Restaurants in Wauwatosa

Recognized as one of Milwaukee's best Mexican eateries by WISN’s A-List, The Azteca Restaurant upholds its title by simmering meats and seafood in homemade chili sauces and blanketing tender tortillas in melted cheese. Most of the menu's bean- and rice-heaped platters come with sides of from-scratch guacamole, which chefs perk up with tomatoes, cilantro, and a single cactus tear. Within the restaurant’s vibrant adobe-colored exterior, desert murals span the walls and stimulate diners’ thirsts, which can be quenched by seven flavors of fruity margaritas, Mexican beers, and creamy homemade horchata.

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.

Beneath the glow of warm lights, Casa Tequila delights taste buds with the vivacious flavors of authentic Mexican dishes. Chefs draw on fresh ingredients and produce exclusively, ensuring that every dish is free of packaged sauces and Lincoln Logs. Sauciers prepare guacamole before tables, and the restaurant's many flat screen TVs fill the space between bites with UW Badger and Green Bay Packer games. A full bar, replete with imported beer, margaritas, and daily specials, keeps spirits merry and coasters employed.

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.

La Perla’s orange-and-green dining room centers on a unique entertainment device. Whereas other restaurants simply hang up flat-screen TVs, La Perla offers diners the chance to ride a giant red chili pepper draped with a saddle. The mechanical pepper bucks riders of all ages while onlookers enjoy Guadalajara-style dishes from the menu including steak or chicken tacos, tequila-laced shrimp skewers, and sizzling fajitas. A rooftop deck fuels a more intimate dining experience with private cabanas and a glowing fire pit.

Painted Parrot, which is under new management, employs an army of cooks who 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.