The Yummiest Latin American in Milwaukee

Antigua Latin Inspired Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.1 (244) • $$

"Recently tried Antigua for an impromptu date night and was not disappointed!At 7:30pm on a Saturday night, we decided to head out for dinner (without reservations on a Saturday night--not our best laid plan). We hopped on Antigua's online reservation system, which showed them as completely booked. We decided to roll the dice and drop by in the hopes of maybe sitting at the bar. We arrived and were lucky enough to get a table right away!We started things off with cocktails. I ordered their grapefruit margarita (a little watery for my taste (you couldn't really taste the tequila--I described it to my dining companion as the sort of drink that would have been near perfection when I was 25 and revelled in cocktails that didn't actually taste of booze) and my dining companion ordered their platinum margarita which was made with Don Julio silver and was a delight (I may have had a sip or two).For our appetizer we enjoyed their sun dried tomato pumpkin seed guacamole, which was amazing. The sun dried tomatoes added depth of flavor and the pumpkin seeds added just a bit of texture to the lime splashed avocado. Truly, a homerun.For my entree, I opted for the Southwest Chicken Salad with chicken added. I know that sounds redundant but the dish is actually called a southwest chicken salad but it doesn't come with chicken unless you request it (and pay additionally for it). It was fresh and fab with beautiful greens, avocado, queso fresco, tortilla strips, and corn. The dressing was lackluster (tasted bottled, which was odd). So, a bit of a mixed back with that one.The service was lovely and attentive.All and all--I'd definitely come back.And, order their sun dried tomato pumpkin seed guacamole each and every time.Get to it!"

Tavo's Signature Cuisine

★★★★★ 4.7 (147) • $$

"My foodie cousins have been holding out on me! I have been living in MKE for a year and a half and last night was my first night here. Ay dios mio! This small family-run restaurant definitely made an impression on me.We started with the Guacamole Azteca. It was a leveled up guacamole dip with roasted jalapeños served on top. It wasn't too spicy. I loved the plantain chips - very nice touch. I could have filled up on this! For my main dish, I had the beef enchiladas with verde sauce. The flavor of the verde sauce made me want to lick the plate! I ate my enchiladas so fast I was embarrassed. :) My cousins ordered the enchiladas with red sauce and the steak tacos. Both loved their entrees. We all had black beans and Mexican rice that come with the meal. Everything was scrumptious!Our server was very friendly, attentive, and helpful with all of our questions. Needless to say, we will definitely be back! No"

Monona Bakery & Eatery

★★★★★ 4.5 (144) • $$

"I dined in for lunch on a Saturday. The place was packed. One orders food and see if a seat gets available during that time. My food took 45 minute to be ready. Fortunately I got a seat by then. Horchata was excellent. Banana soda was just ok. Baleada was my favorite breakfast item. Traditional Honduran breakfast was really good as well. Papusa was ok. I also went for a couple of pastries - guava and cheese danish and cherry danish. Both were really good."

The Spanish Traveler

★★★★☆ 4.1 (173) • $$

"I really wish I could give 3.5 stars. The setup of this place is wildly inefficient, but it's hard to take off a full star because the food is delicious. All orders are taken at the counter and when I was there it was just one woman taking orders. The entire time I was there, the line was out the door. It moves slow because there are lots of options, most things can be customized with the meat, and the menu is hard to see unless you pull it up on your phone. Once you order you take your number back to your table, grab any drinks, and wait for your food to be brought out to you - it's a strange mix of table and counter service. Food comes out as it's ready. For a table of four my family's food came out 15 minutes before mine was done. I went over to the serving station to inquire and was greeted with a look of disdain. Apparently it's not polite to inquire when your family is nearly done and you haven't even received a thing. When you finish you have to take your number back up the counter, keep it mind it's still just one person, and checkout to finalize your bill. Supposedly, this is so you can keep a tab going, but it's not the type of environment that you'd stay all night. So now to the food. The chips that arrive when you sit down are quite nice - a light crunch and a little salt. Wasn't a huge fan of of the salsa. In the spirit of trying things, I had the three choice combo plate. The tostada was a little hard to break apart and eat, but the toppings piled on top made it worth it. The taquito had a perfectly crispy crunch on the outside and packed with meat on the inside. It probably could've used a little dipping sauce. The best item for me was the empanada - crunchy on the outside and light and airy on the inside. It also had toppings over the top to add a bit more dimension. As is, I recommend you order ahead or delivery if it's possible to avoid the chaotic service. Certainly the best mix of Latin American food you will get in the area."

Poco Loco Cantina

★★★★☆ 3.6 (172) • $$

"Amazing! My parents owned the house across the street from this restaurant for 40 years and when they first opened my parents went to eat there...my mom said she wasn't impressed. Since then and based on her assessment, I've not bothered to try it. Last night my friend and I were nearby and with every other restaurant in the area having long wait times we decided to stop here. I can't believe I never gave this place a fair chance, the food was delicious and the service was excellent! I was eyeing some of the dishes coming out of the kitchen while we were waiting to order, both the salad and taco plates looked very appetizing, but I opted for the larger burrito(El Burro Grande)I never eat the side of rice and beans so figured this would be a better option for me than the tacos. Everything tasted so fresh and the burrito was slightly grilled, which I love. The burrito was stuffed with black beans guac, carne asada, rice...maybe sour cream and pico? Anyway it was great and easily enough for two people, I ended up taking half home for my husband, he also agreed it was very good. My friend ordered the carne asada enchiladas and she said they were a bit dry but she enjoyed them. All in all it was a great dining experience. The place itself is very small and only offers bar seating, which could be a turnoff for some people and I probably wouldn't come here with a large group."

El Salvador Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (89) • $

"El Salvador is a hidden gem in the Milwaukee area. If you want authentic Salvadorian food this is your spot. The place is small and cozy, the staff is always friendly.The pupusas are delicious they are served with curtido and salsa salvadoreña. My favorite are pupusas de queso, asada or the chicharrón ones. I love to enjoy my pupusas with an ensalada de frutas (mixed fruit drink) I definitely recommend this spot you won't be disappointed."

La Rosita Latina Grocery Store

★★★★☆ 4.3 (83) • $

"This is one of my favorite places in town for authentic Mexican food. The tacos are made fresh and every one that I have eaten is so good. They also serve Mexican corn, ice cream and mangonadas which are all yummy!Definitely should try this place. It's also a grocery store and they sell fresh meat as well."

La Caribeña Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (91) • $$

"The colorful building is painted with the countries flags represented on the menu. Inside you quickly forget you are in Milwaukee and get the impression you are somewhere in Latin America as you sit in these cool looking booths.The food is great and the service is friendly. I enjoyed my arroz con gandules, with grilled chicken. Definitely a spot to try out when you are in the neighborhood."

Cocina Mi Familia

★★★★★ 4.8 (15)

"An all-around great experience. Chips tasted freshly fried, salsa was fresh. Service was fast, ambiance was nothing that'll blow you away, but the food is what we're all really here for.We ordered enchiladas de mole con pollo and a huarache campechana. I keep retrying mole over and over again, and finally, here at Cocina Mi Familia, is where I felt like, yes, I get it - it's complex, hits sweet, then cinnamon-y, and then you get hits of the chicken and it is simply *chef's kiss*. The huarache? Also all around savory: the meats were tender, bursting with spice, and was remarkably filling (we took some home, too). Our waitress was lovely, you pay at the counter, and I was pleasantly surprised to find authentic Mexican food just passing through Sheboygan. Give it a try, they seem to be beloved by locals and a takeout-favorite."

El Local Restaurant & Seafood

★★★★☆ 3.9 (19) • $

"I went here for lunch today. Parking was easy right in front of the place. I walked in and didn't if I could sit anywhere so I stood at the door. After looking around I could see four women and none of them would acknowledge me standing there. After five minutes a woman tried to walk past me and I said excuse me can I sit any where and she had to get another woman to help me. Are they serious or am I invisible.After getting seated I was given chips and salsa and a menu. I posted pictures of the menu. The menu is very large and is a lot to take in. I ordered the Sesena dinner and realized my server never offered me any water so I had to asked for a glass of water.The food came in like four minutes, I just finished my fourth chip and the food was there. The chips and salsa were good and I would have liked the salsa a little chunkier. The main dish looked amazing, see the pictures. I took a taste of all the food before I started building tortillas. The steak was not seasoned and bland. The beans were bland also. I started building my corn tortillas with all the goodies and realized the salsa was better than the hot sauce. They don't give a lot of beans, just enough for a light spread for three tortillas and it's gone. When I was done I asked for a box for the left overs and to let my server know I was ready to leave, ten minutes later still no check. By the way the place had only four tables in service. Luckily the booth behind me came to life so I asked for the check while she walked past and she said in a minute. She came back to the booth behind me a second time and still no check WTF. The meal was just under $10.Overall the food was average and nothing wowed me at all. There are better Mexican places in Milwaukee. The service was horrible over all and I spent more time waiting for service than the time I spent eating. This is the chance you take when trying a new place when known great places exist."

Tulum Latin Gastropub

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (25)

"Highlights/Lowlights1) Conveniently Located on KK in BayView2) Walk Ins OK/No Need for a Reservation3) Very Average FoodWe stopped in to try Tulum on a Saturday night around 7:30pm. Tulum is conveniently located on bustling KK in BayView. We didn't have a reservation but didn't need one! There were plenty of bar spaces open as well as some tables. We were seated right away and given menus and waters. The ambiance here is ok, there is some cute wall detailing but you can also tell they just moved in and there were still some odds and ends laying around. I ordered a regular margarita on the rocks and my husband ordered a mango mojito. Drinks were very ok, nothing terrible but nothing out of this world either. We ordered guacamole and the jalapeño poppers for our appetizers. Guacamole was good, chips that came with were VERY salty. The poppers were a little odd. Our server brought the bacon-wrapped poppers to our table but took them away right when he set them down (no explanation). A few minutes later we were brought different poppers. These ones looked (and kind of tasted like) the ones you buy in the freezer section of the grocery store. Unfortunately the insides were cold on these. For entrees we did an enchiladas verde and the Lomo Saltado. Again, both of these were very average. The Lomo Saltado was really peppery and the fries that came with did not taste like they were made in house. Enchiladas were ok but with so many authentic Latin American restaurants in Milwaukee these don't really compete. Service overall was friendly! I think we will come back and try again but might wait until the team here gets some of the kinks worked out."

Mexico En La Sangre

★★★★★ 4.5 (12)

"I was here 2 months ago. I'm sorry I forgot the names of the food I ordered. This is a new restaurant in the area and is very authentic. I met the owner and he is super nice. His son was taking orders at the counter. He did forget my tamale which I noticed after I got to where we were staying. I went back and he offered me a free soda when I picked up my tamale. Check your bag to make sure it's all there. They have a few tables inside. No outdoor dining. It is decorated very attractively. I highly recommend you try this place."

Café El Sol

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (18) • $$

"Looking for a different sort of Friday fish fry? Here's your place, an oddly placed restaurant hidden in the basement of the UCC, a school and community center on the near south side, your meal won't be expensive and your money goes towards one of the best community based organizations and programs in the Midwest, so you can feel good about eating too much. Open only Mondays through Fridays, you should go a little early to check out the little art gallery upstairs, it's always interesting, same with some of the little history displays in the lobby area. The food is partly Mexican, partly Puerto Rican. Their breakfast and lunch is delicious, but the best part of the week is the Friday fish fry. There's no one there when it starts at 5 (not sharp), but that's when the fish (served buffet style, with rice and beans and a couple of other sides) is best, and you know you can get a table. Make sure you order a margarita before you start, and get a good Mexican beer to go with. The fried fish is unique, with Latin seasoning, they'll (eventually) bring you tortillas to go with, although it's all you can eat, be careful with that. Maybe it's just me, but when food is served this way, I eat one or two more pieces of fish past comfort. The fish that isn't fried is somehow even less healthy, as it is served swimming in butter, but it's even more delicious. Then at 6 or 6:30 (not sharp), some very talented musicians start playing, and I should have mentioned earlier, although the restaurant is in a school basement, the decor and ambiance is quite pretty, you'd pay twice this much if the restaurant weren't part of a not-for-profit community center. A couple of drinks and the fish fry comes to slightly over $30 for two, add the music, the friendly atmosphere, and I can't imagine a nicer Friday evening. It's an early Friday evening though, the music and food cease by 9. Parking is easy except during school hours (don't even try to come here by car when school lets out), there's a little neighborhood park right out in front with parking on the street on all four sides. Don't let anyone frighten you off by telling you this is a bad neighborhood, the couple of blocks surrounding this community center are pretty, old houses occupied by working families, and besides, there's a beautiful Mexican-Catholic grotto right next to the restaurant, so if you're a believer, that will protect your soul. http://www.unitedcc.org/index.htm"

El Patio

★★★★☆ 3.8 (8)

"We had steak arranchera and a Central American "quesadilla" of sorts but much better! The steak and eggs was good. But the dish with crispy masa and raw cabbage topped with a light, sweet tomato sauce - that was a wonderful surprise. It was the waitress' first day of work and it looks like the owners are still setting up the restaurant. New paint, new video/game equipment, it's just getting started. I hope they make a go of it. Nice people, friendly, interesting menu. Prices everywhere have gone up so it's not a cheap eats kind of place but it's tough out there for small businesses, please give them a chance. We had a nice meal and the service was good. I hope this place makes a go of it - best wishes to the owners and staff!"