La MerendaAwesome foodOne of the best restaurants ever. Tapas was incredible. Can't wait to return.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat FoodThe food was excellent. Argentinian beef, Chinese stir fry and Moroccan Beef were all excellent. My companion and I could not pick a favorite of the three as all were excellent. The spices used in the stir fry and Moroccan beef were at the appropriate level, not overpowering , but not bland. We've eaten there before and will return in the future.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMPleasant Surprise!I had heard good things about this restaurant but I wasn't sure what to expect......I really liked it. The small plates that we tried were all good....service was fast but not "pushy"...Price for three was about the same as we would pay at a middle-priced spot. All in all - I would definitely go back. One word of caution...if you are not careful, you could end up spending tons of money without realizing it. Watching other tables, it would be easy to lose track of how many plates have been ordered and end up with a bill MUCH higher than anticipated. We were paying attention to costs yet ordering exactly what we wanted. We still had more than enough variety and plenty of food so we didn't leave hungry and we didn't spend an arm and a leg!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat tapas!Best tapas in the city. The only drawback is that it is so noisy on a night when ever table is taken that it's challenging to have a conversation at your table. Otherwise, it's fabulous.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMLove the food...I've been to La Merenda about a dozen times and have always had good food, this time the service was lacking a bit.6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMQuick Fix before the show4 people, 2 bottles of wine, and 9 or 10 small plates within 60 minutes. I'd say everyone achieved success. Great grabs before we headed off to see the Janis show at the Rep--which also was awesome!
Good Job La Merenda!5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMNever disappointedAlways delicious and consistent with quality and flavor. This is one place that I can count on to take guest and feel confident they will have an enjoyable time. I also like that when the bill comes I don't have to take out a second mortgage. If you are looking for flavorful food that is made the right way with heart and soul...this is the place to go.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMFarm fresh eclectic menu.Farm fresh eclectic menu. Everyone is sure to find something they like5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMtoo many dishes to choose fromExcellent! Everything was delecious! We were just dissapointed we couldn't try everything!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMA Hidden Treat on National AveThe food is always wonderful at La Merenda, as is the service. As an international tapas restaurant, with gluten-free and vegan options, there's something for everyone to try. Reservations are practically necessary if you want a table in the evenings, but weekday lunchtimes are much less busy. Great for a date night, a get-together with friends, and families with kids who'll try new things.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMRelaxing and excitingHaving a few small plates at La Merenda last week was great fun! I had been wanting to get in and try the food at the tapas restaurant I had heard nothing but good things about! I finally made it in on a Thursday which was easier to make a reservation for than a weekend night. The ambience was perfect, energetic but not overwhelmingly loud. The small restaurant setting made it more personal. The food was interesting and delicious! Out waitress, Holly, was more than happy to answer any question we had and gave us her own personal opinion on different plates. We thought she was great! Overall a great place I think everyone in the greater Milwaukee area must try!5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyed our 1st time at LaEnjoyed our 1st time at La Merenda. It was girl’s night out and there were five of us. The food was great. It was nice not to be rushed through a meal like with traditional service. We took our time ordering and catching up while enjoying great food & Sangria. Would definitely recommend this restaurant to small groups.5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMLadies Night OutFour of us met to catch up, drink wine, and share food. La Merenda was the perfect place. A group of four was the perfect size to share the appetizer/tapas plates, as we each got a nice sized 1-2 bites of each dish. Food was really good, wine selections were fine, and service was perfect to allow us to chat while still getting food and wine in a timely manner.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMWe took our friends from MinneapoliWe took our friends from Minneapolis to La Merenda. They were extremely impressed with the delicious food. Everything we had was outstanding.5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Restaurant!We chose La Merenda, which wed been to before, as a treat for out-of-town guests. Neither we nor they were disappointed. Tapas is a great way to dine, and the menu choices are interesting and varied. The cost of our meal, including a bottle of wine, was very reasonable. Our server (Michaela - sp?) was very efficient, and helpful. Our continuing experience with La Merenda is one of consistency, variety and excellence.5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMTop Milwaukee restaurantI have nothing negative to say about this restaurant, other than it's unfortunate that it's not located next door to me. I've only been here a few times, but each time I'm thoroughly impressed with the food and I walk away far beyond satisfied. On this particular trip the two knockout dishes were the Argentinian Beef and the seasonal tart, which completely melted in our mouths. Heavy on mushrooms and cream, light on asparagus, all sorts of delicious. The service was also excellent.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWOWFirst visit and I will definitley be going back! Food was outstanding and service was very good considering how busy it was.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAs always, everything was perfect!We ordered the Argentinian Beef, Spinach, and Tart of the Day. Everything was delicious, as always. We always look forward to our
next visit and another perfect meal.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMLocal food at its bestIf local, seasonal food is your thing and you want a sampling of creative ways to showcase these foods, La Merenda is for you! Our group sampled several menu offerings and all were excellent. The tapas were a great way to try different menu items and our server was knowledgeable and helpful in making selections. Every item we tried I would order as a complete entree, but we enjoyed being able to choose a number of small plates. A good wine list and beer selection was also a plus.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMSmall plate eating and sharingSmall plate eating and sharing is a wonderful way to eat. You get to try many dishes. the waitress was very attentive. We could have ordered our food plate by plate and had the food continue to show up throughout our time there. You could order it all at once and make your own buffet. Everything we chose was tasty. Every table was full which accounts for the energetic atmosphere. I would go back to et there in a heartbeat.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat tapas at a good priceLoved the local foods, great selection and good prices. A bit loud and difficult to hear guests when busy.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMFun for sharingThe tapas idea is great for a table for 2 as you're able to sample a large amount of food throughout the evening without breaking the bank. The items were perfect for 2 to share - more than that would've been difficult. The staff was fast and friendly, helpful and considerate. They almost all seemed to LOVE their job.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMTruly enjoyableThis is the second time we have been to La Merenda as a group of 6.
Service was great: the waitress offered some nice recommendations to accommodate our group size (6 piece portions vs. 4) and the waitstaff was very prompt and efficient bringing and clearing all our dishes ...which there were a lot!
Food was amazing: Our table favorites included: the empanadas (a MUST!), the ravioli special, and the butter chicken with curry.
Ambience was very nice: Our only disappointment was that it wasn't warm enough to enjoy the new patio. But trust me, we WILL be back for that!!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAround the world of flavorThe actual building and location are almost inadequate in comparison to the well developed flavors present in the tapas dishes a La Merenda. I highly recommend. Going for lunch on a day off, sharing a bottle of wine, and splitting 6 plates was perfect!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious tapas!A little gem in an industrial neighborhood, La Merenda delivers imaginative food for a moderate price. With a sort of do-ti-yourself arty decor, the restaurant provides tasty treats in a convivial atmosphere. We look forward to returning!4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat date!Being a vegetarian, I loved it here as there were many selections that could be made vegetarian.
It was somewhat noisy as there was a table of 16 behind us, but I enjoyed the energetic atmosphere.
Service was excellent4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous food & interestingFabulous food & interesting drinks - think muddled. Had 2 drinks each and ate till we were stuffed for $30 per person. A little noisy, but that's people having fun. Definite winner.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful experienceWe had a wonderful experience at La Merenda. After hearing several positive comments about the restaurant, I knew I had to try it. I had a group of 6, and couldn't get a table until 9 PM, however the table was ready early. Our waitress did an excellent job of bringing out the best dishes first, and they were proportioned perfectly. Each dish was better than the next. The food was absolutely amazing, and I will definitely be returning to La Merenda.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, excellent service,Great food, excellent service, reasonable price. Can't wait for the patio area to open.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMDelisiousMy husband and I have never had a disappointing meal at La Merenda and our most recent experience was spectacular. The ingredients are so fresh and the seasoning used in each dish is perfect! Go late (9pm is good), there are fewer tables and the service is a bit more attentive.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMeverything we had was excellent!everything we had was excellent! pleasantly surprised by the reasonable prices.ended up getting a $50 gift card for my son's birthday. Cannot wait to come back. Yummy!!!!!!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMLaMerenda NEVER disappoints.LaMerenda NEVER disappoints. It is consistently great food. What more can I say?4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Best Tapas in TownSome of the best food I've ever had at surprisingly reasonable prices. We always make it out of there spending about $25/person. This includes splitting a house bottle of wine and eating an ample amount of delicious food. The staff is very nice and quite helpful when you have questions about the menu. I love the atmosphere of La Merenda, it's very homey and cozy feeling. By far one of my favorite Milwaukee establishments! Can't say enough nice things about it!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWish I had come here sooner!!Fantastic food, appropriate size portions, not a bad bite all evening. Can't wait to return and try out more of the menu. Service was good with the exception of one bartender that was a bit snarky, though the man did make one helluva drink.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWe enjoyed Merenda, whichWe enjoyed Merenda, which bills itself as "International Tapas," although only a few dishes are tapas in the conventional sense, more like international small plates. Some of these are very generous portions, like the duck "cassoulet" (which seemed to be made with black beans instead of the more traditional white beans, but had quite a lot of duck meat), so we appreciated being encouraged to order in rounds so that we wouldn't order too much food. We found that after 2 rounds (4 plates), which included a very good arugula salad and the Argentinean beef with a delicious plantain and nut mash, we were definitely full, leaving only enough room to split one dessert. Another good thing was the list of very reasonably priced craft beers.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding Food and ServiceThis is the second time we've been to La Merenda, once for lunch and once for dinner. We can't wait to return. Every dish that we tried was outstanding, and the service was impeccable. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It's hard to recommend just one or two plates because everything was so good.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMCan't wait to go back!I've been to La Merenda before and as always everything was absolutely amazing and delicious. One of my dining partners actually commented "I feel like each dish we try gets better and better." The special of the day: pork eggrolls and the goat cheese curds were my favorite of the night. We somehow saved room for dessert, the creme brulee, and I highly recommend it! I tell all my friends about this place and can't wait to go back and try more of the menu.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food as always!Excellent food as always! I brought a friend who had never been to La Merenda before, she was impressed!4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMWE WILL BE BACK!!!The fresh ingredients along with the creative blends of these ingredients and spices really make the entries that we tried a great dining experience. Hats off to the chefs.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMTruffled Potato Skins - TooTruffled Potato Skins - Too salty & greasy, could not eat more than a few; had it not been for these it would have easily been 5 stars on the Food. Butter Chicken - By far the best plate we had that night. Sauteed Spinach - delicious. Argentian Style Beef - amazing, as always.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMStill Great at La MirendaFood was great as usual. We had reservations through OpenTable at 9:30p on a Saturday and the place was definitely high energy. Although La Mirenda doesn't have bands playing, you still needed to speak up to be heard over other diners.
Service is reliably outstanding here.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWas disappointed to be seatedWas disappointed to be seated next to the kitchen, but food and service made up for it. The Argentinian Beef and Braised Veal Shortribs are my favorites on the menu. The seasonal quiche and seasonal creme brulee were also outstanding.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific food. Wonderful service.Terrific food. Wonderful service. Best with a group of 4 to 6, for sharing!4/8/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was wonderful. ServiceFood was wonderful. Service was very fast. We felt rushed. We will have to pace it better ourselves next visit.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was amazing! We triedThe food was amazing! We tried 5 different dishes, and all were great. The pork belly spring rolls were a definite must have. Pricing was very reasonable. The atmosphere was a bit loud. Overall, the restaurant was amazing and I will definitely be going back to try everything else on the menu!4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food at La Merenda isThe food at La Merenda is Always great. Our server was truely fantastic, she took care of us from the moment we sat down. We were celebrating a bithday and they really made it fun. Thank you will be back again and again.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMWe have dined here beforeWe have dined here before but this was the first time with our boys ages 8 & 12. We wanted them to experience the fabulous food in a fun dining way. They were afraid at first but soon found it fun to order foods not common to them. We had great conversation regarding different flavors and they really enjoyed the lazy Susan in the middle of our table.4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a great time. The foodWe had a great time. The food was excellent and the service superb. My only concern was the Noise level, but the food made up for it. I am definitely coming back.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Restaurant in Milwaukee!This was the best restaurant I have been to in Milwaukee. The service and food was outstanding. I would high recommend the Beef Stroganoff, Argentinian Style Beef, and the Empanadas. The Beef Stroganoff was my favorite! They also had the best Rosemary Vodka Gimlet that I have ever tasted. I will be going back sometime soon!3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMAMAZING is all I need to say!AMAZING is all I need to say! Bursting flavors in every dish.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AM