North Shore Restaurant Reviews
Here is a list of North Shore-area restaurants written about in the Journal Sentinel. All reviews are dated. Please be aware that restaurant ownership and practices change.
Cosi
8775 N. Port Washington Road, Fox Point, (414) 228-6930
Founded in 1996 in New York City, Cosi is a chain of casual restaurants that look like hip coffee bars. There are tables for traditional diners, upholstered chairs and a sofa for loungers. In the food department, Cosi is best known for its flatbread. Baked fresh several times a day in an Italian-style oven, it becomes the base for frittatas at breakfast and sandwiches and pizzas at lunch and dinner.
River Lane Inn
4313 W. River Ln., Brown Deer,(414) 354-1995 
The emphasis at this popular Brown Deer restaurant is on fresh fish prepared in a number of interesting ways. You can go for the old house favorites, which are delicately sauteed (as opposed to deep-fried) or beautifully blackened, or choose one of the more exotic preparations on the menu. You won't regret either choice or the excellent selection of white wines to go with them.
North Shore Bistro
8649 N Port Washington Rd, Fox Point, (414) 351-6100
The North Shore Bistro is a favorite Friday night dinner spot where I don't have to wait hours in a smoky bar (because the bistro accepts reservations on Friday night) and where I know that I'm going to get some of the best battered fish in Wisconsin. I like dining at the bistro on other evenings, too. It's a place where I can order an appetizer and a salad or sink my teeth into one of the better burgers in town, though I'm most partial to the entrees.
Poco Loco
4134 W. River Lane, Brown Deer, (414) 355-9550
When's the last time you walked into a Mexican restaurant and saw Strauss lamb tacos on the menu? If the answer is never, you need to head for Poco Loco, a 20-seat restaurant in Brown Deer. Dean A. Gardner, former owner of the old La Frontera restaurant, operates this charming little café that offers only counter service (think Solly's with an upscale Mexican menu). Gardner is the chef, and his persistent love for good Mexican food endures: Those lamb tacos were superb, as were pork-filled tamales served with sweet guava sauce. On some days, the special is a lobster quesadilla with more of that sweet guava sauce. The filling in the tamales changes weekly.
Habanero's
3900 W. Brown Deer Road, Brown Deer, (414) 355-5680
Habanero's occupies the space that formerly housed Le Peep. With the help of his brother Juan, Jose Melendez has assembled a menu of platters named after famous Mexican cities and states. Dishes range from rib-eye steaks done Mexican-style to shrimp, scallops and snapper done Veracruz-style.
Samurai Japanese Restaurant
6969 N. Port Washington Road, Suite B140, Glendale, (414) 228-8818 
Sushi, sashimi and sushi rolls are the strong points of this Japanese restaurant, which also offers traditional Japanese dishes. The chef's rolls and the secret rolls are quite good, as are the sushi box dinners.
El Paisa
600 W. Brown Deer Road, Bayside, (414) 540-2125
Martin Ramirez's menu features all the familiar Mexican dishes from fajitas to enchiladas. He also has added a few of his own creations, such as a Mexican Cobb salad and coconut-dipped Mexican shrimp. Ramirez's flautas are especially interesting - they're large flour tortillas filled with cooked chicken, cheese and sour cream, then deep-fried until they turn a light, crisp brown.
Pandl's In Bayside
8825 N. Lake Dr., Bayside, (414) 352-7300
Pandl's is a traditional restaurant that encourages leisurely dining. It was built in 1968 by George Pandl, who sold it to his son many years ago. Most buffet fans consider this the best brunch in Milwaukee. This is an expensive meal, with made-to-order eggs and pasta, a massive salad bar, a served entree and a dessert buffet.
Restaurant Hama
(In Audubon Court), 333 W. Brown Deer Road, Bayside (414) 352-7300
When people ask me what's most important in a restaurant review, I always say, "the food." Service and atmosphere, I explain, can affect a meal but usually can't ruin it completely. I've seen many diners walk into dingy restaurants or endure slow or snotty service if the food is good enough. But after three recent visits to Restaurant Hama on Brown Deer Road, I'm rethinking my position.
