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    Alioto's

    2.9 (101 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 8:00 pm

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    The layout. There are private booths you can request for 5-8 people.

    We had a lovely meal recently here. We had the shrimp primavera special, ground round and fish fry's among other things. It was tasty and good. Our waitress was also fun and good. Is it old fashioned? Yes. But we enjoyed it and will go back again.

    The bar area.
    Paul F H.

    We came to Alioto's for a small banquet (about 50 people) after a family funeral. If you come for a restaurant meal I hope your experience might be better, but because my food at a small banquet was practically inedible I would never consider coming back -- and on that basis I can't recommend that anyone dines at Alioto's. On the plus side -- everyone at the banquet had a choice of four entrees -- chicken parmigiana, petite filet, salmon with pasta, and pork chops with potatoes. Some of the other selections may have been good or very good but I did not taste them so I can't review them. The wait staff did their job in an acceptable though rudimentary fashion. On the negative side -- my plate. I opted for the pork chops -- a calculated risk on my part. I love well prepared pork chops -- but they are also difficult to cook well. The kitchen came up woefully short. The chops were dry and chewy. Not even a dollop of salty gravy and a plastic cup of applesauce could redeem them. The undressed oven roasted/baked potatoes were cooked through. That's good if you like plain potatoes, but they brought nothing of interest to the plate. Something as simple as a plastic cup of sour cream would have helped. I had to settle for unused butter left from the bread course. I'll admit -- I deliberately opted for the most challenging plate to execute well at a banquet. Had the kitchen nailed it, or even prepared it halfway decent, I'd be writing a pretty good review. Unfortunately for Alioto's, (or any establishment) everything needs to be on point. If not -- then from me -- two stars at best.

    Brandy Alexander
    Natalie R.

    I've been to Alioto's so many times now that I've lost count! We typically come for the fish fry and old fashioned's because, Wisconsin, and Alioto's do these things very well. We usually meet in the swanky lounge because the decor and seating reminds me of a slower time when people took the time to enjoy life without having to run off to this place or that. And it's swanky. The bartenders are always busy but also, always friendly and quick to take care of you. Come here enough and they remember your drink of choice. The option to eat at the bar is nice for the days you don't want to go to the dining hall, with the bar setup for your meal right there with your drink. There is also popcorn in the swanky lounge, in case you can't wait until dinner orrrrr if you stay for hours chatting after dinner! One of my favorite memories has to be when one of the bartenders dusted the snow off our cars at the end of the night. Now that's service!!! There is a large dining hall where you can put your name on a list when you arrive and then go wait in the swanky lounge until they call your name over the loudspeaker. There is usually a wait but usually a pretty short wait but there is the option to make a reservation or even get your food to go. The servers and bussers are always very efficient but it may be a good idea to look at the menu beforehand. When they're swamped, they're ready with pen in hand for your order: food or drinks from the bar. My usual, the baked cod, is flaky and of substantial size. The coleslaw and potato pancakes are a must! I always leave here with lunch for the next day. I always enjoy the change of seasonal decorations throughout the restaurant/ bar and appreciate the extra touch to make the guests feel like they're with family. There is a very large parking lot surrounding the building but also a carport area for dropping off during the rain or just to be nice because you know you won't find parking anywhere close to the door. The first time here you might now know which door to enter but if you remember, restaurant to the right, liquor to the left, you'll be okay. I've only been here on Friday nights but I have noticed there are also some great specials throughout the week. I would recommend you come here on any night because the food, drinks and service can't be beat. Alioto's will be your new favorite place to return to again and again!

    people sitting at tables in a restaurant
    Aubrey G.

    Over the years, we've eaten at Alito's about five or six times; the last time, five or six years ago. On Saturday night 3/10/18, it seemed all of Tosa was busy as could be at all the usual dinner houses, so decided to give Alioto's a visit. We were surprised that it wasn't jammed and were able to be seated immediately. Now, for those already familiar with Alioto's, you know this place is a favorite, old school, supper club"ish" restaurant favorited by 'ole timers. Safe to say, we definitely weren't the oldest ones in there Saturday night (LOL)! In fact, there were a few table of young folks there, too, which makes me want to say, listen, you young folks, there is no reason NOT to go to a place to eat because folks older than you frequent the place. C'mon! I had my best meal here Saturday night; Lamb Chops. They were really good! Tender, made to order perfectly at medium rare, served with minted aspic. Dinners first come with both salads and soup, both of which were very good. Cheryl had the grilled shrimp and she said it was excellent. Our server was Sandra, a hard working, efficient lady who was on top of her game 100% and really nicely took care of us, making our meal that more enjoyable. We now intend to frequent Alioto's for dinner on a regular basis, having renewed our acquaintance with this old friend.

    The Friday fish fry, moist big chunks of fish.
    Steven T.

    Mr Martinez had an order screw up and was comped a fish fry which he graciously gave to our department which the three of us picked at after lunch time. It was late and we already had lunch but we picked at it, it was a freebie. Who knows how old it was when we were given it but as take out, it was not bad at all with plump chunks of fried moist fish, irregular shaped pieces and not processed fish. Fresh bread, butter, tarter sauce and my hated crinkle frys. Dam this take out the fish fry was moist, batter was soggy but not bad for left overs. The crinkle frys were not dry and moist and for left over take out we were digging this comp fish fry. This warrants a stop by because if the old/seconds were not too bad than how is the actual fresh fry, I'm told you can't get in here for the fish fry but I don't believe it so I'm going to try.

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    Great food, cloth tablecloths, and cloth napkins. Something you don't see much anymore.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Alioto's

    Review Highlights - Alioto's

    We typically come for the fish fry and old fashioned's because, Wisconsin, and Alioto's do these things very well.

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    Ca'Lucchenzo

    Ca'Lucchenzo

    4.6
    (161 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$$

    Well shit, no wonder this place is nominated for a James Beard Award. I'm literally still thinking…read moreabout all the good food 24 hours later. It's actually shocking I've only just made it here because Ca'Lucchenzo has been on my to-go list for years. Lucky for me, my girlfriends planned a dinner to catch up and one of them chose this spot. Hot tip: make the reservation. Those go fassst! We went on the Tuesday night and it was full, with repeated table turnover. Delightful atmosphere. Very cozy, with warm tones, dimer lighting, and thoughtfully curated Italian'esque decor. Loved that there is a whole area where you can look onto the from-scratch pasta being made. However, that's over in the dining room and we actually sat on the bar side. There's maybe a dozen seats wrapped around their full-service bar, and then a small high-top tucked behind, where we sat. Our server, Malichai, new allllll of his stuff. When I tell you this menu is so clearly planned with immense detail, and changes pretty much daily, but this man knew every thing there was to know. We found that to be so helpful because as first timers it's hard to know what - and how many dishes - to choose. In the end, we landed on a handful of picks from the antipasti section, which we're all great shareable sizes. And then of course we needed pasta, so selected two of those to share as well. Can I recall what each dish was? No. Can I recall everything being extremely flavorful and enjoyable? Absolutely! From goat cheese and white asparagus, to creamy potato ravioli and the most insane/delicious focaccia of my life... we all noted how great every bite was. Oh and the drinks + dessert selection lived up to the hype too. I had a citrusy gin cocktail, and we finished with some sort of hazelnut chocolate cake. 10/10. Super duper excited to bring my husband here. He appreciates the craft of good food and boy that is what this place is alllll about.

    Overall a decent experience, but unfortunately it didn't quite hit the mark that I'd like it to…read more First off the service was great: I went in as a solo diner and was seated quickly without fuss, although the spot where they sat me in was a bit small and along this wide countertop shared with other guests. That was fine ( I don't mind being near people) but the chairs were a bit too close and made me feel like I had to shrink myself and hold my arms in. The server was pleasant as well. Soft-spoken, polite man, which fit the overall relaxed but friendly atmosphere. The only thing I noticed was that he spoke in a bit of a rush, but it was a busy night so I'm more lenient. For food, I started off with the goat cheese crostone, which was fantastic. 5/5 warm, soft, fluffy bread with a great goat cheese and Calabrian honey spread that had both a nice complexity of flavors while not being too overpowering despite the sweetness of the honey and the savoryiness of the goat cheese. Everything balanced out wonderfully. Unfortunately, the main pasta dish I ordered, the Herb Maccaronara, was very bland and one dimensional, which was a shame because I was really looking forward to a bright and refreshing flavor considering how the restaurant seemed to pride itself in the localness of its vegetables. Whatever they used, it was blended and pureed with the sauce, and I couldn't really discern anything except for a faint earthiness. Not much pepper. Not much salt. I normally appreciate it when restaurants want to let the ingredients and naturalness speak for itself, yet I found myself regrettably disappointed by the combinations they chose for this dish, as it didn't highlight or elevated their respective elements. The maccaronara pasta itself was fine, a chewier version compared to other types, but would've benefitted from having something more crisp as an accompaniment to pair with the chewy texture. The dish did have peas in it but sadly it must've been softened by the sauce or noddles because it tasted mushy. Overall the main highlight was the sausage which added a brief touch of well-needed savoriness. The final dish I ordered was an affogato that came with chocolate ice cream and a shot of espresso. A nice cool way to end the meal, although I wish I'd the choice for vanilla instead. All this to say that I believe three stars is a fair scoring for my visit. I really would like to visit again, and Ca'Lucchenzo does rotate their menu often so perhaps their next batch will be better than the current one.

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    Corner table
    Corner table
    Crudo
    Crudo
    Gnocchi with mushrooms

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    Gnocchi with mushrooms
    Il Mito Trattoria e Enoteca

    Il Mito Trattoria e Enoteca

    4.0
    (286 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    Perfect location to spend a Valentine's Day dinner. We went a few days early and were able to take…read moreadvantage of the 3 for $35 menu, which is available Sunday-Thursday. I had the Caesar salad, lasagna and hazelnut torte. I would order the lasagna and torte again without a doubt. I'd pass on the salad as the addition of hard boiled eggs and bacon fell flat in my opinion. The personally branded wine add a nice touch to any meal. We already have plans to come back on a Sunday night for a special treat

    SO DISAPPOINTING!!…read more We were a party of three - I arrived before the others. Hostess could not find our reservation, but after some time claimed to have found it and attempted to seat me at a table for two - I had to correct her, and I was then seated at a table by the window - the draftiness was significant and distracting on a cold evening. We were offered a small basket of bread with a small plate of olive oil with a blob of what appeared to be roasted garlic. Our party ordered the lamb shank, the lasagna, and I ordered the Carbonara-our waiter exclaimed how that was an 'excellent choice and his favourite item on the menu. I expected a bowl of hot fettuccine with a thick, flavorful, creamy cheese sauce, but what I got was a bowl of lukewarm pasta at best. The 'sauce' was runny and lacked flavour - it resembled milk. There was no salt or pepper on the table, nor was any Parmesan cheese offered to help improve the flavor of the sauce. No additional bread was offered. We ordered Creme Brulee for dessert. It too was NOT hot, the sugar topping was burnt, and what should have been a firm vanilla custard was also runny - and had almost a curdled appearance. Again, outside of burnt sugar, there was no flavour. Our server was nice enough, but the food was so lackluster I can't recommend Ill Mitto. I will have to think long and hard before attempting to dine there again.

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    Il Mito Trattoria e Enoteca
    Meatball
    Meatball
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    Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993

    Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993

    3.9
    (231 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$$

    Wow, this was a true Italian culinary experience conveniently placed in a walkable downtown…read moreWauwatosa. For our anniversary, we were interested in trying out a new, romantic, fancy restaurant and that's exactly what we experienced at Ristorante Bartolotta. From the dining area decor, to the dining arrangements, table setup, and handwritten anniversary card, dining here was an experience we'll cherish. Also, we got to enjoy the remainder of the Christmas/holiday decor felt like a winter wonderland. As for the food, it's difficult to pick a favorite dish because they were all delicious and unique. One of the interesting parts of dining here is that the menu will rotate monthly inspired by dishes from various parts of Italy. While I considered myself a dear lover of Italian food before, I quickly learned that my previous experience was limited and there are so many more authentic Italian dishes that I have not experienced but am eager to after trying dishes from the Trentino-Alto Adige region. I also appreciated the brief food history lesson provided by one of our waitresses about the dishes from this region. We learned that the dishes could be described as an Italian-Austrian fusion based on the location. Before ordering, we got a warm basket of bread with butter. Then, we enjoyed a four course meal - Antipasti, Primi, Secondi, Dolci with cocktails. We also received complimentary champagne to celebrate our anniversary. We truly appreciate all the attention to detail and extraordinary service throughout our dining experience. We even got to tell the waiter the abridged version of how we met. Some other highlights are how easy their online reservation system is - we were able to book this amazing dining experience in minutes. They also have a rewards program that's free to join. And you can bet we signed up as soon as we got home. Another thing I appreciated how they warmed or chilled the plates. And it seemed like they thoughtfully planned out the delivery of our courses because there was minimal wait time between each course - just enough time to savor and talk about how delicious the last dish was. Needless to say, I can't wait to come back and try the dishes from the next region of Italy for my birthday!

    My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed celebrating our anniversary at Ristorante Batolotta dal 1993. When…read morewe were there the chef was featuring dishes from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Our Lyft from downtown Milwaukee got us to the restaurant a bit before our reservation so we enjoyed a cocktail at the bar -- a delicious Negroni for me and a Veneziano Spritz for her. As we finished up our aperitifs our table was ready precisely at the time of our reservation. We wanted enjoy a bottle of wine with our meal, but despite being a fairly knowledgeable consumer of wine, I found the wine list overwhelmingly long -- especially because I am not well versed in Italian varieties and regions. Our waiter was very helpful in pointing out that there were several selections from the Abruzzo region that fit the profile we were looking for -- a flavorful, dry, red. The one I selected complimented the meal perfectly (Illuminati Ilico Riserva Montepulciano d' Abruzzo). Over all, the food was an excellent, four course Italian dinner, with several options to choose from for each course. The antipasto course for me was bruschetta -- bright and fresh on a nicely toasted crostini, topped with a thin shred of Parmigiano Reggiano. For my primi I chose the house made pasta with lamb meatballs -- probably the best spaghetti and meatballs I've ever had. My wife chose a rich, earthy cavatappi with wild mushrooms. For our secondi course my wife opted for roasted chicken with Mediterranean vegetables and I went with pan seared snapper. The chicken was perfectly roasted and properly sauced on the plate -- presented like one would expect at a family meal. On the other hand, the snapper was plated more like an upscale restaurant, but not as neat and fancy as I would have preferred. I did find the snapper to be the weakest of my four courses -- the flavors did't wow and the vegetable under the fish were eminently forgettable. I neglected to take a photo of our dolce course -- after my Negroni, a glass of prosecco to celebrate our anniversary, the bottle of wine, and a grappa as a digestif, I was feeling pretty relaxed. I do remember that the dessert was pretty damn good -- and I'm glad we took a Lyft back to our hotel.

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    Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993
    Caprese Salad
    Caprese Salad
    Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993

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    Safina

    Safina

    4.6
    (78 reviews)
    7.6 mi

    This is a small place, but the food and service are amazing. From the time we were seated we were…read moretalking care of quickly.Friendly service with a smile.Food was amazing bursting with flavors. This place is a game changer for me. Nice laid-back atmosphere..Great place to hang out with a few friends. This is going to be one of my favorite places for i Italian food..... Try this place, you will definitely come back for more

    It's been on our list for a while, and this was our first time coming here…read more Food: Excellent! One of the best Italian meals we have had. We started with a couple of the signature cocktails. My Papa Gio's Old Fashioned was outstanding. The additional Cynar amaro is a stroke of genius. For starters, we ordered the Fried Eggplant (Melanzane Fritte), which was probably the best we have ever had. It arrived piping hot, and the breading was fried to perfection. The eggplant itself was mild, with no hint of bitterness. The accompanying marinara sauce was thick and flavorful. For entrées, we ordered Gio's Stuffed Filet and the Chicken Parmesan. The filet was cooked perfectly to medium-rare and was delicious. The Chicken Parmesan was a huge portion. There were literally three chicken breasts, each with well-seasoned breading and fried to a beautiful golden crispness. It was excellent. We had plenty of leftovers and enjoyed several more meals at home. (The eggplant reheats especially well in an air fryer.) Service: We had a 5:30 reservation and were seated right away. We let our server know that we had a performance to attend and were assured that we would be out with plenty of time to spare. For the vast majority of the evening, the service was great. Unfortunately, things changed toward the end of the meal. We literally could not find our server, and we suspect they may have also been handling a party upstairs. Since we needed to leave, we had the host help us get our bill paid. Feeling rushed at the end of the meal took a bit of the polish off an otherwise excellent experience. Atmosphere: The restaurant is small and has an authentic feel to it. The photos and décor make you feel as though you're dining in a typical European restaurant. The tables are close together, and it was a bit noisy at times. Overall, we had a very good experience. I can't say enough about the drinks and food. I just wish the service had been more consistent throughout the evening. We are looking forward to our next meal there.

    Photos
    Safina
    Seasonal bruschetta (goat cheese, Brussels, pistachios, some fancy honey AMAZING
    Seasonal bruschetta (goat cheese, Brussels, pistachios, some fancy honey AMAZING
    Bread and wine - what else do you need?

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    Bread and wine - what else do you need?
    Sorella

    Sorella

    4.4
    (204 reviews)
    9.1 mi
    $$

    We returned to Milwaukee for a visit and went back to Sorella. The kitchen has improved…read moreimmeasurably. I almost felt like I was back in Italy. The dishes served at Sorella reminded me of the food I devoured on the Jersey Shore in towns like Point Pleasant Beach, Brielle, and Toms River. My Chicken Parm was fantastic, with a crispy breading and lots of cheese. Like on the shore, it was too much to finish. My wife's pasta was cooked al dente, with just the right amount of sauce. Most Italian restaurants in Milwaukee serve pasta swimming in sauce, burying the pasta's flavor. Sorella got it right. The service was friendly. We sat at the bar eating late and had fun. Sorella has become one of Milwaukee's best Italian restaurants.

    I've been reading a lot of sites that say Sorella has Milwaukee's best pizza so I decided to order…read morea couple to find out. We ordered a sausage pizza and a Margherita with artichokes and extra cheese. The pizzas were delivered while they were still technically warm. The crust on both was vaguely burnt, but good, traditional hand-style. The char added to the flavor profile. BF enjoyed the sausage and said it had actual fennel seed, a good sign. We both thought the sauce was good and not overly sweet - seemed not to be generic from a big can. My Marg was very good, although the extra cheese was not overly evident. We liked it very much overall and we want to try it again on site. They do not have my vote for best pizza in Milwaukee, however. Jury is out on that one...

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    Sorella
    Kale Caesar.
    Kale Caesar.
    Patio

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    Patio

    Alioto's - italian - Updated July 2026

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