What happened to Travieso Latin Fusion? We came expecting a nice dinner and instead got front-row seats to what felt like an unsupervised teen nightclub -- just with higher drink prices. Service was almost nonexistent unless you count servers yelling across the restaurant, and ignoring us. We had empty water pitchers, food that was slung on to a plate and looking at filthy tables. Professionalism was nowhere to be found. We kept wondering if a manager was going to appear... or if the entire place was being run by teenagers. It's honestly shocking because this used to be a well-managed spot with great food and a welcoming atmosphere. Now it feels chaotic, immature, and uncomfortable for anyone expecting an actual dining experience. If you're looking for dinner, you may want to keep driving. If you're looking for a loud, awkward social experiment with margaritas, you've found your place. read more

I helped in planning our work holiday party and we hosted this year at Travieso. We had roughly 70 attendees with use of the full restaurant space. We choose to set up more formal dining in the dining room with buffet set up and a passed app. We had a speciality cocktail and mocktail option created for the event that guests could order at the bar - the pineapple gimlet was delicious! Their team worked with us on layout beforehand and even played our selected playlist on the sound system, they also helped me with some final set up with signs and some Christmas crackers I wanted to place at the tables. Everything ran smooth with food moving along at the times we discussed. Everyone enjoyed themselves and is still talking about it almost a whole week later! read more

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I thought this was such a great spot to eat I was SHOCKED there weren't more people there to enjoy a weekend brunch. It made me think that maybe more people need to know about it, so here I am - writing a well deserved review! The food was honestly fantastic, I really enjoyed the unique takes on classic foods you'd normally find at most restaurants. The flavor profiles were super creative, but they were fun and they worked! I would absolutely come back, everyone we interacted with was so nice and helpful, the setting is fresh and modern - I'm curious to come back for dinner one of these nights since brunch was so good. Thank you for a great experience - hopefully more people in the area catch wind of this seemingly hidden gem! read more

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Great date night meal. An adult meal out without the kids and it didn't disappoint. Started with a drink at the bar. There are several cocktail choices as well as tap beers and wine. Service was friendly and attentive from the bartenders, hostess and server. We shared the birria egg rolls which a must order for anyone. My wife had the beef tenderloin with a side of street corn risotto. I enjoyed the fresh catch of the day: salmon over mushroom risotto. Next time we'll try the Brussel sprouts and save room for dessert. read more

Travieso - Beef tenderloin - New American Near Me - Waukesha, Wisconsin

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The self proclaimed description of "travieso" or mischievous/trouble maker description was an accurate portrayal of the food we were served. The cheddar biscuits were cold as if they were just pulled from the refrigerator. Two individuals in the party ordered the prime rib and both cuts were cold, lukewarm at best. Another ordered the pork chop and the center was raw. The replacement pork chop dish had to be boxed up to go. The lemon risotto was not palatable and it could not be finished due to the citrus overpowering the dish. My party was extremely disappointed with the quality of food and service. The server was polite and enthusiastic when he engaged with us, but he was not the most attentive until we notified him the pork was raw in the center. Our party was compensated with a slice of white cake which was the only bright spot of our dining experience; the cake had great flavor and texture. Travieso did not live up to what one would expect from a fine dining experience. read more

New Year's Eve dinner at Travieso inside the Clarke Hotel was nothing short of perfection. Upon arrival, we were promptly seated. And our server, Kristen , who is absolutely amazing, asked us if we wanted to switch to a larger table. We were so glad that she accommodated us. From the curated New Year's Eve cocktail menu, to the special menu for the evening, everything we had was absolutely incredible. This is a Latin fusion restaurant. So, for starters, we had dumplings, empanadas, and a special for NYE. Dinner was braised, short ribs in a wine reduction, the chard flounder and a dish with chicken and Mexican street corn. Every dish was better than the next. The short ribs melted in your mouth like butter, as did the flounder. We each got a dessert, which was incredible as well. Our server Kristen actually made the pecan pie that was on the menu. She also curated the evenings cocktail menu. When I say her service was out of this world, top-notch, I mean it. Service can make or break not only the dinner experience, but the overall experience of the restaurant that you're dining at. Every single person that we encountered that evening at Travieso was fantastic. She even handed out free, brunch vouchers to everyone in our group. Do not hesitate to make a reservation. Not only is the ambience amazing, but he is right in the heart of Waukesha. Which makes it very easy to find. We all agreed that we loved our experience and cannot wait to go back. read more

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I am always on the hunt for creative and unique dishes that are also delicious. Travieso opened about 7 months ago in the Clarke Hotel in Waukesha, and it delivered on what I've been hunting for! My friend and I had a hard time deciding what to order because everything looked delicious, and we ordered a bunch of stuff. We started with some shareables: Brazilian Cheese Bread (special for this week) that came with a Central Waters beer cheese dip and Ancho chili dip, the empanadas (comes with 2 black bean & corn and 2 pork), the Birria and masa dumplings, which won first place at the 2023 MKE Dumpling Fest that I attended early this year, and the Brussels Bravas (like Patatas Bravas but with Brussels sprouts, of course). Hard to pick a favorite. All were unique and delicious, including the dipping sauces and plating sauces. The cheese dip was bold and savory, and the Ancho dip had a nice kick to it, but not overly spicy - just the right amount of heat for my tolerance level, which is low. Then we shared the Puerco entree and Mexican Street Corn Risotto entree. The Puerco (pork) is thick cut, topped with chicharron (pork rinds) and served mofongo that is made from ripe plantain for its sweetness, instead of the traditional green plantain. The mofongo also has bits of pork chicharron in it. This dish fuses dishes and ingredients from Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. The Mexican Street Corn Risotto is one of the best dishes I've ever had! It didn't need the perfectly cooked, Tajin dusted chicken breast on top, but we all need protein, so no complaints here. Not that we had room, but I wasn't leaving without ordering the dessert special of the week, the Travieso Brulee Flan Flight! Our favorites were the Mexican Chocolate and Pumpkin Spice Rumchata, as we thought all the flavors were well represented, and the textures were on point! The Espresso Horchata was perfect with texture but Espresso over-powered, which is great for coffee lovers, but my friend and I do not like coffee. The Dulce de Leche was good too, but we thought the crunchy churro bites took way from the bruleed flan flavor and texture. Our service from Carrie was excellent. She had a lot of information to share, and I liked the atmosphere of the dining room, and the decor in the bar area with fire place and chairs. Specials change weekly, and menu items will be swapped out regularly, plus brunch service recently launched on Saturday and Sunday. Wine dinners are also in the works soon, plus there are different sized rooms for private events, like weddings, rehearsal dinners, showers, business functions, etc. I believe this is a great restaurant with more good things aheads and is well worth the drive from Milwaukee and surrounding areas! read more

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Be sure to look for external photos of the building before going - it's hard to find, especially with the sign being posted on the opposite side of where you enter. This is located on the floor level of the hotel. First, BEAUTIFUL space! It is huge, brightly lit, and nice view of the downtown area. I am in love with their dishes, they're beautiful and appear to be handmade. The menu is unique and blends different cultures into each dish. Our server was very kind, and if she didn't know the answer to a question she was happy to ask the chef to ensure accuracy. She was prompt at the beginning and during the meal, but at the end, we were left waiting for service/check for over 20 minutes. The food: Beef Birria Eggroll | $14 - This was hands down the star dish of the night. The meat was tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. The order came with two eggrolls, perfect to split between a couple. The roll was crispy and large, and the sauce along the bottom was a diving blend of sweet and salty. Empanadas | $16 - These were pretty disappointing to be honest. The order comes with two corn empanadas, and two meat, which alternates. Tonight the meat was a cubed pork filling. Both varieties were EXTREMELY dry, with nothing inside them aside from the corn, and the meat. Some sort of cheese or marinade inside would have made them much better, as masa is already very dry to begin with. Tacos | special for Taco Tuesday sold a la carte - the tacos had a good amount of filling, and the Brussels sprouts were cooked perfectly. Beef Short Rib | $34 - The meat was very tender and flavorful, and it fell apart perfectly. It was sold with cauliflower and parsnip puree, fried leeks, and a cheddar biscuit (mine had a surprise three carrots on the plate too!) The carrots were cooked nicely but had an overwhelming amount of dill. The puree was cloyingly sweet, but the texture was great. The cheddar biscuit was quite literally inedible - there had to be half a container of salt in the one biscuit. I only took a couple of bites and finished half the water jug to choke it down. Overall it was a nice experience, but for the high prices that promised upscale dining, it needs a LOT of refinement. I LOVE the Troublemakers food truck and have never had a bad dish from there. I think I'll stick to the food there for a more affordable ticket and the consistency I'm looking for. read more

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Service was good, unfortunately the only tasty item was the crab cakes. I had the shrimp scampi, the shrimp was flavorless. The Argentinian rice was good. The sweet potato puree that comes with the carrots was old, turning sour. For the amount of money the items on their menu are, I was expecting a lot more! The ceviche was VERY small in size, for the $18.00 I paid. Not that I mind the prices when I go out, but I was definitely expecting a lot more. read more

Travieso is clearly still working on the efficiency of service and consistency of food. Our octopus dish had almost no octopus in it (possibly by mistake) and tres leches tasted a bit stale (though it did come as a complement from the waitress and we appreciated the gesture). BUT! You can taste pure ingenuity in the kitchen! Mainly in the aggressively complex seasoning of each and every dish. Flavor fireworks! You have to try their award winning dumplings (tiny empenadas),mofongo and brazilian lime pie- I guarantee that you will want to come back for more! We are certainly returning to try their latin inspired prime rib! read more

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The food was sooo delicious! Loved everything we ordered. The only complaint was I didn't like my drink it had no flavor except tequila. The server was back many times and we met the head chef on our way out, we were impress with his passion and he has great ideas for the future. It is great to see new exciting restaurants in downtown Waukesha! read more

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Went there for brunch and had delicious food. The brunch menu is diverse and should hit the taste buds for the sweet or savory appetite. They have nice twists on their rotating specialty drinks. Service was constant and watchful. Friends and family have all enjoyed the recent times they've come with us. read more

Three of us went for dinner. 2 meals were excellent, however they do not know how to cook pork chops. After asking repeatedly to cook it slightly pink to 146 degrees, it came back tough and overcooked to about 165. Flavor was good, sides were excellent however the main course was over cooked and chewy. The restaurant server did an excellent job, the kitchen either needs to learn a better method to cook a pork chop or remove it from the menu. read more

Dee-licious! We had the carne asada tacos and the street corn risotto. The risotto was SPOT ON! Highly recommend and can't wait to come back. read more

Our meal at Travieso was a disaster. The disorganization became mind boggling and incongruent with the attractive decor. We ordered drinks and a few minutes later ordered our appetizers and entrees. Then we waited and waited and waited. Finally after around 45 minutes, our Wedge Salads showed up. Mind you, the restaurant was half filled. The salads were huge but tasteless. It was crunchy iceberg lettuce with the blandest dressing I ever experienced. After four bites, our entrees showed up. We shoved the salads aside and dug into our cold and lukewarm entrees. No one could eat them, and I didn't want to take the salad or my scampi home. They weren't worth the trouble. We explained our woes to the manager who didn't apologize or offer us any compensation. She didn't give a rip. I don't know much about downtime Waukesha, but if Travieso was in Bay View, it would be out of business by Christmas. If you want good Latin fusion cuisine, go to Antigua Latin in West Allis. The prices are cheaper and the owners care. read more

The food was good but, wow, overpriced. I had 3-4 scallops for $38. They didn't have some of the appetizers, their beer tappers didn't work, service was slow. We expected so much more for what we paid. So many other places I'd rather spend $200 at for 2 people. read more

Loved our dinner tonight. So glad that we have an innovative restaurant in Waukesha. Great mix of flavors and a variety to please any pallet. Service was excellent. Cocktails were delicious. We had ceviche and the sprouts for appetizers. I had the blackened salmon for dinner. Hubby had the tenderloins. All very excellent. My hubby was very happy with a variety of gluten free entrees. We can't wait to come back. read more

Travieso - a plate of food on a table - New American Near Me - Waukesha, Wisconsin

Wanted to love this new restaurant in the Clarke Hotel. The menu looked so great. Unfortunately, we would not come back. Slaw on the dumpling appetizer was not crisp, seemed wilted almost like it had sat out too long. The arugula on the octupus app was not fresh, discolored somewhat as if it was old. The pork tenderloin sat in a bed of grease and was super tough. The salmon was the smallest piece of salmon I have ever had, rice was overcooked. Had a great bottle of wine and the Caesare salad was good. Very disappointed. read more

The service was fantastic! We loved the chorizo stuffed mushrooms. The street corn risotto was amazing! The short ribs were a little dry. All in all, this is a wonderful restaurant in downtown Waukesha! Worth a try! read more

Amazing food! And the service is fantastic. But the interior is so loud and the ambiance does NOT match the food. It's cute there but I felt like I was eating prime rib at a sports bar. read more

Fantastic food, ambiance and service!! Brand new to the Waukesha area! Thrilled to be back and try more menu items! read more

Travieso - New American Near Me - Waukesha, Wisconsin

Didn't really know what to expect with the taste here but it was phenomenal. The food tasted great, both mine and my girlfriends. I forgot the name of our waitress but she did a great job throughout our entire time there. Only thing that was off was some guy a couple tables over that was watching the news on his phone while we were there, loud enough for us to make out every word. Overall though, 6/5. read more

Second time at this restaurant. Service was great! Food was just ok! Everything was bland and biscuits were dry! Fish Fry was very good and crispy! read more

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Miranda our waitress was WONDERFUL! Truly a great spot, everything from the drinks to the appetizers to the entrees were delicious. We cannot wait to return, and try even more food. read more

Travieso - Salmon - New American Near Me - Waukesha, Wisconsin

The short ribs were tender and lean, the lomo tenderloin was succulent and flavorful. The shrimp ceviche was complex while boasting the best tortilla chips known to man (think pork rind level crispiness without pork). Kudos to the bartender who skyrocketed us beyond the third dimension. Intimately attentive service. Highest recommendation. World class. read more

A new Latin Fusion restaurant in the Clarke Hotel did not disappoint at all. Visited on the recommendation of a friend and we have been back three times bringing others to experience Chef Martin's menu. Service was great, very busy. Server explained they were busy etc. We started with a Mischievous Margarita that had a Tajin surround -excellent! Tried the wedge salad ( loved the blistered tomatoes), dumpling ( beyond fab flavors), walleye fish fry and Chicken Mexican Corn Risotto. The flavors were all so wonderful. We topped it off with the Flourless Chocolate Cake. The design of the restaurant has a bar separate from dining area. People can eat in bar which is a bit more casual. Style is unique, simple and elegant. Love the velvet chairs!!! Server was very attentive and the Chef even came out to talk with us. This will be our new go-to restaurant! Thank you Travieso read more

We stopped in for brunch randomly and it was such a delight! Service was super friendly and attentive. We started with the Pao de Queijo which was true to its origins while at the same time elevated with Tajin & dipping sauce. We had several haystacks and the black bean tostada, and I think the haystacks with steak was our favorite. The sauces were so flavorful! We will be back. read more

Giving a bad rating to a beautiful restaurant with perfect service is tough! I usually will split my reviews 50/50 between the ambiance and service/food. No questions servers are enthusiastic and well trained. the place is cozy, warm, and inviting. We didn't try the drinks but the wine we ordered was of mediocre pickings and overpriced. For appetizers we got the octopus which provided us with five bites, overcooked potatoes and way over salted. The empanadas broke my heart. The masa was raw and the filling cold. Brazilian cheese was good but the sauce did not complement it. Shrimp from the cocktail were overcooked and came from a frozen bag (who wants "organic"Mexican farm raised?). Walleye was edible but not even close to our home fish fries. The Scallops were nicely cooked but the pork belly dry. Don't understand why you would place it in the same plate with cold kimchI from Costco. I was very excited to try the tres leches as my family has made it for decades. This was an insult to the dessert! I love the fusion concept but you have to stay true to its core. I love Tajín as I grew up with it in Guatemala. Why does the Cook have to put it on nearly everything he prepares? Four of us spent $300 not including tip. I think Travieso has great potential, I love the menu and service but our Chef needs some honest feedback. read more

We absolutely loved this restaurant! Tonight was our first time eating here and we could not have been more pleased! The atmosphere was very comfortable and inviting. We sat at the bar for drinks and dinner. Drink selections were unique and amazing! Our bartender and the hostess were both incredibly friendly and informative. Both of our entrees we absolutely amazing; shrimp and tenderloin. We both wanted to lick our plates! Would definitely recommend this place! read more

Tried this place Friday night. The bar is really cool and a great place for a cocktail. We had the dumpling appetizer and they were super hard. Not "crispy" just kind of hard. The shrimp ceviche and the chips were really good. I had the chicken with street corn risotto and it was so delicious. I wanted to lick my plate. Margaritas were good. Unfortunately the service was slow. And we got wrong drinks. I think our waitress was new and she kept apologizing and was very sweet. I'm pretty patient and felt a little bad for her but others may not be as patient. Will go back again. read more

The food was outstanding and the service was on point all night. I was one of seven women on a girls night out. I will be the first to admit that we are not all easy to please, and yet we all enjoyed our evening very much! Looking forward to a return visit. Loved the aesthetics in the bar and dining area. My only suggestion would be to dim the lights a little. Bravo!! read more

Extremely disappointed. Pork tenderloin was tuff and the salmon was fishy. We were really looking forward to this restaurant but were underwhelmed. Poblano Caesar was the best item we had. read more

Excellent service in a beautiful setting. Award winning dumpling was tasty and nice start. Drinks were very good. Everyone in our party of five selected a different entree. Lots of sharing with excellent variety and flavors. Will return. Just what has been missing in downtown Waukesha. read more

Wanted to give this place a try but highly disappointed. We made reservations and were seated. 30 mins went past and not a word from anyone. Upsetting to watch others be seated and told who their server was going to be. After asking who was our server we waited long enough and just left. read more

Love this place! Happy to see a real restaurant in downtown Waukesha! There is too many places serving the same greasy, mediocre bar food. Not this place. My girlfriend and I recently started frequenting this place and have brought our friends who also love it! The Saturday night bartender is amazing! She makes great drinks! A lot of people say that prices are a little high, but worth it, in my opinion, to have actual good food and good drinks. Plus if you want a typical fish fry Friday or prime rib Saturday, they have that too and both are excellent and price competitive with anywhere else in town. 10/10 recommend this place! read more

I dig the food everytime I dine here! It's always inventive and interesting to my taste buds.

Great to see a higher-end Latin fusion restaurant in the city. Food has unique flavors and cocktails are exceptional. Look forward to seeing this place grow over time. Nice to be here. read more

Travieso - Beef Birria Masa Dumplings - New American Near Me - Waukesha, Wisconsin

Love this place ... food is great ! Waukesha needs good businesses like this downtown ... I am hoping for their continued success !

Amazing menu full of gluten free items for those who are GF. They take allergies seriously and have a dedicated fryer. The menu is traditional supper club meets Latin fusion with a lot of really interesting takes on standard dishes. I had the street corn chicken risotto and my chicken was cooked perfectly. The risotto had a lot of flavor and was like nothing I had ever tried before. Would order again! Good portion size, too! Drinks were good and I really enjoyed the sangria. Staff was incredibly friendly and helpful and the chef even popped out to say hello. I will definitely be back and will be recommending to others as well! read more

This restaurant is a gem. Everyone is so friendly and the food was delicious. Our party of 4 had the prime rib, scallops, shrimp, and blackened salmon entrees. Everything was delicious. read more