Bear Rock Cafe

ONE OF THE LIVELIEST locations in the greater metro area is Towne Centre in Brookfield, located northwest of downtown Milwaukee at the intersection of Capitol Dr. and Brookfield Rd. Bear Rock Cafe provides the gathering place for this intriguing cluster of unique boutiques, art galleries, gourmet grocery, coffee shops, spas and salons.

Step into the lodge atmosphere of Bear Rock Cafe, and you’ll instantly feel on vacation. Featuring rough-hewn timbers and wrought iron accents, the décor gives the restaurant a comfortable, flannel-shirt feel.

Owner Steve Dutler describes the Bear Rock Cafe as “quick casual.” While food is served up promptly, there’s just as much emphasis on quality. Fresh is the keyword here, along with a touch of culinary innovation.

Conveniently open from first thing in the morning and into the evening, there’s something on the menu to please everyone.

Breakfast items, available until 11 a.m., include a Western wrap, grilled sourdough sandwich, morning wrap and A.M. sandwich (eggs, American cheese and your choice of bacon or sausage on an English muffin or bagel).

For lunch until closing, choose from a wide variety of fresh, hand-crafted sandwiches, garden fresh salads, oven fresh breads, hot and savory soups, baked potatoes, and a full assortment of delicious desserts.

The Bear Rock Cafe menu also includes “healthy trends” low-carb and low-fat menu items and a kid’s menu. Bear Rock Cafe is also well-known for catering trays and boxed lunches for office or home.

Three new chef-created salads were recently added to the salad line-up. Our favorite is the Napa Valley — tossed greens, smoked turkey, red onions, bacon, mushrooms, pecans and tomatoes, topped with sun-dried cranberries and Gorgonzola crumbles, and served with Pinot Noir Shallot Vinaigrette.

Sandwiches range from “Cascade Tuna” to French Dip Roast Beef to Fireside Jerk (grilled chicken breast, jerk spice, Swiss cheese, grilled banana peppers, mayonnaise, lettuce, grilled red onions, tomatoes and honey mustard). Other items on the sandwich side of the menu focus creatively on turkey, ham, corned beef and roast beef.

Veggie lovers are not ignored! They can choose from Sasquash (grilled eggplant and squash, Provolone cheese, red onions, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts and Vidalia Onion dressing on sunflower seed bread), and the Garden Sandwich (Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, red peppers, mushrooms, red onions, cucumbers and roasted garlic tomato spread on sunflower seed bread).

Dress your own oven-hot, one-pound russet potato with any combination of the following: Cheddar cheese, butter, bacon, sour cream (fat-free or regular) or chives. There also are three soups offered daily.

Kids meals allow those 12 and under to choose from a grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwich, macaroni and cheese, or 1/2 create-your-own Sandwich. All are served with fresh fruit, rippled potato chips, kid’s size fountain drink and a cool toy.

Coffee is a specialty here, and you can get your favorite espresso drink made to order. Wine and beer also are available. When you see the desserts, you’ll often want to top off your meal with one of them.

Bear Rock Cafe is at 18895 W. Capitol Dr. Hours are 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.  For more information, phone 262-781-7175.