Solly's Grille: Milwaukee's Butter Burger Counter

Solly’s Grille is the lunch counter at 4629 N. Port Washington Road in Glendale, just north of Milwaukee, that put the Wisconsin butter burger on the map: a sirloin patty steamed in butter, piled with stewed onions and finished with another heavy spoonful of butter. The same family has run it since 1936. Owner Glenn Fieber put it up for sale in late 2025. As of October 2026 no sale has been announced, and the official site still lists it as open Tuesday to Saturday. My advice is short. If you have time for one burger in Milwaukee, make it this one, and go before the counter changes hands.

Solly’s Grille at a glance

Solly’s Grille is a Glendale lunch counter that has served butter burgers under the same family since 1936, and from its current building since 1971. I checked every line below on October 21, 2026, against the restaurant’s official site and local press.

Solly’s Grille at a glance: address, phone, founding year, owner, signature butter burger, 2022 James Beard award and sale status, checked October 21, 2026 (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from sollysbutterburgers.com, Wikipedia, CBS58 and TMJ4 (checked 2026-10-21))

Who owns Solly’s Grille? Glenn Fieber and the Salmon family

Glenn Fieber owns Solly’s Grille. He bought it from his mother in 1993 and gave it its current name (Wikipedia, TMJ4). The founder, Kenneth “Solly” Salmon, was his stepfather (CBS58).

Fieber was no outsider. He started at Solly’s as a teenager, washing dishes at 15 or 16, according to CBS58 and TMJ4.

So the accurate line is “the same family since 1936”. Salmon gave the place its name. Fieber has held the deed for the last 33 years.

Glenn Fieber through the hard years

Fieber kept the counter alive through the COVID-19 shutdown, and the numbers were brutal. TMJ4 reported in 2020 that Solly’s dropped from 17 employees to 2, that revenue fell 90 to 95%, and that the kitchen sold butter burger kits for curbside pickup (TMJ4). Two years later, the James Beard Foundation named it an America’s Classic. Hard to script a better comeback.

Solly’s Grille history: a timeline from 1936 to 2025

Solly’s history runs from a 1936 coffee shop to a 2022 James Beard award and a 2025 for-sale listing. I could not find a single page that puts the dates together, so here they are, each with its source.

What is on a Solly’s butter burger?

A Solly’s butter burger is a 100% sirloin patty, never frozen, topped with stewed onions and a large spoonful of Wisconsin butter (official site). Fieber has called it “a big clump of Wisconsin sweet butter” (TMJ4).

Here the butter is not a cooking fat. It is the condiment. Fieber described it to CBS58 as “a real mean, heavy tablespoon of butter”, softened so it melts into the onions and the bun.

How Solly’s makes its butter burger, step by step

Solly’s cooks its burger on a flat-top, steams it in butter, then tops it with more butter (Wikipedia). In order:

1. A never-frozen sirloin patty goes on the flat-top grill.
2. It steams in butter on the griddle.
3. Stewed onions go on top.
4. A heavy tablespoon of softened Wisconsin butter goes on last, as the condiment.

How much butter is on a Solly’s burger?

Burger historian George Motz said in 2018 that Solly’s uses up to about three tablespoons of butter per burger, and called it one of the last “real” butter burgers (Wikipedia). The James Beard citation, as reported in 2022, put the restaurant’s use at more than 130 pounds of butter a week (BizTimes). Both figures are dated. Neither is a current count.

Did Solly’s Grille invent the butter burger?

Solly’s is widely credited with creating the butter burger, but the claim is contested. Kroll’s in Green Bay also started serving butter burgers around 1936, and Charlie Nagreen’s burger at the 1885 Seymour fair is often cited as an earlier precursor of the Wisconsin hamburger (WUWM, Wikipedia).

Who made the style famous is not in dispute. The James Beard Foundation’s citation, as quoted by Milwaukee Magazine, reads: “Minnesota might be home to the juicy lucy, but its neighbor Wisconsin is home to the butter burger.” It credits Solly’s with putting it on the map. For me, that settles the question that matters to a hungry visitor.

Butter burger origins: Solly’s, Kroll’s, Kopp’s and Culver’s

Wisconsin’s best-known butter burger names came in this order: Solly’s and Kroll’s around 1936, Kopp’s in 1950, Culver’s in 1984.

Butter burger origins in Wisconsin: Solly’s Grille and Kroll’s around 1936, Kopp’s in 1950, Culver’s ButterBurger trademark from 1984 (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from Wikipedia and WUWM (checked 2026-10-21))

Solly’s vs. Culver’s ButterBurger: what is the difference?

The difference is where the butter goes, and how much. Solly’s steams a sirloin patty in butter and tops it with a heavy spoonful more. Culver’s, the chain that trademarked the “ButterBurger” name, butters and toasts the crown of the bun and leaves the pan alone (Culver’s). The chain’s story is on our Culver’s brand profile.

Solly’s butter burger vs. Culver’s ButterBurger: founding year, ownership, trademark and where the butter goes (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from sollysbutterburgers.com and culvers.com (checked 2026-10-21))

If you are choosing between them on a Milwaukee trip, my Culver’s Milwaukee guide compares the four Milwaukee-area locations, their hours and what to order. My take, having reported both: go to Culver’s for the custard and the drive-thru. Go to Solly’s for the butter burger itself. At Culver’s the name promises more butter than the burger delivers. At Solly’s it is the whole point.

The Solly’s Grille sale: is it still open?

Solly’s Grille is still open, and as of October 2026 no sale has been announced. CBS58 reported on October 31, 2025, that Glenn Fieber, then 76, was preparing to sell. No buyer had been named and no price disclosed (CBS58).

Fieber told TMJ4 why: “We’d like to kind of focus on our family more now and have the time that we have left in life to enjoy family and fishing.” His adult children have their own careers. He would rather sell to a local buyer who keeps the atmosphere, and he plans to keep working until one turns up (TMJ4). I will update this page as soon as a sale is confirmed.

Solly’s Grille Glendale hours and practical info

Solly’s Grille is closed on Sunday and Monday. It opens Tuesday to Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the official site on October 21, 2026. Older listings still show Sunday and Monday hours, so call (414) 332-8808 before you drive over.

Solly’s Grille Glendale hours: closed Sunday and Monday, Tuesday to Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (official site, October 21, 2026) (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from sollysbutterburgers.com (checked 2026-10-21))

Is Solly’s Grille in Milwaukee or Glendale?

Solly’s is in Glendale, a suburb just north of Milwaukee. The official site writes the postal address as Milwaukee, ZIP 53212, which is why you will see both names.

Solly’s prices

I could not verify current menu prices. The last published figures I found date from January 2014: $4.29 for the Original Solly, a single patty with stewed onions, and $7.99 for a third-pound double (Milwaukee Magazine). Expect to pay more today, and check the board at the counter.

Map of Solly’s Grille at 4629 N. Port Washington Road, Glendale, WI 53212, just north of Milwaukee (iframe 800×450) (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (marker geocoded via Nominatim at 43.1003, -87.9174))

Inside Solly’s: the counter and the regulars

Solly’s seats you on swivel stools around a lunch counter, with a few small two-tops on the side. Milwaukee Magazine calls the counter U-shaped; other reviewers describe a canary-yellow figure eight.

The counter has had famous regulars, by Fieber’s account. In local news he recalls Bob Uecker, Herb Kohl, Betty Quadracci, Liam Neeson and Leslie Nielsen, plus Packers players Gilbert Brown and Santana Dotson (CBS58, Milwaukee Magazine).

Solly’s Grille in Glendale, Milwaukee: a bowl of chili served at the butter burger counter, photographed on September 7, 2012. It is the only openly licensed photo taken inside Solly’s that we found. (800×800) (Photo: Tim Cigelske (Teecycle Tim), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/82466477@N00/7952416008)

What to order at Solly’s besides the burger

Besides the butter burger, Solly’s serves cheeseburgers, bratwurst, cheese curds, fries, and hand-dipped malts and shakes in steel cans (official site, CBS58). For the full Wisconsin plate, add the curds and a malt.

Solly’s Grille awards: James Beard and best-burger lists

Solly’s Grille won a 2022 James Beard America’s Classics Award, presented on June 13, 2022, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The other honorees that year were Casa Vega (California), Corinne’s Place (New Jersey), Wo Hop (New York), The Busy Bee Cafe (Georgia) and Florence’s Restaurant (Oklahoma) (BizTimes).

Thrillist named the Solly burger one of the 33 best burgers in the US (Fox6). Reader’s Digest named it the best burger in Wisconsin, as reported by iHeart on September 30, 2024.

Why is Wisconsin known for butter burgers?

Wisconsin is known for butter burgers because its oldest burger counters, Solly’s in the Milwaukee area and Kroll’s in Green Bay, have served them since around 1936. Culver’s later took the name nationwide. In America’s Dairyland, butter on a burger reads less like a gimmick than like local habit.

Want to cook it at home? Until we publish a Solly’s-style recipe, my colleague Julia’s Culver’s Sourdough Melt copycat recipe brings a Wisconsin classic into your kitchen. For more places to eat, see our Milwaukee burger guide and the Restaurants section.

Solly’s Grille FAQ

Who owns Solly’s Grille in Milwaukee? Glenn Fieber, who bought it from his mother in 1993. His stepfather, Kenneth “Solly” Salmon, founded it in 1936.

Is Solly’s Grille still open, and has it been sold? Yes, it is open. Fieber put it up for sale in late 2025, and as of October 2026 no sale had been announced.

Did Solly’s Grille invent the butter burger? It is widely credited with it, and the James Beard Foundation says it put the butter burger on the map. Kroll’s in Green Bay also served butter burgers from around 1936.

What is on a Solly’s butter burger? A 100% sirloin patty, never frozen, stewed onions and a heavy tablespoon of softened Wisconsin butter.

How much butter is on a Solly’s burger? Up to about three tablespoons, according to George Motz in 2018. The 2022 James Beard citation put the restaurant’s use at more than 130 pounds a week.

What is the difference between a Solly’s butter burger and a Culver’s ButterBurger? Solly’s is a single family counter from 1936 that steams the patty in butter and tops it with more. Culver’s is a chain founded in 1984 that trademarked the name “ButterBurger” and butters the toasted bun instead.

Is Solly’s Grille in Milwaukee or Glendale? It is in Glendale, at 4629 N. Port Washington Road, but its postal address reads Milwaukee, WI 53212.

What are Solly’s Grille’s hours? Is it open on Sunday? It is closed on Sunday and Monday. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call (414) 332-8808 to confirm.

What else should you order at Solly’s? Cheese curds, fries, bratwurst, and a hand-dipped malt or shake served in a steel can.

How I reported this: this is a reported profile, not a rated review. I built it from the restaurant’s official site and from local and national coverage (CBS58, TMJ4, Milwaukee Magazine, BizTimes, Radio Milwaukee, WUWM), all checked on October 21, 2026. I have not yet eaten at the counter for this piece. When I do, I will add a verdict and a rating.