Char’d, a new cafe and Korean barbecue restaurant is set to open on Thursday, May 17 in the space that formerly housed Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.
Green Bay-based Hinterland Brewery had operated the restaurant, located at 222 E. Erie St., for 10 years before shutting it down in August.
Char’d will operate during the day as a cafe, serving coffee, smoothies and light lunch fare, but it will transition to a full-service restaurant and bar, serving tapas and grilled Korean barbecue for dinner. Its menu will feature locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients.
“Our dual concepts let us maximize our hours to satisfy both lunch and dinner crowds,” general manager Hank Kim said in a statement. “Casually stop in for a quick grab of lunch during the day. Get dressed up and enjoy an enriching dining experience at our bar and grill at night.”
Korean barbecue is prepared by searing meat on hot lava stones, Kim said. Char’d will serve a variety of barbecue dishes, including ssam, which is meat wrapped in leafy green lettuce. It will also serve craft cocktails.
The restaurant’s owners, Lane Kim and Choonghoon Lee, operate goRI Food Entertainment Inc., and recently moved to Milwaukee from Providence, R.I. They signed a 10-year lease for the space in November.
“Our dishes showcase elevated presentations and modern techniques to re-interpret authentic Korean cuisine, while staying true to its roots,” Kim said.
To celebrate its grand opening, the restaurant on Thursday is offering 50 percent off smoothies for lunch and 50 percent off bottles of wine for dinner.
