Highest-rated Restaurants in Milwaukee by Diners

Photo Illustration by Stacker // Canva

Highest-rated restaurants in Milwaukee by diners

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.

Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Milwaukee, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.

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#26. Juiced! Cold-Pressed Juicery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 640 South 5th St. Ste 2 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Juice Bars & Smoothies, Vegan, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. The Chef's Table

- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 500 South 3rd St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Venues & Event Spaces, Diners, New American
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. Santino's Little Italy

- Rating: 4.5/5 (336 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 352 East Stewart St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. Damascus Gate Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (130 reviews)
- Address: 807 West Historic Mitchell St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Middle Eastern, Syrian, Falafel
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. Mara's Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (130 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3441 North 84th St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. Riley's Sandwich & Social House

- Rating: 4.5/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 411 East Menomonee St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Gordo's Bubble Waffles

- Rating: 4.5/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2301 South Howell Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Desserts, Waffles, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Mor Bakery MKE

- Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 2018 South 1st St. Unit 102 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Bakeries, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Heirloom MKE

- Rating: 4.5/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Food Trucks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Tavo's Signature Cuisine

- Rating: 4.5/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5814 West Bluemound Road Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: New Mexican Cuisine, Latin American
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Press Waffles

- Rating: 4.5/5 (30 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 207 East Buffalo St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Food Trucks, Waffles, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Brute Pizza

- Rating: 4.5/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 316 North Milwaukee St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. Bunzel's Meat Market

- Rating: 5.0/5 (222 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9015 West Burleigh St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Meat Shops, Delis, Butcher
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Coaches

- Rating: 5.0/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 1125 North 9th St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Real Dogs

- Rating: 5.0/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 111 East Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Street Vendors
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Richard's Cafe

- Rating: 5.0/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 700 West Virginia St. Ste 203 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Cafes, Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Anytime Arepa

- Rating: 5.0/5 (37 reviews)
- Address: 636 South 6th St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Food Trucks, Venezuelan
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Amaranth Bakery & Cafe

- Rating: 5.0/5 (82 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3329 West Lisbon Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Bakeries, Soup, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Cavas

- Rating: 5.0/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 401 East Erie St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Spanish, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Blue Star Cafe

- Rating: 5.0/5 (200 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1619 North Farwell Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Halal, Somali
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. Bento Xpert

- Rating: 5.0/5 (71 reviews)
- Address: 1125 North 9th St. Unit F Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Taiwanese, Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. El Tlaxcalteca Restaurant

- Rating: 5.0/5 (39 reviews)
- Address: 1300 West Burnham St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Sweet Joy Brazilian Cafe

- Rating: 5.0/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 1208 East Brady St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Cafes, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. The Lafayette Place

- Rating: 5.0/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1978 North Farwell Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Cafes, Breakfast & Brunch, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp