New Bars and Restaurants That Opened in August
Nine new additions include a taqueria, 80s-themed bar and halal restaurant.
Ben Spangler and Gabriella Grant. Photo courtesy of 3rd Street Market Hall.
The vendor count at 3rd Street Market Hall rose by one last month with the arrival of Minneapolis-based Bebe Zito, which opened its first Milwaukee location just ahead of Labor Day weekend.
With a menu of smashburgers, chicken sandwiches and mix-in-loaded ice creams, Bebe Zito packs all the nostalgia of a classic drive-in while offering year-round access—and the modern luxury of milk alternatives for the dairy-free crowd.
Featured flavors include blackberry butter birthday cake, frosted animal cracker, pistachio puppy chow with a pistachio milk base and halva coffee with tahini, dark roast coffee and oatmeal cookies.
An online menu includes dietary labels for gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan ice creams.
On the savory side, Bebe Zito’s signature burger features a beef-and-bacon smash patty topped with American cheese, special sauce, lettuce and Grandma Connie’s pickles. Vegetarian and gluten-free substitutions are available for an additional charge.The menu also offers cheese curds, French fries and honey butter chicken tenders—served on their own or as a sandwich.
The new arrival marks a shakeup at 3rd Street Market Hall, following the departure of anchor tenants Dairyland Old-Fashioned Frozen Custard and Hamburgers and Mid-Way Bakery. Two additional tenants—a dessert shop and old-fashioned candy store—are expected to open in the coming months.
Outside its downtown digs, Bebe Zito is far from the only new kid on the block. Eight additional bars and restaurants joined the Milwaukee lineup in August, adding tacos, pizza, craft lattes and more to the local landscape.
Love at First Slice
Do you believe in Love at First Slice? Dikembe Husband does.
From home kitchen to commercial operation, the chef is now serving his handmade pizzas at Sherman Phoenix Marketplace, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave. Personal-sized pies are available with toppings like cheese, pepperoni, jalapenos and more, with options set to expand as the restaurant finds its footing.
Banderas
A new Latin-inspired tavern, Banderas, held its grand opening on Aug. 15 in Walker’s Point.
Located at 408 W. Florida St., Banderas focuses on agave-based spirits, South and Central American food and Spanish-language programming, including televised soccer matches.
Wake N Brew Coffee Co.
Wake N Brew Coffee Co. rolled into the Bay View coffee scene in late August, bringing a menu of classic coffees, seasonal specials and homemade bakery to Humboldt Park.
The mobile cafe is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays along S. Howell Avenue, with crowd-favorite drinks including ube lattes, tiramisu lattes and banana bread lattes with fresh banana cold foam.
A new list of seasonal specials is set to debut next week.
Explorium Distilled
The latest rebrand from The Explorium Hospitality Group is now active in Deer District. Explorium Distilled, previously Good City brewing, opened recently at 333 W. Juneau Ave. with a refreshed menu and tap list.
Summer of ’85
Pac-Man, aerobics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—Summer of ’85 has it all.
The new 80s-themed bar, 2213 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., softly opened on Aug. 30, offering themed cocktails and snacks, retro arcade games and throwback jams from DJ GidMoney.
Baithak of Punjab
Opened in early August, Baithak of Punjab is the area’s newest halal restaurant, offering a large selection of authentic Indian and Pakistani dishes, along with South Asian fusion and New York-style pizza, in the former Marsel’s Pizzeria at 4252 S. Howell Ave.
Taqueria el Arriero
Madison-based Taqueria el Arriero has expanded to Milwaukee with its first brick-and-mortar restaurant. The Mexican eatery opened in late August at 3530 W. National Ave., the previous site of Flautas y Chilaquiles Los Villa.
Ray’s Chicken & Fries
A new fast food spot is bringing the heat to 7609 W. Capitol Dr. with Nashville-style hot chicken—a recipe owner Ehab Abughosh spent years perfecting.
Ray’s Chicken & Fries serves its signature chicken on sliders, in wraps and on top of waffles—drizzled with syrup and crowned with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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