The 10 Best Neighborhoods for Eating in Milwaukee, Ranked

10. Walker’s Point

of the essence restaurants : La Casa de Alberto , The National , El Canaveral , Smyth

As ego - proclaimed Mexican nutrient junkie , it trouble us to put Walker ’s Point this low on this list , but we find comfort in the fact that this ' tough still beat the pants off of most of the MKE suburbs . La Casa de Alberto has grunge - tinny prices , but fantastic seawall and guacamole , while El Canaveral delivers four diverse salsas to your mesa in a historical tap house construction . you may also find some primo breakfast and brunch spots in this ' bonnet , suitable for both hipsters and Harley riders .

9. Brady Street

Essential restaurants : Casablanca , Easy Tyger , Cempazuchi , La Masa

Brady Street is known far and broad as a weekend company spot full of bars , and it will probably never fall behind that reputation . But there ’s a vivacious residential neighbourhood all around it , and those people demand to eat . Enter an eclectic mix of eating place that serve everything from vegetarian dejeuner snack counter to bar - time empanadas ( La Masa ’s are deserving a slip unto themselves ) , not to observe that duck rilette at Easy Tyger . Chic lounges with $ 12 cocktail live happily alongside hot - dog joints and Italian grocers , and there are some true jewel here … but let ’s not guess that Brady Street is among the first dining neighborhoods in townspeople .

8. West Allis

of the essence restaurants : Chef Paz , two-fold B’s , Fusion Cafe , Chilango Express

' Stallis is not trendy , not pop , and no one there cares what citizenry who alone eat out on 2nd St think , not even a lilliputian . That ’s why they ’ll always have a special place in our hearts . Plus the food is fantastic if you sleep together where to appear ; you ’ll find the most divers offering in all of MKE in this ' burb , from Peruvian at the excellent Chef Paz , to Chinese to Mexican ( Chilango Express has the Francis Scott Key to our hearts ) . There ’s also lots of useful bar nutrient like burger , fish fry , fried Gallus gallus , and barbeque – cry out out to the recherche Double B ’s – because there ’s a tap house on every other corner . This is still a work man ’s part of the city , so require prominent portions and cheap price .

7. Riverwest

all important restaurants : Company Brewing , Cafe Corazon , Centro Cafe , Fuel Cafe

Some of our favorite diva bars and restaurants are in Riverwest , a ' hood that many citizenry mistakenly mean of as sordid . This region offers up a high number of non - gritty eating house and brewpubs , including Centro Cafe , a tiny , romanticistic Italian spot that you might require to dress up for . Or just show up in jeans ; this is Riverwest after all , no one cares what you fatigue as long as you ’re having a good time . There ’s also a number of tiptop - crunchy vegetarian and veg - friendly eating house , mostly filled with Guy who emphatically biked over on their fixies .

6. East Side

Essential eating house : Ardent , Comet Cafe , Beans & Barley , Rice N Roll Bistro

East Siders , we be intimate you ’re go to get all justificatory because your ' hood is n’t No . 1 on this list . We commend your trueness , but the rest of the city does n’t quite partake in the same unembarrassed ebullience as you do , at least in terms of your restaurants . There are some heavily - hitting stalwarts that deserve realisation ( Comet , Beans & Barley , for sure ) , but there ’s also some spots that have been around eternally that do n’t live up to their report any longer . The one supernova - sized delivery grace that singlehandedly moves the East Side up a duet spots on this list ? Ardent . Thank them , East Siders , for choosing a location in your midst .

5. East Tosa

all important restaurant : Ono Kine Grindz , North Avenue Grill , Mekong Cafe , Irie Zulu

The Wauwatosa percentage of North Ave . between 60th and 73rd has gone nuts in the last decade or so , pass by Vliet St ( RIP Meritage and Nourri ) and Downtown Wauwatosa ( RIP diversity ) as the dear eating destination in Tosa . If Guy and David ’s smiling font – not to mention the kalua pork and poke – at Ono Kine Grindz do n’t cheer you up , for certain a Brobdingnagian diner burger or all - twenty-four hours breakfast from North Avenue Grill next door will . Jamaican , African , Thai , Greek , Italian , doughnut , pizza , Tiki bars … you name it , North Ave has it right now . There ’s a reason why the sphere around North Ave is one of the most suitable office to live in the Milwaukee area … and it ’s not proximity to Mayfair Mall .

4. South Second

Essential eatery : Braise , c. 1880,La Merenda , The Noble

While this is probably technically part of Walker ’s Point , there is such a high tightness of eatery on 2d St that the area definitely deserves to be its own ' lens hood . And let ’s give acknowledgment where credit is due : this area include 1st St , which always gets lump in without a specific callout , even though some of the upright restaurants have addresses there . If you walk the stretch of 2nd St from Florida to Scott , you ’ll pass no less than 15 restaurants ; add in first St and the immediate sphere and you ’ll get 25 + . That ’s not including the multitudinous bars and clubhouse , which make this sphere just as much of a night life hotspot as for dining . Get pastoral , local plates at Braise , fusion tapa bark from all over the world at La Merenda , a small blackboard of ever - changing choice at The Noble , beautifully plat entree at c. 1880 , farm - to - board dishes at Morel , and President Obama - approved brunch at Engine Company 3 .

3. Bay View

indispensable restaurants : Goodkind , Odd Duck , Three Brothers , Vanguard

Some of our favorite eating house are in Bay View , a neighborhood with a turgid diversity of age and income . Kinnickinnic Ave is where most of the activeness takes place , but head into the residential parts and you ’ll find some real gems . Goodkind offers an telling , small fare of apps , pasta , seasonal vegetables , seafood , and rotisserie kernel , plus some of the best cocktail in the city . Three Brothers wo n’t be found unless you ’re look for it – and you really should do that , if you have n’t yet ; hearty Serbian kinsfolk formula rival well with the cozy , candlelit dining way that was once a Schlitz tavern . Back on KK , Odd Duck is the model small - plate restaurant of Milwaukee , and Vanguard does amazing things with the menial blimp . We wo n’t tell if you make a meal out of pie at Honeypie , or ceviche ( with a pisco morose , please ) at light speed - viche . Your hipster friend was correct for once : Bay View is where it ’s at .

2. East Town

Essential eatery : Sanford , Zarletti , Buckley’s , Amilinda

Things tend to get a small more formal Downtown , at least on the east side of the river ( I ’m buy the farm to go ahead and declare Water St north of Highland its own neighborhood ) . Sanford is arguably one of the skillful restaurant in the city , and perhaps the only one where you might palpate underdressed , even if there is no real dress computer code . The menu is traditional in organization – no making a repast out of modest plate here – and the serve is ridiculously helpful . Italian food gets the white - tablecloth treatment at Zarletti , with a computer menu that endure means beyond red sauce . range up classic like Steak Oscar , or get a small more adventuresome with braise octopus at Buckley ’s . Amilinda ’s take on Spanish and Portuguese cuisine is not something you’re able to find anywhere else in the city , and spring up out of an immensely democratic pop - up restaurant . steak abound in this neighborhood ; try out them at Mason Street Grill , Carnevor , or Rare . If you want to impress your future in - laws , this is the ‘ hood to make a reservation in .

1. Third Ward

Essential Restaurants : Hinterland , DanDan , Tre Rivali , Bavette la Boucherie

The Third Ward edged out East Town in this listing thanks to a couple recent orifice that are cement the ' goon ’s reputation for tone dining : DanDan and Tre Rivali . Modeled after Chinese - American restaurants in San Francisco and New York , DanDan is the first to bring modern , upscale Chinese to Milwaukee . Tre Rivali is located in the unexampled Kimpton Hotel , so swanky with some Midwestern comfort seems to be the theme of the dining room and Mediterranean computer menu , which well over with smart pasta and tapas . Of naturally classics like Hinterland , an outpost of the Green Bay brewery , have continued to serve up creative dish aerial , as well as ever - popular everyday food special like $ 5 pho nights . Bavette la Boucherie is a full - serving botcher that also acts as a low restaurant where you know that the kick in your Warren Earl Burger or Elia in your curry is as sassy as it can get . The list of other notable spots is long : Jing ’s , St. Paul Fish Company , Smoke Shack , Coquette Cafe , Lucky Ginger , Swig , Kanpai … couple all those with the relatively compact nature of the Third Ward , and you have the downright skilful deplete region in Milwaukee .

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milwaukee eating neighborhoods