Georgie Porgie’s has been serving up favorites for 35 years; juicy burgers to frozen custard

Whether you go for the burgers, frozen custard, or the tree fort, Georgie Porgy's has something for everyone, and this week they're celebrating a big anniversary. Brian Cramp is in Oak Creek finding out how this family-run restaurant has kept its community roots strong for 35 years. Hey, Cramp. Yeah, and Derek, I'll tell you what, that strength really comes from the family first more than anything else. Pete and Lou joining us, congratulations, 35 years ago when this started. You were mere kids at the time. It was your mom and your dad and your family launched this back in 91. Let's go back to that time when you and your mom and dad were going to start first a frozen custard shop. Was that it, Pete? Yeah, Dad in 91 said, let's simplify our life and do a burger and custard place, you know, with his hard work. and his dedication to his family and to serving the wonderful service the customers in the community. Georgie Porgy's was founded. And founded there in 91, 94, you guys moved to this location, Lou. It's got a tree house in there, a tree fort, if you will. What is this thing, by the way? So, like, we go back, it used to be a diner. And so when Pete and I kind of got involved, we said, you know, we brought our childhood into the tree fort. We said, you know, we didn't have a tree fort as a kid. So we were like, we're working at a young age, you know, we were helping dad and mom out. So we said, can we bring our childhood in it? Tree fort and all the childhood memories into the Georgie Porgy's. That's awesome. I love it. And people look forward to seeing that, too, kids and adults alike. But, you know, this is a special day, not just because you guys are kicking off the 35th celebration, Pete. You told me earlier on that this would have been your dad's birthday. Correct, correct. 35 years ago, you started on his birthday. You have birthday cake as the flavor of the day today. And you bought balloons that were also, how much in price? $35. I think all of that. All of that means that he is watching and he is proud of you guys. What does it mean to carry on that tradition? Oh, that's a hard thing to live up to and fill his shoes, to be honest with you. His hard work is second to none. I can't, I can't, words cannot even explain his dedication and all. Yeah, and thinking about that dedication, it's true with you guys as well. It's not too often that siblings can be in the business at the same time and work side by side. But you guys have also another location as well down in Racine. It's the food that people come back for, right? The community gathers because you gather here as well. Check out those burgers from the frozen custards to the wonton mozzarella sticks and the fries. Lou, why is this day special for you and for the rest of the family? I think kind of what you said, you know, the legacy, like, you know, actually showing off, like, okay, you know, we've been around for 35 years, you know, so much hard work has been put into it, the love for the community, all the values that we have. Just kind of displaying that. Yeah, you guys have car shows here frequently. I mean, you guys in Oak Creek, definitely one of the best burgers in town, hands down. That's been proven. The dedication back to the community, that's been proven. You know, I guess the next step is when do you open? When can we start celebrating? I'm ready. Today, we're celebrating. We're celebrating all month long. Yeah, all month long, the celebration starts 1030 is when they open the doors today. Like I said, birthday cake is the flavor of the day for frozen custard. This is Georgie Porgy, guys, in the Tree Fort. is up and the food is ready to go for their 35th anniversary in business. I want to go there. I know, that looks delicious. It'll be so fun for kids and grown-ups. You can see why there is... So how does some comfort food sound? Sounds good to me, especially right now. Georgie Porgies is firing up the grill for a sandwich that's been winning over customers since it opened 35 years ago. Brian Cramp is in the kitchen helping the owners make a sandwich named after their dad. Okay, there's a lot of pressure on this one, Cramp. I know, and you bring pa into the equation here. There's 35 years, right? And you have to make sure that you nail the sandwich. So Lou, first of all, your dad passed away. Obviously you're honoring the tradition. Your mom's still around here. I'm surprised she didn't wake up early to come make sure you guys were cooking the steak sandwich correctly. She loves her sleep. And rightfully so. You guys decided to bring back some classics that your dad used to make and your mom used to make here. First of all, is this a steak sandwich, or what's going on with this one? So this is our Philly Steak Deluxe. This is Dad's favorite. It's got the steak, it's a sirloin steak, kind of shaved up there. We put the Swiss cheese on top, okay? Oh yeah, that looks good. Some grilled onions, like that. Some grilled mushrooms here. That thing is smothered. I mean, that's more like a meal for two if you cut that thing in half. Oh, yeah, that's a little over six ounces. You guys wanted to honor, you know, the history by doing this and bringing back some of the classic sandwiches. I guess, why isn't this thing on the menu to begin with? We have it limited time runs because it just makes it extra special. Yeah, it does. Right, you know, and people enjoy that. Oh, you know, when are they going to bring back that Steak Deluxe? Yeah. So we're bringing it back. Well, there you go, too. And this is going to be limited, so... When you say limited, it could be a week, it could be two weeks, it could be three weeks, or what are you looking at? Yeah, whatever. We're probably going to go to the end of the month and maybe carry it on. We'll see how it goes. It's a surprise. Now, this isn't the only thing that you guys have on the menu, obviously. You guys are known for your smash burgers. You guys are known for the frozen custard. You guys are known for doing pancake breakfasts during the holiday months here. What do you think you're known for? Burgers. Is it the burgers that stand out? I mean, hands down burgers. Yeah. And the creativity of the burgers. Sure. So every month we do a burger of the month. Okay. Like this month is our Milly Cheese Steak. Yeah, let's see that one, because you've got the steak topped on the classic smash burger there. So this was a customer-designed burger we had during a burger contest, and we put it together like that. As somebody that's judged your burger contests multiple times, that you have customers submitting their ideas. I know that this is something that probably customers will love. Do you ever bring back those monthly burgers or are they always going to be different? We do bring them back. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, we'll rotate the schedule, kind of how it goes and how the calendar falls you know play around with just limited runs. Yeah that thing is huge there all right we got the other one it's pretty much already done over there with the mushrooms you got the the grilled onions what kind of bread do you got there? So this is a Scortino's french bread. Nice using local and you guys use local as much as possible. We do we try to buy as much as we can locally support the local businesses and it just goes around it's just better. Yeah it must mean the world to you to know that that support comes comes back two-fold if not three-fold as well you guys do such a great job of celebrating uh special occasions what does it mean to you? for 35 years that you're honoring your dad with this sandwich. It means so much, so much to continue the legacy, to continue to serve the community and serve our customers. Yeah, I love it. And you, by the way, Lou's here with me in the kitchen. Did you see Pete in the background carrying boxes around, making sure that the custard is just right for when they open at 10.30? The sandwiches are ready. The grill is hot. The team is ready to celebrate 35 years. Lou, thanks for joining us this morning. More coming up from Georgie Porgy's Tree Fort in Oak Creek. And guys, I'll tell you what, that sandwich may be on the menu for a limited run, but you know, I don't think that I could pass it up, to be honest, because that thing smells and looks amazing. It looks wonderful. So many flavors in there. I love mushrooms, too. It kind of adds to it. Is she on the grill? Yes. serving more than 700 Brew Moon shakes after the Brewers World Series win. Georgie Porges is whipping up another seasonal favorite. Brian Cramp is in Oak Creek this morning getting a taste of Ma's pumpkin shake and also some creative custard concoctions. Okay, first things first, what was the Brew Moon shake? Is that like Blue Moon? Right. Okay. Yeah, so Pete, you have to explain this for us, because we wanted to celebrate with your Brew Moon shakes when you gave them out for free in the Brewers World Series, but what flavor was that? Was that a Blue Moon? It was called the Brew Moon, and we mixed Blue Moon with marshmallow cream. It was really good. It sounds good. We gave away so many, it was so many, we had lines out the door at both locations. It was so cool to celebrate with the Brewers. And part of what you do in giving back in those ways, too, really... That's the way you are. You're good-natured individuals. You're caring, you know, and you guys always give back to the community. We're going to stress that throughout the morning, but you're giving back to your parents in different ways as well. What does mom think about the sandwich that you put on the menu special for this month? Our mom's Malibu. Look at this. With the ham and the Swiss, with the chicken, the honey mustard, lettuce, and tomatoes. Yeah. It was her sandwich, and we're bringing it back for a limited time. Honor our parents and it's just amazing their hard work and dedication to our wonderful Georgie Porgies, what it means to us. It's just out of this world. It is out of this world. What's also out of this world is that you guys are making a sandwich like this knowing that you guys cook a lot of smash burgers. I mean smash burgers are big for Georgie Porgies, but you guys always step it up. When it comes to the specialty sandwiches or those limited releases like you have this week. So we saw that the Pa's Steak Sandwich, we got Ma's and what is this one called again? The Ma's Chicken Malibu. Okay, the Malibu. Now both of those are on the menu. How long though? You know, it's going to go hopefully all month long. You know, we do have a limited supply. Okay. And it's going to go. It's just a wonderful sandwich. Yeah. Talk about that shake, too. I mean, that shake looks tasty. Is that a pumpkin or pumpkin spice? This is a pumpkin shake. You know, my mom made that pumpkin With the spices, she puts the nutmeg, the ginger, and the cinnamon in there with the real pumpkin puree. Yeah. And then we take that with the base, and we mix it with the custard. And right on top, we have a little bit of marshmallow cream. It kind of, it really tastes like a pumpkin pie, to be honest. I love the way that you explain things. You're very thorough, but you're also the way that you talk about them. Tell me about the Sunday of the month. Oh, the other day, I had two of those. Maybe I shouldn't have done that, but. Back to back, Monday and Tuesday. But this is the French silk pie with a homemade chocolate pudding. It tastes like chocolate mousse, to be honest with you. I could just eat that by itself. With the graham crackers, the chocolate flakes, with the vanilla custard. All month long. That's November, Sunday of the month. French silk pie. You put a smile on people's faces every day. What time today can we start ordering some of these specialty items and help you celebrate Christmas? 35 years. Stop on by. 10:30 a.m. 10.30? We open 10:30. 10.30. Pete, will you be here? Yeah, you know what? Stop and say hi. Stop and say hi. Yeah, for sure. Okay, well, the brothers will be here. They have two locations celebrating, guys. 35 years, Georgie Porgy Tree Fort in Oak Creek, as well as Racine. More Fox 6 Wake Up coming back after the break. That's lunch. Maybe you can have two like Pete did the last couple days. So good. How would you get French fries with your burger when you could get a hand-rolled mozzarella sticks instead? Yeah, they hand-roll them at Georgie Porgy's Tree Fort. Brian Cramp is with them celebrating their 35th anniversary with a cheesy Tree Fort favorite. Okay, hand-rolled, gotta ask, how does that make it better than, you know, just the regular rolled ones? I got to say, first look at the cheese, right? Lou, what kind of cheese you got there? Wisconsin mozzarella? Wisconsin whole milk mozzarella. There you go. That's one. Two, the wontons, essentially. Got the wonton. Okay. And then what do you... Egg wash. And the wash as well. With some spices in there. Now, I never knew that you guys did these fresh. I mean, these are some solid... Fresh. Mozzarella sticks. So, let's see how you make them. But as we're making them, also, you guys do have the french fries, you do have onion rings, you got the cheese curds, you got the jalapeno poppers, a little bit of everything. I mean, when did you start rolling these out? Like, literally, when was the first time? Oh, we've been doing these for a long time. You have been, okay. And we just roll it all day long. We sell so many of these. This is one of our top sellers. Yeah. After the fries is the mozzarella sticks. You know, Nicolette asked why these would be better. Obviously, the freshness, I think stands out. What other reasons are these better than just going from freezer to fryer? Well, the Wisconsin mozzarella. As well. There's a good chunk of mozzarella in there. That in itself is kind of like a portion of a meal, right? Yeah, that's over an ounce of mozzarella right there. I love that. You got this down. Is this one of those tedious tasks that you guys have to do that is rewarding? Knowing that your customers love it so much. You know, anytime you do homemade items, it just tastes so much better. It gets, the flavor is better. We can control the seasoning, we can control all the ingredients that's put in there because we're making it homemade. Yeah, but that's what you do. And I think a lot of people that come to Georgie Porgie's understand the quality when it comes to the food, the burgers. They're all steak, right? Yeah, it's Angus Steak Burger. It's an Angus Steak Burger, okay. And then the buns, a nice brioche bun. You know, if you have chicken that's crispy or it's grilled, the steak that you're making for pastrami sandwich, I mean, nice cut of sirloin. This is what you guys have been doing for 35 years. Yeah, so like even the sauces, we make our own Porgie's sauce, which is like our Thousand Island. Chipotle mayo, guac. We do all these things just to put a lot of love. So when you're making these mozzarella sticks, you're making it with love, you know, because it's just homemade and so good. And I'm so glad that you're continuing on those traditions too, that your mom and dad have set before you. First job in the business was what, Lou? Do you remember? Fry cook. Fry cook. So no wonder you can make some mozzarella sticks. No wonder. All right. I don't want to slow you up because I know there are going to be a lot of people coming in. What's making this anniversary special for you and your brother, knowing that you're continuing this tradition? You know, it kind of reconnects us with our, you know, values, right? Because you're looking at, you know, 35 years. What have we accomplished? All the things that we've done, it kind of realigns and kind of, You know, it feels good. Well, for you guys, going back to when you were a kid, being able to be a part of this and now running it must make the family very proud. Fox Local, for more information, guys, as you can see, the egg wash going on, those wontons there, and the mozzarella sticks gritting, ready to fry up. 1030, they're opening, 35 years, marks not only the start of Georgie Porgy's, but also their dad's birthday, and when he started it, 35 years ago to the day. Family business. Absolutely. They've got that down to a science there. Well, the banana split is a classic dessert, and at Georgie Porgy's, it's been on the menu for 35 years. Brian Cramp is in Oak Creek with the customer favorite. This sounds delicious. Oh yeah, I mean, it all starts with the frozen custard, right guys, which I need to get a sample of. Pete, do you mind? Let's do it! Let's do it, Brad! Scoop it! We've been here for like three hours! Right here, look at this. Oh, there's nothing better than fresh frozen custard coming out of that machine. And this is one of those OG machines, too. It goes back to the 70s. This is one of those Leon's machines. It sure is. It's an original Leon's machine. That's some amazing frozen custard. I mean, and that's what a banana split's got to start with. Go ahead, layer it up. Let's do it. Let's do it. We got a banana here. Take it. Here, banana. And I like that the bananas aren't, like, overly ripe or still green. That's right. A little bit, yeah. But the best flavor, you can still cut it if that frozen custard gets it cooled down. So they kind of sit at the bottom there. Yes. Now, this has been a staple for you guys for 35 years, too. How many do you think you... If you had to guess, how many do you think you make, like... A month or a year. Well, that's a good question. I'll be honest with you. I would say a lot. Oh, oh, oh. A lot. I think, you know, it's got that. We make a lot of them. Clearly. It's got that classic vibe to it. You know what I mean? It does. You know, it's got that, you know. Yeah, but some banana splits skimp. And I'm just seeing three huge scoops. For yours, and this trough, right? Yeah, I mean, that's essentially what it is. Now you're going to feed it with more substances. Yeah. What comes first there? Oh, you got to put the Hershey's chocolate syrup there. Chocolate syrup. So that goes on one. And then we got to put A strawberry. Strawberry goes on the other. Yeah, the strawberry is good. I'll tell you what, and all along I'm smelling the burgers in the background. Oh, that's delicious. For you guys, it must be a hazard for you to work here because all you want to do is eat the food. Pineapple? Hey, we got some pineapple. Yum. Yeah, then we're going to put some sprinkling on top. We're going to put some of these crushed nuts. Now I got to ask you this because you have the frozen custard machine back there. What happens when it goes down? Do you got a guy? You got a girl? Who do you got? Who do you have? It's a specialized. So you guys are doing the maintenance on it? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And then we put a little bit of whipped cream on here. Use that a little. Oh yeah. That's a lot. You know that's a lot. Don't forget the cherries here. Don't forget the cherry on top. You guys are making This 35th celebration is even more fun because you have some specialty items. If you missed it earlier on, we should probably turn around and check out some of those specialty items there. On the list, if you didn't see it earlier on, the pastrami sandwich. That's the one you find in that Shortino's roll. Ma's Malibu Chicken with the ham right next to it. And then, of course, we're making the Banana Split and that burger of the month right there is steak and much more steak on top. I have to hold this one, the sample. I've got to make sure, Pete, that it's okay for you to continue serving this thing. I'm going to go kind of across the board and just swoop it. There we go. Look at all three there, yeah. That's a lot to eat for one person, but I'm up to the task, and I appreciate you guys so much. You know that. The community appreciates it, whether it's Racine or it's Oak Creek. Congratulations to you, the family, the team. Thank you. 35 years. What an anniversary. Come by Georgie Porgy's and help them celebrate all month long. More Fox 6 Wake Up after the break. A little smiley. Juicy burgers to frozen custard. Georgie Porgy's has been serving up favorites for 35 years. Brian Cramp joining us live after visiting their Oak Creek location. And this is so cool. It has a tree fort in the middle of the shop. What's the story there? Yeah, pretty crazy, right? So when they first opened up this location, it was a diner. And that went away. The kids, I say kids now, they're adults in their 50s roughly, were younger and they wanted to bring some youthfulness to the inside. So they never had a tree fort growing up and they decided to put one in the middle of Georgie Porgy's and that's why it's called the Tree Fort Restaurant. Pretty cool, but you cannot climb it. I do imagine though, when kids walk in for the first time, they have to just be absolutely mesmerized by the decor here. Yeah, it's fun. And they have fun with it, too. And they have fun with the menu. That's what I like. It's not just the same thing over and over. Specialty items that are on the menu this month, as well as every month they have a burger of the month. And they allow the customers to have input as well, which is really fun. In the past, they've done burger contests, asking their customers to create burgers. But this month, it's all about that anniversary, bringing specialties from their dad, specialties from their mom, and bringing them back to the menu for a limited time. Absolutely. Okay. We have to talk about custard. How many flavors do they have there? I do more than they can count. So they have a rotation of vanilla and chocolate every day. Then they'll add either the flavoring to the vanilla or they'll add different types of ingredients to the vanilla or the chocolate to come up with their flavors. But every day, it is uniquely different. Today, it's very fitting because it is the birthday cake. Being that it's their dad's actual birthday. And having him passed several years ago, they still honor him in so many different ways. And it was 35 years ago to the date when they opened on his birthday. This is a very special day for them with very special flavor. Oh, absolutely. And it's so beautiful that they still honor and celebrate their late father's birthday there. And we get to participate if we stop by the store for the celebration, which when we're there, maybe we should grab a burger because these are pretty special. Oh, you know, there's, there's some competition in town when it comes to smash burgers, but as far as fast casual goes, this is one of those places that does it right. Every time, you know, I don't know many people that aren't pleased when they have a Georgie Porgy burger, whether it's their Georgie or the Porgy or the specialty burger, they have so many different options and toppings. But if I, if I could recommend this, go in there. Get the Porgy. They have a special sauce on top of that. Your choice of lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese. Make it your way, but also just try something from them and help them celebrate that big anniversary today and all month long. Absolutely. And talking about celebrating and giving back beyond just food, how does Georgie Porgy's give back to the community? Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up Haley. A lot of fundraisers. They work with local groups from like September to May off the school year and really give back. And they've done a lot for not only the groups, be it baseball teams, football teams, you know, organizations, after school, extracurricular, but they also give back to the school systems as well, be it Oak Creek and Franklin. So there are a lot of different ways they do that. And if you've never been to a car show. At Georgie Porgy's, they have a huge parking lot where hundreds of cars show up several times a year. It's something to see for sure. Absolutely. And they were just giving back to the community after the Brewers won the World Series. They gave away like a thousand milkshakes. It was so cool to see them celebrate that way, Brian. It's certainly a pretty special restaurant. And again, celebrating 35 years in business. Thanks, Cramp. Thank you.