Each week we are featuring a new restaurant as part of “Cash Mob MKE,” an initiative created to give Milwaukee restaurants a boost during these tough times. Click here for a delectable repast of everything we’ve ordered (maybe inspiration for your next carry-out meal).
Tavo's Signature Cuisine
5814 W. Bluemound Rd., (414) 239-8888
Tavosignaturecuisine.com
[More on today’s cash mob here]
Since 2018, Gustavo Camacho (Mr. Tavo) and his son Anthony Gallarday have been serving up a menu of exceptional Mexican fare in a tiny (tiny!) little restaurant on the West Side. And thanks to both the solid execution of their dishes and their friendly, attentive service, Tavo’s has earned a spot on my 52 Restaurants list for the past two years.
As is the case for so many restaurants, the past year has definitely posed challenges for the Tavo’s and its small staff; so our hope with today’s cash mob is to give them a solid night of carry-out service that might also introduce them to new, curious customers.
Tavo’s menu is full of delicious classics, including tacos, enchiladas and burritos. But you’ll also find a wider selection of uniquely presented dishes that pay homage to Latin cuisine in beautiful ways. Take for instance their appetizer selection, which includes three types of guacamole, including my favorite: Guacamole Azteca, which features traditional guacamole topped with grilled poblano peppers, and roasted corn and served with freshly made plantain chips ($12.99).
We managed to leave without our bag of housemade plantain chips on this trip (wah-wah); but the guacamole was as fresh and delicious as ever with beautiful pops of flavor from the tender sauteed poblano peppers and sweet fat kernels of corn.
From there, we dug into another beautifully presented option, the Pineapple Pastor Express, featuring beautifully seasoned pork (pastor) tucked inside a roasted pineapple half and served with black beans, rice, and steaming corn tortillas, along with taco accoutrements like salsas, onions and cilantro ($22.99).
The abundant dinner easily makes tacos for three with its beautiful achiote, garlic and pineapple-scented meat, flavorful tortillas and punchy housemade salsas
We also ordered the cheesy birria tacos, which came with consomme and salsa for dipping ($15.99).
If you love birria, you’ll appreciate these crisped tacos, which are filled with savory braised meat and plenty of cheese. And they’re even better dipped liberally into the chile-scented consomme, studded with fresh onions and cilantro.
We made sure to save room for their house flan, which is served with a sweet rum-spiked sauce that’s beautiful against the creamy dessert ($7.99).
How to order
Tavo’s is offering carry-out today (Wednesday) from 12:30 to 8:30 p.m. Place your order online for pick-up call in your order at (414) 239-8888. Don’t forget to be patient, kind and tip well
If you choose to participate in our restaurant love bomb, bolster your support by sharing photos of your meal on social media using #CashMobMKE.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
