Bites Nearby: Harry's Bar and Grill Gives a Little Cuban Flavor

Upbeat, modern music and chic artwork give a young vibe to Harry's Bar and Grill, located at 3549 N. Oakland Ave. in Shorewood. 

Run the by same owners as the  in Bayside, and The Knick in downtown Milwaukee, each has a similar standard of quality, but with its own unique twist.

At Harry's, that twist is having downtown style class, tucked into the lower portion of the North Shore. The website even boasts the hot spot as "a friendly neighborhood gathering place." I would more describe it as an avant-garde Cheers, where everybody very well might know your name.

There's a very modern theme here, but Harry's really doesn't overdo it. Framed artwork thoughout the restaurant and multiple television screens keep eyes busy if the people watching isn't fun enough.

While some begin with appetizers, I prefer to begin with drinks. An entirely separate menu listed a few pages of choices. Harry's has a very diverse drink list, including everything from your standard bottle or tap beer to a full-page wine list.

Another full page was dedicated to different flavored martinis. I opted for the Harry's Lemon Drop martini ($10), made with Van Gogh vodka, limoncello, sour with a crystallised, sugared rim. It came all decked out in a fancy, art-deco style glass and a lemon wedge.

There is also another drink list, featuring unique drink concoctions like a Jalapeno Cucumber Margarita ($8.50). I'm not such a fan of hot and spicy, but did it did sound like a worthy challenge for torture-the-tongue connoisseurs.

I ordered Harry's Cuban Sandwich ($11). Loaded with honey ham, roasted pork loin, fontina cheese, pickles, yellow mustard all squeezed between a sweet butter top bread. I also chose a side salad over the french fries. Not just diced lettuce here, but parmesan, onions, tomatoes and carrots, smothered with my choice of dressing, ranch.

The prices overall are pretty fair, reflecting the upscale twist on regular dishes like burgers and fries that you might get for $6 at a local pub, will run you $10 to $13 here. Those few extra dollars though gets you a pretty large piece of beef, with interesting ingredient twists like sour cream on their Big Kahuna burger.

For $16, you can even get a Harry's Triple-By-Pass burger, which will not only challenge your arteries, but your stomach. Two monster patties, caramelized onions, braised short ribs, bacon and red port wine cheese will make your mouth water, but bring a wheel hair so you can leave the table when you're done.

For a full copy of the menu, please the Harry's Bar and Grill website here.

Hours: Harry's is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to midnight and featuring a Sunday brunch from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.