If you are looking for a great brunch spot on Saturday morning in Milwaukee, look no further than Cafe Centraal in Bayview. A restaurant in the Diablos Rojos restaurant network, Cafe Centraal has a large import beer selections for any meal, and some great brunch items to check out.

I was searching for a new Saturday morning brunch location around Milwaukee, and after stopping at one place without a brunch, Andrew and I decided upon Cafe Centraal. I have been here for dinners and drinks before, but wanted to check it out for brunch (of course). Similar to other Diablos Rojos restaurants, Cafe Centraal uses the architecture and Cream City brick in making a warm and inviting atmosphere. The long bar is decorated with unique bar stools. No two are the same! Also, as the host walks incoming guests down the long bar to their table, it almost looks like a subway train on the track passing through the station. The tables are put right up against the large windows looking out over the busy intersections of KK, Lincoln, Howell and Allis.

Parking was fairly easy with the lot across the street having metered parking on Saturdays (free on Sundays). We walked into the restaurant and were seated right away. Our server, Amy, asked for Andrew and my drink order and delivered the coffees, waters, Grand Mimosa ($7) and Bloody Mary ($8) with a smile on her face. The Grand Mimosa was one of several on the menu to try from: regular mimosa, grand mimosa, x-mosa (with x-rated), beermosa (must be a Bayview thing) and passionfruit mimosa. Each is only $7. Andrew's Bloody Mary was excellent. Filled with beef sticks, green bean, pea pod, olives, lemon and lime, it had a delicious mix of spice and heat.

I checked out the menu online on our way to the restaurant and saw there was different menu for Saturday Brunch than for Sunday. The Saturday brunch had the full menu of the lunch sandwiches on the second page. On the other hand, the Sunday brunch chose a couple sandwiches to feature, while adding on other brunch favorites (biscuits and gravy and lumberjack breakfast).

Andrew had a hard time deciding on what to order. Our server, Amy suggested the Fat Elvis ($8.95), and she was right. It was the best French toast ever: four pieces of Breadsmith thick cut French toast with banana slices and creamy peanut butter smeared between the slices and topped with chocolate sauce and bacon slices. The plate was garnished with berries and a side of maple syrup. This entree used to be a special, but lucky for us all it has become a staple on the brunch menus. Andrew only let me try one bite, since it was so good, and I could tell why he didn't want to share. The creamy peanut butter and bananas were a slightly warmed from the French toast. And the chocolate sauce was a great little kick of sweetness the dish needed.

I had chosen to take my two favorite brunch items combined: the Steak & Eggs Benedict ($12.95). Granted, this was a little bit more than I wanted to spend on a brunch entree, but it was worth it. I ordered my filets done rare with A-1 on the side. Looking at the plate, it was hard to see if there were any English muffins under the steaks, but there was. The Hollandaise sauce was amazing: a light tang from the lemon but still nice and creamy. The eggs were poached wonderfully by having a throughly cooked outside, with the yokes nice and creamy.  The steaks were also cooked perfectly and larger than I had expected. I had started to run low on A-1 sauce, so I asked Amy for more. She was on top of it! Great service! Last but not least, the house potatoes were well-seasoned and crispy. This item is well worth the price.

Whether it's for the atmosphere or great food, I would highly recommend Cafe Centraal to anyone looking for an excellent Saturday morning brunch experience. For a total of about $19 per person, this restaurant was a great recommendation from @stylishboots on Twitter and is well worth the price. If this how Cafe Centraal treats their guests to an amazing Saturday brunch, expect me back in the summer for a Sunday brunch on their patio!

Until next time, hope you have a great weekend and happy brunching!

What have been your experiences at Cafe Centraal? What are some other good entrees? Respond below in the comments or suggest other places for me to try around Milwaukee!

All the details you want to know: (on a five star rating)

Cafe Centraal (*****)
2306 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Bay View, WI 53207
(414) 755-0378
www.cafecentraal.com


Brunch hours:
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
(note: different menus for the different days)

Atmosphere: ***** (awesome)
Cream City brick, traditional Milwaukee Restaurant


Food: ***** (awesome)
Great entrees and flavor combinations

Service: ***** (awesome)
Impeccable, attentive, friendly and knowledgable

Drinks: ***** (awesome)
Mimosa - ***** (awesome)
Bloody Mary - ***** (awesome)

Price: ***** (awesome)
Less than $20 a person with a minimal leftovers.