Pedro’s South American Food has traded its wheels for a permanent North Shore home, opening a colorful new brick-and-mortar in Glendale and bringing along its food-truck favorites like empanadas, arepas and Ecuadorian comfort dishes. The strip-mall corner spot leans into Quito-inspired art, including a bright hummingbird mural, turning a once-ordinary storefront into a casual, sit-down-and-carry-out destination. After a soft opening over the weekend, the Glendale kitchen officially welcomed customers Friday morning.
Glendale debut and hours
Pedro’s officially opened today at 6969 N. Port Washington Road in Glendale. The restaurant lists weekday hours from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays until 4 p.m. There is a weekday happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m., and both carry-out and online ordering are available, according to Pedro's South American Food.
Menu, service style and drinks
The Glendale menu builds on the truck’s greatest hits, turning them into a full sit-down lineup. Diners will find empanadas in both fried and baked varieties, including gluten-friendly options, along with arepas stuffed with mechada beef or chicken pastor, corn bowls, soups such as locro de papa and sandwiches like choripán uruguayo and milanesa. Seafood fans get Baja fish tacos, shrimp empanadas and ceviche with patacones, and the service shifts from counter service during the day to full table service in the evening. Drinks range from margaritas and pisco sours to housemade horchata and dulce-de-leche iced coffee, according to OnMilwaukee.
From truck to two restaurants
Owner Pedro Tejada spent more than a decade building his brand on the move, operating a food truck and two carts before settling into his first brick-and-mortar, La Cocina Del Sur, an empanada bar at 701 E. Keefe Ave. in Riverwest. That location gave him room to expand the menu and offer full sit-down service while keeping the truck and catering operations rolling. As reported by Urban Milwaukee, La Cocina became his flagship in 2023.
The space and the view from I-43
Tejada told OnMilwaukee, referring to the Glendale site, "It needed some equipment upgrades, but the location was exactly what I’d been looking for, especially with the visibility from I-43." The storefront was previously home to Dr. Dawg, which relocated last year, leaving behind a high-traffic corner that caught Tejada’s eye. The new Glendale spot now joins the Riverwest restaurant and the mobile operations as part of his growing local footprint.
Hiring and what’s next
Pedro’s is currently hiring experienced front-of-house staff for the Glendale dining room, with applications accepted through the restaurant’s online Jobs page. The team says delivery partnerships are in the works and will be announced on its social media channels as they launch. For more information or to apply, visit Pedro's South American Food.
