Getting into Milwaukee's newest cocktail lounge means typing a secret code into a 1930s typewriter tucked in an alley west of North Water Street. The Back Door, a speakeasy-style bar at 767 N. Front St., quietly welcomed its first guests during a soft opening on July 30, offering downtown drinkers a hidden alternative to the bar crawl chaos just around the corner.
Owner Joseph Thompson spent about a year building out the space, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Patrons who make a reservation receive an entry code to punch into the vintage typewriter at the door, while walk-in guests can get a code from hosts over an intercom when space allows. The Journal Sentinel reports the typewriter is more than just a gimmick — it nods to Milwaukee's own place in typewriter history, since the first commercially successful typewriter was invented by a Milwaukeean.
That history traces back to 1868, when local inventors Christopher Latham Sholes, Samuel W. Soule, and Carlos Glidden developed and patented the first practical typewriter, according to Britannica. The trio perfected their prototype in a Milwaukee machine shop before landing U.S. Patent 79,265, giving the city a genuine claim to the invention now built into The Back Door's front-door ritual.
A Small Room With a Big Design Concept
The lounge occupies just 1,416 square feet on the lower level beneath a Jimmy John's, inside a four-story building constructed in 1913, and its capacity is capped at 49 patrons, per Urban Milwaukee. Inside, the space is designed around warm, moody lighting and celadon velvet barstools inspired by Lake Michigan, the Journal Sentinel notes. The bar serves signature cocktails alongside nonalcoholic beverages, beer, wine and seltzers, and it's aimed at young professionals, couples and tourists rather than the college-age crowds that tend to pack nearby bars.
The Back Door isn't the first hidden-entry concept in this particular alley. SafeHouse, the spy-themed bar at 779 N. Front St., has operated there since 1966 and pioneered passcode-protected alleyway entry in Milwaukee, according to Urban Milwaukee's earlier reporting on the venue. Thompson's speakeasy also displays artwork highlighting Milwaukee's Bronzeville neighborhood, the historic hub that served as the city's primary African American economic and cultural center for jazz and Black-owned businesses from the early 1900s through the 1960s before urban renewal displaced it, per the City of Milwaukee. During licensing proceedings before the Common Council, Thompson said the venue was designed as a destination that highlights Black contributions and local culture, according to city records tied to File #250939.
An Answer to Water Street's Growing Pains
Thompson has been direct about his motivation: he wants The Back Door to serve as an alternative to what he describes as the chaos of Water Street nightlife, and to help bring back a safe space where people can enjoy the corridor again. That goal lands amid an ongoing municipal debate, as city leaders and police have discussed new security perimeters and stricter curfew enforcement for youth under 17 along Water Street following violent incidents earlier this year, according to FOX6 News. Hoodline has previously reported on a shooting that turned a Water Street night deadly in March.
The corridor has already seen real turnover. Duke's on Water, a longtime budget staple, closed permanently in May after 22 years, citing rising lease rates and safety concerns along the block. Since then, Water Street has leaned toward more upscale, sit-down concepts, including James Beard Award-winning chef Paul Bartolotta's High Stakes European chophouse and the newly announced Uppa Yard, a late-night jerk and jazz joint also opening on the strip.
The Back Door's arrival also fits a broader citywide appetite for hidden bars. East Side speakeasy Shanghai, voted top speakeasy in the U.S. by USA Today readers in 2025, expanded its Black Cat Alley space in January to seat up to 45 guests, Urban Milwaukee reported — evidence that Milwaukee drinkers have plenty of appetite for concepts built around discovery and exclusivity.
Hours, Parking and How to Find It
The Back Door is open 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday and Sunday, and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Free parking is available in the BMO building surface lot behind 769 N. Broadway St., redeemable by scanning the lot's QR code and selecting the Back Door special rate at checkout. Guests can reach the bar at 414-240-5866 or check availability at thebackdoormke.com.
