In this installment of our bi-weekly Food/Drink Roundup: Martino’s is closing, and the Brady Street area might get a new wings joint.

• After nearly a half-century in business, Milwaukee hot dog staple Martino’s Chicago-Style Hot Dogs & Italian Beef announced it will soon close its doors at 1215 W Layton Ave. The final day of service will be Friday, December 19.

“After 48 unforgettable years, Martino’s will be closing its doors on 13th & Layton Ave.,” Martino’s wrote on social media on Tuesday. “Words can’t express how grateful we are for the love, laughter, and memories we’ve shared with you.”

The message continued:

While this isn’t goodbye forever, it’s time to reflect on this incredible journey we’ve shared. We hope you will stop by in the coming weeks to celebrate with us, share your favorite stories, and help us close out almost 48 years with the same warmth that has filled our dining room for decades.

Thank you for making Martino’s part of your lives. Please share your favorite photo or memory with us-we would love to reminisce with you! Stay tuned…

No word yet on the “stay tuned” tease. So, well, stay tuned!

• This week in Tales From The City’s License Application Search Page, a new chicken wing joint might be coming to the Brady Street area. License applications have been filed for Legend Larry’s, a self-described “restaurant and bar specializing in fresh, made-to-order chicken wings, with national award-winning sauces.” Legend Larry’s is being proposed for the former Balzac Wine Bar space at 1716 N. Arlington Pl.

Legend Larry’s has locations in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Sheboygan Falls. The proposed opening date for the Milwaukee location is February 1, 2026. Here’s a sample menu:

• Oh, we almost forgot! We profiled Martino’s in our Mandatory Milwaukee column back in August. Here’s a reprint of that article. R.I.P. Martino’s.

Mandatory Milwaukee: Martino’s has been a top dog in local franks since 1977

Tyler Maas
August 13, 2025

It’s never a bad time to have a hot dog, but there’s just something about summertime that makes the season perfectly suited for enjoying a tasty frankfurter. These meaty mainstays can be had at ballparks and backyard barbecues, at fairs and festivals, at outdoor concerts and air conditioned theaters showing summer blockbusters, at gas stations during road trip pit stops, and in countless other seasonal situations.

Hot dogs can also be ordered for no particular reason apart from, well, the desire to have a hot dog. When such cravings arise, whether its during the summer months or any other time of year, there’s a place on Milwaukee’s south side that’s been a top dog when it comes to serving up local franks for nearly half a century. Through the decades, Martino’s (1215 W. Layton Ave., 414-281-5580) has remained a trusted spot to procure a top-notch hot dog and a variety of other comfort food classics.

Martino’s was started in 1977 by Mary Anderson, a Chicago ex-pat who was looking to give Milwaukee a taste of her hometown. After getting the business—which was originally just a seasonal operation—off the ground, the original Martino’s was demolished in 1983 and the building you still see today was erected in its place.

In the years that have followed, it seems like consistency has been a key component for the restaurant’s continued success. Mary sold the business to her son TJ and his wife Cathy (both longtime employees) in 2000, thus extending the family operation’s story another generation. The menu, too, has thrived through remaining simple, unchanging, affordable, and being served efficiently by a friendly staff.

Though there are close to a dozen hot dog variations on the menu at Martino’s, the undisputed leader of the dog pack is the Chicago Style. This dog is made to the exact specifications of those served in the Windy City, as a steamed poppy seed bun is loaded with a Vienna Beef hot dog, diced raw onion, sport peppers, relish, mustard, tomato pieces, a pickle spear, and a dash of celery salt. Say what you will about Chicago’s taste in football teams, but they’re really onto something with the Chicago Style hot dog. And the one at Martino’s is about as good and authentic as you can get here in Milwaukee.

If you’re not into the Chicago Style for some reason (or you just want a little diversity in the types of dogs you order), you can also get Chili Cheese, Chili, Cheese, Southern, Slaw, Bacon Cheese, Kraut, Cheddar Joe, and Reuben variations starting at $6.29 for a regular, $9.39 for jumbo, and $12.59 for a footlong. All dogs also come with a small side of fries. Oh, and corn dogs can be had for $5.99 apiece.

Hot dogs are the main event, but Martino’s is more than just different tubed meat preparations and deep fried sides. You’ll also find brats, Italian sausage, Polish sausage, burgers, sloppy joes, a wide range of hot and cold deli sandwiches, a few pasta offerings, fish fry, chili, soups, and desserts (including its ever-popular banana bread) on-site. Wanting to keep in the Chicago spirit, we partook in what Martino’s considers “a slice of heaven” during our latest visit…and the visit before that, to be honest. Of course, we’re referring to the almighty Italian Beef Sandwich ($11.39).

“A slice of heaven” is right, as a pile of tender beef is smashed into a soft Italian roll—made even softer at the bottom by the deluge of savory juices from the beef—and topped with your choice of Giardiniera pepper relish (as seen above) or mild bell peppers. Unlike some beefs sold around the city, the one at Martino’s also comes with a slice of mozzarella by default, but we opted against it so focus wasn’t taken away from other elements of the sandwich.

Between the high quality renditions of accessible Midwestern favorites, the relatively low prices, and the fast and friendly service, it’s no wonder Martino’s occasionally gets national attention and constantly draws lines during the lunch hour.

It’s far from flashy, not even attempting to appeal to any trends, and is continually overshadowed by newer restaurants with more elevated cuisines and a bigger social media presence, but that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. As long as people in Milwaukee crave hot dogs and someone in the Anderson family wants to keep the lights on, Martino’s will be a hub for first class franks, outstanding Italian beef, and a variety of other satisfying standbys that can all be yours within minutes of pulling into their lot on Layton Avenue. Long live Martino’s.

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• Mandatory Milwaukee: Martino’s has been a top dog in local franks since 1977