Guadalajara Offers Simple, Authentic Mexican Fare

Milwaukee is home to more Latino restaurants than you could explore in a year, or even a lifetime, if you are inclined to visit some of them more than once. On my top list, for example, is Guadalajara Restaurant, a gem I recently discovered in Walker’s Point. We were not looking for Mexican food, but when friends and I noticed a small inconspicuous restaurant at the corner of S. 10th Street and W. Walker Streets, we decided to pop in and check it out. Sometimes the restaurants with the least curb appeal turn out to be the ones where delicious food replaces first impressions based on outside appearances.

Once inside this small restaurant, it was obvious that Guadalajara had had another life as a classy corner bar. An elegant art deco bar with a large mirror in the center told us this place had a history. But nowadays the owners use the bar as a staging platform for baskets of chips, red and green salsa, and meals coming from the kitchen located directly to the rear. Guadalajara appeared busy every time I visited, and this use of the bar kept things moving rapidly from kitchen to customer. Of course, there were no stools, with the exception of one lone seat at the far end, where a lucky customer had a bird’s eye view of the restaurant.

Guadalajara does an efficient carry-out business which explained the woman with a large pot of red salsa filling small plastic containers for take-out meals. We also noticed more than enough servers dressed in black and ready to deliver your food the minute it departed the kitchen.

When friends and I came on a Sunday morning, we were told there was a 20-minute wait. It was a short 20 minutes. We knew at once it was a happy place where local families and multiple generations came for a meal dressed in their Sunday church clothes. We noted as many carry-out meals leaving as customers arriving.

You will find a lengthy menu for Guadalajara’s basic Mexican cuisine. They do not serve fancy food and everything we ordered was delicious including the red salsa and the spicy green salsa made with jalapenos.

There was an unexpected bonus on both Sunday morning and my weekday lunch visits. Two rancheros, one with an accordion and the other with a guitar, showed up and serenaded every table.

When I ordered Chilaquiles, our server said, “That is our most popular dish.” It was easy to see why. Every chef does that dish differently. At Guadalajara, they serve it on a plate, not in a bowl, with red salsa-coated chips separate from the eggs and alongside a puddle of refried beans. It sounds ordinary, chips, sauce, eggs, and beans. If you are chilaquiles aficionado, you will be impressed. Every bite was tasty.

My companion’s Huevos a La Mexicana were equally delish. Again, a common dish elevated to something special that showcased the colors of the Mexican flag, red tomatoes, white onions, and jalapeno green.

On a second visit we stayed with traditional tacos, burritos and enchiladas, and the Mole Poblano Dinner. The tacos were stuffed and required utensils; the burritos were more than a meal; and the enchiladas were exceptional cheesy. The mole dinner, boneless chicken in a dense rich classic brown sauce hinted of chocolate as it should.

Still traditional and less commonly found on local menus, you will find: Beef Steak Ranchero, chopped steak with onions, tomatoes, and jalapeno; Bistec En Chile De Arbol, steak in a spicy sauce; Caldo De Camaron, shrimp soup; Birria De Chivo Dinner, goat cooked in red sauce; Pozole, pork soup with hominy; and Menudo, beef tripe soup. For dessert, there is Flan.

Don’t overlook the lemonade. My 16 oz. glass made with real lemons was the ideal companion to my spicy meal. You can also order Horchata, Soda, or one of the Jarritos, Mexican sodas made with natural fruit.

I hope it doesn’t sound like this is just one more Mexican restaurant in Walker’s Point. Trust me. It is not. Guadalajara is special.

On The Menu

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The Rundown

• Location: 901 S. 10th St.
• Phone: 414-647-2266
• Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wed-Fri, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat-Sun
• Neighborhood: Walker’s Point
• Website: https://www.milwaukeemexicanfood.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gdlmexicanfood/
• UM Rating: stars (average of Yelp, Trip Advisor and Zomato)