Beginning today, there’s brand breakfast, lunch and brunch spot to enjoy in Bay View.
After a soft opening over the holiday weekend, Sabrosa Cafe & Gallery opened its doors to the public today at 7:30 a.m. at 3216 S. Howell Ave.
Plans for the new cafe were announced last summer, and initially the venue hoped for a late spring opening. However, construction delays extended the timeline for the new restaurant, which will also serve as a gallery, showcasing art from local artists.
Menu
The menu at Sabrosa features breakfast staples (think eggs and toast and oatmeal) along with omelettes, scrambles and dishes like jalapeno cornbread with sausage gravy ($9), chilaquiles ($9), huevos rancheros ($9), a housemade chorizo scramble with tortillas ($10) and the S.B.S.B.B.S., a breakfast sandwich featuring spicy brown sugar bourbon bacon with fried egg and cheese ($9).
On the sweeter side, there are buttermilk pancakes ($6/8), baked French toast with cream cheese glaze, pecan caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream ($10) and Frankie’s Benediction featuring French toast made with housemade bread, stacked with off the bone ham, two sunny-side up eggs, and fresh dijon hollandaise sauce ($12).
Lunch dishes include sopa Azteca, Chef Frankie's famous spicy tortilla soup garnished with avocado crema, cheese and shoestring tortilla strips ($3/6), salads and a variety of sandwiches and melts including a chicken torta ($10), a Pepperoncini Patty Melt ($10) and "The Ruben" with roasted seasonal vegetables, melted mozzarella, guacamole and spicy lime mayo ($10). Mexican favorites like enchiladas verdes with roasted poblano-peanut sauce ($12) and tacos of the day ($9) are also available.
In addition to non-alcoholic beverages, cocktails include a signature Bloody Mary ($8), a pear and cranberry gin bellini ($9), spiked sweet tea ($9) a whiskey old fashioned ($9) the Morning Glory with orange, mango, vodka, lime, champagne and mint ($9), coffee cocktails like the Northern Exposure featuring iced coffee cubes, vodka and Bailey's with a splash of Kahlua ($10) and both a classic lime or Luxardo cherry and pineapple ginger margarita ($9).
And more
The owners of the new cafe are Francisco Sanchez, former chef at Taqueria Azteca, and business partner Ruben Piirainen. The building, which was formerly the commercial kitchen for the Gouda Girls food truck, also served as home base for the Sabrosa Sauce company, a side business launched by Sanchez in 2015.
During the evening, Sanchez says he plans to host a variety of events in the gallery space, including "once in a blue moon" pop-up dinners featuring some of his favorite Mexican dishes.
As for the art component of the cafe, Milwaukee photographer Timothy Abler’s "A Salvatorian Monastery" will debut as Sabrosa’s first exhibition.
Starting July 5, 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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