Meat On The Street Moving To Public Museum

Dining area at Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St. Photo taken Jan. 2023 by Jeramey Jannene.

Streets of Old Milwaukee, meet Meat on the Street. The Filipino restaurant, food truck and catering company will soon take over as manager of the café and coffee kiosk at Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St.

Prior to its partnership with the museum, Meat on the Street operated as a vendor at The Restaurants at Eleven25, located three blocks to the north in The Brewery District. On Thursday, the company announced that Friday, Feb. 24 is its last day of service at the food court, 1125 N. 9th St.

Meat on the Street is set to open at MPM in early March. Its core menu will feature traditional Filipino dishes such as kabobs, egg rolls and lumpia, and Mexican dishes including taquitos and burritos. American food options including hot dogs and hamburgers will also be available.

The kiosk will serve coffee drinks, Filipino beverages and an assortment of grab-and-go breakfast items.

“We are thrilled to welcome Meat on the Street to the Milwaukee Public Museum,” said Rebecca Ehlers, vice president of marketing, communications and visitor experience for MPM, in a statement. “We are impressed by their approach to ingredient selection, food preparation and the diversity of their menu options. This is an exciting opportunity to enhance Museum visitors’ dining experiences and support local entrepreneurs as they take this next step in growing their business.”

Siblings Alexa and Matt Alfaro are the co-founders and owners of MOTS. The business started as a food truck in 2014, launched as an homage to the siblings’ Filipino culture.

“Eating and cooking was a central part of our childhood,” Alexa Alfaro said. “It was how my dad, who grew up in the Philippines, showed us love, and how we connected with our Filipino roots while growing up in Oak Creek. He taught us everything we know about preparing delicious meals, and his family’s recipes that have been passed down for generations are used in our MOTS menu.”

The restaurant joined Eleven25 as a vendor in 2016. Meat on the Street also operates as a catering operation.

“What makes Filipino food so unique is that it is a blend of both Asian and Spanish ingredients,” Matt Alfaro said. “Our menu also prioritizes health; everything is made in-house and we cater to all dietary preferences, whether you like meat, vegan or gluten-free.”

After the move to MPM, Meat on the Street plans to continue to operate its food trucks and catering services.

Meat on the Street will open to the public within the museum’s dining space in the coming weeks. Museum admission is not required to access the café and coffee kiosk, which are located on the ground floor off of the Wells Street entrance.

MPM café hours are Wednesday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The coffee kiosk is open Wednesday through Monday from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Zilli Hospitality Group is the current operator of the museum’s cafe and coffee kiosk. The vendor offers an assortment of bakery, sandwiches, soups, salads and Stone Creek Coffee. Zilli last renewed its license at the address in June 2022.

MPM is in the process of designing a $240 million natural history museum at the corner of N. 6th St. and W. McKinley Ave. Upon its expected completion in 2026, the new facility would replace MPM, though the museum plans to maintain many of its collections.

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