Filipino Restaurant Announces Grand Opening

Cocina Filipina food truck. Photo taken June 24, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.

After years of slinging lumpia at local festivals from its food-truck-based business, Cocina Filipina is poised to debut its first brick-and-mortar location in early August.

Located on Milwaukee’s Near West Side at 3801 W. Vliet St., the corner restaurant will host guests for a daylong grand opening and block party on Aug. 1.

“We’ve been long awaiting this announcement,” owners Lupe Moreno and Edu Aragon Guzman shared in an online post over the weekend, noting that the business and team are finally settled into the “revamped” restaurant space. “We’ve found our forever home.”

Saturday’s family- and dog-friendly festivities will run from 3 to 8 p.m., featuring eats from both the food truck and newly opened restaurant, along with live performances from a range of local bands and desserts from the pop-up bakery Ube MKE.

Musicians including Rob Knapp & the Soup Patrol, Los Tejadas, Donovan Clark and Home Going will set up in a newly paved lot facing the restaurant. The block party will also feature drinks and family-friendly activities.

Founded in 2023, Cocina Filipina’s mobile business has gained a following for Filipino classics, including marinated pork rice bowls, spicy tofu and thin, crispy lumpia stuffed with seasoned chicken, pork or cream cheese and vegetables.

The new location aims to build on that selection, adding a cocktail program alongside snacks and desserts such as churros, corn dogs, cucumber salad and turon — a deep-fried Filipino treat made with sweet plantain and chocolate chips in a spring roll wrapper.

Once the new location finds its footing, Moreno said she’s eager to continue experimenting in the kitchen, with new dishes potentially making their way onto the specials list or permanent menu in the months ahead.

Cocina Filipina’s approved hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Moreno previously told Urban Milwaukee the business will likely close at 8 p.m. during its initial weeks. For updates and additional information, including food truck appearances, follow Cocina Filipina on social media.

The Vliet Street building, located on the same block as Pete’s Pops, was previously home to Lisa Kaye Bistro. The catering company-turned-restaurant spent just over a year in the space before closing last spring, with owner Lisa McKay noting plans to continue the business in a new space. Lisa Kaye continues catering operations in the meantime.

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