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    An Ox Cafe

    4.0 (61 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    AN OX CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - An Ox Cafe

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    Chicken fried rice Lvl Very Spicy
    Jed H.

    Came in on a Sunday for dinner. They had $10 for for a special. Some places that have pho specials have small bowls, An Ox gives you a regular size (large) bowl with all the fixings. Ox tail and/or shrimp is an extra $3. We ordered cucumber papaya which was refreshing and a great start. We did family style as there were a few of us. Had 2 bowls of pho with oxtails. Chicken fried rice lvl 4, very spicy. Flavor was great, spice level made you sweat in a good way, not too spicy to eat. Think Asian level spicy. Also got pad see ew which was excellent. And also sausage with purple sticky rice which is solid. Definitely don't sleep on this place if you haven't been. Large portions, great food! Highly recommend.

    Celeste L.

    Spacious restaurant that almost looks like a food hall or a brewery based on how large it is. It also has outside seating and a stage/dancing floor area, I assume they host events here or are planning to or maybe they rent them out. A few miscellaneous cleaning items on display. When I entered the restaurant I waited a little to get seated, it was choose your own seating as soon as they saw me waiting at the front. It was not busy for a Sunday late afternoon. They had some merchandise on a storage rack. Great tasting beef panang curry, I would recommend. It's not sweet at all as other places had them sweeter. This is the only place that has fig in their panang curry that I know of. I tried it at medium spice level and it was spot on. I also tried the pork egg rolls, the wrapper was crispy on the outside and a little chewy on the inside, taste was decent. For beverage I had the sugary sweet taro smoothie with medium firm tapioca. With a Big plastic straw and water with paper straws, kudos To them for using paper straws and hope one day boba straws can be replaced with sustainable non plastic alternatives. Staff was helpful, it took some time for a non busy afternoon but they were nice.

    Larb, Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles), Lao Sausage with Sticky Rice
    Calvin Y.

    Food is extremely fresh and I love their drunken noodles. The best wide flat rice noodles in the area. I definitely come back often for their food! Service is quick and usually not too busy during the day. It gets packed in the evenings, especially for the karaoke nights

    Kao Poon (Chicken Curry Noodle)
    Danielle W.

    Very very good food! I wish it was closer to me so I could have it in the regular rotation. Everyone enjoyed their dishes, including those additional to go meals that were eaten the next day! We had beef jerky, pad Thai, red curry, panang curry, and kao poon. All very recommended. We enjoyed the ability to add meaningful spiciness to our dishes when ordering as well! My main criticism is the service charge that I wish restaurants would just fold into the price of meals. There is also a charge for using a credit card.

    All done!
    Bruce K.

    We were out and about on a Saturday afternoon and saw this place pop up for good Asian food. They had THE BEST PAD THAI I have had in Milwaukee. If someone disagrees, let me know... We also had papaya salad which had some good spice and the volcano chicken which had a moist, well prepared chicken breast with some veggies. Portions were big so we have leftovers for later.

    Nam Know
    Taylor C.

    There are quite a few Laotian/Thai restaurants in town that serve tasty food, but I found An Ox Café to stand out in one aspect. The quality of its ingredients tends to be a bit higher, making the food cost a bit more as well. Perhaps price competition among these restaurants is intense, causing them to use cheaper cuts of meat (e.g., beef and pork with more gristles) and cheaper vegetables (e.g., cabbage instead of bean sprouts in a noodle soup). The way this restaurant tries to set a higher price may turn off some customers, though. Even though the prices of the dishes on its menu are just slightly higher than most other Laotian/Thai restaurants in the city, there is a 20% percent surcharge as well as a fee for using a credit card instead of cash. The motive is presumably to avoid showing too much a price difference from its rivals and make sure that all customers pay a "20% tip" so that the "effective" price is higher. I, nevertheless, would be happy to pay a higher price for higher-quality ingredients. But I do want to add that the ingredients are not necessarily of the highest quality, as the jalapeno peppers that we were served with our pho were clearly cut a day before with dark brown edges. We ordered three dishes: Beef Pho, Roast Pork and Nam Know. The quantity of each dish was quite large, so we packed at least half of the dishes home for another meal. The stock of the pho that we ordered was fairly rich; the flavor of the stock was, however, a bit plain, although I made it tastier by adding more lime juice and chili sauce. The Roast Pork was lightly marinated; although it was clearly precooked, the chef was able to heat it up in a way that makes/keeps the skin crispy. The Nam Know salad was the most flavorful of the three dishes. So far, An Ox Café is probably my top choice for Laotian food in the city.

    Entrance via the parking lot
    Alyssa F.

    Love, love, love this restaurant. Unbelievably flavorful, fresh and authentic Thai/Laotian dishes served in heaping portions. You can choose from 5 different spice/heat levels for your dish and they serve up your order fast - wether you dine-in or take to go. Friendly service and a huge bar/entertainment space with live music occasionally during the week. What you see when you walk in is not what you will expect. It's kind of a disco night club meets quick lunch spot. Fun local hangout spot with ample, free parking on site and an eclectic vibe. Our new fav spot in MKE for Thai food!

    Audrey G.

    The Lao sausage entree was prepared very well and I'd be back to try several of the 2 for $22 specials But here's where I was very disappointed in the administrative side of this restaurant For being the only customer in the whole entire establishment, customer service wasn't all that great. Wait staff came just as I finishing my meal. At this point a refill was offered on the water but not on soda which was refilled on request. I have no issue tipping 15-20% with great service. Then you have to pay the automatic 20% service fee to help pay the living wages for the employees. When you get the bill, there's a $ 0.75 price difference if you pay by credit card or cash. Personally I think that this establishment is set up more to be a night club than a restaurant.

    Pad Thai, Egg Rolls and Hot and Sour Soup
    Lico J.

    We enjoyed our dinner here. Large parking lot. Great service. Love the spacious, bright and clean dining area. Feels more like a big sports bar than a traditional homey Asian restaurant. They serve a variety of southeast Asian food. We got Pad Thai, Tom Yam Gai (Thai hot and sour chicken soup), Roasted Pork dinner, egg rolls and a Bahama Mama drink. Not the best that I've had because I am an Asian who grew up in Asia, but definitely of decent quality in Milwaukee. Pad Thai and crispy egg rolls were yummy. The fillings of the egg rolls were kind of different here - seasoned pork and egg - like those homemade ones by our Hmong friends. The Roasted Pork dinner plate is $24, more on the expensive side. The meat was crispy and juicy - I thought that's why it's more pricey - it might take them a very long time to roast. It's a heavier and more salty dish. I actually liked eating it w the sweet and sour sauce that came with the egg rolls - that's my Cantonese way to eat it. I can tell the sauce that originally came with the roasted pork is Thai inspired. There's a lot of thought that went into this menu! The Tom Yam Gai soup was sour and slightly spicy w strong lemon grass aroma. Loved it. The chicken and mushroom tasted plain but that's fine in the soup. Overall, this is a good place for eating & hanging out. They also have Karaoke (there's literally a stage w mic) that starts at 8 every Thursday night.

    Oxtail Pho
    Moua Y.

    We had a coworker reunion and it was a great time. Definitely had a few drinks and had to give their pho a try. The restaurant has been remodeled inside and it's quite modern and nice. Plenty of space and seating. Great customer service. The review: Ox tail pho, it was good, clean and well seasoned broth. Came with the typical side condiments. Only wish the oxtail cooked bit longer to soften. I tell myself I'll comeback and give it another try when I don't have too much to drink yet. The other foods look great but my main focus was just giving the pho and try. Definitely recommend for everyone to come support and give the food a taste.

    Outside by the patio
    Greg B.

    I'm not going to leave as long a review as the first time I posted one. All I want to do is gush about how amazing the egg rolls are from An Ox Cafe. I've been looking all my adult life for egg rolls that are as fresh and wonderfully tasting as theirs. I think the Pad See Ew is very good as well with little to no spiciness added, but I would come here everyday for the rest of my life for the egg rolls if I could.

    Hot Chocolate S'mores Cake
    Jeff M.

    Southeast Asian cuisine at An Ox Cafe towards the NW side of Milwaukee. Opened in February and has a very modern aesthetic with a ton of space that will be great for groups. I ordered their Panang Curry (with vegetables) with a spicy level of 4 (very spicy) and while it certainly had some heat, it also carried a lot of flavor! I can't recall the name of the Mule (maybe it was a Milwaukee Mule or An Ox Mule... it wasn't named as a traditional Moscow Mule, but as a mule fan, I'd order it again). Dessert - if I remember correctly, they ran out of something for their hot chocolate s'mores cake so they had something similar that I was happy with too! Very friendly staff. Modern aesthetic included several TVs throughout the space - great for the next sports game), and with warmer weather they offer patio seating too!

    The pad thai is fireeee

    I ordered the chicken pad thai to go and it was delicious. I will definitely eat here again

    Red Snapper Special

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food snd service! The roast pork was amazing!!!! We will be back for more soon!

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    This is a nice place DJ played some good music and the food is great, visited on Saturday we had a good time

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    4 years ago

    We had this delivered and it exceeded our expectations as well as hot and fast. Truly a great addition to our neighborhood

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    3 years ago

    Noodles horrible! Service okay! Ragoon very good! The place looked very clean! I wouldn't go back!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    The food was amazing and I love the experience and great customer service and the Crispy Egg Rolls were AMAZING

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    4 years ago

    Best Thai food I've had in this city so far..glad to see its on the Northside..Delicious.

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    Room Service - Samurai Signature Set

    Room Service

    4.7(235 reviews)
    8.5 miBay View

    I visited with my cousin, cousin-in-law and BF to celebrate her birthday. We got a 5:15 reservation…read moreon a Tuesday. The greeting from the hostess was warm and friendly; she is an asset and really makes you feel welcome. Once we were seated and finally finished our struggle with what to order, we got our drinks. I had to go with the One Night in Bangkok again because it's just a really nuanced and complex mix of tangy, spicy and a hint of sweet. The smoke show also is impressive. My cousin tried the Berry-cation from the summer menu and it was perfect for her - very fresh and a little sweeter. Cousin-in-law got the Thai Goddess, with tomato, and it was very interesting - not quite fruity and not overly vegetal - very cool. Our food was amazing. The first several minutes were just a series of different people saying "Oh my God" as we tried different things. There was no weak dish. We enjoyed a good mix of seafood and meat dishes, that included Golden Fungi, Phuket Jor Pu, Namya Pu, Kurobuta Pork in Panang Curry Sauce, Hung Lay Short Ribs, the Samurai Signature Set, Kinnic Crisp Shell, Nam Prik Aon, Waygu A Rockfire, Mango Sticky Rice and a complementary birthday Yuzu Cheesecake. This restaurant has a way of really creating a special experience and hits on all the important points. Stunning,

    What a lovely establishment, very cute, somewhat smaller than most fine dining restaurants. Very…read morekind staff I wish I could remember the servers name but he was so attentive!! The food was wonderful, I loved the summer cocktail, and the crab rangoon was the best I've had in quite some time. The golden fungi was pleasantly spicy and so crispy, my friend who doesn't like mushrooms enjoyed it. I loved the chashu bao buns, the pork was so tender and the softness of the bao buns was very nice. Definitely have to stop by and give them a try, I know I'd like to again.

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    Room Service - Dining room Valentine's week

    Dining room Valentine's week

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    Pork Belly Bao Bun

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    Lucky Ginger - Side salad

    Lucky Ginger

    4.0(290 reviews)
    6.9 miHistoric Third Ward
    $$

    Very reliably a good spot for a quick meal! Great bang for your buck, especially on the rice bowls…read more- the flavours are always there and they allow you to alter the heat on everything. Only downside is sometimes it can get a bit oily or curries can get watery but you can always talk to the friendly staff to have them remake it or fix it. Personal favourites: basil rice bowl, drunken noodles.

    Absolutely awful service. We came in at around 5:30pm, and the place barely had anyone there. We…read moresaid we didn't have a reservation, so they said we had to sit at the bar. So, we did. But luckily my husband quickly checked well before we were served and saw there were reservations available online, so he booked us one on the spot. We were then given two excuses, one by the bartender and a different one by the host as to why they couldn't honor the reservation: (1) there were no tables available for us (note the place was half empty, but we supposed maybe there were lots of reservations coming later--nope, the place was still half full by the time we left); (2) we had to make the reservations 30-40 minutes in advance and we didn't do that so even though we did have a reservation, they couldn't honor it because we made it too soon to the reservation time (WOW--complete BS). We were peeved but decided we should just enjoy our dinner. BUT as we were finishing up, about 5 couples came in WITHOUT a reservation and both the host and the bartender gave each couple the option to either sit at the bar or at a table. When I confronted the bartender about it, she claimed "they weren't supposed to do that." WHAT?! She literally just offered a couple a table without a reservation. What do you mean?! It was insulting. Anyway, we will absolutely NEVER come back here. The tip we left was solely for the kitchen staff who were hard at work and doing an honest job. Bartender and hosts are discriminatory and awful. Do NOT recommend if you are looking to be treated with respect. Would give zero stars if that were an option.

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    Lucky Ginger - Hall

    Hall

    Lucky Ginger
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    Momo Mee - Fried rice

    Momo Mee

    4.3(573 reviews)
    7.7 miWalker's Point
    $$

    Momo mee is a great place with wonderful and kind staff. I know for many people they have their…read morefavorite food and delicious dumplings! If you are celiac or gluten-free, I don't recommend ever eating here. While they have a dedicated gluten-free menu with options for changing things out, on two separate occasions (of the 4 times I've been there) they've made a mistake. It puts you in a challenging and uncomfortable situation when you are curious about something actually being gluten-free. I know for myself, you don't want to insinuate that you don't trust your server! My most recent visit there I had the shittake/vegetable Ramen with rice noodles. I explained that I can't have soy sauce because it contains wheat. I explained that if they have tamari that they could check if it is wheat free because I often can have tamari instead of soy sauce. I explained that I can't have anything that contains wheat. My server informed me that she would make sure that this was gluten-free, that the rice noodles would be replacing the Ramen noodles. While eating I was curious if the noodles were not gluten-free, and I was informed that they do seem to be rice noodles. We were also sure to order the tofu as steamed rather than fried so that it would not have cross-contamination. (Due to first glutened experience) Later that night and the following day I can report that what I ate was not in fact, rice noodles or gluten free, and I have been glutened. On a previous occasion, I ordered the fresh spring rolls with a sauce that I was informed was gluten-free with tofu. While already eating this, the server came over and informed me that the tofu was not gluten-free, and had been fried. I think that there may be some lack of understanding what gluten-free means and how it impacts people generally in most of the food service industry. I believe they did their best to try to accommodate. That being said if you are celiac or gluten intolerant, please steer clear! Very unfortunate because it was tasty. I understand that as someone who needs to eat gluten-free that I am taking a risk by eating at a restaurant that is not gluten-free forward. Although they have a dedicated allergy menu, two out of the four times I've eaten there it hasn't made a difference. Great restaurant, not great for celiac.

    Friendly atmosphere, fast service and short wait times. All food is fresh to order so full of…read moreflavors the hit just right. I love getting a few different items as if it were an appetizer platter it all tastes that good. Frequently visited

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    Momo Mee - Bar area

    Bar area

    Momo Mee - Udon stir fry chicken

    Udon stir fry chicken

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    Gua bao

    DanDan - Sesame Chicken Bao: I guess it's  "American Chinese" because it's like a burger instead of a traditional Bao.

    DanDan

    3.8(603 reviews)
    7.2 miHistoric Third Ward
    $$$

    I had an incredible time at DanDan. Granted, it was because of my Chase CC that we got a prime time…read morereservation and the meal was essentially free due to Open Table credit, but honestly, we were so happy with our experience. I completely agree that this isn't authentic chinese food, but approachable fusion that tries to keep it truthful to the flavors and presentation. The highlight of the meal was the peking duck, which they only have about 2 orders of a night. We snagged it immediately when we sat down and it can easily feed 4 people with the sides. The duck was juicy and cut into thick pieces, so it was more of a steak rather than a bao style that I am used to. Nevertheless, it was delicious and even warmed up well the next day. The green onion wraps were...strange in my opinion. They fell apart easily and didn't have the best flavor that complemented the duck. Overall, I would come back for the duck itself, but everything else was average or extra salty. Service was great and the staff are very attentive. Happy eating!

    Came for dinner to use my Chase Sapphire dining benefit at Dan Dan in the Historic Third Ward…read more Here's my honest take. The vibe: It was packed at 7:15 PM on a Sunday, and they held firmly to our reservation time--which is understandable given the crowd. We took a nice stroll while waiting, so no harm done. Once seated, the service was excellent--attentive, prompt, and professional. The food: This is clearly high-end Americanized Chinese food, not authentic regional cuisine. If you go in expecting that, you'll have a better experience. The menu reads like a "greatest hits" collection--familiar dishes done with nicer ingredients and presentation. What worked well: Smashed Cucumber - A strong start. The cilantro and bean sprouts were exceptionally fresh, and the peanut finish added nice depth, though the sauce leaned a bit salty for my taste. Service and atmosphere - polished and efficient. What fell short for me: Wonton Soup - The wrappers were thicker than I prefer; I like a more delicate, translucent skin. The leek-based broth was pleasant, though. Salt & Pepper Cod - The seasoning was good, but the cod pieces were too thick, so the center remained bland. Halving the thickness would improve the texture. Mongolian Beef - Tender meat, but I wanted thicker cuts and larger onion pieces for more bite. It leaned a bit soggy for my preference. Rice Cake with Pork Belly - Pork belly was well-executed, but too many rice cakes overwhelmed the dish. The flavor leaned Korean (almost kimchi-like), which felt like a departure from the rest of the menu. Beef Chow Fun - Felt repetitive, using the same thin-sliced beef and bean sprouts as other dishes. I'd prefer charred broad rice noodlesthat are thin. These rice sticks were wide and thick,so like the cod, the center of the rice sticks were bland. I also preferred more eggs in this dish for variety. The overall pattern: Many dishes share similar ingredients and sauce profiles, which makes sense for a busy kitchen but does reduce variety across the meal. Bottom line: If you're looking for authentic, nuanced Chinese cooking, this probably isn't your spot. But if you want a polished, upscale version of familiar Chinese-American favorites in a great location, with reliable service, Dan Dan delivers that well. I personally wouldn't return, but I can see why it's popular--especially for the crowd that wants comfort food in a nicer setting.

    Photos
    DanDan - Inside

    Inside

    DanDan - Smashed Cucumbers

    Smashed Cucumbers

    DanDan - Outside

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    Outside

    Bangkok House Restaurant - Pineapple Fried Rice

    Bangkok House Restaurant

    4.0(189 reviews)
    11.9 miTown of Lake
    $$

    I've been coming here since my kids were little, and my youngest is 36 now, so this place has been…read morepart of my life for a long time. It's one of those restaurants that has stayed consistently good over the years, which is why I keep coming back. My favorite is the Massaman curry with chicken and fried rice. It's always full of flavor, comforting, and exactly what I'm craving every time I order it. What I appreciate just as much as the food is how welcoming everyone is. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by several staff members with a smile, and that friendly service makes every visit feel like they're genuinely happy to see you. If you're looking for a place with delicious food, consistently great quality, and people who truly care about their customers, I highly recommend stopping by. After all these years, it's still one of my favorite places to eat, and I'll happily keep coming back.

    Overall, we had a good experience. The food was quite delicious and met our expectations, but there…read morewere a few hiccups. I had ordered a cup of Tom Kah and was delivered and charged for a bowl of soup, which was a big price difference. That was a tad annoying just because we had nearly four different people approach our table to check on us to start. The timing of our dishes was off as well. I received my Pud See Yew and it was nearly 10 minutes until the Pud Thai came out and when it did the food had a horrendous burnt taste. We did send it back and they gladly corrected it, but at the same time something seemed off with communication. Our servers were nice, but they filled our waters like 30 times - every time we took a drink it seemed. Although very attentive, felt a bit overdoing it and didn't allow us to chat consistently without interruption of asking how is everything when we didn't really have food yet. I would come back because the food was so good.

    Photos
    Bangkok House Restaurant - Dinning room

    Dinning room

    Bangkok House Restaurant - Sweet sour dish

    Sweet sour dish

    Bangkok House Restaurant - Pud Kee Mow

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    Pud Kee Mow

    An Ox Cafe - thai - Updated July 2026

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