Nite Owl Ice Cream Parlour & Sandwich Shoppe

Reviews

• Jennifer R.

  star star star star star 18 June 2026

  This place is one of the hidden gems of Milwaukee. When you step through the door, you step back in time to a classic 1950's diner. It's not a huge place, so you may have to wait for a table. But the wait is worth it.
  
  The menu is very simple (burgers, sandwiches, ice cream, fountain drinks, assorted sides), but you can definitely find something that you'll like. The burgers are large and greasy, which makes them delicious! The single burger is plenty filling, but if you're feeling really hungry, you can make it a double.
  
  The prices are reasonable and service is prompt and friendly. Just be advised: Nite Owl is a cash only operation. Also, they are open seasonally from spring through fall. So make sure to stop in while you can!

• Heather G.

  star star star star star_border 7 June 2026

  #NiteOwl
  This place is like going through a time vortex!  Old school malt shop with 1/2lb hand smooshed burgers with country thick bacon.  All that was missing was my Poodle Skirt  n Bobbie socks and n Xtra Straw...Fresh beef,  when they run out the closed sign goes up.. round 4:30 pm

• Greg B.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 6 June 2026

  My family and I made the mistake of our first, and probably only stop, being on the day of a car show in Nite Owl's parking lot. Apparently that meant no parking other than on side streets, a limited menu that disappointed my oldest kid because their chicken strips were unavailable, and higher than normal prices.
  
  Given the limited menu, we ordered three single cheeseburgers, a grilled cheese for the little one, and four orders of fries. My wife and I also got shakes, hers being chocolate and mine being root beer.
  
  The little one doesn't complain too much so he ate half of his grilled cheese and some fries with ketchup without a problem. The older one didn't like the burger so he ate maybe a quarter of it. He also didn't have a problem with the fries using ketchup. He took a couple small bites of the other half of the grilled cheese and didn't like that either.
  
  Both my wife and I were thoroughly disappointed with our burgers. The size was fine and it was cooked well enough (though maybe a tad too much for me), but it was so bland. The patty didn't have a speck of seasoning. Same for the fries. We ate as many as we could so as not to waste too much food, but even ketchup couldn't save those. The shakes were fine, though I wish I had gotten lime instead of root beer. I also tried a bite of the second half of grilled cheese and immediately spit it out. Something about it had a funky taste and I didn't leave it in long enough to determine the exact cause.
  
  Pro tip, an order of fries is HUGE. Had we known how much you get in an order, we would have ordered two instead of four.
  
  As I said, I doubt we will stop again. The prices are great, but Mazos Hamburger (the most comparable place I can think of) has far superior food, particularly the burgers.

• Steve W.

  star star star star_border star_border 3 June 2026

  Nite Owl is a little "drive-in" diner that tugs on your nostalgia-loving heartstrings in order to draw you in. The decor and signage all resembles a 50s diner, which is fair because the place has actually been around that long and some of it has probably been there since the 50s.
  
  To be clear, this isn't what I consider a "drive-in". It's a small diner with a to-go window outside. I feel like "drive-in" implies you drive in AND order/receive food at your car. Their hours state they're open 11 - 5, but in reality they whenever they run out of food (usually between 1 - 3 from what I hear), so you can't even be sure they'll be open when you arrive.
  
  I was lucky enough that they were still open when I got there. Despite the signs plastered every few inches that the place is cash only there was still someone who tried to hand the cashier a credit card. You've been warned. The thing I didn't find to be nostalgic about Nite Owl is the prices. A burger, fries, and a shake ran me $15. This might not be too shocking by today's standards, but I had hoped for a little 50s discount. The wait was pretty long, too. I'd guess it was about 20 minutes, but we eventually got our food.
  
  I went for the bacon cheeseburger; I decided on a single, but the double was tempting. It's probably for the best I chose single because the patty was pretty large...maybe half pound. It had a decent amount of American cheese and a couple thin strips of bacon. I found the burger itself to be pretty flavorless, though. I put ketchup on it, which I rarely do, just to give it a little extra something. The fries were crinkle-cut fries. These were good once a little salt was added. I only ordered the chocolate shake due to the previously mentioned nostalgic feeling. I don't normally drink shakes so I don't want to say if it was good or bad. I'll only say that I wasn't blown away.
  
  All in all I guess everyone needs to try it once to be able to say they've been there, but I'm not in a hurry to go back.

• Rick M.

  star star star star star 24 May 2026

  This place serves great food. Known for its hamburgers, everything here is fresh, made to order.  Update: Last time I had a burger and fries, the burger was just okay, not all that appetizing compared with other visits. I'll try them again next spring