Barriques Coffee - West Wash — Restaurant in Madison

Barriques is one of the few coffee shops that I go out of the way to spend a morning, afternoon or evening connecting with friends, getting a quick bite, or spending hours working. It has been one of my top hangouts for nearly 8 years.

The atmosphere is Barriques best asset. The two-story open loft concept allows for easy people-watching, see and be seen, but not too loud or exposed that you cannot enjoy a meeting or getting work done. The iron work decor, by a local artist, combined with the cafe and wine bar trappings complete the scene.

You get a lot of in-and-out traffic, but due to proximity to State office facilities and other employers, and on the edge of the University student influence, there is a healthy and fun mix of workers enjoying an out-of-office meeting, lunch, or quick coffee, along with students and other professionals hanging out or working. In the evening, it is pretty popular again with students and young professionals both getting work done and enjoying the wine.

The coffee is pretty good, specialty drinks are alright and the food is great but not spectacular. The menu includes a few salads and sandwiches, to go along with the assortment of coffee shop bakery selection.

The wine is a pretty decent price for a wine cafe, including some chilled and many local selections.

Barriques is everything you'd want and expect from a...

I've twice used their app to order lattes to-go. The first time was while I had a (non-contagious) lung infection and didn't want to wait inside while I felt ill. After placing the order i received a text stating my order was received and I'd receive another text when the order was ready. After waiting in the car about 10 minutes beyond the expected time I went in to find my drink sitting there, now lukewarm. I figured it was a fluke. This past Sunday I placed an order and, while my elderly mother waited in the car, I ran in to get the drinks. I didn't receive a text, there were no orders on the "pickup" table and my name was never called. I waited for approximately 25 minutes total (30 since I ordered) before I got in line behind a bunch of other people to ask where my order was. It was on the counter behind her tucked behind a faucet. I told her I never received a text. She said they don't always notify the customer so I should just CUT IN LINE to get my order next time. How rude to expect the customer to annoy other customers that way. Why not use the app notification especially since that's why I used the app. Needless to say the coffee was cool and no longer hot. Luckily I am/was a fairly new customer to Barriques and have no problem going back to Colectivo for brewed coffee. They always notify via app when an...

I love Barrique's and appreciate it more when I've been away for awhile. The Monroe street location is probably my favorite for people watching (I once found myself seated between a couple on a first date AND another couple who were breaking up, it was drama central for the people-watching introvert!), and for meeting with friends (I used to live in the area) but it gets a bit crowded. The capital location or down Park Street are probably better for getting work done. Each seems to have its own personality even though the decor is very similar.

What to order? The miel. Absolutely. I get mine with half the honey, because its a bit sweet, but all of their lattes are well made and taste fabulous. The drip coffee is strong and will absolutely wake you up and get you going.

I'm sure that most of their sandwiches are great, but I always get the turkey club and I'm always happy with it, so I can't say much about the others.

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