Milwaukee’s The Wicked Hop temporarily closes after inspectors find live cockroach activity in kitchen area

Health order pauses food service at Third Ward bar and restaurant

The Wicked Hop, a longtime bar and restaurant in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, has temporarily halted regulated food sales after a City of Milwaukee Health Department inspection documented cockroach activity in areas tied to food operations.

The inspection took place Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in a building on North Broadway that includes multiple facilities. During a routine inspection connected to another operation that shares a basement with The Wicked Hop, inspectors reported finding dead American cockroaches throughout the shared lower-level area. Based on those conditions, inspectors expanded their review to The Wicked Hop’s kitchen space and reported live cockroach activity there.

Following those findings, inspectors issued an Order to Cease Regulated Food Sales, a measure used when observed conditions are considered incompatible with safe food service. Inspectors returned Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, for a follow-up visit and again documented live cockroach activity in the kitchen space.

What the order means and what typically happens next

Under Wisconsin food regulations, food establishments are required to keep premises maintained to control insects and other pests and to eliminate conditions that allow pests to persist. In Milwaukee, consumer environmental health inspectors conduct periodic restaurant inspections and can require corrective actions and reinspections when violations are found.

When an order halting food sales is issued, establishments generally must complete remediation steps before resuming normal operations, which can include cleaning and sanitizing affected areas and addressing pest entry points and harborage conditions. City guidance on inspection reporting notes that reinspections are commonly used to confirm that documented violations have been corrected, and that inspection reports reflect conditions at the time inspectors were on site.

• Initial trigger: pest evidence documented in a shared basement area during a routine inspection connected to another facility.
• Expanded inspection: live cockroach activity documented in The Wicked Hop’s kitchen space.
• Follow-up visit: live activity documented again the next day.

Restaurant response and timeline for reinspection

The Wicked Hop has been working with a licensed pest management company as it seeks to address the issue. Inspectors indicated they could return as early as Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, to evaluate conditions and determine whether food operations can resume.

Inspection outcomes can change quickly after corrective work is completed, but the business must demonstrate compliance during a reinspection before regulated food sales can restart.

Milwaukee residents can also file food establishment complaints with the city’s consumer environmental health division, which oversees restaurant inspections and follow-up enforcement within city limits.