Barriques Coffee - West Wash

Could have a better flow. Wasn't really sure where to go. Everyone who was waiting for their food was standing where the line looked like it should have been. But! the sandwich I got, soup and coffee was really good! I am in town for the week and found myself a lunch place.

Decent coffee, baked goods and atmosphere, but the music left something to be deserved. Staff seemed ho-hum. I can only hope the music changes from day to day. The cheesy light-jazz thing really kept me from concentrating on reading. I have never had this problem at a coffee shop before.

We always stop here on our way through to Iowa. It beats sitting in the rush hour beltline traffic. We always get great food and near perfect coffee. For the Midwest, outside of Chicago it is nice to have predictible espresso drinks! We've stopped MANY times in the past 12 years. On the way back we stop at the location on Monroe and have the same great coffee and service.

This is by far my favorite downtown coffee shop and my favorite Barriques. It's pretty packed with students on weekdays, but if you want to do some reading or writing on a Friday or Saturday night (excluding finals season), it's your place with space and minimal undergrad chatter. They also have GF treats from the Silly Yak Bakery and great Rishi tea (tangerine tumeric or cinnamon plum (when in season)). Best herbal tea selection in the downtown area. Also, the market bowls are awesome if you want to meet a friend for a quick dinner/drink. They have beer and wine, so it's a prime spot if you're a rare non-drinker in Wisconsin, but still want to go out. Not a lot of comfy seating, but if you're into posture, there are high-backed bar chairs and ample plug ins along the outer windows downstairs. Bring a sweater though. It can feel a little chilly sometimes if you're at all near the door.

The upstairs can get a little smokey, like I almost felt like crying because of the aroma. The environment is great! The music isn't blasting like Collectivo and they're open late. Another nice thing, you don't have to press agree to the terms to connect to their wifi. Their ceiling has a lot of spider webs.

Buy a mop, hire a janitor, please do something. I love the food, drinks, location and vibe but I'm giving up after being a regular customer for 3 months! It's gross. Tables are sticky, railings and fixtures are covered in a thick layer of dust, the floors and stairs look like they have never been swept much less mopped. Swarms of fruit flies around the dish return and trash cans. Today the flies drove me to the competition and I won't be back.

I used to enjoy Barriques, but service has gone way downhill. My wife was having some problems with her coffee-of-the-month subscription. It was paid for but, for some reason, the coffee wasn't being shipped to our house. I went to the West Washington location with my receipt to inquire about it. The first time I was told by the guy in charge that someone would get back to me that day. Nothing happened. About a week later, I went in again, and the same guy told me that he would get back to me that day. Nothing happened. I emailed the store's general email account, and (you guessed it) nothing happened. Finally, about a week later, I went in again. Fortunately, I was able to talk to the guy's boss, and she straightened things out in about fifteen minutes. But it took four contacts-three in person-before anything got done. Very aggravating and disappointing. I won''t be shopping there again.

Love the iced mocha... Best in town!

The first time I had their almond cherry cheese cake (years ago), it was great. The second time, it was plasticky on the surface, and hard for even the folk to split it. I spit out the first bite. I wonder how long it has been sitting in the fridge. Then a little fly came landing on it. I won't be coming back...

Excellent place for coffee and light food, with a substantial wine selection as well. It has one of the best free Internet connections in town, but not every table has an outlet, so don't come to work when it's very busy.