2025 - Kegel’s Brings Milwaukee’s Biggest Oktoberfest to Henry Maier Festival Park

Beer and German traditions are part of the foundation and fabric of Milwaukee. What better way to celebrate the city’s German heritage than the 15th annual Milwaukee Oktoberfest, presented by one of the region’s longest running German restaurants, Kegel’s Inn in West Allis, and Swarmm Events

2025 - First-ever Milwaukee Oktoberfest celebration coming to Henry Maier Festival Park

Milwaukee Oktoberfest started 15 years as a bar crawl. It grew into a celebration at various beer gardens and even at Cathedral Square in recent years.

2025 - Move over Summerfest: Milwaukee Oktoberfest moves to Henry Maier Festival Park

After several years in downtown Milwaukee, Oktoberfest, presented by Kegel's Inn and Swarmm Events, is moving to Henry Maier Festival Park.

2025 - Kegel’s Inn Continues Its Local German Legacy in Its 100th Year

In its monumental anniversary year, Kegel’s Inn continues to show why German cuisine has an indelible spot in our foodways.

2025 - Lakefront Brewery Partnering With Famed German Brewery On New Kegel's Inn Beer

“The idea for Bräu Buddies was first conceived last year during a conversation between Lakefront,  Hofbräu and Julian Kegel of Kegel’s Inn,”

2025 - Fundraiser at Kegel's Inn this Saturday will support West Allis Ice Rink

West Allis Winter Week is the perfect time to explore everything downtown has to offer. The city is also home to one of the oldest authentic German spots.

2025 - A Century of Bavarian tradition, community, and damn good Old Fashioned's

Kegel’s Inn is more than just a restaurant—it’s a time capsule of German tradition where locals and visitors alike come to soak in the warm glow of old-world hospitality.

2025 - Kegel's Inn celebrates 100th anniversary and hosts non-alcoholic drink night

The restaurant survived prohibition, economic downturns, wars, pandemics, and more. Now, it is run by fourth-generation owners Julian and Stephanie Kegel.

2025 - Steph & Julian Kegel - Featured in The Milwaukee Cookbook

If you think you know where this thread is going, stop right there. The Kegels may own a German restaurant, but they’re not defined by it

2024 - DEC 5TH IS NOW KEGEL'S INN DAY!

Last night, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Kegel's Inn by presenting them with a proclamation declaring Dec. 5 as Kegel's Inn Day!

2024 - Shepherd Express: "100 Years of Kegel’s Inn"

Coverage of the three-day "Birthday Bash Weekend" celebrating a century of heritage and community.

2024 - Centennial Celebrations

Milwaukee Magazine: "Kegel’s Inn Is Celebrating 100 Years of Business"

An in-depth look at the centennial events, including live music, exclusive beer releases, and historical tours.

2024 - Kegel's Inn is celebrating 100 years

Kegel's Inn & Beer Garden has been serving authentic German food and beer in West Allis for 100 years, and to celebrate their 100 parties. Brian Kramp is the owner whose family originally opened the space as a "soda pop parlor."

2024 - New Milwaukee Beer Honors 80th Anniversary of D-Day

Kegel Brau Collaboration Beer - "200 Yards" releases Friday at the War Memorial Center's Beer Garden

2024 - How a fish fry drive-thru helped Kegel's Inn reach its 100th year

Julian and Stephanie Kegel view the decision to punch a hole in what was an office wall and transform it into a fish fry drive-thru as crucial to ensuring the future of a family business in West Allis that has endured to its 100th anniversary.

2023 - Kegel's releases the first of multiple 100th anniversary beers

When you’re about to turn 100 years old, you understand that some things take time. That’s why Kegel’s Inn, which celebrates a century in 2024, is partnering now with MobCraft Beer on a 100th anniversary beer to be released in December of next year.

2023 - Annual Milwaukee Oktoberfest Moves to Cathedral Square Park

Kegel’s Inn and Swarmm Events are excited to partner for a fourth year, alongside East Town Association and Milwaukee County Parks to continue the “Milwaukee Oktoberfest

2022 - Kegel's Inn, a West Allis fixture, showcased on 'The Talk' on CBS for German potato salad

A German restaurant that's been a West Allis fixture since 1924 recently won a food competition with its German potato salad on the CBS show "The Talk."

2022 - German band helps West Allis restaurant during pandemic

“We get to make the music that we want to make and bring our friends, our family and our community here,” said Zawadiwsky. “It benefits the restaurant. It’s just a win-win for the community.”

2022 - Kegel’s Inn acquires neighboring property

Kegel said the purchase means the partnership between the two restaurants will continue, including the viability of the establishments’ adjacent outdoor spaces

2022 - Kegel's Inn in West Allis has donated its ice rink.

It's now available for public use at Liberty Heights Park. After a pandemic-related hiatus, the Kegel's Inn ice rink in West Allis is back.  In a different place.

2021 - Average Friday Night in West Allis: Feigling Shot & Kegel’s Inn

If you’re from Wisconsin and/or you have some German heritage, it’s possible that you’ve heard of a German Kleiner Feigling shot. If you’re like me, it’s possible you haven’t. So what is a Feigling shot and what are the rules?

2021 - Kegel’s Inn to Open One-of-a-Kind Beer Garden Experience at War Memorial Center

A new beer garden is coming to Milwaukee's lakefront. The War Memorial Center and Kegel’s Inn announced they are partnering to bring an exciting experience to Milwaukee’s premier lakefront called “The Beer Garden at The War Memorial Center.”

2021 - Kegel’s Inn Named One of Nation’s 25 Historic Small Restaurants

Kegel’s Inn has been honored as one of 25 historic small restaurants in the United States. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express designated the restaurants as historically and culturally significant.

2021 - Kegel's Inn receives national grant for historic restaurants

Set in West Allis, this almost 100-year-old restaurant is rich in character. And it's that history that stood out in a grant application.

2021 - Behind the scenes: Friday fish fry at Kegel’s Inn

For Kegel’s Inn in West Allis, serving up fish fry on Fridays during Lent is a well-established tradition. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s proven to be a lifeline, providing one of a few profitable seasons for the 95-year-old German restaurant

2021 - Kegel's Inn & Swarmm Events Join Forces For Good

Two Milwaukee Oktoberfest events will merge in 2021, bringing a three-day event to the lakefront in late September.

2020 - Padma Lakshmi’s Flirty Charm Is What Makes Taste the Nation So Special

In the second episode of Hulu’s Taste the Nation, Padma Lakshmi visits Milwaukee to showcase how German immigrants have contributed to U.S. food culture, particularly America’s beloved hot dog. After visiting a restaurant called Kegel’s Inn, where she learns to fry schnitzel and speaks to owner Julian Kegel about the experience of his German immigrant grandparents, Lakshmi’s expression shifts, her calm, serious listening face turning mischievous.

2020 - Feast like a Medieval king or queen in the new party yurts at Kegel's Inn

“My dad used to say: ‘Businesses don’t go out of business, owners give up’” says Julian Kegel, owner of Kegel’s Inn, 5901 W. National Ave., a restaurant that’s among the oldest in the Milwaukee area.

2020 - Braving the cold: Many restaurants add outdoor structures to survive winter

“We’re that nostalgic old Milwaukee kind of feel, and sticking somebody in a little bubble outside doesn’t coincide with the traditional feel of the restaurant,

2020 - Kegel’s Inn to Reopen Ash Wednesday with New Kitchen, Same Great Menu

Banking off the success of their (street) beer garden, Kegel's Inn needed improvement in the kitchen to keep up with their current and ever-growing popularity.

2019 - FoodCrush Podcast: A chat with Julian Kegel, owner of Kegel's Inn (part 1)

The choice to take on a family business is tough. And when that business has persisted for nearly 100 years, it's even more challenging. In today's podcast (part one of a two-part episode),

2019 - Free Ice Rink officially opens outside Kegel's Inn in West Allis

The owners of Kegel's Inn came up with the idea to have the rink right outside their door. They took it to city leaders, who gave it the green light. The owner says it's a cool new way to celebrate winter fun.

2019 - Kegel's Beer Garden Opens!

Kegel’s Inn is as much a part of Milwaukee’s German heritage as beer gardens. Now celebrating its 95th year, the West Allis restaurant, serving German delicacies in an Old World atmosphere since 1924, is proud to announce the opening of Kegel’s Beer Garden.

2019 - Kegel's & Public Table collaborate on new West Allis beer garden

The north half of South 59th Street between National and Greenfield Avenues in West Allis will be closed from May 24 until Nov. 15 to create Kegel's Beer Garden, in collaboration with the nearby Public Table restaurant.

2019 - Closing National Ave For Milwaukee's First Oktoberfest at Kegel's Inn

It’s never too early to celebrate the waning days of summer with great German beer, authentic German food, lively music, dancing and family-friendly fun!

2019 - The history behind the "Mullers Dinner" at Kegel's Inn

Milwaukee has a rich German history and "Kegel’s Inn" is embracing a favorite tradition with its annual "Mullers Dinners.”

2019 - 268 Friday fish frys and counting: Kegel’s Inn (West Allis)

Caleb Westphal hasn’t missed a Friday fish fry since 2013. Follow along with his never-ending adventures!

2018 - Kegels Converts Apartments into the Milwaukee Gasthaus

Looking for a unique space to stay in above one of Milwaukee’s oldest speakeasies? Kegal’s Inn & Beer Garden has a few options for those looking for a unique experience. Brian Kramp is checking out the spaces available to rent after a night of German food and fun.

2018 - Urban spelunking: Kegel's Inn

Maybe you've sat in Kegel's Inn, 5901 W. National Ave., one of the most "Milwaukee" of local institutions (yes, I know it's actually in West Allis), and thought, "it'd be great to be a part of a longstanding tradition like this." That's how current owner Julian Kegel feels.

2017 - Bon Appetit - Old School Dinners

Kegel’s is a huge traditional 75-year-old German restaurant that looks and feels a lot like a supper club in all the best ways.

2016 - Kegel’s Has Authentic German Fare

What’s an Austrian-born entrepreneur to do if he wants to open a drinking establishment that serves food if it’s during prohibition? John Kegel, Sr. circumvented that problem by opening a restaurant in 1924, naming it Kegel’s Place, then calling it a “soft drink parlor.”

2016 - 7 reasons to get a fish fry at Kegel's Inn

It had been a few years since I stopped in at Kegel’s Inn – and my partner, who is not from these parts, had never been there – so we decided to stop in for the famous fish fry.

2016 - More than 1,000 cyclists turn out to honor Chris Kegel

The 12-mile bike ride, sponsored by Trek Bicycle, ended at Lake Shore State Park, where the cyclists signed banners in support of Kegel before circling back for a block party in his honor at Kegel's Inn in West Allis.

2010 - Listed in the National Register of Historic Places

It is locally significant as an example of Tudor Revival architecture, featuring local craftsmanship on the exterior and a number of murals painted by German-born artist Peter Gries on the interior.