Usinger’s sausages and Leinie’s drafts sit right in Main Terminal
This Leinenkugel's Leinie Lodge sits post-security in MKE’s Main Terminal, and it leans hard into Wisconsin: Leinie’s beer on tap and Usinger’s sausages as the headliner. One Milwaukee Record stunt order hit seven Usinger’s Polish sausages for about $71 plus a fruit cup, so think beer-garden pricing, not ballpark bargain. Price tier is solidly $$, with a sausage and a pint easily landing you in the $20+ range with tip.
Hours typically track with the morning and evening departure banks, opening for early flights around 6:00 a.m. and staying open into the dinner wave; still, the beer focus means the real action is lunchtime through the 7:00–8:00 p.m. departures. Seating runs tight during those banks, and reviewers call out that stools and high-tops near the bar fill fast. If you hit a 5:30 p.m. Chicago or Delta bank, expect to hover for a spot.
The move here is simple: grab a Leinenkugel’s draft and one Usinger’s sausage, usually a brat or Polish, then head out to your gate in C or D since MKE’s concourses connect post-security. Regulars time this as a 30–40 minute stop, enough for one beer and a sausage without stressing a boarding time that starts 30 minutes before departure. Some travelers mention splitting a sausage plate between two people to keep the tab under $25.
Complaints focus mostly on value: you’re paying airport markups for sausages and bar snacks that would cost less at the Usinger’s shop on N. Old World Third Street downtown. During Friday afternoon waves, reviewers also mention lines stretching 10–15 minutes just to order, with food taking another 10 minutes to hit the counter. If you’re tight on time, watch the queue before you commit.
Tip: If your flight leaves from Concourse C or D, plan one drink and one sausage here about 60 minutes before departure, then walk to your gate with 15–20 minutes to spare.