BelAir Cantina

July 2025: I went to BelAir Cantina on Downer on a Monday around 12PM with a friend and my mom, who is vision-impaired. There was no wait and plenty of seating. Our waitress, Emma, was absolutely wonderful! She opened the door for us, she was patient, friendly, and accommodating. Five stars for Emma's customer service! The ambiance of BelAir was bright and festive. I liked the decor and the bright colors. I also liked the optional outdoor seating The food was okay/good and the portions were generous. I ordered one vegetarian corn & bean taco and a taco salad with carne asada. The taco was good and the salad was okay. The steak was very greasy and I wish I had the option to order my taco salad on a bed of lettuce instead of in the tortilla bowl. I did not eat the bowl part, mainly because I don't like to eat that much fried food in one sitting.

Food was great, and service was even better. The tacos and quesadilla were was amazing and came out quick. We also got some churros which we couldn’t get enough of! If you come in, ask for Yami! She is the best server we could ask for!!

The food is gross to be quite honest. Flavorless, watery tacos, small portions for the price being paid. Service was fine but a little bit nonchalant. Couldn't get somebody to bring the check even after asking twice. Strange smell in the restaurant made the dining experience unappetizing and strange. There are so many better taco places on the South side than this slop. The owners also have engaged in anti-worker, anti-union practices which pretty much seals the deal for me as a place I won't be going again and would recommend others avoid as well.

My colleagues and I ate at BelAir Cantina on Downer this summer and really enjoyed our time! We took advantage of their Tuesday taco special, which I highly recommend. The service was wonderful, and we always appreciate supporting such a great local business. Highly recommend BelAir to anyone looking for a great Milwaukee staple with fresh ingredients and quality service.

Nice happy hour spot. Stopped in for appetizers and drinks. Delicious cucumber jalapeno margarita! That was next level. Very refreshing and the right amount of spice to make you question your decisions lol! Got the Tres Amigos and Ceviche appetizers. The Ceviche was an absolute hit and the Tres Amigos hit the spot. It was a good amount of food for 4 people who were just there for snacks. Inside is a lot of fun. All the decorations and how the space is laid out. Really a lot of fun. The patio is a decent amount of space too. Very comfortable and peaceful even though it's on the main street. Not our first stop here, won't be our last.

This used to be a decent place, but I had lunch there on a Saturday several weeks ago and the food was about so bad it was a joke. My two vegan tacos amounted to a teaspoon of soggy black beans and corn that tasted like they came from a can. For $8. Somone else at the table had "fish" tacos that consisted of a few cold, hard, small nuggets of fried fish on damp tacos. At least the chips were good. Maybe they were having a bad day. I don't know why everybody thinks this place is cheap. I was shocked at the bill.

It is one of multiple locations. This one on Downer has very nice outdoor sidewalk tables. The inside is very well decorated, repping Wisconsin professional and collegiate sports teams. The food was delicious, and the Michelada was gigantic.

The vibrant atmosphere made the dining experience even more enjoyable. Fresh ingredients elevated the flavors of the shrimp burrito to a new level. The chips and salsa provided a delightful start to the meal. I highly recommend this restaurant.

October 15, 2025: this is my second time dining at BelAir Cantina and I'm giving 5 stars! I had the Korean beef taco, which was both sweet and salty- a perfect combo, and I had the corn & bean vegetarian taco. My friend ordered two carne asada tacos, her favorite! Also to note, every month on the 15th this year (2025), BelAir is offering $2 tacos in celebration of their 15th anniversary!! An awesome deal for sure!

This was my first time at the downer location. We stopped for a late dinner. We were able to sit on the patio right by the river which was excellent ambiance. The patio is near the road but you don't notice it- they have it walled in well. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. Food was excellent! The jalapeño popper taco came with a whole jalapeño in it and this amazing blueberry salsa. Highly recommend; mildly spicy. The Al pastor shrimp and Baja tilapia tacos were also delicious! Also you can never go wrong with an order of chips and salsa! Great experience.

A Milwaukee classic! Pretty consistent across all locations. My favorite will always be ninja pig. The margaritas aren't bad either!

Were they trying to get rid of us because we're Black. On Monday 3/10/2025 We were going to the restaurant next door to eat. While we waited for the rest of our group to get to Downer Ave we decided to grab a margarita here because they were on special for $5. After we got done eating my group decided to go back and get another $5 margarita. He's the problem: the bartender cut us off so we could leave without asking if there was a designated driver. I am the designated driver. We know they have the right to cut us off...but when there is a designated driver then it's fine to keep serving us. We were 5 of 7 total customers. And the server shorted us on our change. P. S. We'll NEVER return.

We got our food so fast, and all of the staff is so kind. And everything was yummy. I unfortunately had to drive home or else I would've taken advantage of their $5 margs on Mondays!!! Perfect setting for yapping over chips and queso.

Hit up the neighborhood Belair for an easy Tuesday meal. It's hard to not get nostalgic when thinking of Belair, my husband worked there in the glory days (when taco Tuesday actually had $2 tacos and chips and salsa were free). But it is still some high quality food that rarely disappoints. We opted to sit at the bar which is normally pretty low key and works well for us - poor bartender was hustling all by herself and visibly sweating which isn't always the look you want when getting a beverage but I appreciate the hustle! Drink, I with a belair margarita on the rocks with salt, honestly if you're upgrading to any other margarita you're silly - because this one is always good! And food went with 3 staple tacos - the carne asada, spicy pollo and zihuatanejo shrimp. All were delish!

Love this placeeee!! It's best to go on either Tuesdays or Thursdays when they got their $3 tacos! I love their carne asada and spicy pollo tacos the best! The spicy pollo quesadilla is also amazing! The chips and salsa are also super great to share for the table! Their flights and margs in general are great too! Cute place with good food!

Amazing food and atmosphere! The salsa flight was incredible, spicy but very flavorful. We split a blackberry margarita that was fantastic our server, Lauren, was so fun and friendly. We will definitely be back for $5 margs on Mondays!

This is my favorite place in the city the burritos are huge amazing and covered in queso.

My friends and I had a great Monday night tradition of going to trivia here. Hannah was a great host and we really would like to see them return to hosting here! Pitchers of margs and tacos were the perfect way to start the week and we would be thrilled to reignite our tradition.

The food was good and my server Esmeralda was exceptional! The locations is great for sitting outside.

BelAir is such a classic for Milwaukee residents. My go to for tacos & margs. Service is good and each location is very cute on the inside.

I love this Belair specifically! Aislyn is wonderful. They always accommodate our large parties when we come in even if it's an hour before close. They also are so kind about splitting checks. I do think they would benefit from a rewards system!!

We came to this Bel air first time after discovering there was one close to F45 where we recently came in for a nice workout! This location is also close to our place compared to the water street one where we would previously go. We got seated right away and server got us our drinks along with chips and the three salsas/sauces. I really enjoy the one which tastes like deep roasted tomatoes. Both me and my husband got three tacos each so we could get the beans and rice along with. Three tacos is not a huge portion but if you have been eating those chips, it surely can fill you up real quick. We also got the pollo soup and i didn't realize when ordering that it would be a big potion. I think the soup itself can be a meal for some. It comes with nice tomato broth, rice and pollo. It was yummm! The chicken and shrimp tacos were amazing! My husband got couple of the veg ones and those were nice too.

man... I went here last summer with a friend, we ordered a bunch of different tacos bc we were really intrigued by the different flavors, meats, styles! We got like six tacos, we shelled out some money bc the more novelty the more expensive, you know? All of them were supposed to be different, we were so excited. When we picked it up and were digging in, we realized they were all the same type of taco. The guac was really good... but realizing we were conned like that put a bad taste in my mouth. Fast forward to last night. I was with friends and we were deciding what to eat. They mentioned they had good experiences, I was like ok i'll give it another try, I have friends who work at bel airs, maybe I caught them on a bad day. I wanted to have a better experience. I got the steak burrito bowl. The meat was really fatty but you know when you mix up a burrito bowl, it kind of just turns into sustinance slop... and I was really fucking hungry! I was willing to look past that I couldn't identify what I was eating. If anything, I was getting into it. Like fuck yes this is the first meal i've eaten all day I don't care if it's all fat caps and what isn't fat is weirdly gristly, I can look past the off putting water-like liquid that is refusing to mix in the slop... maybe it's like... bean juice. It's slop I don't care! Until something unidentifiable stabbed me in the gum. I was hungry it wasn't going to stop me! Until a few bites later I chewed on a bone. Like a small knobby bone. I wish I took a picture of it but it wasn't something I cared enough to capture. Plus I don't Yelp often. With that said though it was such a visceral experience, it shut my appetite down full stop... and when I am starving like I was... I will eat anything. I wanted to go out on a limb and cultivate some sort of trust with bel air again... but I think the bridge is burned. I feel stupid for trying in the first place bc there are SO MANY better taco restaurants/food trucks in milwaukee. This radicalized me, I will only be eating tacos from the west and south sides from now on.

RACIST AND HORRIBLE FOOD! Been coming to Belair for years and always had a pleasant experience until my last visit! When I first came in I was seated and when the server came with water both glasses were dirty! I then asked for clean glass and the server came back with the another dirty glass! I then opted for a bottled beverage and then we ordered. I came in for some tacos and my carnitas came out very tough, almost leather like. When I notified our server she seemed annoyed that I even told her about the issue and said very rudely "if you don't like this then I'll get a manager" and just grabbed the food and walked away. I was completely shocked with the lack of professionalism! About 5 minutes later the manager came over and introduced herself as Maddie and asked us what was going on. After explaining what happened she appeared frustrated and let us know that she checked everything and nothing was wrong with the cups or food. I then explained that we have been here for years and it has not been consistent in months. She then stated that we could order something else if that "didn't do it for us" because they "batch cook" and wouldnt be able to remake the meat. I've worked in restaurants but the horrible customer service was not cool. Against our better judgement we ordered new food when the server finally returned and we got some carne asada and it was rock hard! At this point we just wanted to leave. As I was getting up to look for my server (she barely came to the table) I was then asked by the manager Maddie, "are you going to pay for that?" I was just absolutely stunned and disgusted. I let the "manager " know that I indeed intended to pay but the new tacos were an issue. She then exhaled as if i was wasting her time and let me know she'd take the tacos off the check and i then walked about 3-4ft over to the table while she fixed the check. I then see my server walk over and I am not sure if they thought they were whispering but I was 2 tables away and could hear clearly. The server asked "what's the problem now" and the manager Maddie replied "she didn't like her new tacos" and the server stated then stated "oh well" and then Maddie says "I thought all mexicans liked tacos but some just want to get free food". I was extremely frustrated and disappointed as the tears swelled in my eyes.I have never encountered such a blatant racial remark while in a restaurant! Me and My fiancé immediately got up and left! I understand restaurants need help but to have basically a child as a manager and not be properly trained is ridiculous. No ability to problem solve and meet customers needs but to go so far as to make such a disrespectful and racist statement is beyond me! I guess she thought we couldn't hear her. I've met the previous manager Kyle and we have never had this happen and never experienced this issue. Hire qualified adults for leadership roles because this is the WORST experience I have ever encountered in my life! If Belair Cantina is okay with this type of racism then I will not be back and I wish anyone of my culture sees this and not go there!

I've eaten at this particular Bel Air since it's in my neighborhood multiple times, but never took up the Tuesday and Thursday $2 tacos, Modelo and Dos XX deal. Very pleased by the deal and by the wait staff. Friendly and quick to help. As a vegetarians, I love their veggie tacos especially the jackfruit taco. Always a delight! Highly recommend a Tuesday or Thursday trip down to Downer!

When other restaurants at this intersection casually mention the wait for a table of 2 is 105 minutes, you can get right in at the Taco Cow and spare the world your hangriness! The amuse bouche chips and salsa here are not changing the world, but I have certainly had worse. It would have been nice if the server explained the difference between the three salsas, or even better, described them before bringing them over--my boyfriend doesn't do salsa and my spice tolerance is just below "can't drink Sprite too quickly" on the Scoville scale--so only the green one was eaten and the other two were surely unceremoniously dumped in the trash. Insert wasteful sad face here. Overall though, the server was efficient and friendly, my two favorite qualities, and my taco salad tortilla bowl was tasty even if it was a smidge expensive for what I received. If you are in the area and need a quick bite, this is your place!

Only good thing was that plenty of guacamole arrives as appetizer. Then..., Ordered spicy chicken burrito, but was unable to eat the darned thing. Loaded with dried out stringy chicken, it was unable to be fixed with guac or sauces. It is so easy to make a chicken breast and dunk it in a burrito. How did these fools mess it up? Wait; I do not want to know! Yuck!

What a great spot! Two of us came during a Friday afternoon and were immediately seated. Our server came by with chips, 3 types of salsas, and the menus - the green salsa was my favorite! We ordered a pitcher of the mix of the strawberry/mango/raspberry frozen margarita and it was AMAZING! This is a concoction that my friend has put together and mastered and I'm glad we went with it, so light and refreshing! I ordered a half order of the carne asada nachos and my friend ordered a 3 taco plate (if you order 3 tacos, it come with rice and beans for no extra charge). The nachos were good and were the perfect size, just a little disappointed it didn't come with guacamole. My friend really enjoyed the tacos, beans, and rice and took some of it home too. All in all, a really good vibe, the interior was bright and eye catching, and the food and drinks were enjoyable!

Bel air is a Milwaukee staple, although some will say it's not worth the hype. I enjoy going into belAir on Tuesday & Thursdays when they have a few tacos listed for $2. On days when there isn't a special, I think that it is pretty highly priced for what you receive. On $2 taco days the wait can be very long, so I recommend going on their website and putting your name on the list which helps move you up a little bit. I do love the unique salsa options and the queso is delicious.

BelAir FOR THE WIN they're still killing it even during a pandemic. Ordered the carne asada burrito and it was just as amazing as before. 10/10 would recommend. P.S.- I'm not great at photography so the picture doesn't do this beautiful burrito justice, but it was absolutely amazing and a s*** ton of food!!! Please patronize local establishments like BelAir during this time!!

The only thing worth getting here is the Barbacoa and the drink specials. The soy chorizo was bland the tortillas they're served on are dry and uncooked. I would avoid the carne asada fried to A crisp and dry not even the salsa could save the tacos. The drinks are fairly priced and the staff is friendly

So sad that this BelAir location has gone so far downhill. This has been a go to for us for many years, however in the past 3 months everytime we have gone the food has been cooked incorrectly. Not sure if it is a training issue with chefs but the meat has no seasoning and we have sent dishes that we have gotten for years back to the kitchen. The Brookfield location definitely follows how things are supposed to taste and be seasoned but when sending something back here because it has no taste, I was told that "this is how they have always made it" - really sad because we have definitely taken this off the rotation of go to places. Hopefully they back to making things correctly

I always order to go from here. I've gotten the bbq birria beef bowl and chips and guac a lot. I'm allergic to dairy so I always ask for no cheese or sauce and most of the times they get it right, when they don't and put cheese on it they are fine with remaking it, except one time where I had to argue with the hostess that there was cheese on it so that was weird, only reason it isn't four stars

Waiting on class to end so I dropped in to kill some time. So very glad that I did. Place was packed for happy hour so I took a seat at the bar. Service was impeccable, timely, attentive, and welcoming. Menu was extensive for a cantina. I tried carne nachos (1/2 order), a tequila from their impressive collection, and an iced tea. The nachos were outstanding. Tasty. Fresh. Loaded with steak, beans, sour cream, and a really good fundido. A whole order would have been deadly for one! All in all - a place I will rave about and come back often!

Great food, fun ambience and quick and friendly service. Vegetarian options are yummy.

Came back to give it another try, hoping that the service would match of locations.....definitely didn't. 1) Our food came out before our drinks 2) The table next to us, sat down after I did, and received their food and check before someone even talked to me. 3) We ordered queso, but no chips and salsa had been delivered yet. We asked the waiter who dropped the queso off, and he ignored us and walked away. 4) One can definitely tell my food was sitting in the window for a long time, because the sauce was crushed over. My recommendation, avoid the place all together.

Bel Air is always a good choice. I've never been to the one on Downer and I like the vibe! It's very bright, clean, and open! Our bartender was the BEST with vibrant energy, witty humor when we waited at the bar for a table to be ready (20min on a Saturday night). Had a marg and sangria (which is made fresh daily). Snagged a booth (WIN!) and we were intermittently checked on but it wasn't terrible. Salsa trio, as always, was amazing with some fresh chips! Korean beef burrito was MASSIVE ($12) and thankfully boxes are readily available to take leftovers home. Pitcher of margaritas was $26 and has about 5 margaritas. Check it out if you want some fun Mexican food! Parking is street or some metered lots around Downer.

This has to be my favorite experience at any of the BelAire locations. I never had high hopes of this place as my first experience was very mediocre. This time the food and drinks had blown me away that it has changed my outlook on this place. I have returned now many times just to this location as for some reason I just find this one much better. The staff is very friendly and the environment is vibrant and fun.

Tacos is one the best. Recommend the mango, tilapia and shrimp ones. They are de-li-cious. Service is OK, we were seated withing 5 mns of arrival and server was courteous and friendly. I highly recommend

Stopped in to the Downer Ave location on a Tuesday to hang with some friends who wanted to try something new. We were familiar with the other two stores and wanted to try the new location. There was a greeter/ hostess. ended up sitting at the bar for about a half hour till a table opened up for 8 of us. the Bar service was pretty good with only two odd situations. my beer had a sugar rim on the edge that was a little strange. The second situation was when another guest ordered a spotted cow and got a new glarus octoberfest instead. They made things right simple mistake. Considering that the draft sticks are almost identical. Street parking after 6:00 free. till six its 1 hour for 50 cents. Food 5 burritos and tacos were well made and aout the same as the other stores. Same with the complementary the sauces and chips portions of rice and beans were slightly less than the other locations. Ambiance. 4 definityly smaller and louder drone of voices. even with the music being a moderate level Service. 4, wait staff checked on us and didn't disappear. Location.4 good parking. Value 5 always a good deal on Tuesday and Thursday's. 94/2014

Wednesday night at the new Bel-Air on Downer: you really can't go wrong with Tex-mex, California fresh tacos and burritos, nachos for pre-meal munching, and all those lovely margaritas. They even have a huge separate Tequila menu (although shots/neat glasses of tequila on a 'school night' for me usually = no bueno.) The margaritas were still delicious as ever. They offer all their kinds with a bunch of fruit flavors -- mango is my favorite. So the Downer area is really picking up these days (although if you remember this building more as Henri's Pub and the Coffee Trader than VIA, you are clearly "my people.") But either way the area and new restaurant look great. I loved the old-time diner counter they had at VIA and loved how they kept it but updated it with cow print bar stools. Service was fast and friendly, the avocado and bacon tacos are still the best, and there's a nice little patio in front that'll be sweet come spring. I think Kelsey said it best with "I love me some Bel-Air". I do and am so glad there's another Eastside location!

A long wait but that should be expected on a Friday night. But the chips and salsa is fresh and crispy the 3 different sauces nice I like the Orange one is a little spicy. You must try their mango margarita it's delicious and they can make it to your liking no problem. I'm enjoying this a lot might have a few more margaritas to end my Friday night with a bang lol. I ordered the bowl it was delicious and my friend ordered the 3 tacos that comes with rice and beans. Great service can't wait to come back and try something else on the menu. I wish they had another TV there's only one next to the bar but I still give them 5 star for their service. It's a great spot to have walking distance for delicious drinks and food

The food was extremely good. We had drinks, appetizers and entrees - all for under $30 due to the happy hour specials. Food came out in a timely fashion and we didn't regret our decision. Parking could be a bit tricky depending on what's going on, but we found free street parking within a few blocks. As other reviewers have stated, the service could use a bit of an upgrade. We had a server who was prompt initially but service soon fell off after our orders were in. As a whole this is a good spot for dinner just don't expect top service from the college crew working as servers.

Good environment, nice touch on salsa and chips!! Would like to come back for drinks when I'm around the town

Great tacos, great margarita, great staff! I love the shrimp taco and most recently had the Korean style taco! Must get the guacamole too! The only downside to this place is they do not have the best salsa, some days it is great with lots of flavor and other days it's sometime bland! I will continue to return. Especially on Tuesday and Thursdays!

Service wasn't particularly good or particularly terrible, but the food at this location is always lacking in quality compared to the other locations. If you're trying BelAir for the first time, go to another location. Lobster taco was rubbery and very overpriced. Guac had half an unmashed avocado in it, and margaritas were much weaker than the ones i've had at the Tosa BelAir. Hours are also incorrect on google and on maps- closes at 10pm, not 11pm.

I sat outside at this great place and it was a joyful experience. I had the chips and guac and it had a great flavor to it. I had the shrimp tacos on the corn tortillas and had some rice and black beans to tag along with it. I am on a mission to go to every Bel Air in the city and my time here was a great one to check off the list.

We used to love Bel Air in 2014. But then in 2017 it started declining, so have not gone back in a long time. The salsas, dishes and general sauces over the buritos used to be very tasty. Over time the salsas lost their fresh flavor and got more watery and salty and the sauces over the buritos became very bland. I had the same experience in Brookfield. Not sure why the decline, but due to the bland food, we stopped coming here.

food good, service mid (50/50) drinks, especially margaritas, very inconsistent. usually too salty and almost undrinkable but that depends on the bartender of course. still come here periodically for the shrimp bowl which is good. was pretty disappointed on national margarita day as the margaritas were bad enough that i sent them back. I dont usually complain or send things back because i too work in the service industry but they were undrinkable. they remade them for us which i was thankful for.

I am a frequent member of the Taco Tuesday at Bel Air. All tacos are $2 and are great. It is good food but it isn't amazing. I mostly go to Bel Air for the cheap tacos, margaritas and atmosphere. They have really fun art all over the restaurant. We started off with about two baskets of chips and 3 salsas (free of course) which seem to always fill me up before I get my actual meal. I got the Carne Asada, Al Pastor and Pollo Yucatan. These were a good choice! I love the steak and cilantro combination. The black beans and rice are the perfect side. I also love the plantain with a dollop of sour cream on it. Overall, Bel Air is good.

Do not order "curbside" from them!! You have to go in after repeated calls tonight. The order not only was wrong, but food out of the shells! Never again - a joke.

Mushy, almost ground beef consistency in my carne asada that looks like diarrhea on a plate from the excess water from who knows where. And NO rice in my Burrito bowl even though it's STANDARD in burrito bowl. Manager of the day responds with "sorry" without offered compensation or replacement. The Downer location lives up to its name: A downer. BOOO!

Picture this. Three employees sitting in a booth- slightly before opening. Guests sitting on patio already with menus. Employees having a conversation and couldn't be bothered to help potential guests. Employee: Looks up? Hi. Me: Can we get a table for 2? Employee: We're not actually open. Employee 2 (girl) so yeah Me: There are people on your patio with menus. Employee 3 (setting up umbrellas to Employee: You can give them menus Employee gets up leisurely to get menus We left, terrible service and rude employees. Epic fail Bel Air.

Always my go to taco place in Milwaukee. The restaurant is a bit small so when they're specials for taco Tuesday/Thursday are on, dinner time can be a bit of a wait. Although it is a wait, i will always be there. The staff is incredible. They get your food out immediately! The chicken nachos are definitely a great choice to split! If you're in town this is a place to try!

Such good food! The service is impeccable and the raspberry mango margarita is a must! I got the taco salad w hot sauce, by far the best one I've ever had. Place had cute decorations, and our waitress was Kylee. 10/10. Superb!

Table 20 - party of 4 - was fairly pleasant on 9/3, however, the customer- care was lacking and the service was weak. Specials of margarita slushies for $3.50 were welcome, the regular margarita was $5. The La Prima house cocktail charged $14 - high. Beers were 3 and 4 dollars. Our server Kaitlin brought a stake fajita instead of the shrimp we had ordered, she did not apologize and we took the too tough stake fajita and asked for shrimp on the side - we should not have been charged. Kaitlin also forgot the mexican cobb salad we ordered for the table. We 4 judged the food and service - meh. We do not need to come in a second time. Hope you all improve for others. M.W.

Where to start. If I could give less stars, I would! The bathrooms smell like out houses. (Gag my guts)! Place is basically empty, but 'still' had to wait to be seated. Of course... closest to the bathrooms. Table is sticky. So sticky! Server and bartender have NO knowledge of the 7 imported beers offered on the menu. Bartender actually had the audacity to tell me to go back to the table to order a beer! Mind you, we haven't seen our server in 15 min! But... (get this), our food has been up and ready now... for 10 minutes! There's only three tables occupied in the entire place. Oh... the bar is empty.