Located in the past home of Vivo Urban Grill is Karma Bar and Grill, the new high-end sports bar/martini lounge replacement that proves that opposites DO indeed attract.
I drove past Karma on my way to Pick ‘n Save a few months ago and wanted to take a look. So, instead of staying in and watching reruns on TV, which seems to be the only thing I feel like doing after an exhausting day of work and a cold drive home, Eric came over and we decided to check out Karma.
Eric and I enjoy trying new places and don’t have to negotiate on where to go since we both like the same type of atmosphere – casual and comfortable and sometimes sporty – and Karma seemed to fit the bill. But if you and your date have a hard time compromising on sports bars versus clubs or bar food against fine dining, Karma blends the two concepts into one sleek and sporty venue that’s perfect for everyone – even the most unlikely pair.
Upon entering the upstairs bar, I immediately thought of Zim’s on Milwaukee Street, only Karma has an actual menu and a cozier atmosphere, but fewer TVs – it’s more of a casual, upscale establishment that doubles as a great place to catch the game.
But don’t get me wrong, glowing TV screens abound in Karma. There are 17 plasma TVs featuring all of the available sporting events – NFL, NCAA, MLB, NBA, NHL, even soccer, rugby championships and international sports – along with the best sources for game coverage – CNBC, MSNBC, Fox Sports and ESPN.
The entire place is modern and fresh, but still preserves a bit of history. Long before it was the former Vivo, it was John Ernst Café, which, at the time of its closing in 2001, was the oldest restaurant in Milwaukee, explains OnMilwaukee. Still present is the original 1878 John Ernst fireplace and the solid wood door, which currently hangs as decoration above.
Eric and I were allowed to seat ourselves since there were less than a dozen patrons occupying the stools at the bar and at the high-top tables. We chose one of the six large cushy booths that allowed us to actually listen to the game of our choosing. Just by simply adjusting the station dial on the side of the booth, I was able to switch it to the hockey game playing on the TV across from us. I felt very comfortable and at home with the exception of the guy occasionally screaming at the basketball game on TV and the cigar smoke from the older gentleman sitting alone at one of the tables in the center of the room. It's a bar though, so it really wasn't a big deal to me.
After opening last year on September 27, right around Fanatic’s debut, the new high-class sports haven got some bad press before ironing out the first-month-kinks that most new businesses endure. But based on my experience a few weeks ago, it seems as though Karma has done some necessary tweaking and is close to mastering its service.
The menu consists of a fine array of bar food staples that have been dressed up to match the chic local. As I paged through the bountiful menu, I eyed its seven signature burgers and the sandwich, salad and pizza options. The menu even focuses on healthier alternatives like buffalo and ostrich burgers, sweet potato fries, grilled chicken fingers and vegetarian choices. So, any meat and potatoes guy can bring his health conscious girlfriend and she will find something that won’t interfere with her diet while he won’t have any qualms about diving into a double bacon cheeseburger and fries. I really appreciated the variety and low calorie/fat options – even though you wouldn’t be able to tell from my final decision. I ended up ordering the pretzel and melted cheddar appetizer since I already had dinner (and I can’t pass up food) and the cold weather made me crave comfort food. Eric opted for the $12 Kobe burger that was smothered with all of the available fixings.
Besides the fairly priced – $5 to $12 – food items, Karma has a vast selection of beers. Those on tap include Guinness, Harp, Bass, Spotted Cow, Left Hand Pilsner, Sprecher Amber, Stella Artois and seasonal selections – I ordered a Stella to pair with my comforting snack and Eric picked an import called “The Bitter Woman Pale Ale” off their great list of bottled beers.
Our food was delivered quickly and the service was friendly, but not exceedingly attentive. After sharing my pretzels with Eric, I realized I could have used more – I ended up dipping some of Eric’s cinnamon-y fries in the leftover cheese while Eric had no problem devouring his gigantic hamburger.
The fare isn’t much different from a place like Hooligans, only the food isn’t quite that caliber bar grub yet. Karma is a very atmosphere-conscious sports bar, but it still boasts the same quality fanfare as your typical sports bar minus the sports memorabilia, neon signs, pool tables and dart boards, plus there weren’t any tacky beer promotions or posters of women in bikinis littering the walls. Instead, the facade, walls and bar (even the bathroom doors) look like works of art – the setting is a lot classier than your typical sports bar and it’s rather romantic for a sporty joint.
The tables, bars and walls are accented in natural and deep tones of stone and rich wood – a rustic motif – and the low lighting is enhanced by the glow from the dozen-plus TV screens and the Las Vegas style sports-book scoreboard the provides up-to-the-minute statistics, scores and game match-ups. It’s a pretty cool place for sports fans and I look forward to watching a Brewers or Packers game there in the near future.
On the other side of the coin is Sutra Lounge. The muffled sound of 80s and 90s contemporary hits beckoned me downstairs and into an entirely different bar that is posh and relaxed. It has a separate sound system so that the sports and media broadcasts upstairs don’t interfere with the conversations going on in the lounge and it doesn’t have the distractions of the TVs like upstairs, so all of the focus is on its stylish customers.
Sutra focuses on more of an intimate experience with soft lighting, flickering tabletop candles and plush, oversized settees that are upholstered in deep red and zebra prints and are accented with dark, cherry wood. It looked expensive, which made me feel out of place in my sweat pants and bulky winter coat, but I certainly wasn’t shy about sprawling out on one of the crimson sofas.
Also, I wasn’t too embarrassed by my lack of fashion that night since Sutra was deserted – most of the clientele was there to watch basketball, but I bet this modish lounge attracts a hip and stylish crowd on the weekends to flirt and sip martinis and perhaps to find their opposite.
As if a sports bar and martini lounge wasn’t enough to attract a diverse crowd, this spring Karma’s owners are planning to open an outdoor wine lounge with a full service food and drink menu, said OnMilwaukee. Seating will be available on warm days along the sidewalk or on the comfortable back deck, which will also feature a 42-inch plasma screen TV. Wine will be available by the glass and bottle ranging from $15 to $50.
I will probably go back to tryout the Balzac inspired wine lounge because like most Milwaukeeans, I love patio dining and taking advantage of a warm summer evening. I also will most likely go back for some comfort food and a late night beer with friends one of these days. If you work downtown, Karma would be a good place to go for happy hour with your co-workers or on a date or to make sparks fly with an otherwise mismatched companion.
Karma combines a number of concepts – from the Las Vegas sports book to neighborhood tavern, to lounge and finally outdoor wine bar – and it appeals to every personality on the spectrum or that well rounded couple (ahem, ahem) by being a place that's both sporty and stylish, both inexpensive and lavish, and both causal and cool.
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Karma Bar & Grill
600 E. Ogden Ave., Milwaukee
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