Cafe Corazon, FB
The new Café Corazón has all the authentic and traditional flavors of the same popular Riverwest restaurant.
Bay View was all abuzz when the new Café Corazón spread their wings from Riverwest to Bay View. Owners George and Wendy Mireles did an amazing job renovating and transforming the old Johnnie’s Club Carnival into another hip place to hit the popular Bay View dining scene.
The big glass windows that face Kinnickinnic Avenue give you a glimpse into the busy bar and restaurant with decorated walls of prayer candles, crosses and other religious artifacts. The Bay View location is spacious compared with its Riverwest big sister. The long bar is often full of guests enjoying a meal and there are a few tables against the window to watch the world go by. The dining room is also a good size, but warm and inviting.
Bay View serves the same great margarita recipe as Riverwest; one of my favorite things about Café Corazón’s margaritas by the pitcher is they don’t put ice in the pitcher. Instead, ice is in the glasses so as not to dilute the margarita by the time you get to the bottom of the pitcher. They have many creative cocktails to choose from, such as the Pisco Flower and the Pasion de Amour, as well as a long list of beers. Non-alcoholic choices include homemade horchata made with milk from Sassy Cow Creamery and Mexican Coca-Cola.
Corazón means “heart” and that is one word that can describe the food, service and atmosphere of the new Café Corazón. All the food is fresh and they are proud to work with many local farmers. The food is not your typical Milwaukee restaurant Mexican food—don’t expect to have chips and salsa delivered to your table once you sit down, but feel free to order them with guacamole as a starter. The have a spicy green sauce with just the right amount of heat as well as the traditional salsa, which seemed a little sweet on our first visit and not as much on other visits.
The menu offers something for everyone. Beside more traditional dishes, they offer a burger, stuffed pepper and bourbon salmon and many vegan options with Simple Soyman’s herbed tofu and soy chorizo. Another check mark in the plus column is the choice of beans with your entrées. Want the choice between black, pinto or refried beans on your nachos? Not a problem! The menu is as accommodating as the service.
The chicken nachos are a nice portion for sharing, with lots of gooey cheese and beans topping each crisp chip, with chicken nestled in between and fresh slices of avocado on top. The Taco Truck Taco Plate also comes with many options and you are not limited to one choice of protein on your three tacos, which is great for folks who want the best of all worlds. Options on the truck include numerous meats (asada, carnitas, chicken, chorizo, ground beef, mechada and shrimp), as well as vegan selections (herb tofu, soy chorizo and sautéed veggies).
Corazón offers a creative brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday until 2 p.m. with many sweet and savory items to choose from. Included on the brunch and lunch menu are Huevos Divorciados, two eggs any style separated by a red and green sauce, served with flour or corn tortillas plus rice and beans. You don’t have to wait for the weekend, though. This dish, along with breakfast tacos and tostadas or tofu scrambler, is available for lunch Monday through Friday. Don’t forget to check out their daily specials.
Café Corazón
2394 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
414-544-2774
$$
CC, GF, Vegan, SB
Handicapped access: Yes
