O'Brien's Pub in the Washington Heights neighborhood is the kind of place -- especially during non-pandemic times -- that's a true neighborhood joint.
The popular Irish-American pub sits across from Wick Field, so you'll often find uniform-wearing diners grabbing a bite or sharing a pitcher after a baseball or softball game.
The pub, 4928 W. Vliet St., is also in the middle of a residential neighborhood and within walking distance of the MPS Central Administration building and is the longest running business to occupy the 1928 space.
But O'Brien's certainly isn't the first longstanding eatery to welcome the local crowd. In fact, the bar itself is was installed by a previous tenant, The Golden Zither.
The Zither, named after a stringed instrument, was a traditional German restaurant that operated in space in the 1960s. It was known for its live musical entertainment, including the zither, of course, as well as singing waitresses.
Learn about that chapter of neighborhood history in this week's Urban Spelunking podcast, and be sure to visit OnMilwaukee to read Bobby Tanzilo's complete story.
