Caribbean Restaurant Opens in Story Hill Neighborhood
Dos Islas offers family recipes from Dominican and Puerto Rican cuisines.
5814 W. Blue Mound Road. Photo taken April 2, 2026, by Sophie Bolich.
Story Hill has a new spot for Caribbean cuisine. Dos Islas quietly opened in mid-July at 5814 W. Blue Mound Road with a menu of Puerto Rican and Dominican dishes sourced from family recipes — all paired with a selection of fresh juices and Colombian coffee.
The business replaces Mexican restaurant Tavo’s Signature Cuisine, which operated in the cozy, standalone building for seven years until relocating to Elm Grove in 2025.
Dos Islas owners Gloria Castro Tapia and José Luis Soto DeLeon took over the space several months later.
Since then, they’ve transformed the exterior with a coat of black paint, a matching awning and an outdoor patio. In place of a permanent sign, the restaurant’s initials, DI, are posted in gold lettering on its front entrance.
Inside, Dos Islas features updated furniture and island-inspired decor, including musical instruments, flags and a pava, or Puerto Rican straw hat. New additions also include a countertop bakery case stocked with sweet and savory Caribbean treats, and a coffee bar featuring hot and iced drinks, espresso and signature lattes, according to an online menu.
A selection of fresh juices, lemonades and teas is also available. The restaurant has a liquor license, though alcoholic beverages are not listed on its menu.
For sit-down diners, the restaurant offers a wide selection of breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner dishes. Standouts include empanadas, or pastelillos, filled with seasoned yuca or pork; Dominican tres golpes, a classic breakfast made with fried salami, cheese and eggs over smashed green plantains; and French toast triangles topped with fresh berries and edible flowers.
Dos Islas also serves stuffed pancakes, crepes and sorullitos de maiz — Puerto Rican corn fritters with cheese — along with scratch-made family recipes such as slow-roasted pernil and mofongo pounded fresh in a traditional pilón, Castro Tapia noted in an online post.
A former bartender with experience working in her family’s restaurants, Castro Tapia is now studying for her master’s in accounting. The program sparked an interest in business, she told the Licenses Committee during a June 30 hearing, which led to the initial proposal for Dos Islas.
The new business is backed by area Alderwoman Sharlen P. Moore, who spoke in favor at the hearing. “They have a beautiful space and I’m excited about their opening,” she said. “Milwaukee is definitely a food city, so bringing diversity to not only the district but the city — I’m excited about that.”
Dos Islas remains in its soft opening phase, serving weekday breakfast and lunch, as well as weekend brunch. Dinner service is offered Wednesday through Sunday.
A grand opening celebration is set for Aug. 13.
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