Sit at a table pushed up against the old wooden bar at Guadalajara. It’s old Milwaukee (the building dates to 1890) meets the modern wave of immigration. The steak is lean, on the juicy side, and with the spread of toppings, the tacos looks like little queso-capped mountain peaks. Don’t forget the house pico de gallo! This boffo fresh salsa of cabbage, radish and bell peppers offers that all-important crunch.
Not your average taco filling. But Gypsy Taco isn’t your average maker. The truck – I guess you could call it more of a trailer – lives on the Boone & Crockett patio and services that bar’s barrel-aged cocktail drinking crowd. The Gypsy himself, Mitchell Ciohon, uses his fine-dining background to infuse his offbeat tacos with some razzle-dazzle, so expect drizzly schmears and garnishes of things like whipped goat cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds and arugula salad. His juicy-decadent shredded pork (the soda braising liquid leaves a mildly sweet finish) topped with cabbage, jalapeño, sliced radish, homemade pickles and a jigger of aioli – holy flavor burst! Add the extra creaminess of queso for $1. That’s what the Gypsy calls “Stallis-style.”
One late spring weekend, as the days were getting longer, the Gonzalez family debuted their delicacies made inside a shiny 1950s trailer, calling their business Mazorca Tacos. Their tasty bistec has three tasty going for it – the Wisconsin beer marinade, tender bean topping and delicious corn tortilla right there. Served with a zesty tomatillo salsa? Natch.
Café Corazón offers an exemplary weekend taco packed with tasty ingredients: carne mechada (Venezuelan pulled beef), sweet cooked plantains, scrambled eggs and cheese. Read more…
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One of your first sights upon entering Carnitas Don Lucho is the counter. Yes, there’s an unseen kitchen in this space, but at the counter where you place your order, you will marvel at the glistening pork carnitas, the butt cooking right there, hunks of which are lopped off and sold by the pound. The tender confit-like meat is akin to manna folded inside large, fresh corn tortillas. Drizzle fresh lime and Lucho’s smoky pasilla chile salsa (one of up to six sauces) over the meat. The taco doesn’t need much more to enhance the flavor.
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Contrary to its name, Vagabond’s warm and modern atmosphere will encourage you to stay and mingle longer than expected. A 1970’s Airstream sits smack dab in the middle of the restaurant – now transformed into a bar – lending the restaurant a sepia-toned sheen of nostalgia. American and Mexican street food mingle with memory-lane music at this Downtown eatery.
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The tacos served here are in the style of L.A. taco trucks; the margaritas are made with free-squeezed lime juice. You build your margarita by choosing the tequila – there’s no shortage of options.
Other Locations: BelAir Water Street, BelAir Downer
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The tacos served here are in the style of L.A. taco trucks; the margaritas are made with free-squeezed lime juice. You build your margarita by choosing the tequila – there’s no shortage of options.
Other Locations: BelAir Water Street, BelAir Cantina Tosa
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Entertainment, Friday Fish Fry, Late Night Dining, Open For Lunch, Reservations Taken,
Friday Fish Fry, Open For Lunch, Sunday Brunch,
Owned by a onetime employee of Sobelman??s Pub and Grill, the bar focuses on more or less one thing: burgers. Bring your voracious appetite for the Big O burger (with chorizo, bacon, two kinds of cheese, fried onions and guac) with a side of sweet potato fries. If you??re not burgering it, try the seven-layer cheese nachos.
The Walker??s Point resto that inhabited an old German bar long before the area??s renaissance. Owner/chef Peggy Magister has a rapt audience that finds nothing crazy about her menu of chorizo-stuffed dates, parsley-crusted halibut, and soy-braised short ribs.)
Open on weekends until 4 a.m., if you’re in the mood for late night Mexican, Cielito Lindo is your stop. Some delicious items include huevors rancheros, molcajete and chiles rellenos.
Seasonal cuisine incorporating local foods is the mantra of this beautifully restored occupant of Walker’s Point’s “Restaurant Row.” The steamed pork buns are a must. Also offers hands-on cooking classes.
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Since 1997, MKE Brewing Co., formally known as Milwaukee Ale House, has been providing Wisconsin with some of top Lagers, IPA’s, Amber Ales, and more. They use only the best local ingredients and sustainable means to produce the beer.
A decorative thread of 1980s neon and poster art filters through this offbeat Walker’s Point bar run by folks from Boone & Crockett and Vanguard. Tater tots, sliders, Radskis salad, cheese fries and Brussels sprout salad are all worth snacking on.
It was probably inevitable that restaurant owners would see “small plates” for the two-bite finger foods that they are and seek to capitalize on them (i.e., serving less food for more money). In their favor, tapas let the diner try more things, often without breaking the bank. Read more…
Friday Fish Fry, Late Night Dining, Open For Lunch, Outdoor Dining,
Small menu; changes made frequently. Monday service industry brunch.
The Spanish-influenced plates are small, but the flavors are not. The interior says ??reclaimed old Milwaukee storefront.?? Weekly live flamenco guitar, and flowing gin and tonics, say ??Madrid.?? Pair all that Espana with croquetas (fritters), meatballs, tostas (open-faced sandwiches) and paella.
Quirky little counter-service soup shop that has a following just for its fire-roasted red pepper bisque. But there are other great options here, which change depending on the day. Look for cheddar and Bermuda onion, and cowboy chunky chili. Sandwiches available too. Dine in or carryout.
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