Colectivo Coffee Third Ward — Restaurant in Milwaukee

Absolutely phenomenal coffeehouse, the atmosphere is warm & inviting, the drinks & food equally delicious, & most of the staff is fantastic.

Centrally-located, spotless, flawless Wi-Fi, cozy-industrial style with juxtaposed pops of colour, with massive windows that let in fresh air (particularly wonderful on rainy days), & also has a small section of outdoor sidewalk seating. All presided over with eclectic music from The xx's "VCR" to Ella & Louis' "Stars Fell On Alabama".

Their americano is one of the best I've tasted since Italy & one of my go-tos, which obviously means their espressos are also great. The employees are so incredibly knowledgable about their products, & fine tune their machine to get the best flavor, & nuances of the coffee depending on the temperature, humidity, etc. If you're not in the mood for coffee the "Green Hornet" is also remarkably tasty.

One ham & Swiss sandwich: $7.75 --- Expensive? Once you taste it, no. Bread that's made locally in Bayview, with baguette made in a legitimate French oven, & yes it's pretty damn close to the real thing. Then for a little extra flavour & for perfect minimal texture, sprouts. They also have a hearty quiche & so many wonderful desserts, with constantly changing seasonal tastes.

And finally the staff. Practically everyone is wonderful. The whole kitchen staff to everyone in front. Elizabeth, Lauren, & the Emilys' always bring a smile to my face, & Daniel is so bloody knowledgable, broods, & always gives perfect service. This is politically incorrect, & I apologize, but she is the only one there. If you see the Asian girl on bar you should just keep on walking, you're sure to be disappointed or irritated. I know that I'm annoying, but everyone else is accommodating without issue. She doesn't listen to what you're saying & just gives you the first portion of what you ordered, & is so incredibly awkward to the point it's rude; she never smiles & just stares at you & blinks like you have some sort of rabid woodland creature adhered to your face. Sounds stupid, but really puts a small kink in your day when you just want your coffee.

Other than that, this Colectivo is the best in Milwaukee. Great coffee, great food, great place for...

Coffee drinks and hot chocolate are phenomenal. I had black coffee and a cappuccino and my wife had a caramel latte and a hot chocolate over two visits. The service was on the slow side for the drinks except for the black coffee. That didn’t bother me and was more a matter of the number of drinks the barista had to make.

On my second visit, on a Sunday morning, something blew me away. I was waiting for my drink and there was only one barista. He was doing online orders as well as in store for people in line. He was calm and personable, pleasantly engaging customers. I could see where someone would feel and show a high degree of stress in that situation. There was a woman who I guess was waiting a particularly long time; I’m not sure why. When then barista gave her her drinks, he apologized for the exceptionally long wait, saying “you’ve been so patient. I’m really sorry for the long wait. Why don’t you pick something out of the [baked goods] case?” She politely declined the offer of a free item and began to walk away. The barista said “Are you sure? You were SO patient.” She looked the case, smiled a massive smile and picked something. That’s what I call exceptional service. The barista didn’t have to do anything. She was not crabby or complaining about the wait. But he went above and beyond to delight a customer.

(The barista in the photo is the guy I’m talking about.)

I went 4 stars for atmosphere because although it’s cool and industrial, it was freezing...

Generally, Colectivo makes some good coffee. This shop has a good selection of drinks, breakfast, and pastry items. That said, I visited this location on a quiet Sunday morning and the service was terrible. There was one customer in line ahead of me who ordered one drink, and I observed a few online orders trickle through (an observation you make when you spend time waiting). By all interpretations, it was not busy. It still took the two girls working there 35 minutes to make the three drinks in my order (2 lattes and a smoothie, which they make from pre-measured cups of ingredients). They took multiple breaks to connect and have personal conversations with their friends who came into the shop, and those friends also received their drinks immediately. It's a great coffee shop employed by college students. Story as old as time, but still frustrating to deal with as a customer. Don't plan to pop in if you're in a rush, even if it...