Impressed with the new location! I've been to the Bel-Air on Humbolt/Water maybe three times, and was never super impressed. I blame this on three things: 1) them 2) myself 3) everyone else. From the bottom up - the Humbolt location is just ALWAYS a loud crowded mess with insane wait times. On Downer, there were maybe two other parties eating while we were there, and I couldn't hear their conversations. There was a movie on the one bar tv in Spanish, but it was either muted or very quiet (nice). Partially to blame for my being underwhelmed on Humboldt were probably my taco choices. I played it pretty basic previously trying to keep costs down, and I think you get what you pay for here with their price differentials. Tonight's big winners were also the most expensive... But we're talking an extra dollar. Lamb barbacoa = A+. Horchata also recommended. The atmosphere here is lovely. It is brighter as another reviewer noted, and I was concerned about that, but I didn't find it to be a problem; in fact it made me feel Humbolt is unnecessarily dark. There is also a much lighter feeling in terms of color palate, airiness and amount of extra space at this location. I'd come here again any day. UPDATE: I went back to Downer for Taco Tuesday and basically everything negative that I previously attributed to the Humbolt location, I now attribute to Taco Tuesday. (Read: still go to Downer, but not on a Tues/Thurs unless literally all you want in a dining experience is a cheap meal, because it is a fantastic deal.) If I was going just on TT experiences I would I'd give 2.5 stars, so I took one star off this review. read more

I finally decided to go to Bel Air Cantina on a cold chilly night for Taco Tuesday. It was about a 45-60 minute wait, which we thought was fair since it was 6:00 P.M. We were seated in about 30 minutes, and got our food and drinks in about 5 minutes. Quick, helpful, and efficient are the words I would describe the service. It was incredibly loud, but in a good way. People were enjoying themselves which really enhanced the fun, neighborhood atmosphere. Girlfriend and I got 6 tacos all together (including beans and rice) and two beers. All together came to a grand total of $16.34. I will say that again. 6 tacos and two tap beers came to $16.34. AWESOME. The tacos were great by the way. I ordered Housemade Chorizo ( personal fav), Al Pastor, and Pollo Verde. All made with the freshest ingredients and were perfecto! Bel Air has a huge selection of tequilas and margaritas. Beer and wine list were eh. Also got to meet what I believe to be the owners and they were incredibly nice. Just maybe next time, i'll make a reservation. This definitely will not be our last time at Bel Air Cantina. read more

Fresh food, great quality, friendly staff. I had the ceviche, and it was delish! Visited with a cousin from Southern California and she loved everything. Oh, and the bathroom is clean. ;-) read more

They processed to let other costumers go ahead of of even though we had gotten there before them and when we asked why they said that we had to put our name in which they hadn't told us before hand. read more

I love Bel Air. Correction: I loved it. Their chips and salsa, superb. The prices, pretty darn fair. The mystery shots, smooth. The tacos, creatively constructed. Despite all of this, last night was the final straw for this establishment and me. We had a good run. We waited for around 45 minutes, just talking and catching up with our friends. Suddenly, we look around and realize that we are the only ones waiting. My boyfriend checks the app, and it says that we are no longer on the waiting list. But...we are still sitting in the breezeway? The hostess cannot find our name anywhere on her tablet, even though we have a text to show that we put in our name a while ago. We got seated shortly after, but this was a little frustrating for a hungry lady who just wants a taco and a beer. We shook it off real fast. Now we're in a booth (booths always make it better), and we order some beer and shots for our newly engaged friends. We wait...and wait. After maybe 10 minutes, we get our drinks and chips. Delicious, as always. The mystery shot rarely disappoints - it's so smooth. And there's nothing like a $2 beer to follow it up with. Our group thoroughly enjoyed some tacos and tamales (love the sauce that comes with), paid, and left. I get a text from my friend this morning saying he is miserably sick. He ate 4 chorizo and pork tacos. His fiance is a vegetarian and is absolutely fine. I had one chorizo taco, and I'm feeling slightly gross (no details needed). I think I'm done going here for a while. There was a stretch where my boyfriend and I went once a week. I'm sad to say those days are over, at least for now. read more

My friend and I both seem to have caught food poisoning from the beef they served. I had korean beef, he had beef tacos of some sort.

This is a pretty good faux divey type restaurant. The tacos are a little outside the box in their ingredient combinations and the execution is decent. The service is pretty informal but acceptable. Good selection of drinks. Downside is things are a bit overpriced across the board. (They have some pretty decent daily specials that make the price to value ratio more reasonable.) If you are price insensitive, this is a place to try out. read more

Agree with a lot of the other posters. Used to really like this place but all locations have gone downhill with quality of food . The last time I ate there (and will ever go there ) was for breakfast and it was just terrible. If you really like the small taco option try the best place around KOMPALI on Brady. read more

Bel Air has opened another solid location on Downer and it's consistent with the other ones. The food is good and the service is, too, despite the chaos. Tuesdays and Thursdays are always their busiest days but if you know ahead of time there might be a wait, it's fine. I really love that green salsa and the port queso tacos. When corn is in season try their Mexican version! read more

I almost didn't recognize inside. Once Via, now Belair. I'll be honest, I was saddened when I originally heard the change was going to happen. But after realizing that it only meant shorter lines - I was all on board. After checking the Water street location had an hour wait, Downer only had 20 mins. Nice! With a change of paint and added baja California decor, it looks very similar to other Bel Air's. They've also done a solid job at sectioning off different parts of the restaurant in order to give more seating space. Thursday night bar staff was somewhat slow on their game with the amount of people coming in for the $2 taco Tuesday/Thursdays. Eating at the bar is fine, but it was rather difficult to get staff's attention. Acoustics - those high ceilings = tough to hear when there are boat loads of people in there. Same deals. $2 select taps and of course select tacos on T/TH. Mondays - 25% off burritos. Etc. Mmm. Chips and salsa. read more

I love me some Bel Air. And now my love has grown with the addition of this third location. While it still looks very much like Via Downer inside, they've done a nice job of brightening it up with some fresh decor and new skylights. There's bar seating, a limited number of booths, and standard tables to accommodate groups of varying sizes. The kitchen has remained fairly open, so you can keep an eye on when your dish comes up (and drool over all the others while you wait). Same great menu as the other locations; same great specials, too. You can't go wrong with $2 tacos on Tuesday or Thursday or 25% off burritos on Monday. read more

Affordable and delicious, this restaurant totally brings on the flavors! Vegetarian and vegan friendly tacos available. I have been to two different locations in the Milwaukee area and have been satisfied both times. read more

My girlfriend got a taco and there was a piece of a dirty dish rag in the taco. It was absolutely disgusting. Won't be going back.

Had a really good time at this little taco place with a small group of friends. Prices are reasonable and you will be full with just 3 tacos. You have to get a margarita and the pitcher deal is with it. As for the best tacos, I don't think you can go wrong. I highly recommend the lobster taco! They basically just take all the meat from the lobster tail and place it on the taco. "Z Shrimp" is also amazing and is a must get. Make sure you grab a sticker on the way out. Fun place with amazing food. read more

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The bar was raised tonight for great service at Bel Air Cantina. Our server, Aminah, juggled a full house and managed to be fully attentive and genuine to our table. She was highly knowledgeable on the menu as well as quick with our drinks. This location could use more servers like Aminah. Thanks. read more

I have eaten at different Bel Air before, and loved it. This experience was not so wonderful. I had to place my empty bottle and dishes on the clean table next to us, to get someone to take them away. The dishes might not have been an issue, but we were sitting at a small two top. The waitress acted like my daughter and I were inconveniences. She stopped by rarely. The food was ok. The steak in my burrito was extremely fatty and chewy. Overall I would not come back to this one again. read more

As far as the service goes, it was great. Our server was friendly, courteous and even funny. I did not like the 3 salsas at all. Ours were watery, salty and the flavors were not all the good. Our drinks and food were just ok. We have been too many Mexican restaurants and I think the food and drinks at this location were no competition. read more

Poor seating arrangement. We were told a wait for 2 was 45mins. We waited an hour and they kept postponing our wait time 20mins. People kept coming in and sitting without being on the list and when I asked about it they shrugged their shoulders and said "theres nothing we can do about that". I enjoy Bel Air, but as a business you should have a bit more responsibility. The hosts were not at all accommodating and kept making excuses. Such a shame. First impressions are a BIG DEAL. read more

BelAir Cantina - El cheapo strawberry - Mexican Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I really like this place! They have awesome tacos and a great margarita selection! I love their chips and salsa, especially at the very beginning of the meal! Just be cautious not to eat too much before getting your food. I really enjoy the atmosphere of this place! The cool music and decorations make it feel like a cool, hipster cantina! It does get loud at times (especially on the weekends), but they still manage the crowds of people very well. You can expect a wait on popular nights, so you may want to call ahead to check for the wait time. You can always eat at the bar if you don't feel like waiting for a table. Overall, I love this place! This is my favorite restaurant in the Downer area! :) read more

Great food, great service, great atmosphere. Mario served us at the bar. What a swell guy! :) read more

BelAir Cantina - Cochinita Pibil - Mexican Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We were pleasantly surprised by this Bel Air location. While we live closer to the Humboldt Ave location, it's just too crowded nearly everytime we go, so we stopped trying. So it was very, very nice to stumble into the Downer Ave location...even better it was their $2 taco and $2 Tecate and Modelo deal. Happily the $2 tacos are straight off the menu, the ones we would have ordered anyway but are just $2 instead of $3.80 (Tuesday and Thursday). Our bill for 5 beers and 4 tacos (with rice and beans) was just $20. Staff was friendly and atmosphere was relaxed. We got there around 5:30 and it filled up quickly but it never felt like Humboldt Ave does when crowded. I'll update after having more items off menu but overall welcome addition to the east side. read more

I really enjoy Bel Air Cantina. The variety of delicious tacos there is truly amazing. And on Taco Tuesday/Thursday, a lot of the awesome tacos are only $2! Tonight two of us split a standard size Carne Nachos. They were loaded, and I mean LOADED, with flavorful meat, as well as beans, pico de gallo and a wonderful queso sauce. Less than $10 makes them a great value in my book! I'm not as crazy about their margaritas as I am about their tacos. The best margaritas in town are out in Tosa at Hector's. By comparison, Bel Aire's are too bitter and loaded with ice to the point that there is very little actual margarita in the glass. I've tried three different varieties and haven't been impressed. Delightfully the menu, the food quality, the service and the decor are all really, really good. Order a bunch of tacos (I highly recommend the Baja Tilapia and the Chorizo); get at least 3 because they throw in rice and beans (also tasty!), just skip the margaritas. Or go elsewhere for better ones. read more

We ordered takeout to be ready at 6pm. We showed up at 6pm and found out they had given our food away to someone else and rather than prioritize remaking our food to remedy the situation, they made us wait for countless other orders to come out of the kitchen for 45 mins. On top of this, they forgot the chips and salsa we ordered that took another 10 minutes. No apologies or acknowledgment that this order was massively mishandled, nothing. Do not get take out from here if you want to have your food in a timely manner! We won't be back. read more

BelAir's fish fry is WUNDEBAR!! Treat yourself. You'll thank you! Fresh, tasty, great portion and price

This place is booty. It's shame VIA was replaced by this subway of taco joints. Much rather have a cheesy Gordita crunch rather than a taco that tastes like the oil they cook in. LONG LIVE VIA. read more

It's okay. I would love to give more stars because the food and drinks are creative, tasty, and reasonably priced. The downside to this place is the waitstaff. They'll come take a drink order when they get to it. Then they'll bring them at their convenience. They'll take your food order -- which will come to the table in a reasonable amount of time -- but then you'll sit there for 20 minutes with no water and a clean plate because your server is flirting with his coworkers and can't be bothered to work. Then he'll come ask if you want dessert. read more

Everyone else seems to really love this location, but I much prefer Water and Humboldt. Its clean and bright (like, way too bright) and new, and that's great, but I prefer the more laid back feel of the other location (I've never been to the Tosa one, so I can't speak to it). It just seemed too polished. It is set up exactly like VIA Downer (bar is the sameish, kitchen is the same), which was kind of strange, but really has no bearing on the food. The food tastes just as good as the other location. The deals are the same. The menu is the same. The salsa tastes a little different, but is still good. Our server was a little slow, but I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and maybe she was just having an off day. Honestly, all I can think of when I think about when I went was "why on earth is it so bright in here?" Put the lights on a dimmer, I prefer to gorge myself with tacos when I'm not under a spotlight. read more

This location is probably my favorite. The staff has always been really friendly and quick, even during the madness of Taco Tuesday. There's also more seating and this one seems to be better maintained. I've never had a disastrous meal here, but I wouldn't recommend the soy chorizo if you're vegetarian or vegan. It's never hot, always warm at best. One time I got a taco and the soy chorizo was still frozen, so I'm not really sure what happened there. I tend to stick to the black bean & corn tacos and the vegan tamales and they're consistently delicious. Their chips and salsa are also really, really good. read more

Ahhh, BelAir on Downer. We go here so often it feels a little like home. The food and service are always consistently great! Like, we've gotten so used to the awesome service here that, even though we've moved away from this location, we drive to it when I get a Korean Beef Tacos craving (omg, so good). Other locations just aren't running the tight ship that Downer is (lookin at you, Oak Creek). The wait staff is incredibly nice, attentive without being distracting, and the food comes out so fast, no matter how busy they are- and they're always packed! I've never had a wrong order, a cold order, nothing has once been out of place here. Reliable doesn't mean boring, though. Bel Air has some amazing tacos. Black Bean and Corn- so fresh and yummy! Queso Asado- sounds simple, but packs a tasty punch! Did I mention the Korean Beef tacos?! Pro tip: With that incredible, bright green salsa, it will be a struggle not to fill up on chips before your meal, but try. I never succeed, but you just may. Also, to the staff of BelAir Downer- a big fat thanks to you! We've made so many memories at your restaurant- good days celebrated with tacos, bad days made better with tacos. Leaving crappy jobs, getting awesome new jobs. Signing a lease on our first apartment together. Writing an offer for our first house together, and every time out of towners visit us- we just always come here! read more

Bummed! I was so excited to check this place out, but I was ultimately disappointed. We enjoyed the margaritas (strong and yummy... the highlight of the evening!) and the food was decent, but the check arrived and we were charged for double the number of tacos we ordered. When we pointed it out to the server, he never even apologized! It seemed shady to me, since most places would have served us double tacos if they had been rung in mistakenly. read more

Great and unique tacos. Carne asada are delicious. My friend had burrito and is still talking about it.

Shepherd makes the classiest drinks. Such a professional and hardworking bartender. Employees like him make me want to go here.

Took the hubster here for the first time and we loved it. It's usually really packed but we got lucky. We had the roasted Mexican corn as an app. and each had two tacos. I LOVE the mushroom tacos and he especially liked the tilapia with mango salsa. We sat at the bar for dinner so the bartender, David, took our order. He was very hospitable and sweet. He took great care of us. read more

You can't go wrong with any of Bel Air's specialty tacos, especially not for $2 on Tuesdays or Thursdays. There probably will be a long wait time but thats to be expected with tacos this good for this great of a price. Their salsas are also unique and tasty. If you don't feel like tacos, their burritos are also great. read more

Love Belair!! Taco Tues with mango margaritas is life Cheap tacos and decent service.

No masks, looked like full capacity inside, no regard for pandemic. Very sad. Food is decent, but i have little motivation to order take out here at this point. I don't want any restaurant or small business to go under, but it was disappointing to see for sure . read more

Took the spicy pollo taco off of the $2 Tuesdays and Thursday's...why even have a $2 day if you're just gonna take tacos off of the already pathetic selection. read more

Bad bad experience except for our waiter Adam. Yes it was busy but the tacos were way greasier than we've ever had. Then it took half an hour to get one pitcher of Margarita & one beer. When I mentioned the length of waiting time to the bartender he was pissed off that I said something & didn't apologize. He told me "as you can see I have a full bar." That answer may have worked except for the fact we watched him as we waited for our drinks & he was filling drink orders for people at the bar that sat down 10-15 minutes after we ordered the beverages. Needless to say we will just stick with the N. Water Street location. Their tacos are better for some reason & everyone is friendly...even when it is packed with a long line of people waiting for seats. I won't name the bartender, but if anyone from Bel Aire Cantina management reads this & cares we are here @1-1:30 on Saturday April 29th. Apparently Adam, who we liked, mentioned our frustrations to the Manager. Isn't it strange that the Manager didn't have the common courtesy to stop by our table to apologize. Instead he made our waiter cover for the bartenders attitude & service and offer us a free dessert. Maybe it's because the Manager hasn't been trained correctly or is tired of having to apologize for the bartender. Has to be one of those answers. You decide. read more

Fool Me Twice, but no more. This location's staff is inept. Three staffers hang out at the front door, just chilling, while the customers don't get served. I walked out for the first time in my life after waiting 10 minutes to connect with an unkempt server who moved in slow motion. Customers arrive at dinner time to....EAT DINNER. Bel Air--make up your mind--are you a bar or a bar/restaurant? Stop treating Downer Avenue customers as if all are college students getting ripped. BelAir keeps expanding but doesn't pay attention to service and so I will spend my money where its appreciated. read more

Service was good. Very attentive and made us feel comfortable. Food was blah. They've gotten rid of most of their tacos for $2 tacos on Tuesdays and Thursday's. Not they just have chicken, steak, tilapia, and a vegetarian option. We had the chicken and steak. They were not very good and didn't really have flavor. It's really sad when you wish you would've stayed home and made tacos yourself. This place used to be good but their "new menu" which started in April 2019 doesn't look like they've changed much other than get rid of most of their $2 tacos. Their happy hour used to be good too.. half price nachos and margaritas. They've changed it now to $5 vegetarian nachos and quesadillas. Used to look forward to going to bel air. Will not be going back until they go back to their old ways. Save your money and go to literally any other taco place in town. read more