Elbow Room Debuts Signature Burger With Hall of Famer Joe Thomas

Joe Thomas at Elbow Rom. Photo courtesy of Elbow Room.

Elbow Room’s early success at its Brookfield flagship left the restaurant wanting more, well, elbow room, prompting an expansion to Cedarburg earlier this year. Now, ownership has announced a new partnership with 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Joe Thomas.

The former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman joined forces with Elbow Room to debut a Wagyu smash burger. The so-called JT 73 Golden Jacket Burger features a double patty made with meat from Thomas’ Hall of Fame Beef brand, along with jalapeños, honey, Swiss cheese and crispy onion strings—all piled on a pretzel bun.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Joe and bring his Wagyu blend directly to our guests,” co-owner Jake Dehne said in a statement. “This partnership honors hometown pride, Wisconsin grit and the kind of quality our customers expect. The Hall of Fame Beef speaks for itself, and the JT 73 Golden Jacket Burger is an instant classic.”

Thomas, who created the specialty burger himself, said he’s excited to showcase his “high-quality, farm-to-table beef” in a place that “feels like home.”

Although Thomas grew up in the Milwaukee suburbs, he said he has “always felt like a farm boy at heart.” In 2012, after retiring from the NFL, he and his family took over a century-old farm in southwest Wisconsin and began raising steers. “I can’t wait for people to taste what we’ve created together,” he said in a statement.

Elbow Room—formerly C.C.’s Elbow Room—opened in 2022 under founder Cee Cee Ceman. It closed in 2023 and was later acquired by Dehne and his brother, Seth, along with and Robert Jude. The group reopened the business, 2850 N. Brookfield Rd., in 2024 before expanding with Elbow Room Twelve21 Cedarburg, 1221 N .Wauwatosa Rd.

The Dehne brothers also operate Milwaukee businesses including The Lucky Clover, Red, White and Blue and 90s2K Cafe.

JT 73 Golden Jacket Burgers are available now at both Elbow Room locations.

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Coffee and Cocktail Bar Would Replace Bar Closed By City

Concordia residents could soon have a new neighborhood destination for coffee, cocktails and snacks. Felisha Edwards recently submitted a proposal to open Xhale Coffee & Cocktails at 927 N. 27th St., filling the commercial space most recently occupied by Gare-Bear’s tavern.

Pending city approval, the business aims to open in early 2026, offering beverages such as coffee, espresso, tea and fruit juice, along with packaged pastries, chips, candy and peanuts, according to a license application. The sample menu does not include options for alcoholic beverages.

Plans also call for hookah service and poetry readings, but the business—limited to guests 25 and older—says it will not use promoters or amplified sound. Once open, Xhale expects to generate approximately 40% of revenue from alcohol sales, with an additional 30% from food sales and 30% from entertainment fees.

Edwards did not cite any previous ventures in the application, but said she has experience creating “unique environments” for gatherings.

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New Restaurant For Silver City

Walker’s Point eatery La Chinampa plans to expand its Milwaukee footprint with a second location at 3500 W. National Ave., filling the turnkey space recently vacated by Shalom Puerto Rican Restaurant.

In a departure from La Chinampa’s current menu of tacos, tortas and burritos, the proposed restaurant would focus on pizza, pasta, chicken wings and other casual eats, chef-owner Oscar Vega told Urban Milwaukee in a text message. However, it will still operate under the same name and may add a few Mexican dishes, depending on customer feedback.

An occupancy permit also notes plans to serve beer and wine—a service not currently available at the Walker’s Point restaurant, 402 S. 2nd St.

Vega’s industry career spans more than two decades, with experience in a variety of roles across multiple restaurants before launching La Chinampa. Though he’s well-versed in Chinese, Italian, Middle Eastern and Turkish cuisines, Mexican food has remained foundational to the business.

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Beans & Barley is Closing

Beans & Barley is bowing out. The East Side fixture, a local favorite for vegetarian meals, deli items, groceries and gifts, will close its doors at the end of January.

“The time has come for Beans to be done and our stewardship of this beautiful entity to end,” the business shared in a Wednesday morning announcement, citing the sale of its building, 1901 E. North Ave., as a principal reason for the closure.

The property, including a triangular parking lot and the 18,000-square-foot building that houses Beans & Barley and the mini-golf bar Nine Below, was listed for sale in early November for $2.25 million— a figure that Beans & Barley has said it is “not in a position” to pay.

In the online listing, broker Bill Bradley of Brickway Commercial Real Estate touts the site as a walkable location with strong pedestrian and vehicle traffic, making it “a standout opportunity for investors, owner-occupants of developers.” However, one source of built-in income will vanish with Beans & Barley. Nine Below has not shared a public update related to the sale.

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New Restaurant For Harbor District

The fast-growing Harbor District neighborhood is poised to welcome its latest addition, a pizza restaurant, in the coming months.

R1Ver Pizza is proposed to open at 2051 S. 1st St., according to construction documents, where it would join two existing food businesses at River One. The development is also home to The Bridgewater Modern Grill and Casera Cafe & Bakery, as well as apartments and office space.

The restaurant, still in its earliest planning stages, would fill a 3,382-square-foot retail space in the complex. RINKA and ADK Design are leading a full buildout, with construction expected to cost approximately $433,000, according to permits submitted to the city in October.

A representative of R1Ver Pizza declined to share details about the proposed business, noting that tenants are given the opportunity to announce ventures according to their own timeline.

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New Bars and Restaurants That Opened in November

Amid the whirlwind of prix fixe dinners, trivia nights, farmers market visits and awards nominations, Milwaukee’s restaurant industry is nearing the end of another year.

In 2025 the city brought renewed commitment to uplifting old stalwarts—unwilling, after too many losses, to take favorite dining places for granted. It also said some painful farewells, though new arrivals outpaced closures.

One Eastside property nets out at zero for the year, though neighbors are already calling it a win. After closing The Original in June, co-owner Craig Rzepka rebranded the restaurant, 2498 N. Bartlett Ave., as OG Pub & Grille, welcoming guests back in late November.

Executive Chef Matthew Bruns continues with the revamped business, now a gastropub serving chicken wings, cheese curds and a smash burger that’s “to die for,” according to early reviewers.

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Casablanca Is a Milwaukee Success

Casablanca has been a destination for people who want authentic Middle Eastern food since 1988 when Jesse Musa opened his small restaurant at 730 W. Historic Mitchell St. In the late 1990s Musa relocated Casablanca to Oakland Avenue. Then he moved back to Mitchell where he served his Mediterranean dishes until 2005 when he found a permanent home on Brady Street.

I have been a fan since I discovered Casablanca on Mitchell in the early 1990s. That was when his sons, young teens at the time, were spotted helping in the dining room. Now his sons, Alaa and Nas, chef and manage Casablanca on Brady. According to our server, Jesse Musa is no longer active in the kitchen but he plays an active role in the restaurant’s management.

In 2012 the family added a second floor that includes a dining room and a large balcony overlooking Brady. With its stunning white pillars and architectural details, Casablanca stands out on the east end of Brady. In addition to their Mediterranean cuisine, Casablanca offers a place for people to smoke hookah. On a warm evening, the sidewalk in front of the restaurant reverts to a temporary hookah lounge where people smoke and socialize.

You could start your meal with a cup of lentil soup. Its balance of spicy heat mingled with the lentils and lingered after I emptied my bowl.

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Amilinda Celebrating Hanukkah With Themed Menu

For Gregory León, cooking is about more than flavor—it’s an act of storytelling. The chef and restaurant owner draws on his Venezuelan upbringing, San Francisco influences and passion for Spanish and Portuguese cuisine to create award-winning dishes at Amilinda, 315 E. Wisconsin Ave.

Next month, he’ll showcase another part of his heritage with a specialty Hanukkah menu.

From Dec. 17 through 20—midway through the eight-day holiday—Amilinda will feature nine dishes inspired by Sephardic cuisine, the traditional food of Jewish communities who trace their ancestry to the Iberian Peninsula. The menu blends Spanish and Portuguese staples with flavors from North Africa, the Middle East and other Mediterranean regions, featuring vegetable-forward dishes that are heavy on fresh herbs, citrus and fermented foods.

That includes starters like creamy roasted eggplant with raw honey and flatbread; a cucumber and carrot salad with pomegranate, pistachios and mint vinaigrette; and pear and quinoa salad with walnuts, cranberries and lemon. Entrees range from Turkish-inspired mushroom manti to bacalao—dried and salted cod with tomato, roasted potatoes and chermoula—to rich beef stew and chicken sofrito flavored with preserved lemons and olives.

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