The spring and summer are a great time to sample everything Milwaukee has to offer, including its many fabulous restaurants and food halls. As the dining editor for On Milwaukee, Lori Fredrich always has her eye on what’s happening in Milwaukee’s food scene.
She shares some of the best new restaurants that have opened in the area, some that have closed, and some that are moving.
Restaurants in new spaces - Third Street Market Hall
- Dairyland
"The vendor slate includes Dairyland, which serves burgers and custard and fried chicken sandwiches," says Fredrich. - Midway Bakery
"You'll find a lot of great cookies, and some really indulgent brownies, but then you'll find things like Kouign Amann and croissants, a variety of different kinds of little cakes and desserts," says Fredrich. - Make Waves
"They specialize in acai bowls. They're a vegan, plant-based vendor and they came alongside with a place called the Greenhouse, which specializes specifically in salads," says Fredrich.
Restaurants that moved
- Odd Duck
"They took on this new location in Walker's Point, they just opened and it's an amazingly grown up version of Odd Duck. Odd Duck has always been a little bit quirky, and eclectic, and bohemian and you still kind of get all of that," says Fredrich.
New Asian restaurants
- Wonita
"Wonita is a concept in Brookfield, it's based in the all-you-can-eat sushi sort of camp, but they also serve some Japanese and Japanese-inspired dishes there," says Fredrich. - An Ox Cafe
"There's also a place called An Ox Cafe, which went into the former Rhino Foods on Hampton Avenue here in Milwaukee. They're serving kind of a mix of Hmong and Thai cuisines. Really, really beautiful food in a very nice, clean space," says Fredrich. - Maru Korean Bistro
"There's Maru Korean Bistro, which is a Korean concept that moved into [what] was a Zoomies Sushi Restaurant for a very long time on the east side, right on Prospect. And now it has transformed into Maru, which is kind of an all-you-could-eat sushi concept," says Fredrich.
Restaurants that closed
- Jackson Grill
"One of their owners, Jimmy Jackson, had passed away in February of 2022. Just considering the hardships of the pandemic, staffing issues, and a lot of challenges that many restaurants are facing right now, they made the decision to close," says Fredrich. - Pizza Studio
"They made the hard decision to close citing really the hardships of the pandemic," says Fredrich. - Egg & Flour - Metcalf location
"It was sort of like a little cafe within the grocery store. And they made the decision to close that location, I think largely due to finances and staffing issues, as well. So they just made the decision to scale back," says Fredrich.
