Where to eat in Kenosha

20 independent restaurants, bakeries and food spots in Kenosha. Chains are left out.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Eat
Big Star
This is a drive-in that has been open since 1954. The burgers are excellent but very small. They are only open from March 1st to Labor Day.
Eat
Brat Stop
One part restaurant, one part concert venue, one part bar, and one part cheese mart. You can definitely get your fill of Wisconsin without travelling far from I94. The restaurant food isn't anything special but it's a good place to try local delicacies such as brats and cheese curds. The beer selection is extensive. Check the website for the most current listings of which musicians are playing and for any special events.
Eat
Captain Mike's
This a bar and burger joint that has a nautical theme. The burgers on the menu have unique combinations of toppings and the mac 'n' cheese is excellent. If you order bacon on your burger, adding a bit of peanut butter is highly recommended. The beer selection is decent and there is a large selection of whiskey. There is very limited seating and sharing a table with a party of strangers is common. If you see an opening at a table that will fit your party, simply ask those already seated if you can sit there. There is no waitstaff here: you fill out an order sheet and befriend one of the bartenders or chefs to get food and drink. Parking is difficult. There is a parking lot to the north, across the street. You can park on the side road and there is more street parking on the road behind the building. Persons under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or a spouse over 21.
Mon-Fri 11AM - 2AM, Sat Sun 8AM - 2AM
Eat
Franks Diner
Located in a historic 1920s "diner car" it has been featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives." Waits can be long, especially on the weekends. However, all of the food is home made, so the wait is worth it. Expect big portions at reasonable prices. Open only for breakfast and lunch.
Mon-Fri 6AM-1:30PM, Sat 7AM-1:30PM, Sun 7AM-1:30PM
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House of Gerhard
Among locals, this place has a reputation of being "fancy". They serve prime rib and authentic German food. Reservations and dressy clothes are recommended, especially around Valentine's and Mother's Day.
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La Fogata Mexican Grill
This place serves Americanized Mexican food. The margaritas are a specialty. This restaurant has an excellent atmosphere with dimmer lighting and is diagonally across the street from a beach. Outdoor seating is available in the summer.
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La Michoacana/Chicken Palace
Chicken Palaces serves chicken, tacos, burgers and more. In the same building is La Michoacana, which offers desserts. Everything has a Mexican twist and the majority of the menus are in Spanish with English subtitles. The paletas (a frozen popsicle, which here are either water or milk based and filled with fruit) are absolutely fantastic and refreshing on a hot day.
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Los Compadres
This is an authentic Mexican eatery. The interior has minimal decorations and cafeteria type seating. There is delicious soup and chips served with every meal. The tamales are fantastic.
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Marina Gardens
Open 24 hr, offers very cheap, greasy food and awful coffee. This is an excellent place to nurse an impending hang-over. Most bar-hopping locals that end their night in this area will congregate here after the bars close at 2AM. The staff does not care about you; remember that you are not here for them, you are here because the food is cheap, they are always open, and you need to sober up before your day-job or flight in a few hours.
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Pimmy's Authentic Thai Cuisine
Pimmy's serves food authentic to Bangkok and parts of Issarn provinces in Thailand. This place has a cozy, café atmosphere and not much seating. There are lunch specials on curries. Take-out is available.
Eat
Saigon Panda
Serves Americanized Chinese and authentic Vietnamese food. From the Vietnamese menu, the Phở is phenomenal. From the Chinese menu, the fried rice and Mongolian beef are recommended. Dinner portions easily feed two people. Try some Vietnamese style bubble/boba tea during your visit (the best flavors are taro and mango). The interior is set up in a café style with light colors and an atmosphere that invites staying a while. Take-out is available.
Mon-Fri 11AM to 9:30PM, Sat Sun 11AM to 10:30PM$12
Eat
Soon's Sushi Cafe
This is one of the best sushi places in south-east Wisconsin. They also offer Japanese fusion dishes and authentic Korean food (the owner is a native of South Korea). The interior décor is terrible and only cafeteria style tables and seating are available. It's better to order take-out as the wait times inside can be quite long and the service is slow (but very, very kind and friendly). The neighborhood is a little "rough", so ensure you lock your car doors and keep valuables out of sight.
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The Coffee Pot
They are only open for breakfast and lunch. There is often a wait during the weekend.
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The Spot
This is a drive-in that has been in business since 1945. They are open year round. The food is typical American fast fare with burgers, fries, and root beer whirls. They make their own root beer and you can purchase it by the gallon. The Spot is cash-only. There is an ATM at the side of the building, though it is sometimes out of order.
11AM to 3AM
Eat
Waterfront Warehouse
Warehouse themed décor and interior architecture. They serve nicer versions of typical bar food such as wings, burgers, and flatbread pizzas. Their specialty are fries which have a variety of different toppings and sauces drizzled over them. The sweet potato fries are particularly good. The beer selection seems to favor the big name local/Wisconsin brews and domestic beers. Flat screen TVs playing sports channels are scattered around. They are family friendly.
11AM - midnight$12
Eat Not mapped
Hillcrest Family Restaurant
This place has been in business for years and is extra popular with senior citizens. This is a "Greek" style restaurant (which means that they serve everything and have gyros available). The food here is mediocre, but it's clean and cheap. The portion sizes are average and the coffee is acceptable.
Eat Not mapped
Home Run
This restaurant offers diner-style breakfasts. The chefs here are very proud of their copious usage of butter. If you order eggs, you will get one-plus the number you ordered. This includes omelets, so plan your order accordingly as it is easy to order too much food by accident. The coffee is terrible. The staff are incredibly friendly and almost always will help you construct an order so it is the cheapest it can be by utilizing all manner of specials and combos voodoo.
Eat Not mapped
Infusino's Restaurant
They offer Calabrese-style Italian dishes and steaks. At least that's what they say they offer: most locals just order the pizza, which has a flavorful sauce and a crust that is the perfect thickness. Dine-in and carry-out is offered.
Eat Not mapped
Kaiser's Pizza and Pub
Pizzas made here feature generous toppings. Cornmeal is used to prevent the crust from sticking to the bottom of the pan, which adds a nice texture and crunch. It is more expensive compared to other pizza locations. Take-out and eat-in is offered.
Eat Not mapped
Luigi's Pizza Kitchen
This restaurant has been in business for several decades. Within the past five years there have been suspicions that the sauce recipe has changed, resulting in a less delicious pie. They also offer other Italian dishes, such as home-made ravioli and lasagna. Take-out and eat-in is available. They are closed on Mondays and for an entire month in the fall, during which the owners visit family in Italy.
Tue-Sat 4:30-10PM, Sun 11:30AM-10PM

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Kenosha (CC BY-SA 4.0).