Cafe El Sol
1028 S 9th St, Milwaukee, WI, 53204
Cafe El Sol Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Milwaukee for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Milwaukee for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Milwaukee for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1028 S 9th St
Milwaukee, WI, 53204 - Phone (414) 384-3100
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:30 am - 8:3
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Colin A.
Oh wow... Cafe El Sol is definitely a hidden gem of Milwaukee...turns out there are quite a few of 'em in this small big city of ours. I recently visited this medium sized cafe -- located in the basement of the community center -- for their Friday fish fry, which was described by fellow Yelp-er Jessica O. as a "fish fry with a twist!" For just under $12 you get an all you can eat buffet which includes salad, rice, refried beans, baked fish, and some of the most delicious, tender fried fish I think I've ever had -- seriously yum-tastic. The fish flakes away ever so slightly and combines well with rice and beans in a (provided) warm flour tortilla! The service was polite and as accommodating as service for a buffet can be; the waitress was especially nice towards the baby of my dining companions. What makes this place even more unique is the live band that apparently plays every Friday evening! Last Friday's selection was a duet with keyboard and bongo -- hearing a Latin-themed instrumental version of "Jingle Bells" was a nice touch. It wasn't too crowded either, which definitely cut down on the noise level, but I imagine on a nicer night we might have waited quite a bit for a table. I will definitely return to Cafe El Sol and highly recommend you visit as well!
(4)Gina B.
I had heard great things about the Friday night buffet that Cafe El Sol offers so when invited to go with friends, I was excited to check it out. Had high hopes based upon their raves and sure, I could go for some Mexican food. The joint was hopping and the parking was sparse but managed to park within a block so that was cool. They offer a live band on Fridays but apparently this particular night they were not doing it due to a concert upstairs. We even asked our waitress about it and she insisted there would be a band - oh well, guess no one informed her either. So I walked in, excited for this hyped up buffet and I took a gander over at it and just got this sinking "you gotta be kidding me" feeling. I truly believe it was the smallest version of a buffet type setting I think I have ever seen. There was a bin of shredded lettuce (salad), a bin of white rice, bin of beans, bin of beef stew which was hard to find much beef in it and a bin of pork with some pepper sauce. At the end of the line there was what was to be a tray of baked fish and one of fried fish. I say "what was to be" because they seemed to have had a shortage on the baked fish all night and when they finally brought it out, there was a line around the block waiting for it. The whole time we were there I think they only brought out one batch each of fish and when it was gone, there was a looooonggg wait in between. The fish was really good. Nice big thick pieces of cod or haddock, not sure which they use but it was tasty - when it was fresh and hot. All that being said, overall it was really not a place I would wish to run back to. Service was not the best and I didn't feel it was worth the $10 or so for the buffet that didn't have much to offer and long waits for the main entree. I was let down there wasn't more Mexican food to choose from.
(2)Jessica O.
So...I am on a quest for the most awesome fish fry. Cafe El Sol was my most recent stop. This quaint little gem is tucked away in the basement of the UCC, with a clean, inviting atmosphere and good food. For 11.95, you get a buffet style fish fry with two kinds of fish, rice, beans, tortillas, salad, and fried chicken. I sampled a little bit of everything and was not disappointed. I enjoyed a margarita on the rocks with tons of fresh lime that was definitely poured with a generous hand, built fish tacos, and scraped my plate clean with the perfectly fried tortilla chips. At 6:30, a two man keyboard/bongo band started playing Christmas carols and invited the crowd to dance and interact with them. The place didn't get too crowded while we were there (from 6-7:30), and I'm not sure if that is normal, or just due to the cold weather that night. Either way, this place definitely deserves your business :)
(4)Anna O.
Well I would give 5 stars for ambiance of the hidden little restaurant but 3 stars for the food. The baked and fried fish is tasty on the Friday night buffet but other items such as the chicken mole, rice, and beans are pretty bland. I have gone at lunch hour and had pretty good service then I dined at dinner and it was a long wait but the bossa nova band kept us occupied without any worry. I think this place is definitely worth trying out. Some of my friends loved the buffet but I was a bit more discriminative as I am a huge fan of Mexican and Puerto Rican food and really felt like they could have been a bit more generous on the seasonings. I will go again for the art gallery upstairs, music, appetizers, and margaritas.
(3)Rohan D.
Looking for a different sort of Friday fish fry? Here's your place, an oddly placed restaurant hidden in the basement of the UCC, a school and community center on the near south side, your meal won't be expensive and your money goes towards one of the best community based organizations and programs in the Midwest, so you can feel good about eating too much. Open only Mondays through Fridays, you should go a little early to check out the little art gallery upstairs, it's always interesting, same with some of the little history displays in the lobby area. The food is partly Mexican, partly Puerto Rican. Their breakfast and lunch is delicious, but the best part of the week is the Friday fish fry. There's no one there when it starts at 5 (not sharp), but that's when the fish (served buffet style, with rice and beans and a couple of other sides) is best, and you know you can get a table. Make sure you order a margarita before you start, and get a good Mexican beer to go with. The fried fish is unique, with Latin seasoning, they'll (eventually) bring you tortillas to go with, although it's all you can eat, be careful with that. Maybe it's just me, but when food is served this way, I eat one or two more pieces of fish past comfort. The fish that isn't fried is somehow even less healthy, as it is served swimming in butter, but it's even more delicious. Then at 6 or 6:30 (not sharp), some very talented musicians start playing, and I should have mentioned earlier, although the restaurant is in a school basement, the decor and ambiance is quite pretty, you'd pay twice this much if the restaurant weren't part of a not-for-profit community center. A couple of drinks and the fish fry comes to slightly over $30 for two, add the music, the friendly atmosphere, and I can't imagine an nicer Friday evening. It's an early Friday evening though, the music and food cease by 9. Parking is easy except during school hours (don't even try to come here by car when school lets out), there's a little neighborhood park right out in front with parking on the street on all four sides. Don't let anyone frighten you off by telling you this is a bad neighborhood, the couple of blocks surrounding this community center are pretty, old houses occupied by working families, and besides, there's a beautiful Mexican-Catholic grotto right next to the restaurant, so if you're a believer, that will protect your soul. unitedcc.org/index.htm
(4)Megan B.
In a section of Milwaukee where there are several authentic Mexican and Latino restaurants, Cafe El Sol leaves a lot to be desired. The quality and presentation of the food was disappointing, although the staff were very friendly. Compared to other neighborhood restaurants, it is unlikely that I will be giving this restaurant a second go-around.
(2)Jim F.
Want to eat a nice meal in a unique atmosphere and feel good that you are supporting a good cause? Then look no further than Cafe El Sol. The menu has both Mexican and Puerto Rican items, and I everything has been solid. I love the feel of this place and it gives me the opportunity to practice my awful Spanish.
(4)Dave S.
Milwaukee's got plenty of great Mexican restaurants. But Cafe El Sol is something different. It's a Latin restaurant. It has great Mexican AND great Puerto Rican, the latter more hard to find in Brew City. Cafe El Sol is located in the basement of Centro de la Communidad Unida, otherwise known as the UCC, a community center on Walker Square that features a school, health clinic and other services. Cafe El Sol is a money-generator for this great organization. So, not only do you get authentic, top-notch Latin food, you're helping support one the most important non-profit organizations serving Milwaukee's Latino community.
(4)David W.
I am sorry to say my family and I were very disappointed in Cafe El Sol on a recent visit. We truly are not critical people and willing to overlook a few flaws expecially at a place that represents itself as a community center. My wife is Mexican and wanted to see the Day Of Dead exhibit. We decided to have dinner while in the building. What a mistake. We were the only customers in the restaurant which should have been a clue. As my wife said if the community doesn't support its own community center restaurant it may be a problem. We placed an order for 4 different entrees and an appetizer. After waiting nearly 10 minutes the waitress came out to say one entree wasn't available. We went with another, easy enough. 10 minutes later she came again to say another entree wasn't available. Fine we ordered something different. Again we were trying to overlook problems since this isn't a "typcial" restaurant. Finally after another 15 minutes (35 total) the entrees came out. There wasn't one thing between the four plates we considered edible. My breaded steak dish was burnt beyond recognition. My wife's Carne Frita was a plate of cold very rubbery pork chunks. My kids ordered tacos and gorditas. Neither of them were edible. Honestly if two hungry teenagers don't eat the food it has to say a lot. All of the side dishes (rice and beans) were cold and flavorless. About 5 minutes after the entrees were delivered the waittress came out with our appetizer. She set it down and walked away. It too was cold and unedible. My sarcastic teenagers made a comment about the "authentic Mexican meal" and asked if we were stopping at Taco Bell on the way home. We left the plates nearly full of food. When asked if things were ok I replied no and explained the problems. The waittress (about 16) seemed confused to what to do. Since she was the only staff we saw at any time in the restaurant I didn't bother pushing the issues too hard. I wrote it off as a lesson learned. Next year the vist to the Day Of The Dea exhibit will be celebrated with meal at a restaurant other than the community center I am sorry to say. We are all for supporting local agencies such as UCC, but I'd rather just make a donation (as we did at the exhibit) than go through the pretense of a horrible meal.
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