There was no escaping espionage in American life throughout the 1960s. From the trembling fingers of near-nuclear meltdown during the Cuban Missile crisis, to the assassination of JFK, life in America was governed by its fear of forces both seen and unseen. In lockstep with America’s all-encompassing Cold War came a wave of secret agent and spy-themed books, television shows and films to keep viewers on edge. Tales such as “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962), “Mission: Impossible” (1966) and Ian Flemming’s indelible “James Bond” explored the unknowable world of spying.
James Bond creator Ian Flemming drew upon his experience as an officer in the British Naval Intelligence Department, lending the stories and subsequent films an aura of authenticity that caught the golden eye of an industrious Milwaukee attorney named David Baldwin. In the turbulent 1960s, Baldwin turned the idea of a spy-themed restaurant that was deliberately difficult to find, into decades of business.
As SafeHouse celebrates its 60th year confounding visitors, I approached their hallowed doors, hoping to dig deeper into the mysterious longevity and appeal of SafeHouse. With a photographer at my side to catch any double-agents in the act, we entered unseen, via the alley.
Celebrate this year’s winners of the Betty Awards!
I’m not at liberty to share information gleaned upon entry, but as we made our way into the world-famous SafeHouse, I was instantly transported out of reality. Layce Hall, codename: Agent Everywhere, greeted us and led us through the labyrinthian restaurant, advising that she won’t “give out too much intel.” The servers and staff are all undercover, with snappy spy-friendly names like Agent Rescue or Agent Bunny.
“They can blow their cover but it doesn’t do them any good,” said Everywhere.
We pass red phones, signs for the CIA, artifacts from spies worldwide and many other wrinkles I can neither confirm nor deny seeing. I do observe a true essence of fun espionage, with a choose-your-own adventure vibe that resonates now as much as it did during my last visit, during the Cold War.
Everywhere has advice for first timers: “Lean into it. The more you lean into it, the more fun you get out of it; explore, there’s always cool things to find, nooks and crannies everywhere. If you come in with energy, everyone will absorb that.”
Our photographer is a first-timer and he points his probing eye at artifacts which both confound and astound, such as the soldier behind glass, forever holding the Ace of Spades.
While the SafeHouse holds treasures that reach back into the centuries, readers should know that the place is never safe from new artifacts, new experiences and new visitors: “We’re leaning more into murder mysteries, trivia and live music nights. People haven’t seen that here in a long time.” said Everywhere. “We have table missions, and new gadgets always come into our space.”
But what about the food? Do spies even have time to eat, what with all the double-agent maneuvering and all. I’m assured that spies get plenty hungry, and not just for the truth.
“We have a new menu coming in the next few months with more hearty options, local options and a fully refreshed menu, including fondue and hush puppies,” remarked Everywhere. “We have award-winning cheese curds, made fresh for every order.”
For just 35 bucks you can get special packages that include The Interrogation Team, turning the restaurant experience into a sudden spy-led shakedown for the “Guest of Honor.” I start considering which of my friends & family might “deserve” such an honorable interrogation…there’s so many deserving parties.
“We will have singles events for people to come and meet people, both for romantic interests and just to meet friends alongside all sorts of games, spy missions and icebreakers,” said Everywhere.
Most restaurants have bartenders, many of them charming, one-of-a-kind personalities. The SafeHouse staffs double-agents, double-threats of deception and magic as their bartenders. Current owner Greg Marcus stops by often, Everywhere shares, but he’s “always undercover.” The movie maven “loves the whole spy experience. Especially the magicians. We have live magicians who double as bartenders. It’s not cheesy magic, it’s good.”
I got the opportunity to meet one of the magicians, who was kind enough to run me through a couple tricks. The aroma in the area was crisp with deception and cinnamon. Also crisp was deception artist Luka’s angular, playful and intelligent manner as he led me through a card trick featuring an 8 of diamonds that disappeared and reappeared, followed by a befuddling musical performance that left us all shaking our heads.
Luka told me he went from video editing to banking and then full time into magic. He’s been a magician since 2013 and has been at the SafeHouse for over ten years. “To me, long story short, the world’s kind of a terrible place,” he remarked. “People come here and if they spend an hour having fun and laughing I’ve done my job, the whole theme here is to escape reality.”
If you visit The SafeHouse be sure to check out its “cover” as The Newsroom Pub, with a separate entrance at 137 E. Wells St.; feeling more like your typical Milwaukee evening hangout, with the added element of historical wonder. The pub is home to a killer collection of autographs, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Bruce Springsteen, Les Paul and many, many more. Spies can keep an eye on the outside world via The Newsroom Pub’s windows and make an easy escape (if you know the secret passageways) back to the SafeHouse if trouble’s on the way.
Celebrate SafeHouse’s 60th Anniversary
Saturday, October 31: Spies are encouraged to break out their best retro attire for a ticketed Shagadelic 60s Halloween Bash.
December: SafeHouse will transform into a festive undercover headquarters with a month-long Grinch-themed Holiday Pop-Up Experience, featuring seasonal fare, holiday décor and 60s-inspired throwback cocktails.
Thursday, December 31: Agents can ring in the New Year during a ticketed James Bond-inspired 60s Gala, the grand finale of Mission 60.
