Hot Dish Pantry is Closing
Comfort food restaurant operated for more than a year on the South Side.
Hot Dish Pantry. Photo taken Jan. 3, 2024 by Cari Taylor-Carlson.
Hot Dish Pantry is bidding Milwaukee a Midwestern goodbye — that is, gentle, drawn-out and presumably paired with a helping of leftovers for the road.
The comfort food restaurant, 4125 S. Howell Ave., told customers last Friday of its plans to close at the end of the month, beginning the social media announcement with “welp … slaps knees,” a regional signal for imminent departure.
The restaurant’s final service will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28. It plans to operate with expanded hours until then.
“We are so incredibly grateful to everyone that has supported us through this process,” owners Nathan Heck and Laura Maigatter wrote in the post. “Opening a restaurant is not for the faint of heart and we cherish the people we met and those who helped us on this journey. We are endlessly grateful to our amazing employees for all they have given to make this possible.”
Heck and Maigatter launched Hot Dish Pantry as a pop-up in 2021 offering frozen items for pre-order. The concept has since evolved into a devoted purveyor of Midwestern-style comfort foods, offering bologna sandwiches, smash burgers, fried cheese curds and more, along with a selection of internationally inspired pierogi including crab rangoon, aloo chaat, pepperoni pizza roll and loaded baked potato flavors.
The business relocated to 3rd Street Market Hall in early 2022, continuing as a vendor until April 2023, when Heck and Maigatter opened the current, brick-and-mortar location in the Town of Lake neighborhood.
The southside building on Howell Ave. was formerly home to Iron Grate BBQ Co.
“We absolutely love this neighborhood,” the couple wrote. “The welcome we received, the neighbors we met and the community we served means the world to us.”
While the news came as a surprise to many Hot Dish Pantry fans, Heck and Maigatter said they had been “weighing the decision for some time.”
The couple explained that the building was recently sold to new owners who plan to open a restaurant there, but clarified that Hot Dish Pantry is not being forced out. Rather, “the circumstances lined up to make our decision [to close] a little easier.”
“We are excited for the new owners to begin this journey and wish them nothing but the best. We know the neighborhood will welcome them with open arms.”
Wisconsin Real Estate Transfer records do not show that a property sale has occurred. According to assessment records, the building is owned by Tarek Fleifel.
The menu at Hot Dish Pantry includes a selection of tenderloin sandwiches, featuring slabs of pork or eggplant that are pounded thin and fried until crispy.
Smash burgers, chopped cheese sandwiches, Chicago-style fried bologna and the classic Lucy Goosey burger — recently highlighted in a New York Times article — are also available, along with a selection of pierogi and sides such as tater tots, giardiniera-marinated cheese curds and saag paneer dip.
The restaurant features desserts by Midwest Sad.
At this time, Heck and Maigatter have no future plans for the business, outside of the possibility of a sporadic pop-up. “We plan to divert our energies into other directions and rest our weary minds and bodies,” the couple said.
For now, Hot Dish Pantry plans to continue its regular hours through Sept. 15, opening Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Starting Sept. 16, the restaurant will open Monday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Plan ahead, as the restaurant is likely to sell out.
The amended schedule is available to view online, though it is subject to change. Updates will be posted to social media.
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