This year, Milwaukee will welcome an array of new restaurants dishing up global flavors and fresh concepts.
Many of the spots are just a short bus ride from campus in Milwaukee’s East Side, Lower East Side and Third Ward neighborhoods. From fast-casual Korean to French bistro cuisine, Marquette students are sure to find a new favorite spot among the myriad of new names joining Milwaukee’s vibrant dining scene.
Whether they are excited for a new cafe or a chic date-night reservation, diners can expect big things coming in 2026.
Nakama
Screaming Tuna co-owner Cristian Vega and chef Jason Morimoto from Screaming Tuna Mequon are opening an omakase and hand roll restaurant on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side.
Morimoto was the winner of Season 2 of “Morimoto’s Sushi Master.” At Nakama, he will serve a 14-course menu of carefully prepared sashimi, nigiri and other fine Japanese fare.
The dinner, like most omakase experiences, will come at a steep cost that might turn away the average student from making a reservation.
Luckily, upstairs, Nakama will serve a cheaper, more casual 14-course meal, featuring handrolls, a conical sushi roll wrapped in nori, along with other small plates.
The restaurant will be open from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday and Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The owners say Nakama will open its doors at 1600 N Jackson St. this winter, but no official opening date has been released yet.
CASSIS
Kyle and Meghan Knall of Birch are opening a new French bistro on the ground floor of 333 Water. The couple—whose flagship restaurant earned a spot on the New York Times’ list of best restaurants in America in 2023—promise CASSIS will be a more relaxed concept while maintaining the quality standards diners expect from Birch.
The more approachable format makes CASSIS a fitting spot for Marquette students to grab dinner after a Third Ward shopping spree or a place to take their parents who might be visiting for the weekend.
The menu will feature rustic French dishes, including foie gras eclairs, pork crepinette and croque monsieur sandwiches.
Unlike Birch, CASSIS will be open daily for dinner, serve lunch on weekdays and brunch on weekends. From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., diners can come in for apéro, the French version of happy hour, for light snacks and drinks.
CASSIS was originally planned to open at 333 N Water St. on Jan. 5, but due to construction delays, a soft opening has been rescheduled to the 20th.
The Deep Groove
This vinyl listening lounge, located on Milwaukee’s East Side, will feature an art and music-focused cafe and bar. They will also serve a small menu influenced by the neighborhood’s Italian and Polish heritage.
The lounge is owned by couple Todd Dunsirn and Kim Forbeck and housed inside the old Brady Street Futons building. At almost 150 years old, this retail space is also one of the oldest buildings on the East Side.
While further from campus than some other places on this list, The Deep Groove may still be worth the trip for students looking for a relaxing place to study during the day and a spot to unwind in the evening.
For much of last year, the couple had been renovating the space, keeping fixtures like the hardwood floor while installing new ones like the back bar handmade by Dunsirn.
The Deep Groove, located at 1200 E Brady St., maintains it will soft-open in January but has not indicated a date.
Soban Korean Eatery
This fast-casual Korean restaurant from Hales Corners, Wisconsin, opened a second location in downtown Milwaukee on Jan. 1.
Owners Hyelim Song and Solki Lee were raised in South Korea, and their menu, full of authentic family recipes, reflects that heritage.
Diners can order boxes filled with proteins, including BBQ pork and bulgogi, along with sides like fried mandu and kimchi.
Students on the go will appreciate its quick, convenient format that uses an ordering system like Chipotle and Cava.
The restaurant is inside the old Ouzo Cafe spot on the Lower East Side, at 776 N Milwaukee St.
This story was written by Joseph Schamber. He can be reached at [email protected].
