If you're looking for a quaint, cheerful spot to enjoy a delicious breakfast, brunch or lunch this weekend, you might want to make a trek out to Sabrosa Cafe & Gallery which opened this week at 3216 S. Howell Ave.
The formerly grey building has been transformed with sunny yellow paint, and cheerful planters mark the spot where the restaurant's patio space will soon reside.
The interior is bright and quaint. Windows across the front of the sunny yellow building offer up natural light for the space, which is decorated simply and brightly with antique furnishings, bright signs and art.
The space, which seats just under 50, offers up barside stools, two and four-tops along with bench seating in an old re-purposed church booth. A gallery area toward the back of the restaurant currently sports photographs from Milwaukee photographer Timothy Abler. There's also a grand piano, and if you're lucky you'll be treated to a ditty or two from the sparkling fingers of Florentine Opera pianist and co-owner Rubin Ruben Piirainen.
Brunch cocktails include the refreshing Morning Glory with orange, mango, vodka, lime, champagne and mint ($9), as well as the Sabrosa Bloody Mary made with house mix and stocked with chili ice cubes and complementary garnishes ($8).
Meanwhile, breakfast and lunch dishes are fresh and inviting. Take for instance, the fluffy buttermilk pancakes with blueberries (short stack $7.75/full stack $9.75).
The Americano scrambler comes with scrambled egg, ham steak, fresh spinach and aged Wisconsin cheddar ($11), plus deliciously fresh fruit and a choice of toast.
Among lunch entrees there are also enchiladas verdes featuring sauteed corn tortillas stuffed with grilled chicken breast and spinach and served with a rich roasted poblano-peanut sauce, queso fresco, and crema fresca ($13) along with frijoles negros and seasoned rice.
The menu offers countless other options including avocado toast, omelettes, sandwiches and salads along with Mexican specialties like housemade chorizo and eggs, tacos and huevos rancheros. See the full menu at sabrosa.cafe/menu.
And before you go, don't forget to take a look at the impromptu art installment on the south wall featuring an international showing of words which, like Sabrosa, mean "delicious."
Sabrosa is open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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