Restaurants in Milpitas

Hoagie Steak Out's front windows hypnotize passersby with towering images of diners biting into gargantuan cheesesteak hoagies. Inside, bacon, steak, and veggies are stacked within fresh bread in sandwiches named for popular movies such as Scarface and The Godfather. While waiting on a plate of steaming chili fries to cool, diners can study Hoagie Steak Out's vintage wall posters, which depict Rocky Balboa in his trademark black hat and Shirley Temple demolishing a cinder block with her bare hand.

Steaming bowls of soup rest atop the tables at Lunch with Tony, inviting diners to dunk corners of sandwiches into their seasoned depths. It’s a perfect illustration of what the eponymous chef calls "approachable" gourmet food. These made-from-scratch soups teem with tempting ingredients, such as the morsels of corn and chicken in the southwest chowder, or the certified Angus beef and genuine sass in the chili. Bowlfuls find flavorful soulmates in hot and cold sandwiches, laden with Italian meats or pan-fried eggplant pressed between focaccia. The eatery also serves breakfast sandwiches and provides catering, recognizing that hunger can strike in any location at any time.

Cuban herbs and citrus juices marinate the slow-roasted pork in the lechon a la cubana entree, one of the many traditional Cuban dishes found on the menu at the award-winning Habana Cuba. The cooks also fry omelets filled with plantains or potatoes, stuff avocados with marinated shrimp, and craft gluten-free items such as thin rib eye topped with onions. Along with main courses, they delicately prepare nine homemade desserts, including cream-cheese-topped guava shells submerged in a sweet sauce. Bartenders complement meals with specialty cocktails, wines from all over the world, and imported coconut sodas made from the soda coconuts naturally produce when set next to a bowl of buttered movie-theater popcorn. Feasts unfold on Habana Cuba’s dog-friendly outdoor patio or within its two-level restaurant, which hosts private sit-down dinners for up to 70 guests, as well as occasional wine tastings and live music performances.

The chefs at Azúcar Latin Bistro don't limit themselves to any one type of cuisine. Instead, they explore the spectrum of Latin American cooking, celebrating the bold flavors of Central and South America. They give equal attention, however, to more traditional dishes, including arroz con pollo, ceviche salvaje, and camarones a la diabla. The restaurant welcomes groups and families to celebrate its fun, tropical roots.

In either location's expansive lounge, bartenders whip up frosty mojitos and margaritas, which pair with a range of small plates. These lounges—and their dance floors—host live bands and DJs, as well as special events ranging from Monday-night salsa lessons to Wednesday-night bilingual karaoke to Thursday-night all-triangle jam sessions.

Above the counter at The Cheese Steak Shop there’s a sign bearing the warning, “CAUTION: MAY BE HABIT FORMING.” Once you’ve sampled the shop’s Philly-style sandwiches—made with thick-sliced beef loin served on an Italian roll—you’ll understand why. Guests can customize their sandwiches with different toppings, adding zest with chili peppers or the flavors of a summer cookout with barbecue sauce. Those with oversized appetites can take on the King of Philly sandwich, a hefty 10-inch cheesesteak loaded with 50 percent more meat and cheese than the shop’s classic offerings.

Sitting at his mother's knee in his home country of Vietnam, Chef Hung (John) Le learned to love the simplicity of fresh, local ingredients prepared with exciting spices, a joy that later would lead him to open the doors of Three Seasons' first location in San Francisco's Marina District in 2000. Whether served in the incandescent glow of the original location’s intimate chandeliers or beneath the stone archways and playful murals of the Palo Alto location, John’s recipes remain based on family recipes modified to fit the organic ingredients at hand. John posts favorite concoctions—such as the tamarind-soaked prawns with pineapple—on the restaurant's website for ambitious cooks to imitate at home or open their own single-dish eateries.