Ward's House of Prime

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Vision Behind the Restaurant

When Brian Ward opened Ward's House of Prime in downtown Milwaukee in 2009, he had a precise idea in mind: "a place with linens but without formal server jackets and ties. A place you go to for a special occasion or to close a big deal, but still feel like you're in a familiar, welcoming place." That balance — polished but never stiff — defines everything about Ward's today.

Ward's path to ownership was long and deliberate. He started as a dishwasher at 15, trained at Milwaukee Area Technical College's Culinary Arts program, and spent years managing local restaurants, including eight years at a prominent Milwaukee steakhouse. By the time he opened Ward's, he knew exactly what he wanted to build.

The Prime Rib, Done Right

The centerpiece of the menu is the prime rib, and Ward's treats it with uncommon seriousness. Each 20-pound roast is hand-selected USDA Angus beef, aged 45 days, dry-rubbed with a proprietary seasoning blend, cured for two days, then roasted "low and slow." The result earned Ward's the Travel Channel's recognition as one of the "Best Large Cuts of Prime Rib in America" in 2010, and again in 2015 when the restaurant was named among the "Top 13 Steakhouses in the Country" — with its prime rib called the best in the USA.

Standard cuts run from 8 to 24 ounces, served with au jus, cold horseradish sauce, soup or salad, and a potato. For those inclined toward a challenge, the Wall of Fame begins at 40 ounces and tops out at 360 — the record set by competitive eater Molly Schuyler at 22.5 pounds.

Beyond the Prime Rib

Ward's is a full steakhouse and seafood destination. The steak menu features USDA Midwestern beef grilled over an open flame — from a 6oz filet to a 20oz bone-in porterhouse and a 14oz dry-aged New York strip. Surf-and-turf combinations pair filet with lobster tail or pan-seared scallops. Seafood options include pan-seared sea bass with white wine dill sauce, Scottish salmon with honey soy garlic glaze, cold water lobster tails, and Walt's sesame-seared Ahi tuna. Pasta, chicken, and veal round out the menu, ensuring, as one regular noted, that "my wife isn't a red meat eater and at Ward's she finds something to eat each time."

Drinks, Private Events, and the Room Itself

The wine list has earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for ten consecutive years — a mark of consistent quality and range across varietals and price points. Beyond wine, Ward's maintains an extensive selection of Scotch, bourbon, Irish, Japanese, and Tennessee whiskeys, with a dedicated Whiskey Club for enthusiasts.

The lively lounge and bar — with six TVs and happy hour specials Tuesday through Friday — sits alongside three private dining rooms suited to business dinners, celebrations, and large group events. Consistency is the stated house motto, and the long-tenured staff, several of whom have been with Ward's since opening, reflect that commitment in every table they serve.