Colectivo Coffee on the Lakefront

I love the atmosphere at this Collectivo. The old buildings is historic and really neat to check out! Also, their cinnamon rolls are excellent (get them heated up!) Their Christmas tree this year was phenomenal.

Seems fine. Lots of people with blue hair and anti-capitalism type T shirts. Working at a capitalist business. Unsure what to make of it. Coffee was average, has a very burnt taste, and not the nicest aftertaste. Good if you are in a pinch.

One of the best Colectivo locations in Milwaukee. Nice views and lots of activity happening in warmer months. The old pump building it is housed in has na cool industrial vibe. Plenty of places to sit and work thanks to wifi and decent selection of power outlets for road warriors.

It's been my go to spot for the last 12 years!
The location, the building, the ambience!
The aroma of the coffee and bacon is always inviting, totally worth a deep breath and the trip. Sit out, or sit in, sunny or breezy... The lake view is gorgeous. My number one coffee stop in Milwaukee!

The building itself is historical and still houses the (then) world's largest water pump in late 1800s, that was used to flush the polluted Milwaukee River with fresh Lake water!! The restoration of the building by successive owners has kept the spirit alive and the industrial markers and valve controllers are intact with signage for visitors. There's actually an 1888 engraved/cemented on the lakeside front of the building!
Will always come back!

Food this time was mediocre compared to our visit a year ago. After ringing up our order they told us they were out of one sandwiches we ordered and needed to choose another. We joked to the cashier we wanted the 25 cent refund and we both laughed, he gave us our number and we found a table. Then a woman came up to us and told us we had to go back downstairs for the refund, we joked it wasn't a big deal at all, but she was insistent we had to come back down or their inventory would be off. We waited a while for our food. Then they brought my cheese melt without bacon (which I had paid $2.25 extra for). Their "fix" was throwing bacon on my sandwich and throwing it on the press for a few extra seconds. Bacon was cold and was not thick cut like it was last year. Definitely a let down from our last visit.

Love this place. A joy to sit outside in the summer and sip a coffee. Relatively limited seating inside which is the only real downside. Nice historic building with a lot of character.

Update: The baked blueberry and peach granola with yogurt is very good

Disappointing all around.
We walked in with such great expectations! The venue is beautiful and was packed full of people on a beautiful day, the staff looked like a very fun, diverse bunch. Service wasn’t very enthusiastic and you pay and tip before getting any of your food or drinks. I had a smoked salmon bagel which was nothing special, the plain bagel was slightly stale and not toasted (nor was it an option) and the serving of salmon wasn’t generous, although the pickled red onions were a nice touch. My partner ordered an egg and cheese English muffin, when it came out the premade(!) egg “patty” inside was fridge-cold, he took it back and was either given a new one or the original one, either way it got nuked to oblivion, so badly that the muffin ended up hard and literally inedible, impossible to bite through, the whole thing got tossed in the trash.
My Oat-chata was overly sweet and unimpressive, my partner’s almond flat white was undrinkable due to whoever was at the coffee machine having no idea what they were doing and burning the beans, it was somehow bitter and tasteless at the same time.

Really liked Colectivo - outside and inside seating both. It isn't actually on the lakefront though. I had the garden goddess sandwich and the cardamom mocha. Both were an absolute delight and great choices I must say. Wish I had taken another garden goddess for takeout. Def recommended.

Dusting rafters as dust falls onto coffee machines and counters. I asked they stop, as did another customer (and an employee). Ignored our requests and continued. Incredibly dirty and disrespectful to customers.

The food and coffee here are good. Prices have gone up more than I'd like, but that seems like everywhere now. I usually come here before going on a walk by the lake with someone. I also stop in after a good run. Enjoy food, coffee, scenery, and live music some nights.