- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Habanero's Mexican Kitchen
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
6 reviews for Habanero's Mexican Kitchen
Overcoming our fear of strip mall restaurants, we decided to try this based on our family's good reviews. We were pleasantly suprised. It's much classier than the Mexican joints we typically visit. The bar is nice, decor is very cool.
Drinks were great, food was decent. Salsa was ok, nothing outstanding. Tableside gucamole and different options are cool, didn't try but hope to next time. Our meal was so-so. The sauces were unique but nothing outstanding. I'd give it a try again and go with a basic burrito or something simple.
When I first saw Habanero's under construction in a generic strip mall spot that at one point was movie rental store, I had my doubts. First, I thought it was going to be another Qdoba/Chipotle knock-off, doomed by the ubiquitous presence of the far more consistent chains. It took a long time to open, and after it did, it took a while and a few surprisingly good reports for me to check it out.
My first impression, as I walked in, was of the stark transformation from outside to in. You could never imagine the interior of this place from the street, and it's easy from the inside to forget that you are just a block or two away from one of the city's busiest intersection, in a strip mall that used to be a Blockbuster video.
The owners of Habanero's clearly went to great lengths to transform the space. And while it's not exactly upscale, it's fun, and it's authentic, in a strangely Mexican way. The gated bar area was dark and inviting, a great place in the area to meet a friend for a quick drink. The main dining room, featuring a semi-open kitchen and a unique two-story illusion, is brightly colored and upbeat.
It's hard to sell me on restaurant Mexican food. There are only a few places in the city that I like, despite tons of choices. My husband is Mexican, I have been to Mexico a number of times, and I simply to not like the imitation or Tex-Mex food. When I sat down and saw the family next to us being served an array of sizzling fajita plates, I had my doubts.
Still, the menu here is very large, and I asked the waiter for suggestions of what he liked, and explained that I wanted something authentic. He gave a bunch of choices, and the two my mom and I tried were very good. One was called "Tampico," just a generic name for a sort of shrimp enchilada dish smothered in one of the best cream sauces I have ever had. The flavors of cilantro, tomatillo and sour cream were a perfect complement to the fresh shrimp. We also really enjoyed their "charro" beans, done cowboy-style apparently, with nopal pieces (cactus) and some kind of herbs and crumbled cheese. It was a very nice change from refried pinto beans. The margaritas were also good.
We also got the restaurant's signature tableside-made guacamole, which is kind of fun, but considering I often make my own guacamole at home, nothing to write home about. We chose the guacamole with pumpkin seeds, ancho chili oil and pistachios, which sounded very different. I was surprised by how faint the pistachio and pumpkin seed flavor was, but overall it was very good guacamole.
My verdict is that this is a nice restaurant for the suburban area. The location is great and there are some authentic options as well as the more typical burritos and fajitas that Americans know and love. On a recent Friday night, there were a lot of families, and I imagine, considering the extreme popularity of the new Mo's Irish Pub and Jojo's martini lounge just up the street, that this will become a nice third option for the area's bar crowd.
I'm still looking for a delicious Mexican restaurant in Milwaukee. The best thing about Habanero's was the wait staff, our waiter was really nice. The food was nothing spectacular though. It had presentation, but lacked authentic Mexican taste.
I was a little leery of a restaurant in a strip mall, but I was willing to give this place the benefit of the doubt. We came in around 6pm on a Friday, and we got a table immediately. Nice decor....they obviously tried a little too hard, but at least they made an effort.
About four different servers came to us at random intervals. We sat with our waters for a good five minutes before menus came, and when they did come, we were two short. (We overhead that the restaurant ran out of menus....)
It was another 10-15 minutes before they took our order. Then we waited for the food. These places usually pump out the orders pretty quickly......but we waited a long time. I stopped keeping track.
The food was hot and nicely arranged. Generous portions. Nothing in my meal felt "fresh", though. The meat tasted processed; the tortillas were your standard brand; bagged lettuce; canned beans; and worst of all, the sauce: it looked and tasted like the sauce they use in spaghetti-o's. It all tasted fine...certainly edible....but not worth the above-average prices.
Next time, I'd go to Qdoba up the street for a quick bite (hey, it's fresh), or La Fuente downtown if I wanted a nice sit-down Mexican meal.
I had wanted to write a good review here. In my good conscience, I can't. Initially, we were impressed with the attentive friendly service, slightly above average food (steak fajitas), salsa so-so and no so "hot" Margaritas (on the rocks - I can't make them better because they're not hard). I will say, the overall atmosphere is very upliftingly pleasant and Spanish like. The ending has so far been a hassle. They somehow overcharged our credit/debit card and I'm still fighting it. i.e. contacted the restaurant manager, filed a bank dispute. Naw... I'll pass on this place. Who needs this?
Thanks to the power of Google, I ended up at Habenero's for lunch. My friend and I needed a lunch spot between our homes. Lunch was okay, my enchilada in my combination platter was quite tasty as was the salsa they served with the chips. Although my burrito left me wanting more. The service was attentive. I can safely say we got exactly what we paid for, and if we had to meet half way again, I'd go here.
