About Milwaukee's Real Chili

The bright red sign is a saving grace to college students at bar close who hope a heaping bowl of ground beef over noodles and beans will help.

Real Chili is a lunch, dinner and late-night spot for regulars, and a destination for former Milwaukee residents to visit on their homecoming.

The world’s best bowl of chili was born 93 years ago when Francis Honish brought his top-secret chili recipe from Green Bay to the Marquette University campus in 1931. Real Chili’s history is proudly displayed on walls filled with photos and newspaper clippings at both two locations on East and West Wells Street, respectively. Grab a seat at the counter and order yours mild, medium or hot and garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, onion and peppers. Great staff will dish it up quickly with a side bowl of oyster crackers — don’t forget to sprinkle those on top before you toss them at your friends across the counter.

Don’t eat meat? Try the vegetarian chili. Chili cheese dogs are a favorite at this Milwaukee institution, too.

If you’re a truly loyal customer, you might even get invited behind the counter to serve a few bowls to your peers, or be given a free ice cream bar.

Seal your visit with a Real Chili bumper sticker — and ignore anyone who says the Marquette Special will give you a stomachache.

See the rest of Milwaukee's 100 objects

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: About Milwaukee's Real Chili