Milwaukee, WISouthern

Maxie's draws from Southern, Cajun, and Lowcountry traditions in a lively Fairview Avenue dining room. Oysters, gumbo, barbecue, fried chicken, and seasonal seafood sit comfortably together, supported by a bar program and an easygoing atmosphere that have made the restaurant a durable Milwaukee gathering place.

Crawdaddy's brings Cajun and Creole comfort to West Allis through gumbo, jambalaya, seafood, barbecue, and Southern sides. The Greenfield Avenue room embraces a festive neighborhood energy, while the kitchen's broad menu gives diners several routes into the spice and richness of the Gulf South.

Nino's treats Southern side dishes as the foundation of the meal rather than an afterthought. Greens, macaroni and cheese, yams, cornbread, and changing proteins come together in comforting plates, offering Shorewood a small counter with a clear culinary identity and generous spirit.

Daddy's Soul Food & Grille specializes in fried chicken with a crisp shell and juicy meat. Build a plate with baked macaroni and cheese, smoked turkey greens or black-eyed peas. Cornmeal-coated fried catfish is another option, and the kitchen also makes smothered pork chops and meatloaf. This pick is the North 27th Street restaurant.

At 1700 PULL UP, chef Rosetta Bond builds comfort-food plates around family recipes. The stuffed turkey leg is a signature: a large, meaty leg filled with changing additions such as shrimp Alfredo. Bond also cooks catfish and gumbo, with sides including Cajun rice. The Fond du Lac Avenue restaurant carries her cooking from a home-based operation into a neighborhood dining room.