Sobelman’s, the eatery famous for its signature burgers and Bloody Marys with an abundance of garnish options, will permanently close its Marquette University location at the end of the semester.
Sobelman’s has not renewed its lease for the property at 1601 W. Wells St. that it has occupied since 2011, Marquette spokesman Kevin Conway confirmed on Tuesday. Conway said he had no other details about the closing at this time.
Sobelman’s, which gained fame for its appearance on the Travel Channel’s “Food Wars,” took over the spot in the heart of Marquette’s campus previously occupied by Angelo’s Pizza, a long-time campus fixture. The location is a high-traffic area near several Marquette dormitories and class buildings as well as the Alumni Memorial Union.
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In September 2021, Barstool Marquette shared a post on Instagram encouraging members of the Marquette community to apply for jobs at Sobelman’s, which it said was struggling with staffing shortages, especially servers.
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“They have been a staple of our campus and it would be a tragedy to see them close their doors,” the post stated.
The original Sobelman’s restaurant at 1900 W. St. Paul Ave. in the Menomonee Valley, which Dave and Melanie Sobelman started in 1999, will remain in open, as will its Waukesha location at 332 Williams St.
The restaurant closed its Mequon location in April 2022 after seven years due to staffing issues. The North Shore spot had occupied the building at 10352 N. Port Washington Road that formerly housed the Centennial Bar & Grille.
Sobelman’s East Side Grill at 1952 N. Farwell Ave. closed a decade ago after four years in operation. When the East Side location opened in 2009, it was called Sobelman’s Tallgrass Grill but the “Tallgrass” name was dropped in early 2012 when the restaurant reverted to the Angus beef served at its other Sobleman’s establishments instead of grass-fed beef.
