The Wicked Hop Reopens in Milwaukee

The temporary closure of The Wicked Hop was triggered by a Milwaukee Health Department inspection on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Initially, inspectors were conducting a routine check on a separate facility that shares a basement with the restaurant. While no live roaches were found in the neighboring space, dead cockroaches were discovered throughout the shared basement, prompting an inspection of The Wicked Hop's kitchen. Inside The Wicked Hop, inspectors found both dead and live American cockroaches in the basement's food storage and prep areas, as well as a live juvenile cockroach in the main first-floor kitchen. These findings led the health department to issue an immediate Order to Cease Regulated Food Sales. A follow-up inspection on Thursday, February 26, and another on Friday, February 27, continued to find live roach activity, keeping the restaurant closed through the weekend. The inspection report from February 25 also noted other violations, including an accumulation of excess grease on cooking equipment and floors. A significant gap at the base of a back door was identified as a potential entry point for insects and rodents. The complaint report mentioned a $150 fee was issued due to repeat violations. Co-owner Miles O'Neal stated that in the restaurant's 22-year history, they had never been shut down for such an issue. He suggested that recent construction on the streets in the Historic Third Ward, where the restaurant is located in its oldest building, might have agitated and displaced pests. The restaurant's management worked with a licensed pest control company over the weekend to perform a full treatment and deep cleaning of the facility. After implementing these corrective measures and passing a subsequent health inspection, The Wicked Hop officially reopened on Monday, March 2. The health department planned a follow-up visit in about a week to ensure no new evidence of pests. The incident highlights the city's systematic approach to food safety. Milwaukee's restaurant health inspections operate on a grading system that was implemented in 2018, with mandatory posting of A, B, or C grade placards beginning in 2019. This system was developed with the help of an algorithm created by students in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Executive MBA program, designed to weigh violations based on their risk of causing foodborne illness. Establishments receiving a score below 60 or having an imminent health hazard face temporary closure.