Birch named one of USA TODAY’s best restaurants of 2026
Take a look inside Birch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, named one of USA TODAYs best restaurants for 2026.
CASSIS, the new French bistro that opened in January in the Third Ward, is now open for lunch and happy hour.
When Birch owners Kyle and Meghan Knall shared details about their new restaurant last fall, they hoped to launch extended hours alongside their Jan. 20 dinnertime debut. That didn’t go as planned, but now with a few weeks under its belt, CASSIS is ready to welcome daytime diners.
The restaurant is now open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday. The lunch menu features hits from CASSIS’ dinner menu, such as soup du jour ($11), celery root salad ($14), croque monsieur ($17), steak frites ($42) and its l’hamburger ($21). Lunch-only options, like pan-fried chicken ($19), jambou beurre ham sandwich ($18) and walleye sandwich with fish mousse and caper aioli ($19) are available, as well. Beer, wine, cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages are also served during lunch hours.
Every day from 2 to 5 p.m., CASSIS is open for its “apero” happy hour, an homage to the French social tradition of gathering for pre-dinner drinks and light snacks. The menu features small dishes like baguette and butter ($4), oysters ($22 for six), marinated olives ($7), panisse with lemon-rosemary aioli ($9), ouef mayo ($11), frites with dijonnaise ($11) and a plate of country ham served with a baguette and dijonnaise ($11). A rotating “cocktail du jour” is on the menu for $10. Wines by the glass, beer, specialty cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages are also available during apero.
Saturday and Sunday brunch is still to come, with hours to be announced later.
CASSIS is open for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Dining and Cooking