Sabrosa Cafe and Gallery is Closed
Brunch spot on Howell Avenue shuttered last week after seven years in business.
Sabrosa Café and Gallery. Photo taken August 11th, 2017 by Cari Taylor-Carlson.
Last week ended on a somber note for the Howell Avenue restaurant scene, with two area establishments announcing their closures.
Hot Dish Pantry revealed its plans to close at the end of the month on Friday afternoon, and Sabrosa Cafe & Gallery followed with its own closure announcement later that night.
Although customers will no doubt mourn the loss of the latter establishment, co-owners Francisco (Frank) Sanchez and Ruben Piirainen said they are exiting the venture in high spirits.
“We are very happy with our decision,” Sanchez told Urban Milwaukee in an email. “We are leaving with a heart full of memories and gratitude.”
However, Sabrosa Cafe & Gallery filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2024. Shortly thereafter, the court dismissed the filing because the business was continuing to spend money without authorization.
Whatever the reasons for closing, the partners say they’re looking forward to beginning “a new chapter” in life, as Sanchez takes up a new role in corporate restaurant management and Piirainen continues his career as a professional pianist.
To their social media followers, Sanchez and Piirainen shared the following: “It has been our privilege and delight to serve you for the past eight years. With our hearts full of memories, it is time to say thank you one last time and goodbye. Please continue to support your favorite locally-owned small businesses who need you now more than ever.”
Sabrosa Cafe & Gallery opened in 2017 at 3216 S. Howell Ave., offering brunch and lunch dishes, a fully stocked bar, local art and live musical performances.
The restaurant celebrated its seventh anniversary in July.
Sabrosa, meaning “tasty” or “delicious” in Spanish, leaned into Mexican cuisine with dishes like chilaquiles, huevos escondidos and chorizo scrambler. The menu also included traditional American and Southern brunch favorites like pancakes, biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits and French toast.
The restaurant was known for its Sunday Hot Meat Market, a twist on the classic hot ham and rolls, featuring glazed ham and carnitas sold by the pound, along with tortillas, salsa, biscuits and rolls.
In 2022, Sanchez and Piirainen launched the Scandinavian-inspired Sisu Cafe at 2121 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., on the north end of Bay View. The business continued for eight months — moonlighting as a steakhouse for several of those — until its March 2023 closure.
In previous years, Sanchez and Piirainen represented both establishments at the South Shore Farmers Market.
The partners purchased the Howell Avenue building for $180,000 in 2017, according to city assessment records. They now plan to sell it as a turnkey, mixed-use operation through The Cream City Real Estate Company with an asking price of $499,000, Sanchez said.
The listing has not yet appeared online.
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