Stackner Cabaret

I haven’t seen any of the plays at this theater, but I enjoy the atmosphere for dinner. This restaurant is phenomenal in that the arrangement is that you can eat while watching the play. It’s a very nice set-​up. I usually have dinner here before going to the Quadracci Powerhouse. I gave it a four based on the nice set-​up of the restaurant.

I have been going to the Stackner Cabaret for many years. Either with my husband or with a group and I have never been disappointed with the show. This is a lighter version of going to live theater. The venue is much more intimate. You are very close to the stage and the performers. And you are seated at tables with wait service, meaning you can enjoy a beer or cocktail before and during the performance. They have a good beer selection, including quite a few local brews. Cocktail menus are made up to go with the theme of the show. Servers come back at intermission for orders. There is also a bar area to gather prior to the performance. You can also order food, however I have only done that once. The shows are usually under two hours — typically an hour & a half, which is nice. We just saw «Mind over Milwaukee» with a mentalist — very entertaining. This is the only show that I have seen at the Cabaret that wasn’t a musical. Other shows have included Liberace, Oh Lonesome Me (Hank Williams), Guys on Ice, etc.
This is a good place to bring someone who is «not a theater person» as it is more like a concert with acting. And it is light and fun. Glad to have this option in Milwaukee and am looking forward to seeing the Johnny Cash show in a couple of months.
Only complaint I’ve had is the air vents blowing cold air on some of my guests on the upper tier level. Others may complain about the aluminum chairs, but I don’t have any problem with them. It would be tough to sit that way for a 3-​hour performance, but the shows are short with an intermission.

Takes all the endurance you can muster to sit in their metal chairs without adding more time in them for dinner.

This place is mediocre at best. The ambience is non-​existant and the food wasn’t anything you couldn’t eat at home for a fraction of the price. PLEASE TAKE NOTE: If you are not going to see an actual cabaret show — NO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY with this restaurant.