Albanese's Roadhouse serves up generations of Italian blessings

For more than 50 years, generations of the Albanese family have been serving homemade Italian food to generations of Milwaukee-area families. Many might remember the Albanese's at Seventh and Keefe streets, which was open from 1961 to 2008.

For the past 31-plus years, Dominic Albanese and his son, Joe, have been serving Waukesha County families at Albanese's Roadhouse, located on Bluemound Road in Waukesha, just west of Brookfield.

Opened in 1982, Albanese's Roadhouse has become a gathering place for families, Italian food lovers, sports fans and bocce ball players.

"Our customers range from 21 to 91," Joe Albanese said. "It's been a great 31 years."

Their specialty is pasta and Italian favorites and the selection is seemingly endless. Just a few of their signature dishes are the homemade lasagna ($14.25), homemade spaghetti ($9.95), veal Parmigiana ($22.75) and Sicilian-style breaded tenderloin ($20.95).

A major component in the success of Albanese's is the sports bar, which is called Dominic's Sports Lounge. With an abundance of large-screen TVs, any sports fan will be able to dine in comfort and not miss a minute of his or her favorite game. The bocce ball league at Albanese's has been going strong for more than 19 years, boasting 81 teams. (Joe said you don't even have to know how to play to join in the fun. You'll pick it up quickly!)

In the fall and winter, Dominic's is open on Sundays so you can eat Albanese's food while watching the Packers, Badgers and Golden Eagles.

Like so many families in the business, the Albaneses are grateful to their longtime customers.

"We have a great following," Joe Albanese said. "We have a lot of loyal customers — a lot of regulars. We're very blessed with that."

The Basics

NAME: Albanese's Roadhouse

ADDRESS: 2301 W. Bluemound Road, Waukesha

PHONE: (262) 785-1930

WEBSITE: AlbanesesRoadhouse.com

FARE: Italian

HOURS: Lunch — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays; Dinner — 4:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; from September through March, open Sundays at 11 a.m. with bar seating only and a game-day menu

PRICE RANGE: about $10.50 to $23.95

RESERVATIONS: groups of 6 or more

HANDICAP ACCESS: yes

GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS: yes

LOOKING TO 'GRAB A BITE'?

"Grab a Bite" is an informal look at the food scene in the Wauwatosa, Brookfield and Elm Grove area by freelance writer Karen Waldkirch. Whether you're looking for a place for a date night or a casual spot for lunch, Waldkirch will be out and about scouting eateries for you. If you have a suggestion for a column, email her at kmwaldkirch@yahoo.com.