Great Northern Coffee Traders — Restaurant in Town of Minoqua

I’m not a barista, but I really love a good cappuccino — and one question I’ve had about our northwoods Wisconsin coffee shops is why the espresso drinks couldn’t be just as good as they are in the bigger cities. They have the same equipment, and seemingly well-sourced beans which are hopefully properly roasted. Is it just a matter of the right training to “do it right”? In my travels of the northern half of Wisconsin I have found several nice coffee shops where the description of the beans and hefty price of a cappucino gives me high hopes that it’ll be great — but then the taste is just, meh, or actually quite a bit worse then meh. I’ve had this experience at both places in Minocqua, and both places in Hayward.

Update — Mystery at least partially solved: skim milk is default for their cappuccinos. I don’t know much, but I do know that that’s a no no. So just make sure to request that you want actual real milk with your fancy organic espresso, and all will be well. Now I’ll be checking when I visit the others up here, too!

I’d also like to add that this place was completely accommodating when I was particular about the fruit cup options (the fruit is fresh, not canned or frozen, which is nice, and in my case I wanted only berries), and the spinach mushroom quiche with a side of sausage was a solid “good.”

I’m currently drinking a whole milk cappuccino, and it’s no Blue Bottle, but it’s a darn nice way to start the day. One more thing to enjoy in the land of lakes, bogs,...

The staff were nice but not very knowledgeable on what would be safe for me to eat as a vegan. It was really frustrating to try and find anything on their menu good or drink related that would be suitable for me. My non-vegans enjoyed the chai teas and baked goods they had available though.

Added: not a great place to bring a service dog. Recently got a service dog after much training work. Brought them in and the staff ask for my "papers." I explained that's not how it works and the papers I have I don't need to show them because they contain my healthcare information. They proceeded to push. Manager also knew nothing about service dogs. Still got my drinks, but was once again very annoyed at their...

This is a GREAT place. I love coming here. The staff is so nice and friendly and they are helpful when describing menu items or recommending something. They are always smiling and kind. The coffee is DELICIOUS (they even put a little tiny bit of sprinkles on top which makes it so much better). The food is just as good as the coffee..it’s homemade and evidentially cooked with love..you can taste it :). The atmosphere is so neat..there’s really neat artwork all over the walls. It’s such a warm atmosphere..aesthetically pleasing..cozy. It’s such an awesome place all the way around. It’s family friendly. They have a ton of seating. I could just go on and on. This is, by far, my favorite...