Jake RossWhen the hunger pangs hit in the middle of a busy work week or on a lazy Saturday morning, you’re usually not looking for anything exotic or fancy. You just want a good meal at a reasonable price. But where to go, Milwaukee? About three years ago, North Avenue Grill exploded onto the restaurant scene and since then, its reputation has spread far and wide in the city.
This small restaurant offers patrons an upgraded version of the old-school, Americana diner experience, with excellent burgers, malts, shakes and a large variety of sandwiches and breakfast dishes. Let’s face it: we love diners, but sometimes they can have a (well-deserved) reputation for being unclean, a bit too greasy spoonish and somewhat lacking in the “originality” category. Here’s where North Ave. Grill pulls away from the pack.
The restaurant is always immaculate. Everything the cooks prepare is fresh, top-notch and, while they offer many of the traditional items you’d see at most diners, many others are hard to find elsewhere, like the superb bacon avocado quesadilla. North Ave. Grill serves hands down the best Cuban sandwich in Milwaukee (far superior to the much pricer and smaller version offered at Cubanitas downtown). Wanna talk coffee? At North Ave. Grill, their coffee is not some burnt, black tar that is barely drinkable. The excellent coffee here is from local Valentine Coffee Roasters.
Believe it or not, it’s hard to find a place that hits all the marks for a Milwaukee favorite: the classic fish fry. Many are decent, some are bad, but few are excellent. North Ave. Grill is one of them. The cod and perch are amazing and the clam chowder ranks among the best in the city.
Cuban sandwich perfection
The fries are seasoned just right. (And let’s be honest, who doesn’t like fries for mid-week comfort food?) Another category where North Ave. Grill stands out is service. Quite often, diners are staffed with disinterested teenagers who wear their lack of enthusiasm and professionalism on their sleeves. The waitresses at North Ave. Grill are all experienced professionals who clearly care about what they’re doing. They are extraordinarily polite, positive and welcoming. At present, the restaurant undergoing a renovation to double its size. This is good news for those of us who have been more than happy to wait for a seat at this popular spot.
Stop by and enjoy excellent food at North Avenue Grill! You’ll probably become a regular, like me.
And excellent coffee, from Valentine.