Restaurants in Milwaukee

Kiku Japanese Cuisine nabbed numerous accolades in Express Milkwaukee ’s Best of Milwaukee 2010 for lavishing guests with both a friendly staff that jots orders until 3 a.m. on weekends, and a vast menu of seafood-centric cuisine. Sushi chefs roll up more than 40 fillings into artfully plated sushi rolls, crowning their creations with creative flourishes such as fresh mango. Fish and vegetables can also transform from raw to sizzling with a dunk into tempura batter, which imparts a crispy golden sheen and keeps chopsticks too busy to assist with walrus impersonations.

Each night at Tokyo Sushi & Grill Japanese Steakhouse, chefs fire up six hibachi grills and flip shrimp, scallops, and swordfish atop the sizzling iron griddles and directly in front of guests. In addition to the hibachi chefs' flashy knife work, the casual eatery showcases more subtle Japanese culinary traditions. At the sushi bar, experts gingerly roll up fresh seafood, and in the kitchen, chefs swathe shrimp in crispy tempura batter with the same level of care a NASA scientist takes when coating the Space Shuttle’s flameproof resin on the base of his cigar.

Owner Carl Anderson conceived Between Boutique Cafe & Lounge as an homage to his wife Lu Lu, a strong believer in the communion of tapas-style dining. Executive chef Jose Victorio draws from his Peruvian roots and lures culinary elements from the Amazon and Asia into a distinct menu of Peruvian small plates. Amid magenta booths and feathered light fixtures, morsels of shrimp, tilapia, and prawn complement stir-fried noodles, and trademark pisco cocktails elevate conversation without the faux pas of inviting an auctioneer to dinner. Ideal for late-night lounging, the eatery invites patrons to enjoy a wide array of wines and martinis with expertly prepared tamales or savory lamb dishes.

Originally branded as the Top Hat Drive-In, Sonic didn’t acquire its nationally recognized name until 1959—six years after its inception in 1953. Today, the franchise operates out of 3,500 locations across the country, making it the nation’s largest chain of drive-in restaurants. Sonic specializes in made-to-order American classics—including burgers, hot dogs, milk shakes, and Ford Thunderbolts—which customers order and receive without ever having to leave their cars. Unique menu items include toaster sandwiches stacked on thick slices of texas toast as well as the brand’s signature tots and fresh limeades.

Sonic’s numerous awards include a 2011 Zagat survey ranking it among the top five fast-food restaurants in three categories: best value menu, best milk shake, and best drive-thru. The benevolent eatery has also donated more than $2 million to public schools throughout the country through Limeades for Learning, which helps to fund educational projects and retirement plans for classroom guinea pigs.

The oven at Alphonso's the Original ejects pies of freshly kneaded dough slathered in scratch-made sauce and gooey Wisconsin cheese. Owners Tim and Corey inherited their century-old recipe as well as a treasure map to a chest of golden pepperoni passed down from the restaurant's namesake, Alphonso. Pies bear loads of juicy Chicago sausages alongside a medley of veggies, sandwiches hug hand-pressed italian sausage, and salads shimmy under a hail of homemade croutons.

Painted Parrot's cooks flip fiery Caribbean fare from the kitchen grill, including jerk chicken and steak wraps and a scotch-bonnet-pepper-rubbed fish fillet. The casual, tropical-themed dining room wafts the aromas of the house jambalaya's cooked crab, shrimp, and andouille sausage, just like the best-selling air fresheners in Louisiana do. Additionally, flat-screen televisions hang from behind a bar that boasts numerous draft beers.