Looking for a roundup of Milwaukee food and drink news? Then take a bite of our cleverly titled, bi-weekly Food/Drink Roundup! This week: Merge and Kitchen Kings are closed.
• Some restaurant closings come as a shock. Take the sudden closure of Company Brewing back in May, for example. Other restaurant closings, well, tend to elicit thoughts of “Hasn’t that place been closed for a while now?” Which brings us to today’s topic: two Milwaukee restaurants you assumed were closed and are indeed closed.
Up first: Merge! The Korean street food joint, located at 1932 E. Kenilworth Pl. on the East Side—a.k.a. the old Yield spot—opened to great fanfare back in 2018. It survived the COVID-19 pandemic and an ownership change in 2020, but by 2024, it was clearly on its way out. “Customers report that Merge operated with irregular hours throughout the spring and summer,” reports Urban Milwaukee.
And now it’s closed. And has been closed since at least July. No announcement or explanation given. The end. Simple as that. R.I.P. Merge. Your CLOSED sign says it all. [Urban Milwaukee]
• The second Milwaukee restaurant you assumed was closed and is indeed closed: Kitchen Kings! The takeout-only burger and wing joint quietly opened at 1000 E. Locust St. in Riverwest last October, and quietly closed at 1000 E. Locust St. in Riverwest sometime this summer. Once again, no announcement or explanation given. The end. Simple as that. R.I.P. Kitchen Kings. You made the best of operating in a clearly cursed spot. [Urban Milwaukee]
• The delightfully and aptly named Cute Robot Japanese Kitchen is now open at 704 S. 2nd St. in Walker’s Point. “The restaurant is still in its soft opening stage,” notes OnMilwaukee, “so grace from customers is appreciated as the staff works out its kinks and achieves its stride.” [OnMilwaukee]
• Haraz Coffee House may be coming to 2900 N. Oakland Ave. on the East Side in 2025. The location is that mixed-use apartment building that replaced that dumpy old Cousins, and which has a new, not-dumpy-at-all Cousins in it. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Allie Boy’s Bagelry & Luncheonette is now open at 2100 N. Farwell Ave. on the East Side. “The new location, established to accommodate the bagel shop’s need for additional production space,” says OnMilwaukee, “is nearly three and a half times the size of the Allie Boy’s flagship location at 135 E. National Ave. with a larger kitchen and a spacious dining area for guests.” [OnMilwaukee]
• Casera Cafe & Bakery is now open at 2067 S. 1st St. in the Harbor District. The Milwaukee Business Journal reports the new spot already has a few “regulars.” [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Lisa Kaye Bistro is coming soon to 3801 W. Vliet St. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Arcane Lounge Bar and Banquet may be coming to 5121 W. Howard Ave. The location is the former (?) home of Brewtown Eatery & Sports Bar. [Urban Milwaukee]
• And finally, here’s a press release about Southside Dining Week, coming to the south side (natch) September 28 – October 5.
NORTH SHORE BANK’S SOUTHSIDE DINING WEEK SET TO RETURN WITH NEW FLAVORS, RESTAURANTS AND FESTIVITIES SEPT. 28 – OCT.5
Celebrations begin Sept. 28 with pop-up market, mural installation and local performers
Brookfield, Wis. – North Shore Bank today announced the return of North Shore Bank’s Southside Dining Week, a celebration of international cuisine in Milwaukee’s southside neighborhoods. Now in its fourth year, North Shore Bank’s Southside Dining Week will take place from Sept. 28 – Oct. 5, with dozens of restaurants offering signature dishes for $20 or less throughout the week.
Week-long celebrations will kick off on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. with the Live Band Kick Off, presented by Mastercard, at Zocalo Food Truck Park, showcasing 20+ vendors selling clothes, art, jewelry and more, in partnership with 414flea. The event offers food and drinks, family-friendly activities, live performances by Kerensa DeMars, Clayton and more.
New this year at the Kick Off, local artist Michael Cerda will paint a mural on Zocalo Food Truck Park’s neighboring building during the event, highlighting Milwaukee’s vibrant community and culture, and nodding to North Shore Bank’s mission of spreading kindness. Additionally, for the first time, North Shore Bank’s Craft Cochera will offer kid-friendly art projects and activities. The first 50 guests will also receive free ice cream from Scratch Ice Cream and churros from Mazorca Tacos.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate the restaurants and community members on the south side for the fourth consecutive year,” said Alfredo Martin, area branch and community engagement manager for North Shore Bank. “This year, we are excited to showcase a range of new restaurants and diverse flavors that the south side has to offer, while also bringing family and friends together to enjoy culinary delights and a strong sense of community spirit. We have some amazing new additions to our Live Band Kick Off, so we encourage everyone to join us to celebrate the week.”
North Shore Bank’s Southside Dining Week, organized and presented by the community bank, will feature fan-favorites, including Johanna’s Cafe, Café Corazon, Gold Rush Chicken, La Poncena, Egg & Flour Pasta Bar and more, with additional restaurants still encouraged to sign up to participate.
Participating neighborhoods include: Silver City, National Park, Mitchell Park, Clarke Square, Walker’s Point, Harbor View, Jones’ Island, Burnham Park, Muskego Way, Historic Mitchell Street, Clock Tower Acres, Layton Park, Forest Home Hills, Lincoln Village, Baran Park, Bay View, Fernwood, Jackson Park, Southgate, Polonia, Alverno, Harder’s Oaks, Mount Olive, South Point, Morgandale, Saveland Park, and Tippecanoe.
Founded in 1923 and headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, North Shore Bank is a mutual savings bank with assets of $2.5 billion and 43 offices throughout eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Wisconsin locations are in metro Milwaukee, Germantown, Ozaukee County, Racine, Kenosha, Appleton, Menasha, Green Bay and surrounding areas, Burlington, Union Grove, Muskego, and Door County. Locate a North Shore Bank office. You can also connect with the bank on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
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