Colectivo Coffee

Go to coffee shop in Milwaukee. Kids love watching the bakery while my wife and i enjoy some great coffee and pastry of choice. IIf they had a drive through, starbucks *gasp* would never see my money.

Affordable coffee that tastes good? Sounds good to me! While I would love to spend more time at Colectivo, I always seem to be doing a grab and go when I’m here and this Friday was no different. Ordered a large coffee to go, added a maple glazed donut to the order and it’s the perfect end to the work week, TGIF!

This is the biggest and most unique Colectivo I’ve been to thus far. A two-​story dream with ample seating and vertical bike parking.
The coffee and food are all solid. The baked goods are especially appetizing because this location provides an open view of their Troubadour Bakery, so you can watch the magic behind their pastries. In addition, you can purchase their fresh, buttery bread loafs here, as well.
If it’s the Summertime, go outside because you have the option to sit on their swing-​like benches. If you’re going to be socializing with a larger group and if the weather is decent enough, go sit in– what I like to call– «the sun room.» It’s usually the first room to pass through in order to get to the registers. The walls are lined with large windows, and you’ll be relatively separated from every one else, so you can afford to be a little louder. If you’re having an intimate gathering or working but don’t care too much about the noise level, sit in the first floor. The first floor is a little more chaotic because that’s where you order, hear the bakery, etc. However, it’s far from obnoxious so you can still get a lot of work done. And if you’re planning on working, but require more placidity, the second floor is the way to go. Plenty of seating, comfortable couches, and a nice view of Kinnickinnic and Lincoln Ave. Every one on the second floor is usually engaged in their own thing so I feel my privacy is a tad bit more secured. A pet peeve of mine is whenever someone tries to look over my shoulder at my computer screen or sketchbook, but I don’t have to worry about that here.
The staff is friendly and efficient. I might be biased because I love the Colectivo on East Saint Paul Avenue so much, but this location still makes a great cup of coffee. They’re open till 9:00pm on the weekdays and 8:00pm on the weekends, so I’d recommend coming here to catch up with a friend or for an evening work session. All in all, this Colectivo stands out from the others and I’ll most definitely be coming back.

I was at alterra today & the dude who worked there gave me my number knowing I wanted to eat there, there was a bowl of chili and I was going to be going upstairs to look for a spot to sit… he said he would help me and disappeared and didn’t return, I didn’t bother waiting; I just took my bowl and maneuvered my tea over to the lid containers, meanwhile my hands are full with my purse, a bag of Christmas gifts I got down the street, and my book bag. I walked up the stairs only to find no seating available, looked around downstairs — with it still being packed with people and just decided to eat it outside and after that leave from this unpleasant experience.

This location is fantastic in the summer — they have a really nice patio and I love those swings. Seating is a little harder to come by in the winter, especially if you’re after one of the quieter spots upstairs. From the first floor you can see all the food preparation that’s done at this location — it’s quite the operation and it always smells so good in there. The food is above average, but still about what you’d expect from a café (and still better than some meals I’ve had in full on restaurants), although they could stand to beef up their veggie/​vegan options. And I do wish they’d get a little more adventurous with their tea selection. I know coffee is their main deal, but a little more variety would be nice.
Overall it’s a really solid shop and I feel confident sending friends from out of town there, knowing they’ll leave with a good impression of the coffee scene in Milwaukee. One last side note — yes they have wifi, that’s pretty much a given in coffee shops now. A while back I had trouble with their wifi booting me off at the most inopportune times, but I think they fixed whatever was going on (or my laptop stopped acting up) and I haven’t had any issues recently.

Excellent place to meet friends or coworkers. Coffee is always good as is the atmosphere.

After a weeklong trip to Milwaukee, Colectivo is the thing I most wish I could bring home with me. I would have been happy starting my day there every morning, and this location in particular is pretty darn special. The coffee is excellent, of course, and the wide array of incredible looking baked goods made it very difficult to decide what to choose. The lox sandwich was also great, and half the price of one from my local bagel joint. There was ample indoor and outdoor seating, bike parking, and outdoor swinging picnic tables. I’ll sure miss you when I’m gone, Colectivo.

Solid local coffee house. I’ve had business meetings, book clubs and all-​day reading sessions here and I’ve rarely left unsatisfied. They offer a full menu all day, which includes a variety of sandwiches, soups and snacks, so you’ll get what you want no matter what. Get the brew bar coffee.

Nice urban café location. Located at an intersection heavy with restaurants, this Colectivo is my 2^nd favorite thus far (I really like their lakefront location, which is #1). Excellent espresso, decent baked goods, and the space is shared with an extensive Troubadour bakery operation. Friendly staff, and a roomy interior round things out.
There’s street parking and a metered parking lot (or two) just off the main drag. If this was my neighborhood, I’d be at this Colectivo all the time.

Right around the corner from where I stay, I’m here a lot when I visit Milwaukee. One thing I never noticed until this summer were the covered outdoor table and bench combos that are SWINGS. LOVE! What a perfectly perfect way to start a sunny morning. Madison, get these immediately. Or yesterday, if possible!
The coffee I always order is pour over, and it is always superb. The place is open, airy, stone and beam, and lots of plants, lots of veranda-​style outdoor seating, feels almost like you’re in a more tropical place rather than a hipster Milwaukee suburb. Even a magical little toy duck water feature for the toddler set to enjoy. Indoors, the bakery is wide open to watch the magic happen as you sip.
Four stars instead of five because the food can be disappointing at times, such as the lox bagel with chewy, stringy, almost impossible to eat lox. On the upside, the service is ridiculously perky (pun intended). I mean that in the nicest way, because everyone is super nice, almost over the top. When I asked for honey for my coffee, the barrista seemed stunned for a second, then she switched into customer service overdrive. She offered to ‘mix it with hot water so that it would dissolve in the coffee’. Ummmm… let’s think that through one more time, shall we? … Ah, there we go. LOL still makes me giggle whenever I think about it.

Great coffee, smoothies & tea’s. Always friendly staff & the bakery is attached, so the pastries are always the freshest. Great place when I’m in Bayview.

Im not a coffee person what so ever, but i do enjoy good baked goods and smoothies! I was getting a smoothie from Refugee, across the street and i wanted some sort of pastry. It was a little busy. I ordered a bagel and a Coffee Cake.
The Coffee Cake was given to me right away however i didn’t know that the bagel was to be sliced and toasted. Im like well alrighty then. I would have settled for a quick chop and half and 35 seconds in the microwave. Hey but you want to toast it thinly slice it and whip my butter? Fancy aren’t we eh? It did take quite some time which was my only gripe. In the morning people are getting to work.
The space is really large. There are areas to keep your dog and a semi out door space. The indoor space is great as well. Lots of seating and comfortable spaces to handle your business.
A great space at a great location. I will be back to try more fare from the menu.

Gotta give it up for the staff here, the folks who work here are all really cool and super-​nice. I’m a regular here and it is always nice to see these folks in the morning.
Colectivo’s espresso is awesome.

Colectivo, particularly the one in Bay View, always has SO much to offer. Yes, there are usually lines, but the service and food here are excellent. I’m not much of a coffee gal myself, but they have smoothies and hot chocolate that definitely attract those of us non coffee drinkers. More so than the drinks, I really enjoy the veggie pesto burrito and the cheesy biscuit. The biscuit does have too much of a hard shell on the outside, but once you get in there, it’s definitely a keeper.
They also have a bakery here so you can watch what you eat being baked. And the baked goods here are also a plus :)

My personal pick for the best Colectivo of Milwaukee. Very cool architectural design. Cool place to meet for coffee to either socialize or have a meeting. Great indoor and outdoor seating. Of course you get great Colectivo coffee. What sets this location a part is that they have the Troubodor bakery there. Definitely a place worth checking out. The only sad thing for me is that is far from where I live. BTW — The service here is great too.

Milwaukee has many great local business gems that I frequent when I’m in town. But one business in particular that I always seek out is the Colectivo Coffee houses. Scattered all over the greater MKE area and formally known as Alterra, Colectivo is far superior, more refined, and just a bit more edgy than your typical corner chains. Beans are roasted right in River West, sourced from small farms all over the world. The roast selection is awesome and has something for all types of coffee lovers. They also serve Letterbox teas, which I’ve heard great things about. Colectivo is partnered with Troubadour bakery, which make some damn-​fine in-​house, slow-​baked bread and treats to make your café experience complete. Their t-​shirts and apparel are pretty unique too; the CCR’93 shirt is B.A.
My favorite Colectivo roast is the Maximilian: a smooth, full-​body selection that is damn-​near perfect in a French press, only surpassed by the pour-​over. Second fav is the Black & Tan, a unique full-​body and light-​body blend for its namesake. If you are a fan of pour-​overs, try their Sumatra; deep and intense. Because I’m a ‘café experience’ type of guy, I go for the almond croissant and hang out for a while on the tablet or people watching. Not a bad way to enjoy the moment.
Like I mentioned above, Colectivo has many locations around the city, and are even in Madison now, but are far from the chain coffee roaster. It is a larger Wisconsin local business that keeps the local vibe and flair alive and well. Their prices are slightly higher than the conventional, but you are not paying for conventional here. For me, having a handful of craft coffee shops around is great for swinging by to get some great beans or a delicious cup no matter what side of town I’m on. Among my favorite Milwaukee business gems, Colectivo is a diamond. Shine on.

There is no shortage of comfortable, fashionable, friendly coffee houses in Milwaukee, add this one to your list. It’s aesthetically very interesting, the building itself is a work of art. Is it better than the totally cool competition right across the street? I can’t say, I like them both. They both have more than adequate bicycle racks, but this one has artistic bike racks. There’s lots of snacking and lunch options here in addition the usual coffee house scones, muffins, and coffee cake baked goods. This place has a nice bakery with healthy multigrain bread choices, and a good selection of only slightly overpriced coffee beans, ground coffee, coffee makers and hot coffee carriers and containers. There’s lots of choice in where to sit, so it’s a good choice if you have some work to do, if you want to sit and ponder by yourself, or if you want to chat with some friends.

I was wrong; this Colectivo kind of rules.
Why it’s different: ample, varied spaces for seating… you can hide and work, or meet friends and chat, inside or outside, Wisconsin weather permitting. This spot boasts a seriously beautiful layout. Nice folks working the counter, and all the other requisite Colecterra drinks and foodz you’ve come to know *and maybe love* are all here, you guys.
This will most likely be my new «office» now that I’m a resident of the Beev.
Looking forward to many meetings here!

Ok 3 ½ stars. There are so many great choices in MKE. Anodyne, stone creek, valentine, the mermaid and collectivo come to mind.
I really dig that each location is unique. I also like they keep the old buildings that we all love.
This location has the huge bakery And pretty amazing outdoor space.
Coffee is solid. Don’t get me wrong it blows the mermaid away IMAO but it’s still second to anodyne and stone creek. But I like to mix things up and love variety. And I like blue Herron.
This corner in bayview gives you many coffee choices so you really can’t go wrong!
One thing I do miss «alterra». Can’t seem to wrap my head around collectivo…

I am so, so thankful for the Prospect Ave Colectivo. This place is my home away from home — I am here all the time (I’m here now, and I’ve been here for five hours)!
Why am I here all the time? Because it’s huge — there are so many places to sit, both inside and outside, and there are outlets adjacent to every table. All the two-​tops can easily accommodate two laptops, so it’s easy to meet a friend for work or coffee because you know that you’ll both be able to sit at the same table. I’ve had issues with both Rochambo (not enough good places to sit + random drunk people) and Brewed (not nearly enough outlets), and the crapshoot of walking down Brady hoping that I’ll be able to work somewhere is nonsensical when there is somewhere so perfect right down the street from where I live.
The food I routinely order: the smoked salmon sandwich (on sourdough, because duh), the shitake/​zucchini quiche, a yogurt parfait, a scone, and maybe a cup of soup (their soups are always exquisite). Now that I think about it, that’s all the food I order — creature of habit, I suppose. I think about the salmon sandwich when I’m not here, and I crave it all the time. (I’m craving it right now, but I just ate a quiche so my appetite is nil.)
Anyway, this place is great, and if you haven’t been here you should check it out!