There’s an art, or perhaps etiquette, to eating tacos (nobody tells you that until the filling is falling out of your tortilla down onto your sandaled foot!). The well-seasoned, griddled chicken is so generously piled on by the cooking masters at Taco Loco (inside the El Rey markets) that you need to double-hand the taco, in a so steamy corn envelope, and lean over your plate, letting the juices dribble down your hands. But wonderful? Si!
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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Late Night Dining, Open for Breakfast, Open For Lunch, Reservations Taken,
How do we love chorizo? Let us count the ways. First and foremost, not too sweet, like we’re eating a spicebread. The crumbled, deep-red chorizo gets a quick griddlefry, activating the smoky flavor and giving it a nicely charred/mashed texture that makes a firm pocket inside the warm, griddle-fried corn tortillas at charming little El Tsunami Taqueria Y Mariscos.
In a city with as many Mexican restaurants as Milwaukee, Guanajuato Mexican Restaurant (2301 S. Howell Ave.) stands out by blending in.
Away from the drunken, mechanical pepper riding bachelorette parties of Fifth and National, GTO (as it’s affectionately known) occupies a small, nondescript storefront at the mega-intersection of Lincoln, Howell and Kinnickinnic avenues in Bay View. Read more…
If you’re looking for something that’s a little bit higher up on the epicurean scale, this one’s for you. Maple-glazed, seared and thick-sliced duck breast is the bomb on its own. Layer it inside a warm, sturdy flour tortilla with queso, lettuce and the delicious chipotle salsa and the stars really align. One pro tip: Order the pureed black beans and scoop them into your taco! Head to Poco Loco Cantina in Brown Deer for this masterpiece.
Botanas Restaurant not only offers delicious authentic Mexican cuisine, but they also have over 100 brands of tequila for the perfect margarita. Some fan favorites include moles, charcoal grilled meats, salsa verde and tequila shrimp.
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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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.
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.
Open For Lunch, Reservations Taken,
Traffic moves at an antelope’s pace on National Avenue, so it’s easy to unknowingly whiz by El Comedor. Advice: Keep your eyes peeled for a corner building with a bright-red threshold, then head inside and place your order immediately for crispy, succulent shreds of pork (a.k.a., al pastor). The meat is sweetened with tiny chunks of pineapple. Ask for cilantro and onion on top, and be liberal with the fresh lime! Look for El Comedor taco truck on South 13th and Hayes.
El Cabrito – whose name translates to “little goat” – is marinated and slow-roasted (leg, sometimes), which lends a succulent texture and flavor similar to lamb. Keen palates will detect cinnamon, cumin, even lemon peel. Like other meats, it needs only cilantro and onion on top, but don’t be shy with the chunky red salsa! And corn tortillas are best.
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.
Open for Breakfast, Open For Lunch, Outdoor Dining,
Cafe El Sol offers an authentically delicious Puerto Rican and Mexican cuisine. Stop by on a Friday evening for a dinner buffet with broiled and fried fish as well as live Latin entertainment starting at 6:30 p.m.
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Late Night Dining, Open For Lunch,
A private entrance to this intimate Potawatomi Casino & Hotel restaurant lets you avoid the casino crowds. Dine on house-made charcuterie, several Black Angus steaks, as well as specialty cuts of kangaroo and Kobe beef. Venison and fresh fish round out the menu.
La Casa de Alberto avoids the “all signs point to dry beef” predicament that seems to plague griddled steak. This is tender, flavorful meat buried under your choice of toppings. And if you order the chunky guac (you should), pile it on thick!