The Vanguard

We stopped in here recently for a drink and had a good time. We sat at the bar for a couple of beers and ordered some cheese curds. The cheese curds had excellent flavor and the ranch was a nice sauce to dip them in. They have a great bourbon selection and the food menu looked good as well. We would definitely come back to try more items.

While visiting Milwaukee on a short weekend trip with my husband, we decided to come to The Vanguard for a late lunch before we checked into our hotel downtown. Parking was fairly easy as we managed to grab a spot on the street out front. We decided to sit at the bar and soak in the ambience. When in Milwaukee … eat all the comfort food. We started with an order of cheese curds and poutine. The cheese curds were perfectly fried salty goodness and the poutine had plenty of gravy, sautéed onions, and of course, more cheese curds. We also ordered a Milwaukee-style bratwurst and a Chicago-style cheddarwurst. We both thought that the Chicago-style cheddarwurst had great flavor and delicious toppings. The Milwaukee-style bratwurst was tasty, but we both felt that it needed some type of sauce or something to bring it all together. Needless to say, we left completely full and actually did not even have room for dinner that evening. So if you find yourself in the Milwaukee area and looking for some delicious comfort food, come check this place out.

Cool bar environment with late night hours (Open till 12am!). We had the vegan Italian sausage, vegan brat, fries, loaded vegan fries and deep-fried buffalo tofu. Everything tasted delicious; I was really impressed! I can't wait to come back and try some more of the sausages and the unique topping combinations, not to mention the ginger tofu. Our server was Ana - she was a very sweet waitress doing her best. I appreciated her attention to detail and friendliness. Definitely support this business -- they got a good thing going here!

Let me tell you, I have dreams of this place and I think I dream a lot about food so that's saying something. I don't know why this place isn't in my rotation more but I'm definitely going to change that! Came in with a group of 3 and walked right into the grill, that's when you know the food is going to hit. When the kitchen is in the open they have nothing to hide but the recipe, it's going to be some of the best food you've ever had! We were seated pretty fast and met with a waitress relatively fast. I wish I remembered her name but she was a sweetheart, she had some good jokes and some good stories to tell. She also gave a great recommendation and convinced me a flight of hotdogs is what I needed in my life. She was absolutely right, and everything was absolutely on point! I love that all the sausage is interchangeable with each style so they have endless possibilities. The drink menu was pretty solid, the specials were on point and to round it off the price was perfect. If you are new to the area this is definitely the place to start. Honestly, try all the different dogs I'm sure you can find something you'll like, my favorite is a Seattle dog!

Apologies, halfway ate through these appetizers before photographing, whoops. Wanted something different for dinner and got just that. The menu was a little confusing but the waiter/bartender took the time to explain things to us before and actually more after the food came out. They were very kind answering my kids questions too. Everything was made hot to order and was very filling. We had brats, burgers, fries, poutine, and tofu. It was delicious and we're absolutely stuffed.

Best bar food ever! Like being at the best State Fair in the USA! Burger superior; chili dog a hit!

Amazing poutine, delicious hot dog sandwiches and refreshing cocktails. This place is a 10 on 10 and with the server being so nice and warm, we just couldn’t get enough of this place . Their poutine was spicy with their local pepper and sauce and along with tofu bits and cheese curd was devoured by our entire crew of vegetarians. The sausages were different kinds and i went with the bratwurst recommended by our server went amazingly well with the korean sauce and toppings. They have vegan options as well. The rum cocktail was unique and solid and was suggested by our server as well. We came in with zero expectations and felt this might be one of those dingy shady places and we went away from this place with our hearts and tummy full. I don’t live in this town but highly recommend this place for the locals. So much vibe and the food is great

A Chicago style hotdog has to be made with Vienna Beef Sausage and Chicago style relish. If these ingredients are not used, then it's not a Chicago hot dog, only a poor imitation. Same for their Seattle, and Seoul variety. Made using the wrong ingredients. Poutine was great, but their take on regional hot dogs was bad. Not the best hot dog joint as others have claimed. Awesome selection of liquor and beer taps. Great service, good location, and vibes.

Don't waste time reading this review..GO TO THE VANGUARD NOW! Milwaukee, WI is already the Midwest's best kept secret and The Vanguard is the best kept secret-within that secret. This place specializes in sausages and from the Steakhouse to my all-time fav- the Jamaican Lamb Currywurst, you can't find a better selection of choices to pick from. Add in the freshest tasting beers and that eclectic yet welcoming hospitality vibe and you're bound to hang out here long after the food and drinks are done.

Returned to The Vanguard this weekend with a large group (8 people)! We were seated immediately and service was good plus the food is always super affordable. I ordered the brat with their hot kraut which was delicious--per usual! Also I split an order of cheese curds. Looking forward to my next visit!

Oh my goodness what a hidden treasure. Exceeded the expectations of both the vegan and the meat eaters. The currywurst and the Kozlov with carrot kraut and picked onions and the poutine exploded with flavor. Add this to your must try list.

Fresh homemade hotdogs and sausages and sides. Excellent waitstaff ready to answer any questions and make recommendations. Great bar selection. Nice outdoor space and indoor seating area. A must when visiting the area!

Used to be one of our favorite restaurants. Walked in for lunch, not at all busy. The dude that was our waiter with the Monster Truck T-Shirt and hat who says he's been there for only two months took our order and it took about 25 minutes to come out. Very pleasant fellow, but was clearly inexperienced. My cold beer was almost warm by the time it all came out. The fries were not hot - like they were sitting for a while. The waiter didn't even come out to check on us after dropping off our food. Nobody at the table liked their food. It was room temperature. It's a shame because we were regulars. Such a great little restaurant that now hires subpar cooks and wait staff. Our family of seven will not be going back.

Ful disclosure: I came to The Vanguard because Jack White came here for a pop up performance immediately after I'd been to his pop up show in Madison earlier in the evening. Before I had settled in for the night here he was on Instagram Live at The Vanguard Milwaukee. I thought, I've not heard of this venue. I'll have to check it out after sleep. Turns out its a neighborhood bar. So I made the trek. Because that's how big of a JWIII fan I am. Here with a friend and limited hours to spare, we visited on a Saturday late afternoon. We sat at the bar hoping for fastest service. Interestingly enough, the first couple of menu items we ordered, they were out of. So we gave up on real menu items and ordered fries and drinks. No complaints about anything else. Would consider trying once more because I do like the "sausage by the city" upgrades that let you select regional fixings for your main meat.

Everything about The Vanguard was great: the food, the service, the beer, the atmosphere. All around a wonderful experience!

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Vanguard and will definitely be back! The food was super yummy and as a vegetarian I loved how much flexibility and options there was for me! Service was great and the bartenders were quick and responsive despite the rush. It's a small restaurant so expect a louder atmosphere if it's busy. I got the Thai Breaker but subbed for the vegan option! It was super good! I especially loved the peanut sauce. Our buffalo tofu was also super good and crispy and spicy and I loved the vegan ranch as well! Super creamy and delicious. My bf and I had trouble picking what to get so we will definitely be back to try more. Seems like a good spot for a pre game meal or some light bites!

Pretty damn delicious... but we didn't know how things worked and no one told us. So even though our duck BLT was the bee's knees, -1 star for not alerting us when our food was ready which resulted in it being way colder than we would've liked. So there... still very special BLT...

3.5? I got the Chicago dog and it just wasn't very good. Bread was too hard and the meat was too. Came here for the poutine tho and it was honestly pretty good. Closest I've gotten to Canadian poutine in mke. I would come again for it. Can't say anything about the rest of their food so I would maybe come back again.

This is one of my go to spots! The bartenders are also friendly, the vibe is just right, and the food never fails! A simple menu that pack a flavor punch. Check it out when you're in Bayview

This pub makes all their own brats and sausages in-house, which makes for some truly excellent dogs! The fries are absolutely delicious and the poutine quite yummy. An excellent lunch spot!

Wow this food was to die for! We went around midnight, bartenders were friendly and speedy food service. Perfect way to end the night.

Humph. That's my sound of disappointment. I used to come to The Vanguard all of the time. Then, two years ago I had to cut gluten out of my diet so I stopped eating the sausages and mashed potato balls. Recently, I got the thumbs up start eating gluten again so I've been making the rounds to all of the things that I missed. Well kids, after eating at The Vanguard today I no longer miss them and I'm not going back. And I'm really pretty sad about the whole thing. Service was good, very good. The homemade ranch was so good. That's about it. The single sausage, the Thai breaker, was $14. Two mashed potato balls were $6 and a small french fry were $4. The prices are outrageous. C'mon. Then, I get home, put my stretchy pants on and get ready to eat the gluten, sausage and potato balls. I was ready. Really. It was already cold. Brah. I live super close so that's not it. They let the food die in the window as chef Ramsey says. Sadness. So I eat the luke warm food. It was fine. Just fine. The fries are different and don't seem to be very fresh. The sausage bun was like the cheapest generic buns at the grocery store and it wasn't warm or grilled or anything. The Thai breaker used to be my favorite and honey this wasn't it. Everything was just okay and definitely not worth the prices. I won't be back unless they work on the quality of the food.

The Vanguard is known for their "fancy" dogs. They also have beer pairing recommendations and rotating taps. I like to bring out of towners here. This place is so Milwaukee! I normally try to come every time there is a few new sausages on the menu. I would say they change their menu 1-2 a year. You would assume a sausage place is for the carnivores, but Vanguard is vegan/vegetarian friendly! The menu is full of style options with a vegan/vegetarian alternative. Don't even get me started on their tofu! It is a tie between the burnt ginger and buffalo tofu. If you are hesitant on trying tofu this place will change you. My all-time favorite is the Duck BLT. That has been on the menu since day 1. I always try to a new flavor and the schnitzelwurst and pinuno were unique and delicious. As for the sides, you really can't go wrong but I would skip the cheese curds and go for the green beans! Try something new when you come here, and you won't be disappointed. Vanguard doesn't take reservations and you order at the counter and at the bar for drinks. This place is casual but impressive. We keep coming back!

If I could put 0 stars I would. You guys are not deserving of any stars. Waited for 30 minutes to come to find out that they are not vegan or vegetarian friendly. The pirate clown behind the counter went on and said that his roommate is a vegan (my wife has been a vegetarian for over 20 years) and said it depends how picky people are with their food. If we are asking if food is vegan or vegetarian it clearly means that it is clear of any animal products or any cross contamination with animal products. My clearly he stated that this is NOT VEGETARIAN. DO NOT claim that your food is vegetarian when it is clearly not. There are no "levels" to vegetarianism and the attitude you all give is not forgivable. Please correct your menu as people who do not eat meat will not appreciate that you fry all foods in the same oil. Again, there are no levels to vegetarians. Worst experience we have had in Milwaukee so far. 100 % don't recommend!

Loved this place. The best bartender maybe ever. And so many vegan options! We had two signature cocktails and they were awesome.

Stopped in for dinner with the fellas on a Friday. Glad there were 4 hungry guys because we were able to try most of the sausages. A few we love and have had before. Some new ones. Delicious libations. Classic poutine. South Buffalo chicken poutine. Sausages: duck blt, kozlov, Thai breaker, Nashville hot chicken, mustafa, bunkhouse, killer khan. One of the most unique and delicious spots around town for sure!

We were visiting friends local to the area and they took us here for lunch as they like to come here regularly. Whoa, so many sausages to choose from, styled so many ways! And they have a decent beer list as well. I had the Thai Breaker sausage (a pork sausage seasoned with lemongrass, ginger & cilantro, topped with peanut sauce, shredded carrots & lettuce) and it was SO GOOD! We shared the baked potato balls, which were delicious as well. I tried our friend's seasoned fries & they were unexpectedly spicy, as the menu only indicated they were seasoned, but they were good, just a bit hot spice-level for some in our group. They also have some burgers, poutine, and other options. It's much smaller inside than I was expecting, since it's such a popular place, but they do have a patio out back when the weather is nicer. Our server was friendly and the food came out quick.

I'm doing my weekly food review, soooo I've been searching up areas to eat, and this place sounded right up my alley. Firstly, I liked the vibe inside. They had music playing, and I dug it!!! They had everything from, "Cool It Now," by New Addition, to "The Seeker," from The Who. Not only was the music variety wide, but they had a wide variety of different stuffed meat treats. I made my choice from the several they had. Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike, this is the sausage I want, I don't care what you like. My choice? Killer Kahn. The sausage had a great flavor to it, and had a back door kick. Fresh veggies and herbs went well with the spicy unit. I had to try the fries. They were golden, crispy, hot, and salted to perfection. My only drawback to this place, was the price. I guess if you want quality though, you're gonna pay. I will definitely return and try other items they have. The service was friendly as well. Keep up the great work guys.

The Vanguard is a bar that has fast food restaurant I will say which has an interesting theme from the late 80s having an old wrestling wrestler from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) on the wall and also playing old matches on their television. For my food I had the: Cheese Curds are very good and tasty crushing I bite to heaven I will say. The Chicago hot dog style comes with tomato, pickle, celery salt, relish, and sports peppers. First time tasting Chicago hot dog it was fine not a fan of it I will say. The Durty Burger sausages plus beer patty come with bacon, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle, ok sauce, Velveeta OR style by the city. Served on a brioche bun. The burger was fine not very tasty I will say.

Food is dry and gives off food truck energy but comes with Bay View prices. Service is terrible I had to go up to the bar to get a refill since we never saw our waitress. Will not be returning for the cost of the food and how busy it was you would think it was actually good food

We stopped in here to grab a drink while waiting for our table at Hungry Sumo next door. After glancing at the menu, my husband suggested we go back to The Vanguard to try some of their offerings since so much looked good. Still, this was a great place for our party of 6 to relax and start the evening. There are lots of options here, drinkwise, with a large assortment of beers. Since we weren't there to eat, we ordered our drinks at the bar. This is not a big space, but the long bar and larger tables make it a nice spot for groups.

The Vanguard never disappoints. The food is excellent, staff is welcoming and super friendly, and the music is loud and awesome.

We stopped on our way home for a quick lunch here. It was a pleasant surprise. The service is quick and polite And check back often to see if you need a refill ECT. The menu is basically Brats with a few exceptions. But don't be turned off by the mostly brats description, there are lamb, turkey, Italian And mixtures of meat brats. They are prepared and served with dressing put together by the chef specialized for each flavor brat. A truly inspiring mix of herbs ,greens and dressings that make a simple brat meal a culinary experience. The restaurant it self is very basic in style and decor, with a long bar running down one side. The mixed drinks on draught are very good and worth a try as well.

The Vanguard loves meat-eaters and non meat-eaters alike! I have tried their sausages in the past but I was in the mood for something different. The Buffalo tofu and burnt ginger tofu were absolutely AMAZING. Bursting with flavor and a big portion that's easy to share with friends. I couldn't pick which one and I'm glad I ordered both because they were so so so so GOOD. I also got the mashed potato balls because they are comforting and tasty as well. Order at the counter and they bring your food out. Good service, good vibes, good everything!

Being a vegan, it is hard to find vegan hot dogs, let alone vegan Braut! I really enjoyed my experience at The Vanguard. I enjoyed the food so much that I decided to eat there twice in one week. The atmosphere was very relaxed and chill, and the ambiance was darker and cool toned. I tried the Seoul, Chicago, and Tijuana topping styles. Seoul and Tijuana were my favorite topping styles. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. 10/10 recommended!

Oh yummm. Since my friends were visiting me from DC, I was trying to find a restaurant that :1) serves good food; 2) opens on Sunday; 3) has clean dining environment & great vibes; 4) represents and shows off Wisconsin's specials. This place really hits every point! It's packers game time and there were fans at the bar area. The vibes were great and we didn't feel like walking into a crazy and dirty pub at all. The host and server were both very friendly. We picked a table and looked at the menu and everything looked interesting and good. Food came fast. I really enjoyed my Salazar. I am a pineapple fan and I thought they did a such good job in creating this absolutely flavorful recipe + yummy brat. Cheese Curds were good. Garlic Mushroom Poutine were yummy. I honestly had a great dinner. My friend liked the duck BLT brat very much. And the other friend liked the brat a lot too, but thought the sweet potato purée was not great (I forgot the name of the dish but there's no bread in his sandwich).

Thanks to Yelp another great find. Blew into town ( literally with the winds), looking for a nice tasty place. Perfect pick. Small & local & casual. The food was made from about two feet away in the open kitchen. Drinks were good! The brats were delicious and many different options as you would expect. The bun was fresh and light- local bakery according to what I saw. Highly recommend the Vanguard to locals and travelers alike.

Best sausages ever. Good service as well. A must have whenever I'm anywhere near Milwaukee.

Went here on a whim with my friend did not realize that this was a hotdog place until I walked in and saw the menu. I was delightfully enjoyed to find out that it was as I love hotdogs and the selection was amazing. I end up getting a buffalo hotdog and it was perfect in every way. I also got a drink recommendation from the waitress that was a combination of lemonade and red Gatorade I highly recommend trying it sometime. And their fries were amazing with the season salt that they had on them plus their homemade ranch. I can't wait to return and continue exploring the menu!

Was in Wisconsin for the very first time last week. Wanted to experience some of the local flavor. Hopped on Yelp and looked on Eater coming to the conclusion that The Vanguard was the place to go. It didn't disappoint. The food was great. Sat at the bar as place is a little on the small side and it was busy on a Monday night. Make sure you have plenty of time if you're eating in because there may be a wait.

Great food! Great beer! Great music! Great time! This is our first night in Milwaukee, overall 10/10!

This place blew our mind. Don't let the nondescript, hole in the wall bar vibe from the street fool you. Inside is some of the best, most imaginative food you've never heard of! Vegan and craving a delicious chili cheese dog? Got it. Vegan and wondering what poutine fries taste like? They got you covered! The two vegans in our party instantly fell in love with this place. The non-vegan food is top notch as well. They make all of their sausages (traditional and vegan) in-house, so this is a truly unique experience. I had the cheddarwurst Pittsburgh style and it was fantastic. It lacked the usual greasiness of store bought, and the vinegar based coleslaw I would have happily eaten separately as a meal.

Roasted garlic poutine: if you like mushrooms, cheese, and cloves of garlic, this is the poutine you should get! It is meatless, but it is still very tasty. This is good to get with the Nashville hot chicken hot dog. It balances it out with spiciness of the hot dog. Nashville hot chicken: it is spicy and oily! But it's so good. Make sure you have a cup of water with you. It has good texture too. Thai breaker: eat this first before eating the Nashville hot chicken so your mouth is not on fire and can't really taste the full flavors of the Thai breaker. It's very unique and I love the crunchy bits! It's amazing how two hot dogs can taste so different!

Very much a hole in the wall establishment if I have ever seen one, but accompanied with a great local vibe and a no-nonsense flair for sausage. I ordered the Thai breaker and green beans and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not a huge fan of brats/sausages but would come back to try additional flavors.

I don't know how we ended up at the Vanguard, but we did. It's a homemade sausage joint, unpretentious to the max. I'm the most pretentious poser on the planet and stood out like Paris Hilton on an Australian Aboriginal reserve. Lewie was our lovely bartender but knew we were out of our element. The Vanguard is a great bar if you're in a flannel, beanie, sausage, sweat sock mood. We were on a Saturday night date, dressed to the nines. The Vanguard ain't that kind of place.

Amazing thank for the experience I love this place . Travel from Orlando Florida to this place that my son highly recommended and I enjoyed it .

It's so yummy and so fun here. Come for the sausage stay for the music videos. This place is known for their sausage. There's a joke in there. They offer vegetarian ones too. I come for the starters and sides. If you like tofu this may just be the best in town. Burnt ginger tofu will turn you on and on. It's so flavorful, and the texture is perfect. If you're not a ginger fan, you can get them made Buffalo style. The mashed potato balls are creamy with cheese and pop in your mouth delicious. If you're vegetarian, remember to ask for no bacon or the veggie bacon version. They have Mac n Cheese. They have cheese curds. They have a scrumptious miso charred Brussel sprouts dish that will tickle your fancy. Honestly, it's just a fantastic place, and you need to get in here.

This is one of our favorite places in the Bay View neighborhood. Yesterday, we were nearby and had a few friends with us from out of town. Hunger struck us hard and my husband suggested we make our way to Vanguard. We each ordered something different and ended up cutting our food up because wanted to share in the deliciousness with each other. A few in our group went back up and ordered a second round because they just couldn't get enough. Side note: the bar tenders are always super awesome and I greatly appreciate the self-serve water dispensers.

I had some business to attended to in the Milwaukee area and a friend suggested I stop into The Vanguard. I'm glad I did! This was a super cool corner bar type of place with plenty of whiskey, house made sausages and an 80's wrestling theme (they have classic WWF matches playing on the bar t.v.'s). There is also a decent tap selection. The employees were super cool and were very into their whiskey and wrestling. I had a bratwurst with mustard, kraut and onions, a couple of beers and a Wisconsin style Old Fashioned (they make them with brandy out there). Food was good as were the drinks. If I lived in that area I could see myself being a regular there.

Hot dogs, poutine, fried potato balls, and curds. What's not to love? Visited this spot after a fun brewery tour at @lakefrontbrewery . It's a smaller spot but they have a large bar & wide variety of toppings and flavors. More on Instagram @midwestmunching Among all of us, we shared 3 hotdogs, a fried potato ball, loaded fries, and cheese curds As pictured : FRIED POTATO BALL with sour cream, cheese whiz , bacon and chive CHICAGO DOG with tomato, pickle, celery salt, relish, peppers, onion, mustard SALAZAR (HUNGARIAN SAUSAGE) with cheddar shmear,. Pineapple, basil, cheddar and bbq sauce ROASTED GARLIC POUTINE with bourbon mornay, fried basil, mushroom & garlic ragout CHEESE CURDS with bacon stein aioli BRATWURST with sauerkraut, peppers, onion Everything was really tasty. We also got a nice old fashioned that made the night. If you're here with friends, highly recommend getting one of their special hotdogs, the fried potato ball (waiters favorite), garlic poutine It's SO GOOD

Vanguard is a fun place to come have a drink, some food and relax on the patio or at the bar. Bartenders are always super friendly and prompt. Also, the prices are not bad at all for drinks and there are always specials. I love their version of a Manhattan! The cooks are super creative with different types of sausages. I honestly never crave sausage, but whenever I get one here, I LOVE it! I've also tried the burger and cheese curds which were delicious. Appetizers are always good and the menu is always changing. There are plenty of vegan options as well. Consistent. Fun. Good Atmosphere...Can't go wrong! Keep it up Vanguard!

We picked The Vanguard because it is located in the neighborhood of the person we were meeting and because they offer vegetarian & vegan sausages, along with a full bar and a goodly number of draft beers. But. . . when I got home from my trip a couple weeks later and sat down to write my Yelp review, I couldn't remember much about the food or drink. . . so I guess that that means I'll be writing another three star review, but that's A-OK. On the plus side, nothing horrendous or disastrous happened, and you will probably have a similar experience and be relatively satisfied with your food and drink. I ordered an Asian curry inspired sausage that was served poutine style over a heap of fries. The flavor was good, but somewhat monochromatic. The heat from the spices and chilies was substantial but not over the top. At first I wasn't sure about fries drenched in sauce, normally I like my fries nice and crispy so I can pick them up with my fingers and dip them in ketchup or another sauce, but if the sauce complements the meal properly (as it did here) I'm OK with using a fork to eat my fries. My vegan companion had a more traditional sausage made with seitan and served on a roll with a side of fries. He reports that it was quite tasty. We also ordered the "house pickle du jour" to share -- picked carrots the day we were there. The lightly brined round slices were huge (up to 2.5" in diameter). That made them unique, but I personally I'd rather they were "bite sized." In the end I'd sum up my review by saying, "For 'bar food' -- it was pretty good." I'd come again if I'm in the neighborhood.

Had some older friends drop me off for a tattoo across the street they went in for a beer or two. I later met up with them only to find out how poorly they were treated by the bartender. Why? Because they were older and didn't fit your profile of clientele? Money was on the bar and constantly ignored. Was it bust? Nope she was just an unfriendly mean person. My friend is a huge wrestling fan which is what they pride themselves on and was still treated badly. Never again. Don't bother with this place.

Headed to Milwaukee for a day trip and couldn't leave without trying this highly rated restaurant, and I can absolutely say it lived up to the hype! The unexpected showstopper of the entire meal was the burnt ginger tofu.... so so so so so good. The vibe was chill, the back patio is spacious and cute as well. Once you take a peek at the menu you order at the counter for both drinks and food. Food came out quick! 10/10 recommend!

You really can't go wrong with a visit to The Vanguard. Delicious food, good service, casual atmosphere - we've never had a bad experience here. The menu has something for everyone, and they are constantly updating their social media pages with new specials. They also offer vegetarian and vegan options which is nice. Vanguard has a great tap list and good cocktail options as well. All-in-all, everything is reasonably priced though. The communal seating and counter service ordering makes Vanguard a casual and relaxed setting. The place is a little small when it's too cold for the patio, but this probably adds to the charm. Even if you do end up with a bit of a wait to be seated, it's easy to grab a drink and stand near the bar. I only have good things to say about Vanguard.

Right when you walk in, the atmosphere really makes you want to stay with the kitchen right at the front of the restaurant where you can see the food being made from the window. The sartorelli italian sausage was great with plenty of flavor from the onions and green peppers to the Marinera sauce and mozzarella cheese. The sausage had the most flavor but was slightly over cooked and also after the first bite the whole sausage meal was falling apart and somewhat messy. That's the reason why i would give it 4 vs 5 stars. The food came out pretty fast even though we never received water. Lastly the Brussels sprouts were pretty good. Maybe a bit too heavy with all the sauces it was doused in but the pomegranate was a good garnish on top. Overall, I highly recommend the SARTORELLI SAUSAGE. You won't be disappointed

Me and my boyfriend loved the sausages and the soft pretzel but the cheese sauce was lacking in flavor and we didn't enjoy the loaded fries much. The staff were very kind and the prices here are really good. They had a cool movie playing and music as well. They have a good, broad range of drinks but we didn't see much tequila. I enjoyed my cheddarwurst thoroughly; it is very filling. I recommend this place because most of what we had was good and I know they have other sides I would like to try. Plus the staff was very nice to us.