Just down the street from Milwaukee’s iconic Oriental Theater, on the corner of Farwell and Windsor, lies a sparkling gem known as Backstreet BBQ & Hot Pot. This two-year-old restaurant serves high-end tabletop grill BBQ and hot pot at an all-you-can-eat flat rate of $31.98 per person (desserts and soft drinks included). Upon entering, we noticed the roaring artificial flames coming from the sides of the table, accompanied by a beautiful cherry blossom tree. If you’re looking to eat here on a Saturday night, expect a 15–30 minute wait, and making reservations may be a good idea for larger groups. When we sat down, we noticed that the table had a massive, low-flame shichirin (hibachi grill) in the center, with heating pads in each corner for hot pots. Behind our table was an extensive sauce bar where a woman with kind eyes and a giving disposition offered to make us her special sauce. Yummy yum! The menu had a variety of meat and vegetables, which could be ordered unlimited times and were included in the price, as well as detailed cook times for every item. Here’s what we got and what we recommend for your visit!
Spicy Pork Belly (rubbed in an orange curry sauce) – Very tender, fatty, a nice switch-up from the beef. If you like curry, you might like this! 7/10.
Honey BBQ Beef (with sweet peppery sauce) – BEST BEEF DISH IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD! Super salty, sweet, tender, and cooks well. A must-try. 10/10.
Ribeye Steak (thin-sliced) – Although we may have cooked it too long, we enjoyed the flavor and tenderness. Hard to cook right. 7/10.
Marbled Beef Cube – Enzo waged a war against the marbled beef cubes and lost. Hard to cook right. However, those that were cooked correctly were very good. 6.5/10.
Angus Beef (medium-sized, thin-cut) – Super solid choice. Very easy to cook and good flavor. Not quite as flavorful as the Honey BBQ Beef. 9/10.
Octopus – Simple to cook but tough to chew. 5/10.
Garlic Shrimp – The easiest to cook and the most flavorful thing we tried. Would highly recommend getting these as you only need to cook them for about a minute. 10/10.
Prawn w/ Garlic Sauce (shell-on) – Larger versions of the shrimp, smothered in tasty garlic sauce. Similar taste to the shrimp but took a little longer to cook due to their size. 10/10.
Squid (cut in strips) – Not much flavor, tough texture. Not worth your time, unfortunately. 3/10.
Pork Dumpling – Moist, crispy, great pork flavor. We recommend cooking it on the grill instead of ordering it from the kitchen. 9/10.
Pineapple (sliced and fresh) – Amazing paired with the beef, great fresh flavor, super yummy. Please get this!!! 10/10.
Enoki Mushroom (with garlic sauce) – Very crispy, great sauce, good if you like mushrooms. 8/10.
Assorted Vegetables – Fresh and easy to cook. 10/10.
Overall, Backstreet BBQ & Hot Pot is a super fun experience, offers great menu items, and is truly worth the money! The service was very good, and our waitress helped us cook some of the different items. We would recommend this for first-timers as it can be difficult to master the art of the shichirin, particularly with the marbled beef cubes and other tender meats. This restaurant is super accessible from Shorewood (10–15 minutes) and is a great addition to the Milwaukee restaurant scene. Bring a huge party of your friends (if you have them), a special someone in your life (if you have one) for a romantic night, or go solo and still have fun! We would give the overall experience a 9/10. The atmosphere and value were top-notch, but cooking the food yourself can present a challenge if you don’t have the special meat touch. Chow down on all the hand-crafted meat you want at Backstreet BBQ & Hot Pot! We hope to see you there. Signing out, this is “pass the pineapple” Pearl, “meat in my mouth” Meems, and “meat-cubed” Enzo. Spread peace and love!