Char’d In the Third Ward Has Closed
June 2, 2026Dish On Dining
An overhead view of a restaurant table covered with shared dishes, including lettuce wraps, dumplings, rice, vegetables, and glazed meats, as diners reach in with chopsticks and forks while cocktails and wine sit nearby.
A spread of Char’d plates, 2019. Photo by Chris Kessler

Char’d In the Third Ward Has Closed

But it’s not the end, per a recent social media post.

BY Ann Christenson

Char’d – the 8-year-old “modern Korean” restaurant in the Third Ward (222 E. Erie St., the former Hinterland gastropub) – has ceased operations. According to an email from the restaurant’s management, its last day open was May 30. But this is not cause for despair, per a Char’d Instagram post on Monday.

 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CHAR’D (@chardmke)

Note the spelling in description of the new concept; it appears the Char’d successor will be the first Wisconsin location of BB.Q Chicken, a massive chain with more than 3,500 locations worldwide whose signature offering is not barbecue chicken but Korean-style fried wings. 

In its email response, Char’d declined to comment on the future plans for the space “until terms are signed and finalized which should happen soon.”

Ann Christenson
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.

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