MILWAUKEE — At SafeHouse, finding dinner is part of the dinner.
The Milwaukee restaurant is tucked behind an unassuming red door in an alley near the Milwaukee River. Once guests find it, they enter a world of spy memorabilia, secret features and playful surprises.
This year, SafeHouse celebrates 60 years in business. The restaurant officially marks the anniversary on October 8 — the same date it opened its doors in 1966.
Lacey Hall, general manager of SafeHouse, says the restaurant’s origin story is every bit as theatrical as the experience inside.
“So as the story goes, Agent 0h0h7, AKA David Baldwin, was skiing in Switzerland when he received a call from control on a landline, of course. They instructed him that he needed to return back to Milwaukee and open a safe house for friendly spies to gather and exchange declassified information. And so he did with his wife, Agent Eliza, AKA Shawna Baldwin.”
Six decades later, the restaurant has become part of the personal history of generations of Milwaukee diners.
Hall says guests often return with stories of birthday parties, anniversaries and childhood visits. Some bring their own children back to experience the restaurant.
“So there’s so many customers that come in and say, oh, I was here as a kid. Now they’ve grown up and they’ve brought their children in.”
The nostalgia is part of what keeps people coming back, Hall explains.
“So the nostalgia has definitely stayed the same. So many people comment on it and they’ve had so many different experiences here. Memories, birthday parties, all of the things.”
The memories are surrounded by an unusual collection of artifacts. Hall says SafeHouse has a piece of the Berlin Wall, along with a prison uniform belonging to an American soldier who was captured by the KGB and held for 13 years.
Then there are the features that make the restaurant feel less like a typical night out and more like an undercover assignment.
Hall says one of the biggest attractions is a rotating booth near the front of the restaurant.
“I would definitely say the spin booth. So it’s our rotating booth in the front of the restaurant. High demand for that one. It disappears, if you will, so it turns into a apparel case. So you don’t even know it’s there until it spins around.”
Another memorable feature is the Hail to the Chief chair, which rises from the floor and becomes part of an interactive interrogation experience.
And sometimes, the stories created inside SafeHouse continue long after the check is paid. Hall says one employee even met her husband there.
“One of my employees met her, the love of her life here, her husband here. And I think it’s a really awesome thing.”
For anyone visiting SafeHouse for the first time, Hall has one simple piece of advice: commit to the assignment.
“Don’t be afraid. Just take it as it is and have fun with it and don’t think too hard because it is meant to be a little goofy.”
SafeHouse celebrates its 60th anniversary with Mission 60, a series of events running through the end of the year. The official anniversary celebration begins October 8 at 8 p.m., with discounted drinks, $6 appetizers, live musicians, table magicians and special decorations. The first 60 guests receive limited-edition anniversary glassware.
Hall describes Mission 60 as a real memory maker for the restaurant and it’s “agents.”
“Mission 60 is the celebration of our 60th anniversary and major milestone here at Safe House. Doors open at 8 p.m. We’re gonna have discounted drinks, $6 appetizers.”
Additional events include a murder mystery dinner on October 28 and a Shagadelic ’60s Halloween party on October 31.
After 60 years, the mission remains simple: find the door, play along and see what happens next.
Because at SafeHouse, the best part of dinner may be the story you take home.
Interested in becoming an agent yourself? Visit their website here.
