Mexican Restaurant Opens in Silver City
La Chinampa launches second brick-and-mortar ahead of National Ave. rebuild.
La Chinampa, 3500 W. National Ave. Photo taken March 20, 2026 by Sophie Bolich.
There’s rarely a quiet moment at 35th and National, the bustling southside intersection where La Chinampa recently opened its newest restaurant.
With traffic stretching for blocks in every direction and a major reconstruction project set to begin next month, the area is poised for change — a factor in previous tenant Shalom Puerto Rican Restaurant‘s decision to relocate.
But that didn’t deter owner Oscar Vega, who is now bringing La Chinampa’s celebrated tortas, along with an expanded menu of Mexican, American and Italian dishes, to Silver City‘s dining scene.
The location at 3500 W. National Ave. is La Chinampa’s second brick-and-mortar, joining its Walker’s Point restaurant at 402 S. 2nd St. and a roaming south side food truck.
More spacious than the counter-service flagship, the new restaurant also has a broader focus, serving its core menu of tacos, tortas, tamales and burritos alongside jalapeño poppers, mozzarella sticks, salads and American-style pork ribs — paired with garlic bread, mashed potatoes and coleslaw. Window signage also advertises pizza, pasta and sub sandwiches.
Tortas, billed as the “best in Milwaukee,” are served on soft telera bread, with signature options including the Chinampa Special (with ham, American and mozzarella cheeses0, chorizo, breaded chicken and eggs, and the Hawaiian torta, featuring ham, pineapple, mozzarella, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, onions, beans, jalapeños and avocado.
Desserts like cannoli, churros and tiramisu are also available, along with nonalcoholic drinks such as canned sodas and aguas frescas.
The restaurant offers dine-in and carryout service from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Before La Chinampa, the corner building was home to Shalom Puerto Rican Restaurant. Owners Maria Robles and Felix Figueroa cited potential construction challenges — such as noise and limited parking — in their decision to close last fall and have not yet announced a new location.
Taqueria el Arriero, formerly located one block west at 3530 W. National Ave., also departed ahead of the street rebuild. Signage has been removed from the building, and the company’s food truck has secured an occupancy permit at a different south side location. Another neighborhood building could see new life as a tavern: Operators Alejandro Chavez Corona and Juan Garcia Morales recently received city approval to open Cultura Ave at 3830 W. National Ave.
For more details on the National Avenue reconstruction project, slated to begin its first phase next month, see Urban Milwaukee’s previous reporting.
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