Nestled in the Burnham Park neighborhood on Milwaukee’s South Side, El Senorial continues to attract and retain a loyal customer following by providing the genuine tradición and buen sabor (good flavor) it promises.
Beyond its expected assortment of tacos, burritos, tostadas and dinner plates, El Senorial’s menu also features successful variations of traditional Mexican soups and seafood dishes. Served with corn or flour tortillas and Spanish rice, the caldo de pollo (chicken soup with vegetables) and the caldo de res con verduras (beef soup with vegetables) both contain whole pieces of meat, large chunks of potato, diced and sliced onion, cabbage and fresh cilantro. The caldo de pollo ($9.95), like the caldo de res con verduras ($9.95), can be ordered to go in quart-sized ($9.95) and half-gallon ($17.50) containers, as well as larger quantities upon request.
Consisting of both the familiar and the somewhat surprising, El Senorial’s seafood selection ranges from filete empanizado (breaded, pan-fried fish filet) and mojarra frita (whole, fried silver bass), to ostiones en su concha (oysters and lime) and campechana, a Mexican seafood cocktail with octopus, oysters and shrimp. Many of the seafood options are shrimp dishes, with camarones empanizados (breaded pan-fried shrimp), fajitas de camaron (shrimp fajitas), tostadas de ceviche, caldo de camaron (shrimp soup) and camarones a la diabla (shrimp prepared in a homemade chile sauce) rounding out the menu.
The house specialties include such Mexican favorites as bistec a la Mexicana (Mexican-style steak), chicken fajitas, enchiladas rojas de queso, lengua de res en salsa verde (beef tongue in green tomato salsa) and carne asada ($13.95). Well-seasoned and expertly grilled, El Senorial’s carne asada retains a level of thickness and natural flavor that can often be neglected during the steak’s preparation. Served on the platter plate with rice, refried beans, sliced onion, beautiful sprigs of fresh cilantro and grilled banana pepper, the carne asada is a delicious bet for first time diners, but it still pales in comparison to the mighty parrillada combination.
A veritable celebration of meat, meat and more meat, the parrillada combination ($16.95), is a Mexican-style barbecue comprised of chicken legs, thin beef ribs, pork loin pieces and chorizo sausage. Piled high on top of a sizzling metal platter, parrillada combination orders are topped with cilantro, fresh onions and grilled peppers and are served with rice, beans, guacamole, salsa fresca and warm corn tortillas. It is recommended that patrons allow for an additional 15-20 minutes for proper parrillada preparation, time, which could be productively spent, enjoying a cold beer, warm chips and some of the best salsa in town.
El Senorial
1901 S. 31st St.
414-385-9506
$-$$
Handicapped access: No
