Cocina Filipina, the bright green Filipino food truck that has been rolling around Milwaukee, is trading in its wheels for a permanent spot at 3801 W. Vliet St. The partners say the new full-service restaurant will keep serving the truck favorites while expanding into a broader menu and full bar, with plans to open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The brick and mortar leap comes on the heels of a December 2025 fire that destroyed the business's commercial kitchen and sent the team searching for a long-term home base.
A new West Vliet home
Partners Marilupe Moreno, who oversees the business operations, and chef Edu Guzman will run the new restaurant. Moreno told OnMilwaukee that they are "really grateful that, after the fire, we've found such a great space," and she credited landlords Tom and Suzanne Straub for taking a chance on another tenant at the West Vliet address.
Rebuilding after the blaze
The path to West Vliet started with a setback. The group's commercial kitchen was heavily damaged in a Dec. 12, 2025 fire that forced both Cocina Filipina and sister truck Modern Maki to halt service and hunt for a new licensed kitchen, according to Urban Milwaukee. That reporting notes that the owners launched a GoFundMe campaign and began weighing temporary and permanent options while they waited on inspections and approvals.
Menu, hours and a hub for the trucks
The West Side restaurant will bring truck staples, including lumpia, egg rolls, churros and rice bowls, into a sit down setting, while also adding more entrees, desserts and cocktails, according to OnMilwaukee. The owners told the outlet they plan to be open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the new kitchen is set to double as the home base for all three of their food trucks.
What this means for the West Side
The storefront is part of a stretch of renovated buildings and small restaurants along West Vliet Street. Urban Milwaukee has chronicled the recent turnover and redevelopment at 3801 to 3813 W. Vliet St. A previous tenant, Lisa Kaye Bistro, closed earlier this spring, which cleared the way for Cocina Filipina to move into the space.
The partners have not announced an official opening date yet, and say they will share more details on the menu and timing as they get closer to a planned summer launch. Cocina Filipina began in 2023 as a mobile operation designed to keep Filipino food in the spotlight locally after the closure of Meat on the Street, as reported by BizTimes.
