Drive to Milwaukee's Latin Quarter -- the near South Side dining district bordered by National Avenue, 5th Street, Virginia Street and 6th Street -- and popular Mexican eateries like La Fuente, 625 S. 5th St., Botanas, 816 s. 5th St., Conejito's, 539 W. Virginia St., and La Perla, 734 S. 5th St., are usually packed with diners on the weekends and well attended any other night of the week.
And then there's Pedrano's, 600 S. 6th St.
The family-owned-and-operated restaurant is just a block south of Conejito's, and yet, most of the time, there are very few customers. On a recent Tuesday night, my dinner companion and I were the only people in the joint.
Why is this?
The menu is similar to those at the other restaurants, with almost identical entrees and combination platters, and the prices are comparable, even a dollar or two cheaper, with many dishes priced at $6.75 to $7.25. The service is extremely attentive, the chips and salsa are homemade and plentiful, the margaritas are good. So why don't the Mexican food-eating masses pick Pedrano's?
Pedro Castillo, 67, has owned the restaurant for 19 years, and says that often he wonders why his restaurant isn't as beloved as the others in the neighborhood.
"Everyone has a different way of running their places," says Castillo.
Although Castillo admits to not using online marketing or social networking sites, Pedrano's should have made more of a name for itself considering its involvement at Wisconsin State Fair, RiverSplash!, Fiesta Mexicana (after 24 years of vending at the Latin festival, Castillo will not return this year) and Milwaukee a la Carte at the Milwaukee County Zoo.
"It took us seven years to get into a la Carte, and it's been very good for us," says Castillo.
Castillo moved to Milwaukee from Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1962. His mother was already living here, and he got a job at a factory making women's clothing for department stores, earning $1.45 an hour.
In 1991, Castillo and his wife -- who have five girls and a son whose nickname is "Pedrano" -- opened Pedrano's. Many of the recipes are his wife's signature dishes. Plus, they make all of their own nachos and shells, as well as their own salsa.
Castillo says they put a lot of pride and effort in their lunch buffet, which is served Monday-Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., for $6.95. The buffets always includes beans, rice, ground beef, chicken and taco / tostado shells.
On Mondays, they also serve two rotating Mexican dishes; Tuesdays feature chicken enchiladas and huevos Americanos; Wednesdays offer chicken flautas and chimichangas; Thursday include chilaquitas (corn chips and sauce entree) and Fridays feature chicken mole and cheese and onion enchiladas.
Overall, our experience at Pedrano's was good. The margaritas -- particularly the Lindo margarita -- were on par with the the other restaurants in the area. The beans and rice were plentiful and flavorful. The enchiladas were served hot and cheesy.
I was, however, disappointed in my shrimp soup, which was bland -- until I added hot sauce -- and it did not include chunks of avocado like the shrimp soup at La Fuente which continues to serve the best bowl in town.
The food was definitely in range of the other restaurants in the area, and the atmosphere is cheerful and yet, Pedrano's continues to struggle to bring in customers. Castillo says it has been particularly challenging for his family to earn a living during the last couple of years.
"Like everyone, we've had a hard time with the economy. But we keep going. We keep wanting people to come and try our family's food," he says.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
