One of the best meals in Milwaukee can only be had at 11 a.m. or you won’t get it at all.
A few weeks ago, Milwaukee Magazine reported that the Nite Owl Drive-In was open for the season. They had confirmed it with the owner. This was news. Because the Nite Owl’s operating hours are as elusive as a snow leopard.
The Nite Owl opened in 1948. It stands opposite Mitchell International Airport on Layton Avenue. It’s a flat hut with a beautiful neon sign on the roof that is never lit, because the drive-in is never open at night. There is a dining room to the right, but it closed during Covid and has never reopened. Inside, every table, chair and picture is still in place, like a diorama at the Natural History Museum.
The Nite Owl’s full name is actually Nite Owl Ice Cream Parlor & Sandwich Shoppe. The sign outside near the street says as much, advertising a “old fashion ice cream parlor.” But, based on my visits here, nobody goes there for the ice cream, sundaes or shakes. They come for the burgers.
The burgers are big and come as either a single or double, with cheese or without, typically served with “the works,” which is mustard, ketchup, pickles and grilled onions. You can order bacon. There is also a mushroom and Swiss burger.
The way it works at Nite Owl is you step up to a small window and place your order. The man there—usually the owner Chris Roepke—then says, “Pay when you pick your food up.” Then you wait. And wait. Usually 20 minutes. Because they make the burgers a la minute, beginning when you order. No burgers are made ahead of time—though Nite Owl could safely do this, the demand is so consistent.
When I arrived on a recent morning at 11 a.m, there was already a line, plus several people who had already ordered and were waiting. Most were older folks, who probably have been going to the Nite Owl for decades. I happened to be in the area for a few hours. When I drove by the Nite-Owl at 1:15 p.m., it was already closed. Their stated hours are 11 to 3, but they rarely make it to 3 p.m. The stand only stays open until they run out of ground beef for burgers.
(If you are a working stiff, and not retired, getting a burger here is going to tough. Aside from Saturday, the stand is only open on weekdays.)
Why doesn’t the Nite Owl just buy more beef than they do? I don’t know. Why don’t they stay open and just sell ice cream, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and french fries? I don’t know.
I guess we should just be happy for what we get. The Nite Owl is regularly on the death watch, with locals often speculating whether or not it has closed for good. Until a few days ago, if you typed Nite Owl into Google, you were told it was “permanently closed.” (Not anymore. Someone tipped Google off.) It’s still listed as “permanently closed” on Apple Maps.
If you want to learn more about the Nite Owl, a great source is George Motz’s book Hamburger America. A brand new expanded edition of the book will hit bookstores on April 14! It is now available for pre-order.
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