Photo by Lacey Muszynski
Cinco de Mayo is coming up, and however dubious that “holiday” is, I will not pass up an excuse to eat Mexican food. So whatever your reasons are for eating tacos and drinking tequila, give one of these five spots a try anytime of the year.
Guanajuato
Guanajuato, or GTO as it's known, is a small spot on Howell Ave.--though it used to occupy an even smaller space a few doors down. Even if you have to wait for a little while to be seated, the food is worth it. They may be known for their old sign which stated they had the “best steak tacos” around, but their pork is even better. The small chunks are well-seasoned with rich orange spices. Try it on a tostada with avocado and top it with the hot salsa from the red squeeze bottle (you may have to ask for it). If you're feeling cramped inside, there's a large patio hidden in the back during summer. You can read my full review here.
La Casa de Alberto
If you're getting tired of the usual 5th and National haunts, step down a block to Alberto's on National Ave. It's much smaller than any of heavy hitters in the area, but also less crowded. Another huge difference? Prices. You can get an entire table full of food for four people for $30. The menu is concise, but a board with daily specials on the wall near the entry adds four or five options. The chicken mole (choice of white or dark meat) is rich and delicious, as is the freshly made guacamole, which is some of the best I've had (and did I mention it's cheap too?!). Pork pozole and tamales are available on the weekends.
El Senorial
Lots of restaurants serve parrillada now (including some others on this list), but El Senorial may be the one that started the trend here in MKE. The dish, designed for sharing with the entire table, is made up of various grilled meats, whole green chiles, onions and a cheese quesadilla, all piled on to a table top grill to keep everything sizzling. Garnishes and tortillas are served on the side. Think of it as fajitas on steroids, and a great group meal. If that's not your thing, the rest of El Senorial's menu is huge, with everything from lengua burritos to ceviche tostadas. Breakfast is served all day as well, and includes huevos rancheros and chilaquiles, among other things.
Buena Vista Restaurant and Bar
If I had to choose a favorite Mexican spot, this is it. This location on Forest Home Ave. is a full service version of the mostly-takeout Taqueria Buenavista on 60th and Burnham St. It's got a full bar, so finally you can have mango margaritas with your flautas. The food is just about the same at both locations, but the menu here is larger and includes more shrimp and steak options. Try the shrimp in chile de arbol salsa if you're looking for something spicy. You get four table salsas here, but the best one is in the red bottle. It's called grandma's sauce and it's made creamy with pureed jalapenos. It works especially well on steak and pork tacos. You can read my full review here.
Cafe Corazon
Cafe Corazon now has two locations in MKE: the original in a tiny slice of a building in Riverwest, and the newly-opened Bay View location. They like to shake things up a little by offering a mix of traditional and Mexican-inspired dishes. That means you can get a BBQ chicken burrito with chipotle ranch, or carnitas tacos with cilantro, onion and radish. I love that they have a lot of salmon dishes, which is something you rarely see at Mexican restaurants. Salmon tacos, tostadas and a burrito are all fantastic. There are a bunch of vegetarian and vegan options as well.
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