Tucked Away Scotty’s Bar & Pizza

Off the beaten path, down that flight of stairs, or tucked behind some crappy façade in a strip mall, some restaurants are overlooked because of their weird locations. It’s almost like there’s a parallel universe of Milwaukee dining lurking just beyond the curtain of the conventional. Just because a restaurant isn’t on the East Side or in Bay View, though, doesn’t mean the food’s not worth tracking down. Case in point: Scotty’s Bar & Pizza (3921 S. Clement Ave., 414-481-6060).

Down Clement Avenue, several blocks and a couple decades removed from the trendiest section of revitalized Bay View, a small and outdated tavern is awkwardly situated between a liquor store and a Citgo station. A cursory glance at the gaudy exterior of Scotty’s Bar & Pizza—not to be confused with nearby Pizzeria Scotty on Oklahoma Avenue—doesn’t exactly demand further investigation. But for those perceptive, curious, and brave enough to ignore all better instincts to eat elsewhere, this throwback poses a folksy and surprisingly satisfying dining alternative.

Unsurprisingly, though, is the steadfast cast of weekday warriors we found lining almost every stool of the crescent-shaped bar and plugging dollars into the video poker machines. Yet, with domestic bottles going for $2 apiece and pitchers of Schlitz to be had for a fair pre-image overhaul toll of $6, it became easy to understand the turnout. 

Past the jukebox and pull-tab machine in the cookie-cutter townie barroom there sits something of a dining area, nestled against the nape of a diminutive kitchen. Wait long enough in the unintentionally kitsch automobile-themed room and a bartender- or cook-turned-server will come out to ask if you’ve heard about “the burger special.” In addition to burgers, Scotty’s offers patrons tacos, sandwiches, and (by law) a Friday fish fry.

However, pizza is included in the establishment’s namesake for good reason. A generously portioned slab of thin crust, peppered sauce, gooey cheese, abundant toppings and careful seasoning transforms Scotty’s from a shoddy neighborhood tavern into a formidable pizzeria evermore with each bite. If you can handle the hour wait (iffy service withstanding) in an eyesore of a dining room disguised as an homage to the hot rod, the delicious food and bargain drinks make Scotty’s a worthwhile escape from the encroaching hipness taking over the neighborhood.