Crocus Restaurant

I heard last week that this restaurant would be closing after 31 years in business. It was on my fish fry and regular dining to-​do list, so I rushed out to get a fish fry for lunch the same day I saw the post.
It was quiet when I arrived, but another 15 or so diners arrived within 10 minutes of my arrival.
I ordered the Fried Periogis and the Cod Fish Fry.
Periogis are normally boiled, but everything is better fried, right? These certainly were. Three different periogis come in the order, one with seasoned ground beef, one with cheese & potato, and one with sauerkraut. All were great, but the ground beef was my favorite. This app was $ 6.
My fish fry came with soup, which actually arrived before the periogis as it should. Option were Four Cheese with Vegetable or White Borscht. I went with the Borscht and loved it. It contained a sligthly creamy and flavorful broth with bit of potato and sausage.
My fish fry was perfect! The cod was lightly hand-​breaded, which I prefer over beer-​battered. The fish was light and flaky and the seasoning in the breading was well-​balanced.
My choice of potato was the homemade potato pancakes. These are REAL potato pancakes, not hash brown patties, which I still enjoy when done right. The pancakes were thin, slightly crisp at the edges and soft in the center. I would have liked a little more seasoning but they were solid! You’re provided with apple sauce and I had sour cream left over from the periogis but didn’t need them.
The cole slaw was served creamier on the bottom half than the top, but good nonetheless, and the bread basket included very soft rye bread and white bread.
This was definitely one of the best fish fries I’ve had in Milwaukee, and worth every penny of the $ 12.00.
The bad news is that this is their last weekend open. Today is your last chance to get a fish fry from Crocus and tomorrow night is their last dinner service. They’ll be offering a Polish Dinner Buffet as they do evey Saturday. I haven’t tried it yet. I suspect many others haven’t tried it either and that is part of the reason the are closing.
It sounds like business has been slow for this father and son run restaurant. There is no question the dining scene in Milwaukee is evolving, but old school gems providing great ethnic food, touching the roots and traditions of Milwaukee’s cultural history, need to be preserved somehow.
I admit I don’t do as well at helping out as I would like, but I do keep a list of such restaurants, so I don’t forget them. I mix visits in to them along with the newer places as much as possible.
If you get a chance, try Crocus today or tomorrow night. Send them out on a positive note. I plan to go tomorrow night for dinner.

Last day for Crocus is May 3, 2014. Closing due to lack of business.

Decided to stop in here after driving by a few times and thinking it was a supper club. Went online, found out it was a Polish restaurant and I’m definitely up for new things! Went on a Friday night around 7, nervous about the wait — but we only waited for about 15 minutes, not sure how typical this is.
First impressions: Walked in past a few older people smoking on the stoop, so far I feel like I’m in for a delight with the company. Love the old school, south side vibe. Step into the place, very «divey» — not in a bad way, in an old school way. Tolerable. Small bar with one gentlemen behind tending, who is also making drinks for the waitstaff and running around doing other things.
The hostess, dressed fancy, tells us it won’t be long. We sit at the bar, another group sits next to us and is served first — either they’re regulars or the bartender doesn’t notice. We’re patient, but it was slightly annoying. Old fashioned is light on the booze — not typical for such and old school place.
We’re seated in the booth near the kitchen, offering us all of pleasures of the traffic and employee conversation. I soon learn they are out of the pork shoulder AND the perch (it’s FRIDAY!!!). Since they are only open Fri-​Sun, this seems like someone’s BIG screw up.
So far it looks like they may be a person or two down… we aren’t approached for awhile at our table, though our young waiter is very good at apologizing and joking about the wait. He seems to be trying to take care of the older and «crankier» types, works for us — we’re ok with it.
Order:
Broccoli and cheese soup — cold. Very cheesy. One, albeit fresh, piece of broccoli
Minestone/​Beef (forget specifically what it was) — hot, but thin Mrs. Grass type noodles. Heavy on broth, skimpy on everything else.
Cod Fish Fry — Fish is great. Seasoned and breaded, flaky and light. Tarter sauce is tasty. Potato pancakes are very good. Think, potatoy, not seasoned much, but tasty. Very much NOT your typical, bring battered fish.
Polish plate — cold. Perogis are ok, cheese is too dried out for me. Meat stuffed cabbage is ok, not my cup of tea. Polish sausage is good.
I’m guessing if you like Polish food and know what you are expecting this place is good for the food. The ambiance is lacking and a bit underwhelming it how it’s run but it’s a fun environment to witness — it’s very Southside :). I would go back for the Cod again, no problem!

Good food, old charming atmosphere. Went with friends. Fish was good, soup was ok. They have an accordion player there and it was hard to hear others on the other side of the table. Would go again to try other things.

Yikes, after reading these reviews, I would have been excited to try Crocus. I’m not sure what really happened with my experience? I was there on a Friday night kind of late, 8:30? I had the soup, the fish fry and a sausage entrée for an app. The sausage was great, the soup was good and unique. The fish fry (perch) and the potato pancake were extremely bad. The fish, perhaps because of the time of day was WAY over done. Hard and dark brown in color. Additionally, the potato pancake was literally sitting in it’s own pool of oil. The final mention, is the lighting in this restaurant. Illuminated only by the small bulbs that hung from the ceiling fans? Round tables in the center all with steel chairs. Kind of thought that this is what an upscale penitentiary dining hall would resemble. I’m sure I just fell on a bad evening.

I went on Saturday to try the restaurant for the first time. The sign on door said they opened at 4pm but at 4:30 the doors were locked and nobody answered the phone?! Call ahead is my advice (if you can reach someone).

Return visit. Friday fish fry. Baked cod and potato pancakes. Best of the latter in town. Baked cod was excellent, no unhealthy deep fried foods for me. $ 10 included wild mushroom soup. Added a polish beer. Great place.

Full disclosure… I am not an expert on Eastern European food but will give my opinion on the dinner I had at Crocus this past weekend.
When you walk in the place, it is obvious that it is authentic. The majority, if not all of the staff, were polish and were communicating with one another in polish, a good sign. The décor is influenced by that region and was homey, and maybe a little dated. I was with a group of four and we got a good variety of entrees to explore the menu.
I ordered the polish dinner plate because I could not decide– polish sausage, pierogi, and a stuffed cabbage roll. The dinners all came with soup and bread/​butter. My polish plate was solid. I wish I would have ordered the full order of cabbage rolls because they were amazing. Flavorful, tender, and cooked to perfection. A total treat.
I tried the saurbraten my friend ordered and it was also great. Tender and sour, just how you want it to be. Another added bonus on the night was a free beer with a Facebook check-​in (don’t mind if I do)!
Honestly the only drawback on the night was a large group in the back that delayed the dinner service. The manager was completely upfront about the delay and was extremely accommodating. If back in the area, I would eat there again.
I think they are only open for dinner at the end of the week and weekend so check ahead before you head there for dinner!

I love their fish fry but it’s the potato pancakes that steal my heart. All the soups I ate there were very good. They have that homemade flavor. We went there for the Easter Brunch and were pleased with the food and service. Their parking lot is small but street parking is available and much easier than East side or 3^rd Ward places. (No meters.). The inside is clean, nothing special but fits the neighborhood.

Good polish beers; Warka, Zywiec. NO DILL PICKLE SOUP… BUMMER!!! I was so looking forward to it. But there was an accordion player!!! Awesome! He plays most Friday nights. He has been playing accordion since he was 7 years old. What talent!
Ok… Now on to the food.
Dinner included;
Pierogi’s six for $ 12.00. Good. Table mate had Friday fish fry which was also good.
Service was pretty good on a busy Friday night!
I’d say… give this place a try!!!

I love Polish food but had never tried Crocus until last night on a strong recommendation from a co-​worker. Here’s how it stacks up against Polonez and the all-​important «does it taste like grandma’s?» meter:
Soup: you’re going to get soup at a Polish place. They pretty much mandate it. I tried the potato dill, which was clearly homemade with pureed potatoes, a little milk and a subtle dill flavor. Verdict: Tie. Both Polonez + Crocus make soups that DO taste like grandma’s.
Beverages: there are two beer choices at Crocus — Okocim or Miller Lite. There is a full bar for your brandy-​old fashioned-​sweet needs. Verdict: Polonez wins this category with a much deeper Polish beer selection.
Entrees: who doesn’t want giant links of kielbasa with potato pancakes? Crocus grills their sausage after boiling which is a nice touch. Hubs had the sampler, which came with delicious pierogis and a cabbage roll. Verdict: Crocus wins by a nose based on the clearly homemade potato pancakes.
Atmosphere/​Service: Crocus is «old Southside fabulous» meaning it’s the kind of place that hasn’t changed much in the past 30 years. The entire staff appeared to be Polish and very welcoming. Verdict: Tie — both restaurants are family run and appeal to a AARP crowd.
Overall — you can’t go wrong with Crocus for authentic, tasty, Eastern European eats. My grandma would approve 100%.

Being of Eastern European ancestry, I’ve always enjoyed eating well-​prepared Polish food, although often at the expense of feeling satiated (bloated?) for hours afterward. Crocus offers authentic and very well prepared food which left me pleasantly satisfied.
We ate as a group, and shared most of what we ordered: pierogi, potato pancakes, mushroom and cabbage crepes, stuffed cabbage, sausage, sauerkraut, breaded pork chops and steak rolled around bacon and mushrooms. Each was better than the dish before it, and together, represented a real feast.
There is nothing fancy at Crocus, but equally, nothing lacking– other than adequate parking. They offer a buffet and a Friday night fish fry; I sampled neither.
Service couldn’t be friendlier, and the dining room is old-​world pleasant and inviting.

My parents are from Poland so, this is as good as it gets! Exceptional pierogi! If I didn’t live in Chicago (everyone is Polish :)) I would def frequent here more often.

Fish Fry review: Very nice. Crispy hot, lightly breaded fish with average slaw and applesauce. Most excellent thin potato pancakes though! Spotted cow on tap. And a bread basket right away with an assortment including salty crust rye. Oh, i forgot the Beef soup. It took me back. I don’t remember where it took me but I spent a couple years in an all Polish neighborhood as a kid and the soup spices just struck a cord with me. I’ll bring my wife for some Polish some day. She is opposed to German food. I dunno. A European thing I guess.

Never had Polish food before and found this from my fellow Unilocalers.
They had a buffet. But I think if you order off the menu it’s actually cheaper.
It’s definitely a family run place which I really appreciate. Our waitress was really helpful in selecting some veggie options for my boyfriend. He ending up getting periogies with a selection of sauerkaut, cheese and cabbage filled. I ordered the combo plate which is a good intro to Polish food. It came with a homemade sausage, veggies, sauerkaut, periogies, and yummy potatoes, and a cabbage roll. They both came with soup and bread. A lot of this food reminded me of my cooking my dad did when I was little. He was originally from Wisconsin. The food I think was made to order as we had to wait a while. Polish food is very similar to Russian food. It’s heavy food but very filling. Good for those cold snowy winter days. Also found this place pretty reasonably priced. Highly recommend if you want to try some new cuisine.

Perfectly Polish is the best way to describe this place! We were here last Saturday for a funeral, and we had the whole place to ourselves. They had a buffet with red potatoes, ham, meatballs, and sausage. They also had a ton of different salads (which you would expect), really good bread, and some desserts. I enjoyed everything I tried, and you could tell that the people working were genuinely concerned that we all enjoyed ourselves. The food was good, the accordion music was good, and it made for a nice afternoon.
I am Polish, though I have not had too much authentic Polish food. I plan to go back to try the weekend lunch buffet.

I have been coming to this location for over 20 years… since I was a little girl. My great aunt did not live far and we would walk to this location for delicious polish meals. Being polish and growing up with traditional polish foods around holidays and throughout the year, it always feels like home at Crocus. Crocus makes you feel like you are at home. The restaurant is very clean from the dining area to the bathrooms and the service is phenomenal! Our waitress was very kind and made sure we were well taken care of. The taste of the food beats any of the other polish restaurants in Milwaukee. Hands down their pierogis are the most traditional and are made fresh! If you get the polish platter you get three pierogis which are all different, meat, potato and sauerkraut. The polish platter comes with three pierogis, polish sausage, sauerkraut, veggies, cabbage roll (a little spicy) and your choice of soup. You can upgrade to Czernina for an additional cost. At the end of our meal we were waiting for our bill and our waitress brought us complementary desserts. Each individual in our party received a cream puff (medium size) and a chocolate covered strawberry. We thought that was a very generous gesture. Another nice thing is that you can order fresh pierogis and czernina (I am sure you can order other items too…) to take home and cook. (Fry the pierogis when you want to make them.) Overall five stars! Looking forward to going back soon!

Love this place. Staff is wonderful always cheery. The food is just how grandma used to make. When I miss her, this is where I go

This place has a very quaint décor. It may remind you of your Polish aunt’s living room. It really just adds to the charm. They have a small parking lot to the south of the restaurant, but it’s always full. Park on S. 13^th St and make sure you don’t get hit by one of the speeding cars. I have only had their Friday fish fry. I usually get the fried cod but the perch is also excellent. The potato pancakes are like Grandma used to make. Their soups are always delicious. I did order pierogi with a fish fry once and they were very good. They offer a Polish buffet on the weekends. I will try it ASAP and report back. If the fish fry is any indication, their buffet will be a treat.

Good place, clean, nice Polish women waited on us. Went a few times here.
Best dish — sample platter
Don’t order baked cod though — not very good.
Drinks are a little expensive.