La Dama | Mexican Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Milwaukee

La Dama is, unfortunately, one of the most disappointing and overrated dining experiences I’ve had in this city. While it presents itself as upscale Mexican cuisine, the execution falls far short—especially given the premium prices.

The food was bland, overpriced, and sloppily presented. I ordered the ribeye entrée, which turned out to be a small, underwhelming cut of steak drowning in a flavorless bean broth, alongside soggy chunks of pork belly that added more fat than flavor. The taco trio was particularly disappointing. At $8 apiece, I expected depth and balance—but instead got one of the worst taco experiences I’ve ever had.

The mushroom taco had a sulfurous note and was overwhelmed by the sun-dried tomatoes. The shrimp taco lacked seasoning and acidity, despite being described as served with smoky adobo rojo and pineapple habanero salsa—none of which was evident in the bite. The birria taco was monotonous, with no brightness, no crunch, and no garnish like pickled onions or cilantro to cut through the richness. Even the charro beans, which should have been a comfort-food staple, arrived as a bowl of murky, meat-scrap stew lacking salt and texture.

To make matters worse, service was lackluster and disengaged. Our server seemed uninterested from the start. Basic questions about the menu were met with “I don’t know,” and no attempt was made to follow up. For a restaurant that prides itself on being elevated and refined, the hospitality was surprisingly indifferent.

I left frustrated and wondering how this place earned any acclaim. There are taco trucks and small neighborhood joints in this city doing far better work at a fraction of the price. I have no intention of returning to La Dama and can’t recommend it in good faith to anyone who values flavor,...

We had a reservation and were quickly seated. The hostess was welcoming and gave us a choice between sitting inside or outside. Unfortunately, that was the only positive experience with this restaurant.

Our server came over fairly quickly, then disappeared for 30 minutes before coming back. He was always outside checking on other tables and passed by us at least 6 times without ever acknowledging us. When he finally came over to take our order, he seemed frustrated when we had questions about the menu and was impatient with us.

We ordered the chips and guac, the vegetarian tacos, and the quesadilla special. The guac was very average, the tacos quite bland and extremely overpriced, and the quesadilla very plain with an unappealing salsa. The waiter checked on us once and we expressed that the food was not up to our expectations, and he just walked away without asking how to improve our experience. Furthermore, he never refilled our water or asked if we wanted drinks. We had to flag down another worker to inquire about the menu and place our drink order. Other tables placed their orders, got their food, and left before we even had the chance to order. The service experience was quite disappointing. Furthermore, our server would constantly check on other tables and tell them to have a good night, but just gave us the check and walked away without another word. Utterly disappointing and will not be returning. You're better off going to any other Mexican restaurant- this place is a shame to Crazy...

Our visit to La Dama was deeply disappointing and disturbing, despite the restaurant looking quite busy. We were initially told tables were available, yet we faced an excessively long wait to be seated. After our order was placed, it was neglected for over 40 minutes without any updates from the staff. Notably, our waiter seemed to deliberately avoid our table, and when we finally got his attention, he responded almost with a scream. This alarming behavior made us feel concerned. Compelled by the poor service, we left for La Merenda, where the contrast in customer care was striking. I was very disappointed by the unprofessionalism and rudeness of the staff at La Dama; choosing it over La merenda was clearly a mistake.

response to owner’s recent comment

Let's set the record straight—I have the reservation confirmation, and I’m happy to help you locate it in your system. We chose an indoor table when asked, yet somehow ended up with the complete opposite. How does that happen?

40 minutes of being invisible in your restaurant, then getting yelling and an “it is what it is" brush-off-that’s not service, that’s a breakdown in hospitality. If this is how things are run, I’m genuinely worried about where you’re headed.

Drop the excuses and start tightening up your act. Better customer service and quicker serving times should be on your to-do list, not overbooking and then shouting down your guests. Let's remember, no one’s coming in to be treated poorly.

Hoping for a real change here,...