New Mexican Restaurant For Clarke Square

Site of future La Playa Mariscos y Bar, 721 S. Cesar E Chavez Dr. Photo taken Nov. 29, 2022 by Sophie Bolich.

Jose Lozoya, Jr. exudes confidence as he prepares to open El Caporal in Clarke Square, telling the Milwaukee Licenses Committee on Tuesday that he expects the restaurant’s Mexican dishes to rival even those of the area’s most cherished establishments.

“I think I’ll be a little more authentic,” said Lozoya, a 20-year industry veteran, who plans to launch the new business at 721 S. Cesar E Chavez Dr. Formerly home to La Playa Mariscos y Bar, the large restaurant space shares a building with National Liquor Mart, also owned by Lozoya.

And despite the South Side’s plethora of restaurants offering not just Mexican, but a wide array of global cuisines, Lozoya feels something is still missing. El Caporal aims to fill that gap.

“I want to bring a good food place to the South Side, with good entertainment, kind of like a Chicago-style [business] — something that’s missing in Milwaukee,” Lozoya told committee members, noting that Mexican meals and music will go hand-in-hand at the future establishment, especially on weekends.

“It’s not so much a dancing thing, it’s more of being with your family, hanging out and enjoying some good food and drinks,” he said.

With prior experience in restaurant ownership, Lozoya is partnering with a local chef to offer an extensive menu featuring seafood dishes, tacos, tortas and a selection of breakfast items. A proposed menu also includes traditional soups like pozole and menudo, along with carnitas, costillas (ribs) in salsa roja, verde, or tatemada, birria (goat or beef), and molcajete de carnes, served with two types of meat, cactus, queso fresco, spicy salsa and tortillas.

To drink, El Caporal will feature cocktails like margaritas and palomas, along with the sweet and spicy mangonada, beers, a wide selection of tequilas and a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, according to a license application.

Tableside entertainment could include live music such as mariachi performances. Lozoya has also installed a number of TVs throughout the space, with plans to screen soccer games for patrons.

Committee Chairwoman JoCasta Zamarripa thanked Lozoya for his leadership, and said she’s honored to serve as the area alderwoman. She recommended approval for the business, though not without first confirming Lozoya’s plans, noting that previous operators promised restaurants for the district, but didn’t follow through.

“I just wanted you to reassure me and the committee that you’re not looking to open a nightclub,” she said.

In response, Lozoya invited committee members to visit for a meal. “You can see the difference,” he said. “We’re doing a lot of tables, it’s painted, it’s going to rival some of the bigger-known places in Milwaukee that are really nice. I’ve gone all-out on the inside — it’s going to be really a family-oriented place.”

The license for El Caporal now moves to the Milwaukee Common Council, which is scheduled to vote on the matter later this month. Keep an eye on the restaurant’s Facebook page for updates.

Once open, El Caporal’s proposed hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.

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