Brunch Restaurant Proposed For Bay View
Axolotl Cafe would bring chilaquiles and cocktails to former Blackwood Brothers.
3001-3003 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
A new brunch restaurant could be headed to Bay View, filling a high-turnover space that has cycled through three dining concepts in the past 18 months.
Axolotl Cafe, named for the fuchsia-gilled salamander native to Mexico, is proposed to open at 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., with plans for a menu of American and Mexican dishes including omelets, chilaquiles and bloody marys.
Owner Jorge Trejo aims to launch the new restaurant in mid-fall, according to a license application.
The building was previously home to Blackwood Brothers Restaurant and Social Club, which Mario Malcara operated for just under three years before closing in February 2024.
Malcara initially planned to rebrand as a Peruvian restaurant, partnering with chef Mario Diaz Herrera to launch Cholo’s. However, the concept drew immediate ire from neighbors, who complained of loud music and raised concerns over Diaz Herrera’s record of disorderly conduct related to domestic abuse.
In response to community pushback, Malcara changed the restaurant’s name to Inca Peru Cuisine and replaced Diaz Herrera with his half-brother, Ricardo Herrera.
The updated plan received city approval but proved short-lived.
By November of that year, new operators were working towards opening a digital food hall in the building, with three brands set to launch under Crave Kitchens. The restaurant received its license but never announced an official opening.
Axolotl Cafe would be the latest to take over the 825-square-foot restaurant space, with a five-year lease beginning Nov. 1.
A proposed menu features build-your-own omelets, steak and eggs, breakfast tacos and corned beef hash, along with chilaquiles and the namesake axolotl benedict, with chicken chorizo, avocado, poached eggs and cilantro-chipotle hollandaise served atop English muffin halves.
In addition to breakfast dishes, the cafe plans to offer hamburgers and a chicken sandwich. Cocktail options could include mimosas, bloody marys, margaritas and carajillo—espresso spiked with liqueur and served over ice.
The business has applied for a public entertainment license requesting instrumental musicians.
A license application for Axolotl Cafe is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council. If approved, the restaurant’s proposed hours are Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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