On-Everything Hot Sauce and Demon sauce.
Naturally those were their choices for every kind of sandwich and not just for burgers.
I opted for the Blackened Blues which had bleu cheese, bacon, Cajun remoulade, lettuce, tomato & onion. Lately I’m partial to any kind of remoulade or aioli (I know it sounds fancy but it make a burger taste great, OK?) and the Cajun remoulade did not disappoint. I even got a side of the chipotle mayo on the side which I both dipped some of the homemade potato chips in and also spread on part of the burger. Tough call, both were very good on a burger but that’s what is nice about sitting right in the kitchen, the cook is right there-ask him for side of something you might want to try but not on the burger to start out with.
If you’ve read any of my recent reviews that I’ve updated since last year, you will know I’m really into the meat. No, not that way, I mean I’m really digging burgers that start off with the freshest, highest quality meat. One thing you notice is that it is juicy and full of beef flavor. It also means it is not exactly a dainty burger as Tony himself says. It tends to be a little on the messy side but when a burger is this good, who cares how messy you get while eating it?
