The Bad Piggy Plans Brick-and-Mortar Restaurant
Food truck to open permanent location in Tippecanoe neighborhood.
Meal from The Bad Piggy. Photo courtesy of Roberto Silva Lopez
This little piggy found a home.
After several years on the move, The Bad Piggy food truck is putting down permanent roots at 4068 S. Howell Ave., the former site of Campbell’s Irish Pub.
Pending licensing and construction, the brick-and-mortar is expected to open in the coming months with a menu similar to the mobile operation, including mofongo, Puerto Rican rice and roasted pork, along with a selection of beer and craft cocktails.
Co-owner Roberto Silva Lopez has been in the food business for nearly five years, though his love of cooking began much earlier.
“I learned with my grandma in Puerto Rico,” he said, noting that she often eschewed the indoor kitchen for a live fire and “used to always wish for a restaurant.” While that dream never came to fruition, it helped lay the groundwork for The Bad Piggy.
Silva Lopez moved to Wisconsin in 2009 and began working in a factory, where his culinary skills quickly gained attention from coworkers. “They used to say, ‘Oh, can you cook lunch?’ and it just grew from there.”
In 2021, Silva Lopez launched the mobile business, beginning with late-night service on Water Street. He later moved to the South Side, then West Allis and most recently set up at Patio Lounge as part of a small food truck park.
At the upcoming brick-and-mortar, Silva Lopez, with co-owner and manager Arleth Espinel Rios, hopes to continue sharing his culture with a larger audience. “And good seasoning,” he added with a laugh.
A proposed menu centers on pork, featuring dishes like pork belly with Puerto Rican rice and garlic tostones; roast pork mofongo with sweet plantains and mozzarella; and a tripleta sandwich stuffed with roasted pork, ham, steak, cheese, potatoes and sweet plantains. Meat-filled arepas, barbecue ribs, and a Puerto Rican–style burger round out the lineup, along with seafood options like shrimp and octopus arepas.
Sides could include rellenos de papa and alcapurrias, with desserts like coconut flan and ice cream also available.
From the bar, Silva Lopez plans to serve local beers alongside selections from Puerto Rico. He’s also working to master cocktail basics, aiming to offer a selection of well-known favorites.
A kitchen buildout—including hood installation—is underway at the southside location. Starting this weekend, The Bad Piggy food truck will be parked outside to introduce itself to neighbors in the lead-up to the grand opening.
Hector Espinoza owns the 2,091-square-foot building, which was previously slated to house El Paraíso Restaurant Bar, a seafood-focused Mexican restaurant; however, its license application was denied earlier this year due to neighborhood objections.
A license application for the restaurant is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council. If approved, its proposed hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
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