Lisa Kaye Keeps the Focus on Quality, Consistency and Community

Lisa Kaye Bistro's outstanding food and warm atmosphere make it worth every effort as the restaurant bounces back.

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When Chef Lisa McKay opened her own brick-and-mortar restaurant on Vliet Street in 2024, at the site of the former Tricolo Peru, all signs pointed to it being a great success. McKay had the bone fides, having operated her own catering business since 2007 to rave reviews and multiple awards. Lisa Kaye Bistro swiftly garnered praise for McKay’s tasty combination of Southwestern flavors and traditional Southern Soul Food. Always community minded, McKay seemed poised to make her Bistro a neighborhood hub, an anchor to development along Vliet Street.

Bad luck struck, however, in the form of burst pipes causing an extended shutdown and a family illness that made it difficult to maintain a restaurant as well as an ongoing catering concern. But while such misfortune might be fatal to another fledgling venture, McKay’s determination, expertise and adaptability has meant the Bistro’s survival. McKay scaled back the restaurant’s hours and menu, keeping the focus on quality, consistency, and community. The restaurant plans to re-expand their hours and their menu, reintroducing lunch and breakfast service. In the meantime, conflicting information posted online about opening hours makes it difficult to schedule a visit, but the outstanding food and warm, friendly atmosphere makes it worth the effort.

Think Tank Thursday/Soul Food Sunday

The revamped schedule reflects McKay’s background in catering, with two of the three days the restaurant is open each week merging restaurant-style menus with catering-style events. “Think Tank Thursdays” are dedicated to professional networking and socializing; “Soul Food Sundays” feel more like a neighborhood block party.

I visited twice: once on a Friday, for a regular dinner, and again on a Sunday. The regular dinner menu was a single sheet of tempting options, including cheesesteak sandwiches (beef or chicken), loaded nachos (brisket or ground beef), Baja tacos and whole chicken wings. It being a Friday, I opted for the fried fish dinner and chose catfish over perch. At the suggestion of McKay’s husband, Dwayne, I went off-menu for the hot honey version and was rewarded with an absolutely delicious entrée of two filets, perfectly mild and tender, with crispy but not greasy breading, drizzled with a sticky and spicy-sweet honey glaze. The fries were good but not remarkable—but the vinegary sweet coleslaw was so good I could have happily eaten twice as much of it. There was also a menu of specialty drinks; the well-stocked bar offered an equal number of cocktails and mocktails, all thoughtfully designed. I indulged in a “Vliet Street Vibe,” a fabulous combination of rum, whiskey, and tropical juices jazzed up with ginger beer. The atmosphere was laid back and quiet, with groups chatting at the bar and the bartender’s mother going out of her way to make me welcome.

At Sunday lunchtime, the mood was different—boisterous and celebratory, with a regular flow of people mingling and visiting, whether picking up take out or eating in. Sunday customers choose from a shifting selection of classic entrees, such as smothered turkey legs, meatloaf, blackened catfish, stuffed salmon, BBQ ribs, and pot roast; each entrée comes with two sides. I opted for the delectable whole fried chicken wings with greens & cornbread and mac & cheese as sides, and an order of blackened catfish with dressing and sweet potatoes to take home for later. I cleared my plate at the restaurant, and then again at dinner. All the sides were excellent, with my favorites being the greens and the sweet potatoes.

McKay is currently partnering with dearflorencesweets.com for Sunday desserts. I chose three to sample over the following few days—the German chocolate cake, carrot cake, and cheesecake with raspberry sauce were all excellent.

Lisa Kaye Bistro

  • 3801 W. Vliet Street
  • (414) 751-8786
  • acebook.com/lisakayebistrocatering/
  • Hours: Thursday–Friday: 4–8 p.m., Sunday: 12–5 p.m.
  • Sandwiches & Entrees: $12–$18
  • Cocktails/Mocktails: $7–$12
  • Soul Food Sunday: Entrees (including two sides): $20-$30