Bella Goose Coffee - Cafe on the River

This goose is cooked.

An invite to spend the weekend up in Wisconsin to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday meant I had to try some coffee in Wisconsin for the first time since starting this blog. After a long weekend of celebrating said birthday, we needed some caffeine to survive the drive home. As we hit the road, we waited until we hit the highway to figure out where to stop at.

That is where we hit our first snag. Wisconsin Dells is one of those touristy towns where each street and each corner is something to do or something to see. The biggest coffee place we saw to try was Bella Goose. Firstly, we saw Bella Goose (On the River) as GPS guided us to the downtown location. We took a wrong turn and circled the building. Parking was packed and we decided to try the other location.

We drove back to this location and found a spot in the parking lot next to the building. The full lot should’ve given me a heads up on what we were about to experience but we needed caffeine and weren’t paying attention. As we approached the front door, we could see how backed up the line was. It extended from the counter to the door. We squeaked in and a kind gentleman made room for us so we didn’t have to wait outside. While we stood there, we watched people approach the front door, see the line, and turn around to leave. Maybe we should’ve done the same as the line was slow moving. But, we decided to stick it out since we already waited 10 minutes at that point. Our overall time in line was maybe 25 minutes.

I managed to snag a postcard and a sticker while waiting in line and both Emily and I ordered Cold Brews (yes, despite the blustery weather) and a double chocolate chip cookie once we were at the register. For two drinks, a $4 sticker and a $2.50 postcard and the cookie, the total was only $18. I thought that seemed very fair for it being a touristy town. Our drinks were around $5 or $5.50, which is on the upper end of what I think is a good price for a cup of Joe. I think the cookie was the cheapest thing, oddly enough.

As we waited for our coffees, we took a nice view out of these windows that faced the river and dam. It’s neat to see when dams are open and water is pouring out. Here in the Dells, the water turns and churns to an extent that the water gets all foamy. Not sure what’s up with that but am curious to know if anyone can clue me in. We ended up relocating closer to the middle of the coffeehouse as that is where the pickup area is located. Despite the long wait in line, we got our cold brews relatively fast for how many people were ahead of us. Once we got our drinks, we made a beeline for the front door. Strolling back to my car, we took a short detour along the fence to get a better view of the dam, river, and foam until we both got too chilly and made another beeline for my car.

At long last, we had caffeine and wasted no time getting some sips in before we took off. I’ve been trying cold brews lately for something new and they have been very hit at miss. Unfortunately, this was a swing and a miss in my books. I don’t mind bitter. I don’t mind strong. But this was like an IPA beer strong. Even Emily tried it and made a puckered face with her first sip. Her’s had some caramel syrup so I tried that and it definitely helped take the edge off that strong taste. As we were driving down the road, joking about my coffee, she offered to pour some of her drink into mine to help weaken the intensity. It helped a bit but still took some time to finish it off.

The cookie on the other hand was delicious. It wasn’t anything large so splitting it in half was really just a tease. The only thing that could’ve made it better was had it been heated up. But, with the long line and our long drive, it wasn’t worth slowing the baristas or ourselves down for a minor request.

I don’t often get to visit Wisconsin due to not knowing anyone who lives there so I don’t know if and when I will be back in the area to give Bella Goose another chance.

Good coffee and food! Killer view from inside or out! The only reason it doesn't get five stars is because it is just so dang crowded and you have to wait forever for a seat and to get your food. More covered outdoor dining would really help for rainy days when we are all waiting! I went twice, once on a rainy day and once in the sunshine. Both times lines were out the door! If there were more options in the dells, I'd probably skip here just to avoid the crowd.

Phenomenal staff and great food. I love the decor and the way the baristas engaged with us throughout our entire stay. The coffee was excellent. I would visit this cafe everyday if I lived in the Dells.

Food is amazing, we tried four different drinks and all were great. Carmel apple cider cold, Honey cinnamon latte cold, hot chocolate, Vanilla mocha hot coffee. 2nd trip I had Biscuits and gravy.

I came here yesterday with my family! And I must say it was absolutely unique from the moment we walked into the door. We were adequately greeted and told how things worked. After finding our seats, we went back up to order our food. We had three waffles, a veggie bowl, grilled cheese, half and half tomato basil soup, whole grilled cheese, and an entire bowl of soup. A juice, hot chocolate, a pumpkin latte, and a coffee. It totaled $100.00 with a 25% tip. Then I tipped the cook (Paris) $10.00 because the food was just that good! The food was perfect, and I mean that wholeheartedly and honestly, seasoned to perfection. This place is a must-try.

Ok, the food was so good that I wanted to return today but without the kids. Today as I walked in, I saw the cook from yesterday at the register, and she greeted us with a smile and said your back. ;) It's nice when people remember you. The food wasn't as good as yesterday, and we did come at a hectic time. I had to send my waffles back because they were undercooked. But overall, the environment is lovely and welcoming. Regardless of today's experience, I believe this is a great spot, and I will return and recommend it to family and friends.

PS shout out to Paris, who was the cook from my original visit. She came out and spoke with me after I requested to see the cook she was so nice, welcoming and her smile was infectious. You could tell she appreciated the compliment and appreciation for her craftsmanship. Even my 2nd visit as she ran the register she had the same kind and positive energy. Everyone that I interacted with was just amazing.

Friendly and kind employees, good coffee served in clay cup. Good food, sit by the windows to watch the river flow. Beautiful scene . Was 18 degree outside too cold to sit outside the deck next to the river.

Came here for breakfast and coffee. Overall, the atmosphere is fantastic and the coffee hits the spot! It’s usually pretty crowded but they keep the line moving quickly. The tomato bisque was flavorful and fresh; try the Farmer’s Benny with sausage; best breakfast item!!

This place was HOPPING! Although it was very busy for 9:30am on a Friday, they got us through the line quickly and we were able to find a table relatively easily. The drinks were phenomenal - easily some of the best coffee drinks we've had lately! We both got iced vanilla bean lattes, mine with extra espresso. The food options were different than your typical cafe which was refreshing and fun. The avocado toast definitely could've used some more salt and the pickled onions were much sweeter than expected, but overall the dish was still very tasty. Never actually got the pastry that comes with my wife's meal - the drinks are set at a pickup counter and our food was brought to the table, and it seems that the cinnamon roll must've been served to the pickup counter instead of delivered to the table. Very confusing and poor system if that is the case. The single dollar sign was a bit deceiving as two drinks and two breakfast dishes totaled about $45 after tip. Definitely will stop back for drinks but wouldn't go out of the way for the food.

Cute cafe with a nice view, great food and very good coffee! Highly recommend the biscuits and gravy and the breakfast wrap, and the cappuccino was fantastic. Friendly service and fair prices.

Stopped here for a quick bite during our 7 hr road trip. Didn’t try their coffee but their Vegetarian Skillet breakfast dish was DELICIOUS! Enjoyed a great bite with a beautiful view of the river. Only complaint I have is that I felt rushed to order, even though there was only one person behind me in line.