Cancel

Open app

Search

Axolotl Café

4.6 (101 reviews)
Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

Waitlist - Axolotl Café

Waitlist closed

The restaurant is not taking waitlist parties right now

Order Axolotl Café Takeout or Delivery

Axolotl Café Photos

AXOLOTL CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Axolotl Café

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Michael W.

The secret is out! This new place is quickly becoming a favorite for brunch in the Bay View neighborhood. The service is wonderful, the food is amazing and the drinks are on point. Prices are reasonable, and we will definitely be adding this spot as part of our brunch rotation!

Axol Benedict
Michele V.

Simple. Worth the wait!! This place is a cultural taste bud journey! Wow! Insider secret is to use to wait-list feature on Yelp (go yelp!) and once you're seated, you're in for an experience. We ordered the birria tacos & the Axol Benedict and we were so pleased. The Benedict came with birria and a homemade hollandaise sauce that was rich and creamy. The birria tacos were one of the best we ever had. Next time we're getting the chilquilles which were popular and recommended. The restaurant is small, busy, but not crowded uncomfortable. The server and owner were so kind. What a Bay View gem.

Prasanta A.

I met a friend here for brunch on a Saturday. VERY BUSY! They don't take reservations, and we waited about an hour (45 minute wait minimum) and there were just two of us. We arrived at 11 am, so it was peak brunch time. We did not expect the wait to be that long. It was a very cold day, so we waited indoors. However, folks must have put their name on the list and left and waited elsewhere as we noticed folks showing up and getting seated - so so my suggestion is to arrive early, and put your name on the list. There isn't a lot of seating. That's my tip for you if you're going on a weekend! They will text you when the table is ready. Or you can join the waitlist right here! I didn't know that beforehand. Backing up just a bit - it was my first time here, and there isn't huge or visible signage from the street, so I ended up passing right by and going around the block trying to locate the building. There is street parking, and even on a busy Saturday, I found street parking easily, but I'd love some bigger signage so we can easily find it. It's got an upbeat atmosphere and cozy. Besides the very long wait, we enjoyed the food. I ordered the Breakfast tacos and my friend ordered the Childaquiles Tradicionales. I'd love to sample other things on the menu.

Vegetariano bowl
Samantha R.

Axolotl Cafe had been getting some buzz as a new brunch place in Bay View and I finally got around to checking it out. The cafe is small and gets busy on weekends. Definitely sign up for the waitlist on the way there. There were several things on the menu I wanted to try. Chilaquiles are popular. I went with the Vegetariano bowl so I could get a side of pancakes, and I upgraded to the guyaba (guava) pancakes for a small upcharge--was also eyeing the horchata. The food was good. The over easy eggs on my bowl were perfectly runny and there were plenty of delicious breakfast potatoes underneath and a variety of vegetables. The pancakes were beautifully presented and the guava sauce was something different. The server and bartender were friendly and kept my coffee filled. Owing to the small restaurant size and the crowd they're pretty strict about seating. Several people tried to come up to the bar for a drink while they were waiting and were told it was for customers on the waitlist. That said it was nice that they kept the bar open for seating so solo patrons like me could get a seat without taking up a whole table. I would come back here and try some more of the menu.

Chilaquiles with Cecina
Karla M.

We stopped by on a Friday around 10 a.m and there was no wait. The cafe is fairly small, so it may be difficult to accommodate larger groups. I ordered the red chilaquiles with cecina. The chilaquiles themselves were delicious, though the meat could have used a bit more seasoning. We also tried the kids pancakes, which were super tasty and a fun treat for the kids. For drinks, I highly recommend the passion and guava mimosas. Overall, it's a welcoming, friendly cafe and every dish is beautifully presented.

Horchata Pancakes (a MUST!)
Rick R.

This place lived up to the hype! It's a regional Mexican breakfast/brunch spot open 7 days a week from 7am to 2pm, and the experience was on point. We started with a Caramel Latte and Caramel Machiato, then moved to the Chilaquiles with birria added as our starter. We chose salsa verde, and it was the right call. Yes, the chips got soggy under the salsa verde, but that didn't take away from the many layers of amazing flavors this dish delivered. Next was the house-made corned beef hash, topped with poached eggs and served over pan fried quartered mini potatoes. Again, every component was perfectly seasoned and properly cooked...another hit! We think the Horchata Pancakes was our favorite dish! I prefer savory over sweet when it comes to brunch, and I never order pancakes because they often disappoint. There are two exceptions for me: Golden Nest is Wauwatosa, and now these ridiculously delicious Horchata Pancakes! They were so incredibly fluffy and absolutely nailed the horchata flavors! You MUST try them! Excellent service from the moment we walked in to the last bite and sip, Axolotl Cafe is a winner, and moving onto my list of favorite restaurants in town, especially for brunch, where it may be my new #1!

Poached eggs had a vinegar flavor, potatoes were slightly undercooked
Dana C.

Tacos & crispy potatoes were perfectly seasoned, fresh tortillas the side of salsa wasn't very spicy. Horchata pancakes were fluffy & fantastic! Torta was good, bun was crispy. Side of potatoes were slightly undercooked. Poached eggs had a taste of vinegar, not great. Cranberry juice hit the spot! Busy spot in Bayview, warm & homey feeling. Staff were excellent, attentive & polite friendly people.

Chicken and waffle
Kade B.

One thing about me is that I absolutely LOVE axolotls, so when I heard that this brunch spot opened up in Bay View, I knew I needed to come check it out. The thing I want to share about the most was the friendliness of the staff. Everyone here was so kind and checking in with us. The seating here is pretty limited, so if you're planning to come at a peak time, I highly recommend joining the waitlist. Onto the food: oh my god, this was the best breakfast chicken I have ever had! I'm not a breakfast person at all, so I always try to go for a chicken and waffle if the menu has it. This item did not disappoint! Traditionally, it's served with a side of the spicy syrup, but I substituted it for regular syrup. The hot chocolate? Wow! It was so good. The whipped cream tasted so fresh and delicious. I could've had two of these if I really wanted. This spot is a must check out in Bay View, and I truly hope it has a good run in this neighborhood and becomes a staple for generations.

Axo Benedict
Angela P.

Join the waitlist! It's right here on Yelp! It's a small place and a busy place and with the current winter weather waiting outside is not so much fun. We joined the waitlist while texting each other to confirm gps eta and I had a quote of 35-45 minutes wait and my drive time was 18 minutes. My friend arrived first and formally checked us in we had about a 10 minutes wait outside. The app kept showing us the update on our status in line including the group sizes ahead of us which was nice. The food was good. I'm more of a savory brunch girl but had to try the guava cakes so got a short stake to share and they actually weren't too sweet so really a perfect end to brunch. Could even see myself ordering a short stake as a main with some potatoes on the side.

Katherine M.

Good iced coffee and amazing pancakes. For Mexican brunch it's pretty good. Really nice servers and vibe.

Breakfast tacos and chilaquiles
Ben W.

Overall it was packed on a Saturday brunch and happy this restaurant is doing so well to add a Mexican spin to brunch food with great food options. The service was fast and food came out faster and everybody was so happy to be a part of this new restaurant experience. Can't wait to go back and enjoy more new food items. And didn't break the bank either.

Corned Beef Hash
Steve G.

Had brunch with some family and decided to meet at Axolotl. It's a small place and there was about a 40 minute wait (it didn't take that long). The place is really cute and has a nice vibe. The staff was very pleasant. While we stood and waited, they took drink orders from us. My wife and I got a rather amazing hot drink called Guava Atole. The food was great! I had an excellent corned beef hash, which had some flair to it with peppers in it. Really good. Everybody was really happy with what they got. I am definitely going to check this place out again. Nice vibe, nice people, and great food.

Breakfast tacos
Emily S.

An amazing addition to the Milwaukee brunch scene! Smaller than I thought it would be, so it was PACKED on a Sunday at noon. Definitely check the waitlist before walking in. If you order a hot beverage, they have the CUTEST mugs. I'm obsessed with them. I would go back just to drink out of one again. The food was delicious -- the kind you wish your stomach was bigger for. Will definitely go back to order another hot beverage and maybe try their alcohol options as well. Really great spot for anyone looking to support an immigrant owned business.

Menu

See all

1 month ago

Our second time visiting with out of town guests. The service is friendly and the food is consistently delicious!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

My first time eating here and everything is very delicious, I will return the excellent service

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Great food and service! Delicious traditional Mexican dishes! The only down side is the wait time partly due to the venue's small space.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 days ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

6 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of J M.
0
1
3

24 days ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Irene A.
4
117
191

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Monica M.
0
35
187

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Naomi C.
41
98
172

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

20 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Kim C.
77
28
4

6 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 3

Ask the Community - Axolotl Café

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Breakfast & Brunch 4,530 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Happy Dough Lucky - Nutter Butter and PJ chocolate  Loaded Mini-Donuts

Happy Dough Lucky

4.3(44 reviews)
0.7 miBay View

I'm still a big fan of this place. I took my nieces here on a Friday night, a few couples were…read morethere but it wasn't overly crowded. We ordered a 12 pack of doughnut and were able to pick 4 flavors. The s'mores ones were amazing! We also really liked the puppy chow. While ordering, one niece picked out Bart's birthday cake and I said something to her like oh you picked those because we are celebrating your birthday. I didn't think much of it but after our doughnuts were delivered, staff asked her if she wanted powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar doughnuts to go for her birthday. She loved getting to leave with an extra treat. We had fun playing pinball while we waited and one of my nieces commented on how she really liked the vibe of the place. They both said the mini doughnut place was a highlight of their weekend with me.

Found Happy Dough Lucky while walking around during the Bay View Bash. Popped in to see what it was…read moreall about. The selection of donuts looked delicious so I placed an order for a six-pack of donuts. Got to pick out three different flavors. Wait time was a ridiculous but i gave them a break due to the high traffic from the event going on outside. When I finally got my order I had to laugh. These donuts were the size of donut holes. One bite donuts? No exaggeration, I paid a premium price for full size donuts and I all I got were bite size dough balls. I was mad as a Danzig at a Bulletboys concert. Don't waste your time with this place. Happy Dough Lucky is just happy to take your dough. No luck involved.

Photos
Happy Dough Lucky
Happy Dough Lucky
Happy Dough Lucky

See all

Honeypie Cafe - Breakfast Burrito

Honeypie Cafe

4.1(942 reviews)
1.0 miBay View
$$

Service was outstanding, extremely friendly and attentive. I hadn't been to their new building yet…read moreand was pleasantly surprised to see some really cool retro pictures, hand stitched artwork, and classic wallpaper. It's a fun space and felt very welcoming. The chilaquiles were fantastic! They make their own hot sauce in house that was a good addition to the dish, along with chorizo. Highly recommend this one. It was also a huge portion and ended up feeding me for two meals. Make sure you get here early to avoid the extremely long lines; we planned to be there right when it opened and by the time we left, there were already people having to wait outside. Worth the wait though!

Huh. I've heard good things about Honeypie and I'm confused now. I tried to get brunch with my…read morefamily at another area spot, but the wait was too long so we opted to try Honeypie. We reviewed the menu while we waiting for seating, which took far longer than we wanted, more than 30 minutes standing in the cramped lobby area with a bunch of other people. Hats off to their host for being friendly and even a little entertaining and I like that you can order coffee at the register area and drink it while you wait. Too bad you can't get a cocktail out there. The menu sounded great and we were ravenous so we were excited to order. By the time we were seated we were limited to about 40 minutes to get to a ticketed event, all in. I told that to our waitress so she could pace the meal accordingly. While I understand that she can't control the kitchen time, I don't think she showed any expediency or attention to my statement. Spoiler alert - we were late. Two of us ordered the biscuits to start with jam. I was happy to try them and they were good. My coffee based martini hit the spot, but it was spilled a little when it hit the table and our server didn't say anything or wipe it off. My mom liked her bloody Mary and it was decent. When our food came I was immediately disappointed by the appearance. My chilaquiles looked like they had sat under a heat lamp for ages - the egg was dried and over firm. My chips were spicy, but 100% soggy and nasty. My black beans were - meh. Not a good dish overall. My mom actually didn't find fault with her Honeypie Benedict. I tried the hollandaise and it was fine. My cousin did not enjoy her Hopple Popple skillet at all. (Potatoes, bacon, caramelized onion, mushroom, bell pepper, cheddar, two scrambled farm eggs) She found it difficult to find any egg, as it was apparently shrunk into tiny bits. The potatoes were like fries and it was overall bland. Not a winner. We certainly won't be back. The dishes don't live up to the interesting descriptions of them and the hype seems to be from an earlier, better time for this restaurant.

Photos
Honeypie Cafe - Comfortable dining area.

Comfortable dining area.

Honeypie Cafe - Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Honeypie Cafe - First time at Honeypie - Milwaukee!!

See all

First time at Honeypie - Milwaukee!!

SmallPie

SmallPie

4.1(102 reviews)
0.4 miBay View
$$

This is such a cute little shop! Grabbed some breakfast to go for my family and a couple drip…read morecoffees. The savory hand pies are so yummy, buttery and had great flavor. Quiche was nice as well, but I felt a little skimpy on the add ins. Nice flavor though. My parents got coffee and said it was a touch on the bitter side. Cute spot, dog friendly, nice staff!

Milwaukee Mud Pie: Honeypie Cafe opened in 2009 in the Bayview neighborhood on the south side of…read moreMilwaukee. They serve Midwestern-inspired food using homegrown WI ingredients. Their daily menu includes an all-day breakfast (something all restaurants should do) as well as an exclusive weekend brunch menu. In 2018, SmallPie opened a short 1.5 miles from its parent location. All of both location's pies are made individually by hand with Wisconsin butter, milk, eggs, oats, cream and (when available) Wisconsin and Midwest grown fruits. For my first visit I had to try their "all-time customer favorite", Milwaukee Mud Pie. It's a chocolate shortbread crust filled with a baked fudge layer, a layer of crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (off-brand OREOs), and a layer of chocolate cream filling. Topped with freshly whipped cream and more crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. I really wanted to like this and I'm not trying to dump on them, but I honestly prefer the frozen pies from Marie Callender or Edwards. Something about it just makes it fall flat for me. Possibly it's not sweet enough, but overly rich from the whipped cream. Personally, I prefer something more like Cool Whip as opposed to actual dairy cream. On the plus side, the chocolate short bread crust and brownie-like fudge layer had an excellent texture. It would have been nice having another pie to judge them with, but slices of both versions of their banana cream pie were unavailable. For me, this is an avoid as it's no way worth the calories with tastier (and cheaper pies out there). *This is was a 2 star pie, but I don't want to hurt a business based on my personal tastes so 3 (average) stars for effort. Doughboy_Food_Reviews

Photos
SmallPie - Interior

Interior

SmallPie - Milwaukee Mud Pie

Milwaukee Mud Pie

SmallPie - Wisconsin Cherry Lemonade

See all

Wisconsin Cherry Lemonade

Axolotl Café - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...