Since the late 1970s, Kinship Community Food Center—formerly known as Riverwest Food Pantry until 2022—has focused on making food available to those in need. Along the way, the organization expanded its mission to use food “as a means of building community and addressing the wider challenges of health, poverty, and social isolation.” That re-framed focus solidified back in November with the opening of Kinship Café (2153 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.).
Located in the ground floor of the ThriveOn King Building in the Bronzeville neighborhood, the new cafe functions as a public-facing extension of Kinship’s services, hinged on the pillars of “scratch cooking” and “bold dreams.” With a staff that’s part of the organization’s workforce employment readiness program, Kinship Café’s menu offers a small-but-sturdy assortment of breakfast and lunch items, as well as some coffee shop standbys.
Breakfast is served 7-11 a.m. Monday through Friday, with a trio of breakfast sandwiches, a walnut chorizo-based “Faux-rizo Buffito,” and some grab and go muffins along with fruit and yogurt parfaits rounding out the modest selection. From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., the lunch options open up considerably. Earlier this week, we arrived near the meal changeover. Ultimately, we opted to grab a black coffee ($3) and wait for the lunch menu to kick in.
While there’s a some tofu takes on classic comfort food sandwiches, and a bevy of build-you-own salads and protein bowls—as well as sides like soup, french fries, and cold case wraps—on hand, chicken sandwiches are the undisputed star of the show here. Lured in by the main photo on Kinship Café’s landing page, we decided to try the Angry Buffalo ($12) with a gigantic “side”—more like a huge friggin’ bag—of fries ($3).
Similar to the tantalizing photo that inspired our order, the Angry Buffalo was a massive pile of breaded poultry doused in tangy buffalo sauce and topped with a rich yogurt ranch and thick house-made pickle medallions in a toasted bun. Though it was a messy affair, the sandwich was well worth the trip. We’d expect no less from a sandwich recipe crafted by ex-Tandem owner, current Kinship Food Center Director, and all-around Milwaukee hero Caitlin Cullen.
Speaking of Cullen, we should also note there’s another more standard fried chicken sandwich called “That Tandem Sandwich” on Kinship Café’s menu. If you miss Tandem as much as we do, you can now relive those familiar flavors. Our dining companion had That Tandem Sandwich. It was even better than our Angry Buffalo and—no hyperbole whatsoever—still a top five Milwaukee chicken sandwich.
In addition to the private meeting rooms situated on both sides of the cafe space, there’s ample public seating where customers can enjoy their food, gather with others over coffee and a meal, or stick around for a while to read or work remotely.
And while you’re eating great food at Kinship Café, you can also know you’re doing something positive for the community. Each item sold helps to raise funds for Kinship programs that combat food insecurity, assist is workforce readiness, and instill a sense of belonging that extends far beyond the cafe’s doors. So if you’re looking to do good while eating well, Kinship Café is now open and ready to serve you (and the rest of Milwaukee).
kinshipmke.org