Mexican Seafood Restaurant Proposed for South Side
El Viejon eyes storefront on S. 16th St.; will location be an issue?
2121 S. 16th St. Photo taken Jan. 27, 2026 by Sophie Bolich.
A former convenience store could get new life as a Mexican restaurant under a proposal currently pending before the City of Milwaukee.
El Viejon, a mobile business known for its seafood dishes, plans to open at 2121 S. 16th St. in the northeast corner of Milwaukee’s Forest Home Hills neighborhood, according to a license application.
The building has long operated as a corner store, with previous tenants including Eddy’s Foods, Family Mini Mart and Allah Amin Food Mart. In 2024, Bryan Winters moved to open 5 Loaves & 2 Fish Mini Mart, but the licenses committee denied his application based on an overconcentration of establishments selling liquor in the area.
Last July, building owner Serge Amelyan listed the 1,345-square-foot storefront for lease. It is now poised to shift from retail to full-service restaurant under the leadership of Martin Cecena Zavala, who plans to use the location as a brick-and-mortar site for El Viejon.
A proposed menu features ceviche and aguachile — a spicy, lightly cured cousin to ceviche — alongside clamatos preparados, savory beverages made with tomato juice, clam broth and spices, garnished with toppings such as chilled shrimp, dried meat, pickled pork skin and cucumber.
Heartier options include charolas, or platters filled with meat, seafood and fresh vegetables, topped with churritos — fried corn sticks — and pepihuates, or seasoned, Japanese-style peanuts. Also available are tostitos, which feature a bed of tortilla chips with fixings like pickled pork, sausage, corn and nacho cheese.
With tentative plans to open in March, El Viejon would complement its food menu with a bar program; however, an alcoholic beverage list was not attached to the application.
A floor plan shows the restaurant would feature both bar seating and a dining area. It’s unclear whether the building includes a commercial kitchen.
Pending city approval, the business’s proposed hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
In the application, Cecena Zavala noted that the building is not within 300 feet of a church, school, day care center or hospital; however, proximity emerged as an issue in the proposal for 5 Loaves & 2 Fish Mini Mart.
A record of the 2024 committee hearing notes that the building sits between two churches. Google Maps indicates the front door is 240 feet from Iglesia Redimidos en Cristo. In some cases, restaurants deriving less than 50% of their revenue from alcohol are exempt from the regulation. El Viejon expects 40% of its revenue to come from alcohol sales, according to the license application.
Cecena Zavala did not comment on his plans for the business by the time of publication.
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