El Canaveral

Don’t judge the place based on its exterior! When I walked in with my mom, on a Monday eve, the first thing I thought to say was how clean the place was. I ordered the Enchilada meal (and my mom ordered that also). As most others have mentioned, the salsas they offer with chips before the meal, are very unique. But be warned, all except the red mild salsa have a hot/​spicy flavor! The place was quiet on the Monday we went; it was a good spot for conversation, and we didn’t experience the noise/​music that you may experience at other restaurants. The waiter we had was attentive and asked a few times how the food, etc was. The price was definitely reasonable, and it’s safe to say we will be returning sometime soon to eat outside in their patio :)

Skip 5^th Street and make your way a little further West for THE REAL MEXICAN FLAVORS! Check out the awesome patio in the summer-​time and enjoy favorites including enchiladas, tortas and street style tacos. The mole is the real deal and worth the trip not to mention the free salsas that will knock your socks off! Drinks are nothing special and early close at 9pm but it’s still worth the trip. Shout out to Adrian for always knowing our order and keeping the chips coming! Amazing service that is always attentive and place is always clean! Go now!

Don’t judge by the exterior, the inside is so much nicer. The food and service were better than expected.
They offer four salsas with they’re homemade chips. Three have good heat to them and one was mild. Really good variety!
Special dietary requests were handled without a blink of an eye. The side order of rice was fresh with no signed off sitting around. They included extra veggies for the vegetarian fajitas and it was awesome!
All around it was a nice experience. One star deducted due to higher than average prices.
If you like authentic Mexican cuisine, give this place a shot!

Delicious flavor! The best authentic Mexican food I’ve eaten un MKE. I enjoyed enchiladas with tinga and green sauce. Had a taste of a chorizo taco too. Yum.
Great service. Very clean. Give it a try!

Authentic Mexican food. I had the Alambre Mexicanos. The chorizo, bacon, peppers, and avocado were full of flavor with a little kick. The four salsas and homemade chips give enough variety for many palettes.
I found it on Unilocal and am expressing my agreement with the great reviews.

We found El Cañaveral featured in an article online about the best, authentic Mexican restaurants in Milwaukee. Man, am I glad we did!
Everything we have tried is amazing. The Pambazos are delicious tortas dipped in a red chili sauce and grilled. The Molcajete de Carnes was fantastic. Be sure to try both the Alambre Mexicano and Alambre Hawaiano… both are meaty, cheesy goodness on a plate!!!
We’re eating our way through the menu and have yet to find anything remotely disappointing.
But if all this delicious goodness, one of the most amazing delights are the jalapeño and habanero cremas that come with the chips and salsa. Do yourself a favor and get these in your belly right now!

This is the second time I’ve been to El Canaveral, and both times I’ve been overly impressed. The first time there, I just got a taco dinner to go. I enjoyed it very much, but tacos are pretty basic. Tonight I went there with my wife, and found out what I missed out on when I got take out. First of all the service was incredible. The waiter was extremely nice and brought us out four different salsas that were amazing. They were all exceptional, but the jalepeno purée really took my taste buds to a new level.
We got the molcajetes de carne for two. It came with something like five or six different meats along with grilled onions and cactus. It was ridiculously good, and we probably coulda just split the same meal for one. The portion was huge, we could only get through half of it.
We’ve been trying to get around to as many mexican places in the area as we can, trying to find our favorite and El Canaveral just jumped to the top of the list.

Good food, service, and reasonably priced. great atmosphere. We will be back, favorited on the GPS until I learn the way.

This is a reluctant 5 star review. It’s not the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, but it is by far the best I’ve had in Milwaukee! Great prices and excellent food. Great back patio area when the weather is nice.
LOVE THIS PLACE. So happy I finally found great spot in MKE!

OH.MY.GOSH. This is the best Mexican food I have EVER had! Nestled in the heart of a Spanish neighborhood, it can almost be missed because it’s on the corner, a brick building covered in ivy with a lighted sign.
You walk in and you’re greeted by the bar/​bartender and really amazing décor. Very colorful and tons of polished wood. Through the bar there’s a back area that leads out to a pretty large patio with an outdoor bar (can’t wait til the weather’s better to test that out!!)
Now the best part, la comida (which is Spanish for food). When you first sit down the waiter brings you chips with 4 DIFFERENT kinds of salsa!!! That’s right people, FOUR! Two creamy salsas and two veggies, the creams are spicy and the two veggies are medium and mild. But they are to die for, literally I’ve never been more impressed with salsa before than I have been here.
My way of sort of gauging a new restaurant is by trying the same thing that I already know I like, for me, that’s a quesadilla. So I ordered the Quesadilla Gigantes and it was wonderful, 2-​maybe 3 different kinds of cheese, not overdone and really juicy chicken. Amazing. My boyfriend was skeptical at first because the neighborhood is kinda shabby, but he was a huge fan from the get-​go with the chips and salsa and the Burrito dinner.
We didn’t try any margaritas (we were there for lunch) but I can’t wait to go back and sip on a margarita on their patio! If you’re a fan of Mexican cuisine I highly recommend, I know I’ll be back soon for sure! :)

The Molcajete was amazing! We loved the food and so did our kids. Great prices, amazing food, nice environment. One of the best places for Mexican food in Milwaukee.

The food was wonderful-​flavorful and fresh and the service backed up the food. We were celebrating my husbands birthday and they left us alone, allowed us to bring a cake in and didn’t charge us for plating. I wanted something that wasn’t even on the menu and they made it for me. Absolutely my new favorite Mexican restaurant in MKE!

El canaveral is such an amazing restaurant. I was in town to visit the miller plan. My friends and I were craving mexican food. And I have to say that this place it’s amazing The food is so good the drinks are just perfect. Such a good experience. We had the tampiquña y molcajete so so delicious. And the Micheladas are amazing. The place has a weird entrance but the back of the restaurant has a perfect atmosphere’. Highly recommended. I’m very picky. At this place it’s amazing. Great food. Great drinks great place. Great service.

After a disappointing breakfast today I needed some authentic flavorful food from some where in an authentic neighborhood. After searching I found El Canaveral and that was where I was going. The area might not be for everyone but I never let that stop me. Parking was hard to find but I finally got one.
The building is old looking and I liked the sign and windows. The inside has a cool bar in the front and the restaurant in the back, see the pictures. There is lots of shiny wood and the walls did have color. The ceiling has wood beams which gives this place lots of old school character. Schlitz lamps light both sides of the bar entry.
Service wad good and two different people were helping me. I asked the bar tender to make me an authentic drink with tequila and he asked what kind and I told him I don’t know because I don’t drink tequila, i trust your judgement. I’m a beer or straight up Booz guy so mixed drinks are something I know nothing about. The guy came back with a clay glass with a lime and salt rim. I don’t know what it was but it was very good. It had juices and tequila and not surgery from a syrup, very refreshing and good. Maybe I should get to know cocktails better.
My server brought over four jars of salsa and various sauces for my meal with some tortilla chips, I declined the chips because the meal would be plenty. I liked the sauces and and they did make sweat so I needed extra napkins. No Franks red hot sauce here.
After looking the menu over I felt the three taco dinner would give me the best sampling of the food. I chose steak, pork and tinga which is a stewed shredded chicken. The dinner came with beans and rice. I opted for corn tortillas which were very good and smaller than the store so they might home made. The rice was the perfect texture and good. The beans were good but a little too loose. Now the tacos, the tacos were very good. I tried a piece of meat from each buy it self to taste before I put on the hot sauce. All three were seasoned and tasted very good. The pork was the best by far and now I know for next time. The steak was second and the chicken third. I had the tacos with cilantro and onion, the only way to eat them and with the meats and tortilla all together the were awesome.
Since I’m always trying new places and look for new places it’s hard to be a regular and give full support to any favorite place. This is the one thing I hate about being me when it comes to being a foodie. I have a lot of favorites but I don’t get to them as often is I should. That being said this is now my new FAVORITE Mexican restaurant in Milwaukee.
Over all this was very good. I like every thing about this place. El Canaveral is now my new official favorite Mexican place. I can’t wait for the Mexican urge again so I can back for great pork and by the way no gristle or mystery meat in any of it. This was a nice gem to find. Two thumbs up. On my way out I thanked the bar tender and told him everything just great.

I do love the character that this old Schlitz bar has, however the dining room décor is very quaint, complete with a sideboard and blue and white vinyl table cloths. The dining chairs have a great vintage look to them and they seem like they could have come from an old one room schoolhouse. There is warm wood paneling on the walls, and if a friendly grandmother trotted out in a checkered dress with a white lace apron on and offered me some fresh baked cookies or something, I probably wouldn’t bat an eye.
Even the bathroom looks like it could be in your grandmother’s house.
There are a decent amount of knickknacks on the shelves and plants throughout, but I didn’t notice any dust and cobwebs like you can spot at a lot of places.
When you sit down to order a meal, your server will bring out four little ramekins of sauces. The two creamy looking ones are fairly spicy, as is the smooth puréed peppery one, but I also noticed a hint of smokiness in that one. The tomato salsa tastes fresh and delicious. The chips are crunchy, salted and cut into horizontal strips.
We both had the three taco dinner, I had the pork, which was seasoned, and Mr. R had the chicken tinga, and we both asked for just cilantro and onions as toppings. The dinner comes with rice and refried beans. With our iced teas, the bill came to $ 23 before tip.
Both times we’ve eaten at El Canaveral the servers have been polite and prompt and I have enjoyed the experience.

I’ll be on the patio
I had a fantastic first visit here on a sunny Saturday late in the afternoon. Service was quick and attentive but not overbearing. The menu has your standard fare like tacos, tostadas and burritos but other house specialties are hard to pass over. The chips appeared to be homemade and the salsas were phenomenal.
The building itself is a must see — it’s an old Schlitz bar with a solid bar and woodworking. While it’s taken on a slight Mexican décor, the owners kept some beer memorabilia in the main bar area.
El Canaveral is likely to become a standard stop for tasty eats.

Seriously guys– the pork tacos are out of this world… AND I DON’T EVEN LIKE PORK. That’s how good they are! Seriously, stop reading this review, get into your car and drive there now for the best pork tacos of your life. Do it, now!

After just one visit to El Canaveral, I may be bold enough to call this my favorite Mexican restaurant in Milwaukee. Really had a great experience.
First off, the restaurant is in an old Schlitz «Tied House» — a saloon built by the Schlitz brewery prior to Prohibition that would have only served Schlitz beer. I love the history of this building, the great bar and the woodwork throughout. Many years ago, this same saloon would have housed a restaurant named Benjamin Brigg’s Pub and it was one of our favorites. Although the décor lends itself more to a German Bier Stube, El Canaveral has done a good job giving it a little «South of the Border» flare.
Service was great, even with a little slip-​up. I have an allergy to beans and unfortunately my first plate came with refried beans on the side. When I told the waitress I asked for no beans, she basically took the plate back to the kitchen and they scraped them off. That just doesn’t work for someone with allergies… those darn beans. I only had to wait for a little bit longer… but I didn’t mind.
There are so many great choices on the menu. I had a tough time making up my mind. They have much more than the typical enchilada, burrito, tamale with umpteen different sauce choices that you find at many Mexican restaurants.
We started with some very tasty well-​made margaritas on the rocks and the bacon wrapped cheese-​stuffed jalapenos. Whoo, they packed a punch. But I couldn’t stop eating them and powered on through the tears.
My entrée was Adobo Marinated Pork — thinly sliced, perfectly marinated, tender and full of flavor. Really, really good.
My husband is a huge fan of Tres Leches Cake, so we shared a slice. The bakery selections come from a nearby independent baker. Absolutely loved it. Our waitress also showed us a dessert they serve that has a real edible flower encased in what looks like a gelatin… so pretty. I’ll have to give that a try on my next visit.
I checked out the patio which looks really cute. Will also look forward to a return visit for some al fresco dining.
So glad we stumbled upon this place. (Thanks to The Entertainment Book!) An old favorite bar has become my new favorite Mexican restaurant.

25^th and Greenfield. I should have recognized the address. This is the address of one of my favorite properties in Milwaukee: a former Schlitz tied house tavern that was once the home of the great saloon Benjamin Briggs.
I shed a small tear when I learned of Benjamin Briggs’ closing at least a decade ago, but cry no more, Mike, for the wonderful El Cañaveral has moved into this space and kept it great.
My wife and I kicked off of our meal with Jalapeños Cañaveral – jalapeños stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. They are as delicious as they sound, but let me warn you, spicy food people, they are not for the feint of heart. These jalapeños can kick your butt!
The heat of these babies had my eyes watering and my nose running. I jumped up from my chair and made a dash for the restroom to clear my sinuses. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and noticed my eyes were watering and my lips were involuntarily quivering. No matter, I finished my business and headed back to the table for popper #3.
The waitress asked if she could bring us anything else. Our margaritas rapidly depleted, my wife and I both responded in unison, «Water.»
Our waitress – who was very nice and attentive – chatted with us at the end of our meal. When we commented that the Jalapeños Cañaveral were delicious but fiery, she said, «I could tell when I came to your table earlier and you asked for water – you both had red faces and watery eyes!»
El Cañaveral’s Jalapeños Cañaveral – my kind of culinary pain.
Everything else was just as great too, albeit not quite as en fuego.
I’m not sure I saved room for it, but I did run 11 miles earlier in the day, so I ordered the Tres Leches Cake. I’ve become a fan of this Mexican dessert delicacy; I like it so much that I’m ranking it right up there with Kopp’s Custard, Mimma’s carrot cake and anybody’s pumpkin pie with whipped cream. El Cañaveral’s Tres Leches Cake – made by a local baker who makes and delivers them to the restaurant – is a wonderful finish to a spicy meal. It’s cool, creamy and sweet. In fact, the cake alone is worth the trip.
Also, for those warm days, be sure to dine al fresco on their patio – it’s lovely.
El Cañaveral is really good and you should give it a try. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about the Jalapeños Cañaveral though, or else your lips may wind up quivering involuntarily too!

My boyfriend introduced me to this wonderful place. Yes, it’s in a so called «bad» neighborhood, but so many great people live and work in this established area. I felt completely welcomed and safe to enjoy a good meal.
The décor is downright cute. A perfect blend of kitsch and good design. I can’t wait for summer to arrive, as their outdoor patio looks very inviting.
The food is delicious. Authentic and robust flavors that you just can’t find on South 5^th Street. Warm tortilla chips are served with four different dipping sauces (only one of which is a traditional salsa) and they are all excellent. We also ordered a guacamole appetizer and it was made fresh to order. I had a taco trio as my entrée: 1 chorizo, 1 pastor (spicy chopped pork), and 1 chopped steak. All were out of this world, but if I was forced to choose my favorite, the steak taco would be it.
Prices are cheap to moderate for what you get. We’re heading back here tonight and bringing some friends with us!