New Brunch Cafe in Bay View
Plus: a pop-up supper club, the latest on FoodShare benefits and farewell to Martino’s.
Axolotl Cafe, 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
Axolotl Cafe opened its doors in Bay View earlier this week, adding Mexican-inspired brunch dishes to the neighborhood’s ever-evolving dining scene.
The new restaurant, led by Jorge Trejo, replaces the former Blackwood Brothers Restaurant and Social Club at 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Three short-lived businesses, Cholo’s, Inca Peru Cuisine and Crave Kitchens, cycled through the space in the interim.
Trejo in September told the Milwaukee Licenses Committee that the business would welcome all ages, with plans to operate as a family-friendly addition to the neighborhood.“We can’t wait to be part of the Bay View community, bringing a place with fun vibes and a nice environment,” he said. “We have a really amazing team and we’re so excited to grow together.”
The cafe offers breakfast and lunch, with highlights including horchata pancakes, chilaquiles, quesabirria and more. Axolotl Cafe is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Coffee Shop Chain Expanding to Downtown Hotel
A popular Yemeni coffee shop is expanding to downtown Milwaukee, opening at 1230 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., inside the Aloft Hotel.
Get a daily rundown of the Milwaukee storiesHaraz Coffee House, a Michigan-based chain, recently filed construction documents for the space. Plans call for a kitchen buildout and a dining area, covering just over 2,600 square feet.
The fast-growing company was founded in 2021 by Hamzah Nasser and now includes more than 31 locations across the country, with 185 more in development.
Franchisee Madhi Hassan operates an East Side cafe at 2900 N. Oakland Ave. Another began its soft opening last month in Oak Creek under Ali Hamed, who is expected to lead future expansions across the state, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.
Fast-Casual Restaurant Plans Downtown Location
Supper Club Pop-Up Returns to Barnacle Buds
As of early November, Barnacle Bud’s has gone into hibernation.
The riverside restaurant will remain on hiatus until warmer weather returns, but in the meantime, visitors can look forward to warm crab cakes, crispy calamari, fried cheese curds and other comforting dishes from Gene’s Supper Club.
The perennial pop-up, now in its third season at 1955 S. Hilbert St., also promises oyster service, desserts and “loads of specials,” according to chef Ben Crevensten.
With a cozy setup featuring just eight tables and six bar seats, Gene’s Supper Club is reservation-only, and parties are limited to six guests or fewer. What the restaurant sacrifices in space, it makes up for in ambience—glowing string lights, flickering candles and sloped ceilings evoke more ski chalet than seafood shack.
County Board Finds Funding For Emergency Food Assistance
The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted to approve $150,000 in emergency funding for local SNAP recipients during the lapse in federal funding.
The federal Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP) ran out of funding on Nov. 1 The was created to help low-income people purchase groceries. In Wisconsin the program is called FoodShare. The lapse in funding occurred as a result of the ongoing federal government shutdown and a deliberate refusal by President Donald Trump‘s administration to provide emergency funding in the interim.
Before the shutdown, nearly 700,000 Wisconsin residents a month were receiving assistance.
The county board resolution, authored by Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson Bovell, pulls $150,000 from the county’s rainy day fund and provides it to the county Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) with instructions to “determine how to best allocate the funds for the purpose of providing emergency supplemental food assistance to County residents impacted by the reduction in SNAP benefits.” The department is to return to the board in spring to explain how it spent the funds.
Mexican Restaurant Opens Near Marquette
Restaurant Owners Buy Former Glorioso’s Building
The former home of Glorioso’s Italian Market could soon see new life.
The two attached buildings, which most recently housed Glorioso’s Appetito and the Sage Harvest cooking school, were sold to a limited liability company controlled by restaurateur Linjin Xiao.
Xiao and his wife, Selina Zheng, co-own several restaurants, including Kawa Ramen and Sushi, 2321 N. Murray Ave.; the Tsaocaa franchise, 2224 N. Farwell Ave.; Kawa Ramen and Sushi in 3rd Street Market Hall, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave.; and Kawa Japanese, 325 W. Silver Spring Dr., Glendale.
Blue Ocean Realty paid $1.7 million for the buildings at 1016-1022 and 1024-1028 E. Brady St. The properties were acquired from Glorioso Bros. Realty, a limited liability company affiliated with the Glorioso family.
Milwaukee Businesses Offering Assistance To FoodShare Recipients
The United States is in a food fight. Amid the longest government shutdown in history, millions of Americans went without the scheduled Nov. 1 renewal of federal benefits, leaving many struggling to put food on the table.
But Milwaukeeans are proving eager to help. From individual assistance to city-wide efforts, residents are working around-the-clock to keep neighbors fed. Now, a number of area businesses have joined the effort.
That includes the East Side’s Vintage, which is pivoting its community fundraising program, Vintage Gives Back, to fight food insecurity. The bar’s initiative, now in its second year, donates $2 from every sale of a designated beer or liquor brand to a local nonprofit. November’s featured partner is Revolution Brewing.
Effective immediately and continuing through the end of 2025, all funds will be donated directly to Milwaukee-area food charities, beginning with Hunger Task Force.
Motorcycle Bar With Global Following Will Close
When Nick’s Anvil Inn serves its final drinks in late 2025, Milwaukee won’t just lose a historic corner bar and a staple in the local motorcycle scene, but also a key place for connection.
“I would kid—and even the customers would kid—that it’s the friendliest tavern in Milwaukee,” said co-owner Chris Tribbey, who runs the business with his wife, Nancy. “People would come in as total strangers … and by the time they left, they were hanging out and talking with everybody.”
Tribbey’s father-in-law, Nick Kosalos, opened the bar in 1978 at 2900 S. 13th St., where it continued for decades as a no-frills beer-and-shot joint. By the early 2000s, the physical demands of the business had begun to take a toll, so the couple hired a bartender to help—and eventually took over themselves.
Though they maintained the corner tavern’s charm, the couple also expanded its reach. “We built it up into quite an eclectic, extremely popular motorcycle-themed hangout,” said Tribbey, who previously worked at Harley-Davidson.
Fast-Growing Craft Beer Supplier Acquired By St. Louis Firm
Craft Beverage Warehouse (CBW), a fast-growing supplier to the craft beer industry and a key player in Century City‘s development, was sold to a St. Louis company.
Packaging supplier TricorBraun announced Tuesday that it acquired the Milwaukee-based company, known for its direct-to-can digital printing.
“Our acquisition of Craft Beverage Warehouse —a company known for exceptional quality and customer service—enables us to provide beverage customers across North America with expanded packaging offerings and services,” said Brett Binkowski, TricorBraun’s North America president, in a statement. “We’re excited to welcome the Craft Beverage Warehouse team to the TricorBraun family.”
Privately held Tricor reports having more than 100 locations and 2,000 employees. It was founded in 1902 and has grown through several acquisitions.
New Tenant Coming to Former Balzac
Larry Schaefer was a regular teenager—he hung out with friends, worked hard in school and loved chicken wings. But his taste for the game-day staple went further than downing a plate during the Super Bowl; it would eventually spark a successful restaurant chain.
“Me and my buddies, we loved chicken wings, and we always kind of messed around with recipes,” Schaefer said. “We would go to parties and bring wings, and we would always joke that one day one of us would open a place.”
Now, Schaefer and his adult children, Amber and Dane, are preparing to launch Legend Larry’s at 1716 N. Arlington Pl., the former site of Balzac Wine Bar. The upcoming location will be the fifth for the restaurant, which also operates in Sheboygan, Sheboygan Falls, Manitowoc and Green Bay.
The counter-service spot is expected to open in early 2026, offering both takeout and dine-in with a menu of chicken wings paired with 13 award-winning sauces such as Honey BBQ, Scary Larry and Sweet Thai Chili. Legend Larry’s also serves shrimp, sliders and salads, along with sides like broccoli cheddar bites, breaded pickles and jalapeno poppers.
Say Your Goodbyes to Martino’s
Martino’s has been a southside staple for nearly 50 years, serving hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches just a stone’s throw from the airport. The historic restaurant, 1215 W. Layton Ave., has drawn generations of repeat customers—many of whom rave about its banana malts, chili dogs and former mini golf course, which entertained children and teens in earlier decades but has since shuttered.
Now, Martino’s is saying goodbye.
The restaurant is set to close Dec. 19, capping off 48 years in business. Owners TJ and Cathy Anderson shared the news on social media Tuesday morning, setting off a flood of comments reminiscing about family outings, meet-cutes, mid-work stops and more—all set against the backdrop of the yellow-awninged, counter-service spot.
“Martino’s has never been just about making hot dogs,” TJ said. “My mom taught me something when I was very young: if you put love into something, people will come and they will remember and they will enjoy and they will return. That’s all Cathy and I have ever done.”
City Closes ELMNT Lounge
City-Led Food Drive Raises $74,000
In just under a week, the City of Milwaukee has raised more than $74,000 in donations for its community-backed food drive—enough to fund more than 222,000 meals for families affected by delays in federal food assistance benefits.
The funds, including $20,000 from the Brewers Community Foundation, will support Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and NourishMKE, during the ongoing government shutdown.
Food donations are also being accepted at more than 100 sites across the city, with dropboxes at Milwaukee County King Community Center and the Milwaukee County Kosciuszko Community Center added over the weekend.
Benefits associated with FoodShare, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were paused Nov. 1 due to a federal funding lapse. Although two federal judges have ordered the Trump administration to release emergency funding, it remains unclear when benefits will resume and what amount will be provided.
New Bars and Restaurants That Opened in October
Earlier this year, Misael Mazaba took over the former Crocus Polish Restaurant at 3577 S. 13th St. Following a transformation of both the building and menu, the industry veteran has created and debuted Mazaba Restaurant, a new destination for Mexican cuisine.
Mazaba, co-owner of El Tsunami, runs the new business with his wife, Anabel. In a statement on their website, the couple said they were inspired by “faith, family values and love for authentic food.”
That is manifested by a focus on scratch-made dishes like warming soups, fried whole snapper and tacos with handmade tortillas and house salsa. The menu also features mole, grilled steaks, ribs and vegetarian items, along with breakfast options like chilaquiles and omelets.
The new restaurant represents a longtime goal for Mazaba, who arrived in the United States as a teenager. Driven by the promise of his own American Dream, Mazaba went on to gain experience at kitchens across the city before launching El Tsunami with his business partners.
Conejito’s Place Still Simply Satisfies
Conejito’s menu reads “The Gateway to Old Mexico,” and there is some truth in that, especially for customers who prefer to eat in the bar just inside the front door. To me, it felt like a forbidden country, as my companions and I perched on stools at a common table next to a young family. Forbidden, because in many of the towns I have visited in Mexico, cantinas were off limits to women.
As far as I could see after a couple of visits at lunchtime, not much has changed at Conejito’s since the early 1990s when I wrote Milwaukee Eats and $4.00 bought lunch. A neighbor sent me to Conejito’s where he said I could find some tasty cheap food. It turned out to be a favorite, a Mexican dive with many dead plants in the window. The dead plants are gone; the food is still cheap; they still play the old tunes; and paper plates still rule. In 1992, a pork burrito cost $1.00, a tostado $.90, and if you wanted beans and rice, they cost a mere $.70 each. Today the price of a burrito plus rice and beans has risen to $9.50.
Recently, my companions and I started our meals with guacamole that was served in a small dish along with warm tortilla chips. The first time the guacamole had seen a blender and it did not have much flavor. There were no little yummy chunks of avocado but if you like your guacamole smooth, this one is for you. The second time we ordered the guacamole, it had small chunks of avocado, post blender, and good flavor. This one we would order again.
My three enchiladas, one filled with chicken, one filled with pork, and one filled with cheese, also included some chopped onion inside the corn tortillas. There was no shortage of cheese draped over the enchiladas which made this a rich and filling meal.
Stone Creek Spinoff Controls Your Caffeine Intake
Stone Creek Coffee co-owner Drew Pond was tired of the “all-or-nothing” approach to caffeine culture.
“You’re either forced to go full decaf and feel like you’re missing something, or you’re over-caffeinated and jittery by noon,” he said.
Pond’s solution, Control Freak Coffee, helps consumers find a middle ground. Launched Oct. 23, the first-of-its-kind line offers five customizable caffeine levels—from fully decaf to full throttle, with in-between options of 25%, 50% and 75%.
“Control Freak exists to give people a choice, and to bring awareness and intentionality to how they consume caffeine without sacrificing quality or taste,” Pond added.
New Boba Cafe Opens
While Skittles get most of the Halloween hype, a new southside cafe is offering its own taste of the rainbow. TMTea Boba opened earlier this month with a colorful menu of iced beverages—from grassy green matcha to a pastel spectrum of smoothies.
The family-owned business, led by Azwan Zubur Ahmad and his wife, Farida, occupies a cozy storefront at 3174 S. 27th St. Formerly a retail shop, the space was remodeled in recent months to include a walk-up counter and kitchen area, plus two high-top tables overlooking the busy thoroughfare.
The menu features classic boba drinks such as brown sugar milk tea and Thai tea, along with specialty options like banana matcha and chocolate cream tea. Fruit teas include passion fruit with cream cheese topping, mango with chewy boba and creamy lemon Yakult. The cafe also serves fruit smoothies—mango, strawberry, Oreo—and coffee drinks like cacao and caramel lattes.
Each drink can be customized to taste with a choice of whole, lactose-free or oat milk and an adjustable sweetness level. Toppings include extra tapioca pearls, popping boba, brulee cream, cheese foam and jellies such as coconut, grass and lychee.
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