Gemma Rae’s Cheesecake Cafe

Hands down best cheese cake!!! You have to stop in just to get a slice. The owner is the sweetest lady ever and you can just tell she loves what she does. Haven’t tried anything else on the menu yet, but we stop in frequently just to grab a slice or two (or three) to go.

This place is great authentic Italian. Pizza is awesome!
Italian breakfast so good! The hospitality is awesome!

Went in for brunch with my husband ! Let me tell ya this place is cute & cozy. Staff is awesome made us feel like regulars ! Talked to us and joked with us ! Then our food came out. Again awesome i had the Italian breakfast ! Just great… My husband had an omelette he said was fabulous. Then we picked up some treats for later cannot wait to try them out ! Definitely will be coming back to this lil gem !!

One of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever had — tasted fresh and homemade, can’t speak to the rest of the fare, but the cheesecake is great. $ 50 for a whole one, so not inexpensive but also worth it.

Absolutely the best cheesecake in town! Whether you buy an individual cake, or the whole thing — your guests will be raving and asking for your secret! Let Joanne @ Gemma Rae’s make the cake for your next special event — you won’t want to go anywhere else for cheesecake again!

This was a disappointment after such a good first impressions. The place is in a strip mall and easy to find with plenty of parking.
I did like the charm of the place but found it weird that it was completely empty for the 20 minutes at lunch time while I waited for take out. Great care was taken to make it look like grandmas place with an over load of the theme of a stereo type of what grandmas place is. See my pictures. I did think it was cool and different but why was it empty at lunch and I will get to that.
The online menu states a Sicilian steak sandwich for $ 10.95 which sounds good so I order it and it is actually ended up being 14.71 when I get the check and I’m like what the hell is sounds marvelous. The woman who helped me was great and took good care of me. 20 minutes later she handed me my bag of food.
It all smelled good before I opened it so I finally opened it and it looked good. As always I opened up the sandwich and I noticed it had just a little steak in it and the equivalent of a whoppers worth of meat, mind you the commercial says 2 whoppers for $ 5 mix or match. See my picture. This was very disappointing after spending the better part of $ 14.
The meal comes with the skimpy steak sandwich, my choice of fried potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, loose Mariana sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoncini peppers. The sandwich was tasty but on a bun to big for the small amount of steak so many bites had no steak at all and not very cheesy either. The fried potatoes were seasoned with a hint of garlic and I liked them.
My final thoughts is that the meal had great potential but it was excited poorly for the price point that it’s at. It was over priced to say the least for $ 14 when the picnic basket has a prime rib monster for under $ 10 that is way more satisfying.

Some of the worst Italian food I’ve ever had, so disappointed and overpriced, my kids barely touched their food, also they flat out refused to take my
gift certificate because I accidentally hit validate on my cell phone, they actually argued with me when it was clear that it was validated the day I was there, they accused me of it already being used when we had never been there!!! The server was sweet, service OK, food awful:(Very rare that I box up food and throw out when I get home:(

super flame cheesecake ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would eat again

Came in from Kansas City checked Unilocal for breakfast and found Gemma Rae’s, nice to have real fresh made food from scratch, had a Great Meal and took a box of her Home Made Christmas cookies to take back. Will be back for more on our next trip up.

Stopped in off a whim, was not sure what to expect. Right off the bat we were meet with a warm welcome. Had a piece of cherry cheesecake, one of the best I’ve ever had. Well be coming back soon.

The service is friendly and very welcoming. The food is excellent and the desserts are superb!

Delicious and fresh cheesecake everyday. The raspberry cheesecake is a must try.

Wonderful ! Simply wonderful ! Our server Joann made the experience! She laughed with us and was soooo personable! She was outstanding!
The food is from scratch and the owner Joann keeps the portions good sized. The sandwiches were stuffed and the large plates were loaded. The food was prepared perfectly. Very authentic. Then the cheesecake … It is the best I have had anywhere in Milwaukee. It was not overly rich or heavy. It was simply delicious. Had one there and had to bring another home. Yes, it really is that good!

I love the chocolate covered orchids!

Really cute place that I have been meaning to try for years as I have lived in the area forever. I want to come back for one of their lunch or dinner menu items, as I was only in the mood for coffee and cheesecake when I stopped in with my boyfriend to kill some time on a lazy Sunday. The cheesecake was amazing! Super light and fluffy! I will definitely update once I have had one of their other menu options. In the mean time, check it out… then hop next door for some libations at Consumer Beverage :)

First time here at the behest of a buddy. I wanted to go somewhere else for an Italian sub sandwich and I was like, «What the heck? We;re going to a bakery for lunch?»
Glad I came! Home style Italian staples (Pizza, pasta, eggplant, parmesan choices, etc.) and sandwiches on the menu. I had an Italian sub sandwich on a toasted Italian/​Sesame encrusted roll (Balestreri Bakery) that was outstanding. My pal didn’t let me have a taste of his meatball sandwich, but he loves that sandwich here and that’s why we came!
We shared a large antipasto salad before we ate the sandwiches. The salad and the sandwiches were perfect and definitely homemade with love and care.
Our server Joanne was terrific. You can feel the love she has for the place and for her customers. I felt like she was my older sister taking REALLY good care of me… and I just met her. What an incredible lady!
I spoke to the owner and chef, who’s name is also Joanne. She’s a serious minded owner/​baker/​cook. I was too full to have dessert, but she confirmed that she makes her own cannoli shells and fills ‘em to order. I’m definitely saving room for a cannoli on my next visit.
Go to Gemma Rae’s and mangiare a sazieta!

Holy moly this place is good!
We stopped in here on a whim for breakfast the other day, not knowing anything about it, or if they even served breakfast. Well, they do, and it beats pretty much any other café or diner breakfast ever.
We ordered french toast, an omelet, and the cheese blintzes, and every bite tasted like home cooking. Everything was fresh and made expertly, with love. You can taste the love.
The owner was extremely friendly and accommodating. She suggested several items that we loved, and we ended up purchasing a few things to go also!
The atmosphere was cozy and unique. It was all decorated for Christmas. When you go in, the atmosphere, people, and food all make you think you’re at your grandma’s house. It’s incredible.
This is going to be our new go-​to spot, every time we go through here.

Love the cozy, home style, food and atmosphere.-they even have Giuseppi’s pizza! When you walk in, you feel like you’re somewhere else. It’s amazing to find a place like this in the middle of a Hales Corners strip mall. It has a small town, quaint, feel to it. The owner is so wonderful to her customers. There is sometimes only 1 person running the place at a time, so you have to sometimes be a little patient when waiting for your meal depending on what you order. I would put your full order in right away if you are short on time. However, you don’t even mind waiting a little bit because the space is so warm and inviting. Such a great place!

Excellent cheesecake, hands down beats any other place in WI. I had the Raspberry Cheesecake and it was awesome. When I was there the owner walked past me with 2 plates of the Italian breakfast. As the smell hit me I realized this was one of those easy to miss great places. I gave it 4 stars because when I ordered 2 slices of different cheesecake I got home and had 2 slices of the same kind (Raspberry). Not too big of a deal when it tastes like it does. So forget Simma’s (if you go too late they are sold out of everything you want), and forget the Cheesecake Factory (support local businesses people).

Have been here two times now — one lunch and one breakfast. Both times my partner and I were very satisfied with our meals. The menu is small with 4 – 5 items per meal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. The main diff between lunch and dinner is whether the entrée is a sandwich or not, served with pasta or not, and I am guessing size of the meal.
All items are cooked to order and seemed fresh not frozen — definitely not ‘sysco’. The tasty food is home-​style, like something your mom or grandma would cook for you. Nothing fancy or trendy, but honest food prepared on the spot. The portions are ample and we could have split our meals both times as we had plenty of leftovers.
I cannot comment on the cheesecake, but we took home some baklava and omg it was the best evah! The balance of honey, nuts and pastry was perfect. Bakery selections vary daily but there are always a lot of choices. There is an ample selection of sugar free bakery too — for those of us with a touch of the ‘sugar’.
The sausage sandwich is a large Italian (not spicy) on some awesome Italian bread with sesame seeds on it topped with sauteed onions and sweet peppers. There is a choice of side, I picked the home fries, which were ok — possibly re-​heated.
The breakfast items we tried were pancakes with apple and walnuts and the blintzes. The best pancakes ever. They were substantial and almost cakey without being doughy. The topping was ample and not too sweet. Topped off with fresh shipped cream it just stopped short of being dessert for breakfast.
The blintzes were very tasty too. Not as sweet as the pancakes, I ordered the jam that comes with them on the side. You got your choice of cherry, rhubarb, strawberry… all made from scratch according to Joanne. (More on Joanne later.) They were light and fluffy while still having plenty of filling. Also topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
Lunch sandwiches were about $ 10 per. Breakfast was about $ 8 per. The value is there for the taste, atmosphere and service.
Joanne is the proprietor and she is a very welcoming host. My partner and I enjoy talking to her and chatting, which she will always take the time to do. Her family has a background in the restaurant biz and it shows in her pride and in the little details of the food and service. She is happy to make recommendations on the menu, enthusiastically serves her customers, and is the closest thing to an Italian mom I will ever get. we have not had a problem with wait times like others have mentioned.
The atmosphere is ‘grandma casual’ almost approaching shabby chic. The dishes, wall hangings, chairs don’t match but it all works. I love the paper doily place mats. Everything seemed clean if a little cozy.
I enjoy spending my money with a local family and a mom&pop business. I think that adds to the positive experiences I have had.

First and foremost, this is definitely the best slice of cheesecake that I know of in Wisconsin, and probably even Chicago. Cheesecake is my go to dessert, so I kind of consider myself a quasi-​expert, especially since I’ve tasted most of the World famous slices in NYC (Junior’s in Brooklyn trumps all). There are still a few places I have yet to try in the Milwaukee area, I doubt any of them can touch the thick, rich and creamy splendor of a slice of Gemma Rae’s.
While I generally stop in for coffee and cheesecake, I have had the food here and it is very delicious. I stick towards the Italian options, they are can’t miss. I have talked with the owner here once on a slow Saturday night, she told me that she’s related to the family of a popular Italian restaurant in the area and spent a lot of time working in their restaurants. It really shows in the food.
The dining area is small but cozy. The décor I can only describe as Grandma’s house meets antique store meets craft fair. There is a small outdoor patio as well.
I know there has been concern with the lack of help here in the past. It’s never been an issue to me since everything here feels so homemade, but it seems like the owner has solved that problem by recruiting various members of her family. One of these new employees is a real gem, she’s an Italian Grandmother-​type who is a perfect fit for this place. She spent time playing with my baby (Daddy always enjoys a break), telling me stories of her Grandkids and all the while serving me and making sure my coffee stayed full and I had everything I needed. This type of service has been desperately lacking on the southwest side of the city, it’s a breath of fresh air to be able to get a refill at a sit down around here without having to set off a road flare.
If you like cannoli’s or other Italian dessert’s, they’re great here, grab them on the way out. The main event here really is the cheesecake. Generally they have plain cheesecake on hand that you can get topped with fruit compote topping, as well as 3 to 5 different flavored cheesecake. In the fall they make a killer Pumpkin cheesecake. This time around I took a shot at their Italian cheesecake. I’ve noticed these at places before but haven’t even inquired about them up until this point. She gave me the rundown and told me they use ricotta in there and I was sold. No regrets at all, as I took a bite of a light, fluffy delicious piece of cake that melted in my mouth. Awesome.
Come here. Buy a lot of cheesecake and treats. Now!

I came here one of the first weekends they were open. I was pretty excited by the name as I’m a Cheesecake Fanatic. I wasn’t sure what I’d find inside…
It is a «sit down restaurant». The décor looks just like your Grandma’s kitchen and dining room. It’s cute inside… there is also an outdoor seating area which was pretty popular in the summer.
This place is also a coffee shop, bakery and an ice cream parlor, along with a restaurant.
I came with two others on my first visit. There are maybe only 5 – 7 tables inside and 3 – 4 outside. We were able to get a seat — there were probably 4 – 5 other groups there. It took about 10 minutes to get a menu, another 10 to order, and another 45 to get our food. It quickly became obvious the owner was the only one cooking and waiting that day. So staff and time was a serious issue.
I wouldn’t say the food was worth the wait because the wait was ridiculously long bit it still tasted good. I had the chicken Parmesan. The owner, I believe, was born and raised in Sicily. It’s apparent in her food. The entire menu was very Sicilian, like the side of mostaccioli with every meal. You don’t find a true Italian (or Sicilian) meal often in the suburbs. Usually it is very American-​ized — if that makes any sense…
I do remember the chicken being HUGE on the sandwich, to the point where eating it was hard to do. But I’d rather be given more than less…
The food was decent, the service was poor, but the reason I gave this place 4 stars is right in the name. The Cheesecake Café.
The Cheesecake was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I’d rank it even above Cheesecake Factory. There were about 15 different flavors. I had the Chocolate Peanut Butter — INCREDIBLE. Huge slice, very rich and creamy. It was pricey, just like the cheesecake factory slices, so I’ve come to expect to pay that much for a huge, quality slice of cheesecake.
I’ve gone back there several times to order slices or entire pies to go. Again, they are expensive, but serve plenty of people.
Make sure you put in an order ahead of time. Once I went there and she said she baked 8 Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecakes in the morning and they were all sold out by early afternoon. I think this place will probably stay in business because of the bakery, the cheesecakes and the coffee.
They’ll need to hire more staff for serving and cooking though… that was a huge turn off.
But nonetheless, the owner is friendly and you can tell she really cares about this place. She puts a lot of time and effort into her cooking and baking and it certainly showed at least in that cheesecake. Yum :)