Enjoy Big Burgers at Brickhouse Craft Burgers and Brews

Sunday afternoon is a busy time in downtown De Pere. The city’s restaurants are all full– especially with the weather being on the warmer side compared to most of March. I arrived at the building that Brickhouse shares with Julie’s Cafe to find that there wasn’t a single parking spot available in the lot. I considered it a good sign for the meal I would have inside the doors, so I found another spot in the downtown area to walk back down to the restaurant.

During the height of the pandemic, I ordered a burger for delivery from Brickhouse, so I had some idea of what to expect. Big burgers and tasty fries were still fresh in my memory. Little did I know that they developed a rotating monthly menu that included a limited offering poutine, burger, and sandwich. On another visit, I would love to try the buffalo chicken poutine. This visit wasn’t that visit, however.

I’ve neglected downtown De Pere since moving closer in the last year. I had my eyes on trying the same burger that I enjoyed during the pandemic from inside the restaurant rather than after a delivery. I did not expect to sit down at my table and be offered a plate of their house made pickles– sweet, dill, and spicy. Both for snacking and the burgers to come, the wait staff offer them at the beginning of the meal like chips and salsa. As a pickle lover, I appreciate that.

​​Taking home leftovers will allow you to take home cups of these pickles for future use if you’re as enthusiastic about pickles as I am. The number of sandwiches and wraps I made with the three types of pickles that Brickhouse delivers to the table first thing cannot be over exaggerated. Their spicy pickles especially became a welcome component for grilled cheese once I brought leftovers home with me. 

I make it my mission to try calamari on every menu that I find it on in the local area, and I found it at Brickhouse. Their spicy Portuguese Calamari are served with a Peri Peri crema for dipping which shirks the trend in the Green Bay area to serve fried calamari with a garlic aioli of some kind. Peri Peri can sometimes be overwhelmingly spicy, but the crema itself helped to tamp down the heat of the seasoning to a comfortable warmth. Notably– the calamari itself remained bouncy within the batter without turning chewy.

With a win coming out of the kitchen on the appetizer menu, I knew that I could expect a delicious burger. The classic double patty cheese burger with cheddar arrived while my guest and I were still working our way through the calamari. That burger would feed me for the entirety of my Sunday. Juicy, flavorful meat held its own on the plat in the restaurant and after going through the microwave at home that evening. The thin fries were well seasoned and proved to be a welcome, salty break in the rich burger alongside the tray of pickles.

That all says nothing about the long beer list at Brickhouse, constantly rotating through craft brews from near and far. At least once a month, they offer special events with breweries to taste something new coming to their draft section that month. Burger and beer connoisseurs alike will find something to make them happy here no matter what day of the week you decide to stop in for your own visit.

Keep an eye on their facebook page for information about any of the special events or patio opening information as the weather warms up. Their hours on facebook are also accurate, so you can plan your visit from there with accuracy. 

Thanks to the staff for a delicious meal, and kudos to the kitchen staff on the most well cooked calamari I’ve had in town!