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Jalapeno Loco Mexican Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
5067 S Howell AveMilwaukee, WI 53207
Neighborhood: Mitchell West
(414) 483-8300
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
16 reviews for Jalapeno Loco Mexican Restaurant
16 reviews in English
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Review from Katie L.
Laramie, WY
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been to JL a few times and have always had pleasant experiences.
Dining room is spacious, our party of three had a corner table, so even though the restaurant was fairly busy it was quiet and easy to talk. I don't think bringing a larger party would be much of an issue either.
Margaritas are tasty (and strong!) I'm usually not picky about the quality of free-flowing chips at a restaurant, so these, and the salsa, tasted pretty good to me.
JL, I think, is known for food from the Oaxacan region of Mexico- we had enchiladas Coloraditas and tamales, both with mole, and meals were huge and tasty.
We had some sort of flan-topped chocolate cake for dessert, which was also pretty good.
My family has been happy with the food at this place for years- service is it or miss, but so it goes with visiting restaurants. -
Review from Richard S.
Oak Creek, WI
7/4/2011
Returned for the first time in years the other night. Not sure why I have been away so long other than it was a regular stop for my ex-wife and I.
We started with an order of Guacamole and Chips. The chips were fresh, warm and crispy. The Guacamole was creamy and a little to mild for my taste, so I mixed it with the Salsa on the table.
One thing that has changed from years ago is that there aren't has many Moles as there used to be. I ordered the Mole Oaxaqueno with Pork. The Mole was Dark, Rich and Complex. It was served with three huge pieces of tender Pork Loin. It was as good as I remember from years ago. I also enjoyed a Don Loco Margarita made with Orange Liquor. The staff is friendly and they are wheelchair accessible. -
Review from Nick P.
Wauwatosa, WI
3/3/2011
After reading rave reviews about Jalapeno's I was anxious to visit and try it out. Moving from Calf to Milwaukee I was looking for an authentic Mexican restaurant. Walking into the dining room a mariachi band was playing, nice touch. We sat and were immediately served chips and salsa. Too bad the rest of the experience didn't play out.
The chips were so so and the salsa was kind of bland. I asked if they had any spicy sauce . . . the waitress looked at me as if I were from Mars. No, I am not from Mars, I just was wondering if you had anything hotter? In her defense I think there was a language barrier. She promptly brought me some verde sauce. It looked good but had no taste. Me and my daughter looked at each other . . . it was kind of funny, this stuff has no taste let alone spice, heat, caliente.
When our waitress came back I asked if they had any sauce that was spicy hot. When she understood she said it would cost extra. She brought what looked like the orange Sriracha hot sauce you get in the plastic bottles. We mixed it in with the original stuff they gave us and made a decent sauce out of it.
I had chili rellenos. When it came out it looked kind of like a left over dish from yesterday, turns out it was pretty good, very cheesy, nice pepper taste . . . I liked the rice and beans.
My daughter loves Mexican food and had a craving for a good taco. Here is their chicken taco. Take chicken dark meat, cook it till dry with no seasonings, put it in a tortilla with some lettuce and shredded cheese, serve it with rice and beans. What a disappointment.
We talked about going to some of our favorites that night . . . Hectors in Tosa, MiCocina off Bluemound, or Habanero's on Mayfair. But thought we'd try someplace new. Needless to say we won't be going back. -
Review from Gina B.
7/13/2011
The food was really good but my review is based on my horrible experience that continue to happen afterwards. After finishing a good meal, I paid with a credit card, which I found out a couple of days later that my numbers were stolen. Could be a coincidence but I was not the only one that this happened to who had visited this same location within the last couple of days, per the bank and CC company. How disappointing and because of this we were never back. I felt very violated and if I ever muster up the want to go there again, I will definitely be paying cash. BEWARE!
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Review from Brad E.
Milwaukee, WI
8/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
The live music is a very nice touch. The guacamole was very bland and the fajitas were greasy and too over cooked. The tacos are the way to go! I felt like the prices were a little high, however, when you consider the live music and the pretty good bar, I would definitely return. The margaritas look delicious. I watched the bartender make a pitcher of margaritas and he was very generous with the good stuff (aka tequila)!
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Review from Betsy H.
Delavan, WI
7/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Here's the deal with this place. You MUST only order their specials of the house. If you do, you will be delighted! Best mole I've ever had. I get the nogada with mole sauce instead of cheese sauce and it's total perfection. Chips are stale, salsa is flavorless, and the guacamole has been old tasting twice, but the specials are amazing and perfectly prepared.
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Review from Kyle H.
Updated - 11/29/2009 1 Check-in Here
We came to Jalapeno Loco for my mom's birthday, and she loved the Cumpleanos song they sang her. We had a big party of 10 and they sat us within 15 minutes.
Jalapeno Loco has a few really good regional specialties and I continued my quest to try all of their moles. This visit I tried the mole Colorado con Lomo de Puerco- A deep colored mole made with ancho chiles, guajillio chiles, nuts, sesame seeds, and spices. The mole itself was rich and complex, with a hint of Mexican cinnamon to it.
But it's just three pork loins and sauce, with rice and beans on the side. I really would like to see some veggies on my plate! The pork loin was cooked too long and was tough, not juicy. Still, the sauce was out of this world. But there are better moles on their menu, and life's too short!Listed in: Milwaukee, the Good Land, Where I Stuff My Face
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/5/2009
Celebrated my birthday here with family and son in tow and everything was great! I'm going to stick… Read more »
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Review from sasha b.
7/26/2011
this is now the 2nd attempt and unfortunately, the last.
there was once a time i used to love their food....after last night...that has changed.
my meal was three shrimp tacos with bacon. did someone not drain the obviously frozen little shrimps from their frozen little bodies? nope. the tacos were flooded with water, no flavor and simply disgusting.
my fiancé ordered the cheese and onion oaxacan enchiladas where they had obviously just thrown in onions (raw) in at the last minute.
we had to get out of our table to talk to our wait staff to exchange the order and asked to have the onions completely removed. there seemed to be a language barrier. regardless, even after all of this, we felt the need to let the owner know. no apology, just a "thanks for letting me know" and then trying to explain how they prepare thier enchilada.
we both have worked in kitchens and are aware of how to prepare an enchilada...thanks for nothing mr. owner.
*poor wait service
*no apology, instead an explanation on how they prepare the food from the owner
will not come here again -
Review from Jon A.
9/2/2009
My absolute favorite Mexican restaurant. It simply has the best food out of every single Mexican restaurant in the Milwaukee area. The menu consists of regional Mexican dishes, but they also have a nice selection of Americanized dishes like tacos, enchiladas and flautas.
Their chips and salsa are fresh and come with a red mild and a verde that is extremely hot. Lately, they have stopped giving out the verde, but will bring it to your table if you ask. The rice and beans served with most meals are great, especially the rice. It's so fluffy and flavorful and I have not been able to find any place that replicates it. Casa Margaritas are cheap, delicious and strong.
Jalapeno Loco is often overlooked because of its location on the South Side; a fact that I don't mind, because there are less hassles finding parking. If you're a person who goes to Mexican restaurants for the hip atmosphere and obscenely large tequila selections, this place isn't for you. However, if you enjoy regional Mexican dishes that are consistently delicious then try to eat here just once.
Perhaps this review seems biased, but I myself did not appreciate Jalapeno Loco until I had visited most of the other Mexican restaurants in Milwaukee county. Couple this with the fact that it was one of the favorite Mexican restaurants of the late Dennis Getto and you know you have a winner. -
Review from Casey W.
Milwaukee, WI
4/16/2008
I love that they have specials that you aren't going to find down on 5th and National... and the guac is awwweeesooommeee. This is a great place to go and have good Mexican food-- not just the same ol' same ol'!
If you like mole.. try Jalapeno Loco!!! -
Review from Deepa J.
Chicago, IL
11/21/2007
Was here recently with a couple of co-workers for a late, leisure lunch before we hopped on the train to head back home - the proximity to the Amtrak station/airport is obviously a huge selling point here.
Standard is the word that comes to mind - the regular fare didn't stand out though the guac was pretty good, had a cosmo with a mexican twist for the first time (tequila rather than vodka!). The decor was interesting, colorful thanks to the national flags running across the length of the room and creepy on account of the embossed geckos on the walls!
Loco is one of those places that you don't seek out, yet it's good to know it's around! -
Review from Mark R.
Milwaukee, WI
1/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here for my wife's birthday. The food was pretty good and the did some very nice mole dishes. Dinning room was a little cold and the wait staff, while attentive was a little difficult to understand.
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Review from Ann H.
5/23/2010
Pretty good (tex) mex food for Milwaukee. Having lived in Texas for years it was really excruciating to wade through wannabe (Tex-)mex places but jalapeño loco came pretty darn close. Their moles and quesadillas were pretty awesome and the staff was always willing to make a few mods to the basic offering to satisfy my craving. While not the best in Milwaukee for this type of food it still made a place my rotation list.
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Review from Jen M.
Cleveland, OH
12/17/2008
We missed our train because of bad weather and popped in here to grab dinner. We didn't have high expectations but this place surprised all of us. Very clean and inviting atmosphere. The minute we walked in the guy lit the fireplace for us and seated us. Their chicken fajitas are very good and people at the table said their chimichangas and other food were really good. Service is quick and efficient. I think this place is a hidden jem.
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Review from Jason W.
Milwaukee, WI
11/24/2009
Always have great food here and a good time. I'm a fan of steak tacos and these may be the best I've had in the city.
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Review from Elias H.
Milwaukee, WI
6/15/2007
Being down by the airport and having a goofy name and logo, I figured this was one of those psuedo-mexican places with lots of sombreros on the wall and little in the way of decent food. Surprisingly, it turns out to be a pretty good middle-of-the-road mexican place with a few out of the ordinary options and a great atmosphere. First of all, we've taken our 2 year old there several times and we always feel welcome with him (not to mention that he wolfs down their plates of rice and beans). They have a fairly typical tacos, burritos, enchiladas menu, plus some slightly less common stuff like flautas and chimichangs. They offer a lot of different sauces, and things are high quality. The mole isn't the traditional spciy chocolate sauce that I love, but it's good nonetheless. If you are looking for a nice sit down place with good service and decent food, I would highly recommend it. If you are looking for higher-end fare, or real traditional mexican flavors, I would look elsewhere.
