In this installment of our semi-regular Food/Drink Roundup: a new West Allis home for Ruta’s Fresh Indian Fare!
• It’s only been a few days since the always-great, always-delicious Ruta’s Fresh Indian Fare closed its doors in Walker’s Point. “Please follow us here for updates on our next moves!” owner Ruta Kahate said on Instagram ahead of the closure. And now, that next move has been announced!
“Guys!! SOOOOO excited to share that we’ve found the most perfect, darling new space,” Kahate posted on Wednesday. “Cannot wait to welcome you all, in a few weeks! Will keep you posted.”
View this post on Instagram
The post doesn’t specify the actual location of the new space, but after some good old fashioned Milwaukee Record detective work (a.k.a. seeing an Instagram comment that it was near Wisconsin State Fair Park and combing through Google Maps looking for that green awning in the reflection) we’re confident it’s the former Ethiopia Coffee space at 7627 W. Greenfield Ave. in West Allis. Here’s the building:
And here’s the green Church & Chapel awning across the street:
Ruta’s opened in the now-defunct Crossroads Collective food hall in April 2021. At that time, it was known as Ruta’s Vibrant Indian Café. Two years later, Kahate left Crossroads and opened the Walker’s Point location. As for the new location? We can’t wait!
• Speaking of new locations (sort of), the new Jalisco’s Cocina y Bar at 2018 E. North Ave.—a.k.a. the former East Side home of Triple Taproom, Hacienda, and the BBC—is coming along nicely. Here’s a new sign! (Other signs proclaiming the restaurant to be open now appear to be a bit premature.)
Owner Ruben Herrera appeared before the city’s Licenses Committee in March to detail his plans for the business. Those plans boil down to this: the Herrera family opened the first Jalisco’s in 1987 at 1035 S. César E. Chávez Dr (it’s still open today); a second location opened in 1990 at 2124 N. Farwell Ave. (it was sold and transformed into Judy’s On North in 2019); the new Jalisco’s will be Ruben’s first restaurant but a continuation of a family tradition. (Judy’s On North closed in 2023 due to a fire, and eventually relocated to its current location at 2124 N. Farwell Ave. It’s now known as Judy’s Cantina.)
The North Avenue Jalisco’s even has a handy sign posted in the door explaining the whole thing. Once again, we can’t wait!
Want a further taste/sip of the new food/drink places being planned for Milwaukee? Then buckle up for Tales From The City’s License Application Page…
• A new Korean restaurant called Soonja’s Seoul Pocha is planned for the former National Cafe, 839 W. National Ave. Proposed opening date: June 2026. [PDF]
All of the above proposed businesses are just that—proposed—and are subject to city approval. Here’s a Weird Al song about food:
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RELATED ARTICLES
• Ruta’s Fresh Indian Fare will close Walker’s Point location April 30
• Food/Drink Roundup: Jalisco’s is still coming to former Hacienda/BBC space on East Side