Axolotl Café Is a Mexican Star

Axolotl Café, 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

If you think Milwaukee doesn’t need another Mexican restaurant, then you haven’t been to Axolotl Café. This relative newcomer to the south end of Bay View is at the corner of South Kinnickinnic and Rusk avenues and offers inspired Mexican specialties such as the chilaquiles I recently enjoyed on a chilly afternoon.

These chilaquiles, made with house-made corn tortilla chips that were dipped in red sauce, came with creamy red salsa that was a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy. I could have made a meal out of those tortilla chips and the salsa, but then there were those perfectly scrambled eggs, local for sure, and black beans — chunky, full of flavor and dotted with mild, salty cotija cheese. There was an avocado garnish and a bolillo roll that could be used to make a mollete with the black beans if you wanted more on your plate.

Like the chilaquiles, the Sabor Azteca burger was a masterpiece of flavors. First, the chef combined avocado, thick-sliced bacon, roasted corn, pico de gallo and pepper jack cheese. This spicy, salty, sweet combination was layered on a medium-rare burger that was presented in a buttery, grilled brioche bun. It came with homemade fries — potato wedges that were crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and an upgrade from ordinary fries.

Axolotl has the old Milwaukee charm that comes from its location in a building our server Annuchka said is similar to a restaurant you would find in Mexico City. This was the intent of owners Jorge Trejo and Gerardo Jimenez. Dark wood trim, hardwood floors, high ceilings, fresh flowers on every table and Talavera coffee mugs give the restaurant a warmth that will make you want to linger.

The name Axolotl, an Indigenous Nahuatl word, refers to a type of amphibious creature that lives in Mexico City. When I asked one of the owners how to pronounce it, he explained there are three pronunciations: English, Spanish and Nahuatl. None of them rolled easily off my tongue.

A classic Mexican dish, three quesabirria tacos were another showstopper. Three house-made corn tortillas were dipped in birria sauce and stuffed with tender meat that had been seasoned and stewed for hours. Then they were crisped on a griddle and served with a dish of consommé for dipping, plus a small dish of chopped onions and cilantro. The tortillas were thin and flaky and, along with the meat, soaked up every drop of the accompanying consommé.

Another classic, the Axo burrito, made with a house-made flour tortilla, included that delicious birria meat plus rice, beans, avocado and scrambled eggs, and, to adorn this feast of flavors, green salsa and sour cream.

If you want to deviate from the Mexican entrees, you could order buttermilk pancakes, French toast, a Belgian waffle, corned beef hash, chicken and waffles or biscuits and gravy. You could also build your own omelet or choose a fusion breakfast entrée such as the chicken poblano omelet with sautéed poblano peppers and covered with a poblano sauce. There is also an Axo omelet filled with birria meat and an Axo Benedict with more of the birria meat and chipotle hollandaise sauce. You can also have the birria meat in an Axo bowl with Mexican rice and black beans.

Axolotl is small; the service is fast, friendly and efficient. They do not take reservations; it is busy and tables turn quickly. This is the kind of small, family-owned restaurant that makes Milwaukee special. I will be back — and soon — because I want a plateful of everything on the menu.

On the Menu

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• Location: 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
• Phone: 414-800-4321
• Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mon-Fri, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat-Sun
• Neighborhood: Bay View
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axolotl_cafemke/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Axolotl-Caf%C3%A9-61583060507681/

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