Along the quaint Village of Pewaukee’s main strip sits a restaurant that punches well above its small-town weight.
Artisan 179 has spent more than a decade turning “modern global cuisine” into a genuine destination, all while keeping a lakeside patio charm that feels more like a vacation getaway than a neighborhood restaurant. 🌊
This is a true chef-driven restaurant built on scratch cooking, house-made everything, and a menu that swings confidently from Asian-inspired share plates to steakhouse-quality entrees, and it has quietly become one of Waukesha County’s most talked-about dining rooms. 🥂
How Artisan 179 won Pewaukee’s hearts
The story of Artisan 179 began in February 2015, when owners Carrie Boehm and Ted Anderson opened the restaurant inside a space that had previously housed Lakefront Grille and Piano Blu.
Anderson brought serious restaurant pedigree to the project, having grown up in the business in New York City, where his father served as General Manager of the legendary 21 Club for 26 years.
That hospitality background, paired with Boehm’s local roots, shaped a restaurant built to feel like a community of lovers of food and drink, artists and musicians rather than a typical suburban dining room. 🎨
What has kept the restaurant thriving for over a decade is its commitment to scratch cooking and constantly evolving, chef-driven menus.
Early executive chef Richard Sweed, a self-taught cook from Philadelphia, built a menu that ran the gamut from New South comfort food to ramen, all while keeping the kitchen roughly 99 percent scratch.
The restaurant has also built its reputation on live music, craft cocktails, and one of the best patios in the area, regularly ranked among the top lakeside dining spots in the region.
Locals return not just for the food but for the full experience, from house-aged bourbon cocktails smoked tableside with cherry wood to seasonal menu refreshes that highlight Wisconsin’s best local ingredients throughout the year.
That mix of creativity, consistency, and genuine hospitality has made Artisan 179 a true hidden gem worth the drive from Milwaukee. 🎶
Food Highlights
- Bone-In Heritage Berkshire Pork Chop: A thick bone-in pork chop rubbed with lemon pepper and served alongside confit smashed potatoes and Jack Daniel’s honey butter. 🐖
- Braised Beef Short Ribs: Tender braised short rib finished with a rich leek and bone marrow butter for extra depth of flavor. 🥩
- Bucatini Bolognese: House-made bucatini pasta tossed in a slow-simmered bolognese sauce, part of the restaurant’s scratch-made pasta lineup. 🍝
- Scottish Salmon: A gluten-free dinner entree featuring Scottish salmon, one of the kitchen’s signature seafood offerings. 🐟
-
Pan-Seared Asian Dumplings: Dumplings made with a Heritage Berkshire pork mix, finished with a Japanese Kyoto-style dipping sauce. 🥟
-
Hamachi Crudo: Japanese amberjack seasoned with togarashi, Thai chilies, and scallions, finished with soy-ginger sauce and a drizzle of sesame and green onion oil. 🐠
- Italian Beef Sandwich: Thinly sliced beef piled with mild giardiniera and beef jus on a Roll Amoroso, a Chicago-style classic on the lunch menu. 🌭
-
Wagyu Meatball Sub: A hearty sandwich built around house-made wagyu meatballs, a menu favorite among the restaurant’s sandwich offerings. 🥪
Atmosphere
Artisan 179 leans into a modern, artistic atmosphere, blending an upscale dining room with a genuinely lively bar scene built around craft cocktails and live music.
Its sidewalk patio is regularly ranked among the best lakeside spots in the region, drawing crowds on warm evenings for al fresco dinners and live music Thursday through Saturday.
The vibe stays creative and community-driven, reflecting the owners’ stated goal of blending food, art, and music under one roof.
It works equally well for a casual lunch or a special celebratory dinner. 🎷
Bottom Line
Visit for the avocado-topped Lump Crab Cake, the bone marrow butter finish on the Short Ribs, a chef-driven scratch kitchen with a decade of consistency, one of the best lakeside patios around, and live music that turns dinner into a full night out. 🍽️🎶
Address:
179 W. Wisconsin Ave, Pewaukee, WI 53072
📞 (262) 691-0200
🕔 Open Mon–Thu 11 AM–9 PM, Fri–Sat 11 AM–10 PM (closed Sun)