When Angelo’s Pizza Restaurant and Bar closed down last semester, it left a void in the hearts of many on Marquette’s campus and an empty building on the corner of 16th and Wells.
With the start of a new year, that void has been filled. Sobelman’s @Marquette is finally open and ready to join the likes of other campus restaurants such as The Dogg Haus, Real Chili and Marquette Gyros. But while the food can definitely hang with other campus eateries, Sobelman’s @Marquette might not be the perfect 10 just yet.
If it wasn’t for the giant blue and gold sign outside or the employee’s shirts that say Sobelman’s @Marquette, customers would have a hard time believing the place had any affiliation with campus. This new location lacks any noticeable Marquette spirit as far as décor goes. Matter of fact, nothing jumps out as Sobelmanish either.
Sobelman’s Pub & Grill on St. Paul Avenue has its own flair, which makes it a fun place to eat. Sobelman’s @Marquette, is still lacking a lot of the charisma and charm that makes its predecessor such a big hit in Milwaukee.
The inside looks like a medieval pub where a knight would take his damsel in distress on a date. The biggest concern is how dark it is in the restaurant. When people think of burger joints, they normally don’t imagine sitting in poorly lit rooms. That is a bar scene, not a casual place to enjoy double cheeseburgers and jumbo fried shrimp.
There are still remnants from Angelo’s everywhere. The large Angelo’s sign right outside the bathroom, along with its small quarters, flickering light, scratchy door and grandma kitchen tiles are the most obvious examples. Little things like this throw the ambience off.
Fortunately, the food at Sobelman’s @Marquette is not as scary as its interior. In fact, it’s quite delicious. The menu is a little smaller, but essentially the same as the one at Sobelman’s Pub & Grill. Popular items like the Sobelman Burger ($7.50), Loser Burger ($7.50), Sobel Fries ($5) and others are still available at the Marquette location.
When you order a Sobelman’s burger, expect it to be a hardy one. Burgers and sandwiches come with a side of fries, so customers do get a respectable amount of food for the price.
The aroma of a Sobelman’s burger is tasty on its own, but even something as ordinary as a cheeseburger ($5.50) melts in your mouth and smells sweet and savory all at once. In addition to the variety of burgers and sandwiches to choose from, Sobelman’s @Marquette has 16 different appetizers which range in price from $5 to $8.
Along with the food, the service at Sobelman’s @Marquette is as satisfying as the original. While waiting almost 20 minutes to be seated, a waiter brought out cheese balls and fried pickles for those in line. Regardless of whether or not it’s a common occurrence, the gesture was greatly appreciated and shows that the staff of Sobelman’s @Marquette is working to please their customers.
Sobelman’s has already sold plenty of burgers, so the food is obviously not a problem. What’s going to make Sobelman’s @Marquette a true Marquette experience and not a distant memory of past businesses is its appearance.
The new addition to campus deserves some slack though. The food is delicious and works on the average college student’s budget. There is plenty of time for life (other than the customers) to be brought into the venue, but until then, Sobelman’s @Marquette is a decent alternative to wherever else you’ve been eating.
Sobelman’s @Marquette is open 11a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Prices range from $5 to $9.25.