A wonderful restaurant in the area deemed Milwaukee's Latin Quarter, with valet parking and an endless army of waiters and busboys, Botanas offers some of the best service in the city. In the summer, sip margaritas and munch on chips and guacamole on the patio, and in the winter, warm up in the festive, jungle-themed dining room. Most of the dishes are simple and well prepared, featuring higher-quality cuts of meat than many Mexican restaurants. Tacos, burritos and fajitas burst with home-cooked flavor, while the robust sauces and moles in many entrees will satisfy those craving something with a kick. (E.R.)
Dining - Oct. 31, 2008
Milwaukee's best Mexican, 2008: Botanas
Milwaukee has its fair share of Mexican restaurants, everything from fancy, modern establishments with full bars to small, classic places that serve authentic fare on paper plates. Nevertheless, OnMilwaukee.com readers have spoken: Botanas reigns as king among comida de Mexico.
Jaime Gonzalez and his wife, Martha, opened Botanas as a modest single dining room. Year one was successful, with customers lining up on the sidewalk on Friday and Saturday nights. In response, Botanas grew another room and an outdoor patio. The additions still didn't satisfy the demand for table space, so part of the parking lot was commandeered for yet another dining room. Again, more space was needed, so the bowling lanes next door were converted into a spacious bar and an enormous dining room. Chalk up the popularity to an extensive menu of authentic central Mexican cuisine, as well as some popular New Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. Botanas offers inexpensive lunch specials Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., which includes a cup of the irresistible enchilada soup. Condensed flavors of cumin, garlic, cheese and chiles are cooked with tender shreds of chicken to a creamy finish and topped with strips of crisp tortilla.
Specialties set Botanas apart from other Mexican eateries
As appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Dennis Getto
If you like Mexican food and haven’t been on S. 5th Street in a while, plan on a visit soon. Drive or walk the blocks north and south of National Avenue, and you’ll notice a change right away. Stop at the new Botanas Restaurant, 816 S. 5th St. and you’ll also taste it.
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Botanas offers a variety of dishes with an unusual twist. Family owned and operated, their unique family recipes offer you a taste well out of the ordinary.
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we get louder and louder," said Alderman Terry Witkowski Others are embracing the change, such as Botana's restaurant in Milwaukee, where owner Jaime Gonzalez implemented the smoking ban a month early.
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816 S. 5th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204
414-672-3755
