Last month, the opening of Milwaukee’s first Patty Shack in a high-turnover Bay View restaurant site inspired us to write about some “cursed” area business locations. That article was actually the second such post on this site to chronicle commercial spaces with a less-than-sterling track record when it comes to retaining tenants. The first installment—a 2016 article entitled “8 ‘cursed’ Milwaukee business locations”—featured a property at 1888 N. Humboldt Ave. that had a great deal of businesses come and go at the time the post was written, and has continued its pattern of inconsistency in the years since.
We say all this because the building at the corner of Humboldt and Kane became home to yet another restaurant endeavor last month when Curry Hut opened up in the former site of Wisconsin Pizza Authority, Baba Ghanouj, Greek Village Gyros, Maglio, and various other now-exiled eateries. This is Curry Hut’s second store, with the original location having thrived at 9809 W. Oklahoma Ave. since opening in late 2022. With about a month under its belt to get settled, we finally stopped by Curry Hut’s new digs in an rather infamous space this week, and we’re happy to report this Indian food establishment could have some definite staying power on the East Side.
If you’ve ever stepped foot in any of the restaurants that previously called 1888 N. Humboldt Ave. home, you won’t be too shocked by Curry Hut’s interior. A somewhat small dining room we’ve previously compared to a model home from Arrested Development isn’t particularly remarkable, but some interior improvements have been made since Wisconsin Pizza Authority left the building last year.
Bland off-white walls have been livened up considerably with vibrant orange and yellow paint. The wall space between the towering windows has colorful framed prints of herbs and spices. Though it seems as if takeout (and pickups from third party delivery services) will account for a sizeable chunk of this Curry Hut’s sales, East Side resident and visitors alike can also take seat at one of the restaurant’s seven tables and comfortably dine in if they so desire.
We did just that during this week’s maiden visit to the new Curry Hut, taking a seat at one of the two upper level tables after ordering our food. Less than 12 minutes after placing our order with a super friendly server, our lunch arrived. We started off by trying the Vegetable Samosas, which consist of flaky baked dough wrapped around a blend of spiced potatoes and peas. At just $2.99 for a pair of appetizers almost as big as our fist, you gotta get the samosas!
We’re also extremely glad we ordered a side of Garlic Naan (also $2.99), which offered four respectably-sized pieces of soft and fresh naan covered with a light drizzle of oil, a significant spread of chopped garlic, and a generous dusting of coriander. It was great on its own, but it also lifted up our entree.
Curry Hut offers more than 40 entrees, including over 15 vegetable specialties and 15 chicken selections respectively, a few goat dishes, and three fish options. You’ll also find a small sampling of desserts and a handful of sides. This time around, we tried Chili Chicken ($15.99). Our platter was heaped high with a flavorful and altogether winning blend of tender chicken breast pieces coated in a savory and subtly spicy “chili sauce” and accompanied by sauteed onion and green pepper. It was simple, but well-executed and seasoned near perfection.
Approaching carb overload (and food overload in general), we bypassed the Basmati Rice that accompanies almost every dish in favor of mixing the main course with the garlic naan. Next time we’ll make sure to try rice with our entree. And yeah, so long as Curry Hut sticks around the neighborhood for a while, there will be a next time. Heck, if anyone can make 1888 N. Humboldt Ave. work and dispel the “curse,” it might very well be Curry Hut. Don’t just take our word for it, though: find out just how good it is for yourself and take an active approach in helping this unsavory streak of restaurant turnover end in the process. We think you’ll be glad you did.
