Bavette la Boucherie Will Close in January

Bavette la Boucherie Will Close in January

The Top 25 restaurant all-star originally scaled back its hours last summer.

Closing out 2025 with another restaurant closing announcement is not what I want to be doing right now. But here we are: The all-around lovely Bavette la Boucherie (217 N. Broadway) will cease operations in mid-January. Owner/chef Karen Bell posted the announcement on the restaurant’s social media earlier today. The last day of service is Jan. 17.

To be honest, this is not a surprise. Bell had eliminated dinner service at Bavette last August, to give the five-time James Beard Award nominee more time to spend with her family. At the time, she said she was open to handing the business over to a new owner. Bell has not revealed what will happen to that space – which Bavette moved into in 2022. It originally opened a few blocks away on Menomonee Street, next door to Club Charlie’s.

As with Beans & Barley (which is closing for a different reason), Bavette deserves a rousing sendoff of support. Get your last dining experience (Steak tartare? Smoked trout deviled eggs? Pork belly banh mi? Burger?) in soon. There isn’t another restaurant here like it. And oh, how it will be missed.

 
 
 
 
 
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Ann Christenson has covered dining for Milwaukee Magazine since 1997. She was raised on a diet of casseroles that started with a pound of ground beef and a can of Campbell's soup. Feel free to share any casserole recipes with her.