Soups On!
221 North Water Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 283-9244
There are few things as satisfying a large bowl of freshly
made soup. And there are few things as satisfying as the
soups prepared fresh daily at Soups On! in Milwaukee's
Historic Third Ward neighborhood, just blocks south of
downtown Milwaukee.
made soup. And there are few things as satisfying as the
soups prepared fresh daily at Soups On! in Milwaukee's
Historic Third Ward neighborhood, just blocks south of
downtown Milwaukee.
Soups On! is only open Monday through Friday and it only
serves soup from 11 am to 3:30 pm. That is a small but
dependable window that allows for the sampling of four different
soups, one vegan, one vegetarian and two with meat, every week
day.
serves soup from 11 am to 3:30 pm. That is a small but
dependable window that allows for the sampling of four different
soups, one vegan, one vegetarian and two with meat, every week
day.
I have visited Soups On! on several occasions at different times.
I have entered the establishment at 9 am in the morning and it
is already fragrant with that day's soup selections. I have arrived
just before 11 am and had to wait while the proprietor finished
making the pasta that would go into one of the soups of the day.
Lastly, I have arrived near closing and been rewarded with the
remainder of that day's freshly baked bread.
is already fragrant with that day's soup selections. I have arrived
just before 11 am and had to wait while the proprietor finished
making the pasta that would go into one of the soups of the day.
Lastly, I have arrived near closing and been rewarded with the
remainder of that day's freshly baked bread.
I have bought soup to go, it comes in two sizes, $4.85 for a 12
ounce container and $5.85 for 16 ounces and a thick slice of
either semolina or sourdough bread, and I have sat down at
ounce container and $5.85 for 16 ounces and a thick slice of
either semolina or sourdough bread, and I have sat down at
one of the quaint patio style tables with their even quainter
green plastic chairs and eaten my soup from a crockery bowl
green plastic chairs and eaten my soup from a crockery bowl
while looking out at the Milwaukee River - frozen in the winter
and free-flowing in the spring - and eating from the crockery
and free-flowing in the spring - and eating from the crockery
bowl is better. Still, I have bought several cartons of soup to
go and they transport and reheat wonderfully.
go and they transport and reheat wonderfully.
On my most recent visit, on a beautiful spring day, I had time
to have a crockery bowl of soup and another delight to be found
at Soups On! - a 1/4 pound Nathan's Famous hot dog on a
to have a crockery bowl of soup and another delight to be found
at Soups On! - a 1/4 pound Nathan's Famous hot dog on a
Rosen's sausage bun with all the fixin's ($3.00). The soups of
the day were a vegan Ginger Lentil, a vegetarian Cream of
Spinach, a Chicken Dumpling and a Black Bean Chili with
Sausage. I ordered the Black Bean Chili with Sausage.
the day were a vegan Ginger Lentil, a vegetarian Cream of
Spinach, a Chicken Dumpling and a Black Bean Chili with
Sausage. I ordered the Black Bean Chili with Sausage.
Among the things that make Soups On!'s soups so great are
the fresh and plentiful toppings. The Black Bean Chili with
Sausage came topped with a melange of wonderful things
including a generous serving of shredded cheddar cheese.
the fresh and plentiful toppings. The Black Bean Chili with
Sausage came topped with a melange of wonderful things
including a generous serving of shredded cheddar cheese.
It is hard to describe how magnificent is the Black Bean Chili
with Sausage. I have had the Black Bean Chili without the
sausage - incredibly flavorable chunks that must be andouille -
and, for me, it is like eating pancakes without syrup. Don't
get me wrong, the Black Bean Chili (without sausage) is good
but the Black Bean Chili with Sausage is great.
with Sausage. I have had the Black Bean Chili without the
sausage - incredibly flavorable chunks that must be andouille -
and, for me, it is like eating pancakes without syrup. Don't
get me wrong, the Black Bean Chili (without sausage) is good
but the Black Bean Chili with Sausage is great.
I had my soup with a thick slice of rye bread that I buttered
and broke off to dip into the dark brown sauce of the chili. Yes,
this did indeed make my mouth happy. I am not ashamed
to admit that when I got down to the bottom of the bowl
where I was unable to get what was left with my spoon, I
picked up my large crockery bowl, raised it to my mouth,
and broke off to dip into the dark brown sauce of the chili. Yes,
this did indeed make my mouth happy. I am not ashamed
to admit that when I got down to the bottom of the bowl
where I was unable to get what was left with my spoon, I
picked up my large crockery bowl, raised it to my mouth,
and slurped what remained out of the bowl.
By my count, Soups On! offers sixty different soups. In
my many visits, I have probably only sampled ten, and
have yet to have a bad one. Only in one instance have I
had a better version of a soup offered at Soups On! and
that would be the Chicken Dumpling. All of Soups On!
chicken soups are delicious but I have had better
dumplings than the dumplings in their Chicken Dumpling
soup and, for me, Chicken Dumpling soup is all about
the dumplings.
my many visits, I have probably only sampled ten, and
have yet to have a bad one. Only in one instance have I
had a better version of a soup offered at Soups On! and
that would be the Chicken Dumpling. All of Soups On!
chicken soups are delicious but I have had better
dumplings than the dumplings in their Chicken Dumpling
soup and, for me, Chicken Dumpling soup is all about
the dumplings.
Soups On! is open from 7 am and offers breakfast burritos,
bagels, muffins, sweetbreads, scones, pre-made breakfast
sandwiches, chalkboard veggies strata and yogurt but I
sandwiches, chalkboard veggies strata and yogurt but I
wouldn't know nothing about that because I am all about
the soups. And the Nathan's hot dogs.
the soups. And the Nathan's hot dogs.
On the Eating While Black scale:
So good you'll slap your mama!
It made my mouth happy!
Aiight!
Better than dirt.
Service: Friendly and courteous
Comfortable for black people?: Yes
Recommend to your black and white friends: Yes
Recommend to just your black friends: N/A
Recommend to just your white friends: N/A
So good you'll slap your mama!
It made my mouth happy!
Aiight!
Better than dirt.
Service: Friendly and courteous
Comfortable for black people?: Yes
Recommend to your black and white friends: Yes
Recommend to just your black friends: N/A
Recommend to just your white friends: N/A
