Good bowls. Healthy-ish options. Friendly service. Good to work on laptop and snack. Easy parking

Almond milk chai and rosemary cheddar scone is my HOLY GRAIL. The pesto grilled cheese is also scrumptious! I've sat and done work many times at this location so I go up and order multiple times. The staff is always super friendly and conversational! read more

Great place to grab some coffee or even a little wine. I go here to meet my friends and catch up. The people who work there are super nice and quick to serve you. The seating is ample and always clean. read more

I hate to leave a bad review, but I feel obligated to let them know. I've been frequenting the old Sauk location for years and have nothing but good things to say about them. The University ave location, not so much. I stopped in for a sandwich around 2pm and they were not terribly busy. I ordered my sandwich with no mayo and got the green salad. The sandwich was slathered with mayo and I picked about a dozen rotten spinach leaves out of the salad. Probably should have checked the sandwich, but I was starving. The staff was unfriendly and sitting around while I waited 20 minutes for a sandwich when they were not busy. While the staff and I were sitting around, I noticed that the place is not clean. There was plenty for them to do, but sitting around scowling seemed more important to them. I will not return to this location, but will keep my business at a different location. read more

Met out-of-town friends here on a super dead Saturday night in the middle of the holiday week. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. We just ordered some drinks - tea and wine, no food. The wine I had was fine as was the tea - how can you screw up either? Given it was empty the workers spent most of the time cleaning around us since it was within an hour or so of closing. This did not make for a great atmosphere but if I were them I would have wanted to get out of there on such a dull Saturday night. read more

I've been a regular here for years. Today was the tipping point of needing to say something. The coffee made is usually mediocre, with the Baristas often not being able to create a consistent product for the customer. A simple caramel latte for example will lead to an extra dollar up charge with absolutely no caramel flavor. The staff additionally have no sense of urgency or attention to detail. The most concerning part here truly is the hygiene. For years there have been house flies swarming near the espresso machine and service area where silverware exists. The number of house flies has been increasing regularly. Literally earlier this week, I counted more than 24 house flies swarming around in one area. My coffee was placed on the serving area near the house flies with one landing in it. The baristas watched this happen and proceeded not to care. Absolutely unsanitary and disgusting. This place has very low standards on several fronts. Stay away! read more

The coffee was okay, however the food was not the best. I got a sandwich and the tomato's looked soggy and tasted a little weird, definitely not the freshest. I would go again for the coffee however there are usually hoards of teens during the school year so if that bothers you I would stay away. read more

My first impressions here are that it is just fine - decent coffee, decent food, decent menu, decent atmosphere. Nothing stands out or excels and there are plenty of better coffee shops, but when I am nearby I'll have no problem returning. read more

A perfect place to stop in for a meeting or to grab a coffee and catch up with a friend... The employees have always been very friendly, and I always like ordering a fun coffee here to switch it up from my usual black coffee order. The menu is pretty vegetarian-friendly, and the dishes always leave me full. Both the breakfast and lunch are delicious, no matter what I order! read more

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It is slow. Cool atmosphere but painfully slow. Coffee is cold and mediocre. And slow. Did I mention slow?

Breakfast here with family when visiting Madison. Looking through the reviews, there seems to be a theme with the staff not being too concerned about the customers. We ordered a crustless quiche and two chorizo wraps. Orders arrived separately, and we were missing a wrap. We assumed the staff were going to get this out to us in a few minutes. But no such luck. Finally had to ask them and they realized it was an error on their part. Food itself was OK. Not good or great, but OK. We'll try something else the next time in Madison. read more

Barriques University - Crustless Quiche! - Cafes Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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First things first. I have been visiting barriques fairly frequently for about 5 years now. Additionally, I work in the service industry and I understand it's really difficult work. Across all locations, the atmosphere is great. Lots of tables/plugs/ places to study scattered throughout their upcycled urban decor. Barriques consistently feels like a "place to be" and with all of their locations it's really easy to meet people there. Now, beyond that barriques is sub par at best. Their coffee is mediocre. Generally really acidic and you can expect a nice gritty aftertaste as their is usually grounds at the bottom. However, Barriques does make quality lattes and they do offer a variety of milk alternatives. Another improvement after years of misfires has been on their cold brew. They deserve some credit to the improvement as I used to joke with friends that their cold brew tasted like "poison." Now, most college students (me included) don't really care about coffee quality when looking for a place to study so I won't spend any more time talking about how you shouldn't waste your money on their bean water. Next, barriques on university sells a variety of wine. This is an issue because there is a local liquor store, Miller's Liquor one block away. Miller's has been around for almost 50 years and I think it's pretty tone deaf that they are inherently stealing business from the local place - especially when there is a strong "community" theme throughout all locations. Beyond the lackluster coffee and their hypocritical wine sales, the main issue with barriques, and the reason I won't spend any more time there comes down to two issues: the employees and the menu. The menu itself is pretty bland. Something for everyone, when everyone just wants to put food in their bodies and not really experience any sort of flavor. There is a definite Wisconsin theme, which is appreciated, but they greatly miss the mark. Next, after years of grabbing quick lunches there (all locations) I've almost never gotten exactly what Ive ordered. Ingredients missing, wraps torn/broken, cold eggs, over cooked rice, way too much or too little salsa/dressing, etc. It's always upsetting when you are given something that isn't quite right, and this seems to be a consistent issue. Especially when you've waited 12-15 min for a dish that should take 3-5 min maximum (again, as a line cook I may be biased/over critical here so take this with a grain of salt). If barriques wants to maintain consistent business for locals in the area then properly training employees on food assembly/prep/hustling needs to be addressed soon. Overall, I'm sad to say after a few "last ditch efforts" i have to take Barriques out of my rotation. Come here if you just need a table to study, though if your looking for anything quality to eat/drink don't waste your time. Oh, and buy your booze at a place that's been in the community forever. read more

A short walk from my house. Back in the day, when I was living in the Fitch, Barriques was my go to place. Great staff. Solid menu. Good coffee. Now that I live in University Heights, the coffee offerings have expanded and I must admit the Barriques brand doesn't carry as much weight. With that said, I do enjoy this location immensely. They have great staff and the room is definitely set up for those that are working (great wifi, outlets at most every table, etc.) Bonus is that they have garage doors that they open, when warm, with a small patio. Great spot to spend a few hours while pounding away on your laptop. read more

Barriques University - Packed Ouse on opening weekend - Cafes Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Their bakery is way better than their coffee. Love their scone! Service was ok, barley friendly.

I saw this coffee shop while driving by On University Ave. one day and it looked so cute with the patio and open wall as I'm always on the lookout for coffee shops with outdoor seating. I told my husband we're going to stop there next time we're in the area. We found parking nearby on the street only realizing later that they have a small parking lot. We ordered our drinks. I ordered a small iced latte my husband a strawberry açaí. We sat at a table for two on the outdoor patio waiting for our drinks. It took a very long time for the drinks to come out. While waiting for our drinks a man sat at the table behind us and commenced to hack and hack up something from his throat and spit it in the street. He took off his shirt, now bare chested and still hacking up something he kicked off his shoes and then his socks. What?? Our drinks came out. I took two sips and couldn't drink it- way too strong. I took the drink back to the counter and told the barista I couldn't drink it as it was way too strong. He said "too strong?" I said "yes, do you think I could order something else?" He said "yes" and then proceeded to charge me for the drink! This isn't good customer service. I assumed he would comp the drink for me as he could see I only took a couple sips. I would have been ok if he charged me half price for the second drink. I ended up paying $9.00 for two drinks one of which I couldn't even drink and he threw away. I could have pushed the issue but I didn't want to create a scene. Maybe I should've asked for a refund. I waited a long time for my second drink. I took the drink out to the patio where by now my husband had finished his drink and as I walked by the hacking guy now smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke our wayhe was now picking dirt from underneath his toenails! EeeWww I told my husband "we're moving inside!" We moved inside but couldn't have a conversation because of the dump trucks, garbage trucks and buses roaring by. Very unhappy with this place. We didn't have a good experience and won't return. read more

Staff at this location don't understand the concept of customer service. This afternoon I came in and ordered two hot chai tea lattes to go - both made exactly the same way. After a while, my name was called and ONE chai was placed on the counter for me. The staff person walked away, so I wasn't able to ask about the second chai I had ordered. I continued to wait. And wait. And wait. About 20 minutes after placing my order, I asked about the status of my chai and was told, "It's coming". All of the customers who came in after me received their orders, but for some strange reason, Barriques staff couldn't produce my drink. After another 10 minutes, my name was called and a drink was placed on the counter. When I picked it up, I could feel that it wasn't hot. I removed the lid and took a sip - it was barely lukewarm. I immediately handed the drink back to the staff person who had put it on the counter and told her it was barely warm and I demanded a refund. No apology from her - nothing. I had to walk back to the counter and wait for another staff person to appear. I told her what happened and demanded a refund. I explained that since I ordered two drinks that were exactly the same, staff should have prepared them at the same time. I mentioned that customers who came in after me got their orders long before I received my second chai. When I told her the second chai was barely lukewarm, she asked me if I had thrown it out. I explained that I had given it back to the other staff person. I got a half-hearted apology from this staff person and she told me she processed a refund for one chai. I was ordering for two people, so only one of us got to have a drink. There was no way I was going to wait around another half-hour on the possibility I MIGHT get a hot chai prepared correctly. What a huge waste of my time. Pathetic staff. read more

This location has friendly staff, great drinks, and a very nice outdoor seating environment.

Order was ready on time and they were great about removing abs adding the items I wanted to my egg bowls. Also, I love their chai tea lattes as they have enough spice to actual taste like a real chai tea. read more

I frequent this Barriques location for writing time on my laptop since it's near my UW workplace. It's a good work spot, with bright natural light, caffeine galore, and free WiFi, but there are a few missing pieces for me. The tea selection is pretty good, but their chai tea latte lacks some flavor. The food is a bit pricey with bowls around $13 and not much has really impressed me that I've had, with the exception of a rosemary scone that I did really enjoy. I like the garage doors that are open in the summer, although with the location the doors open to traffic passing by... Not the most peaceful! Overall, an okay location for hanging out or working. read more

Guess I should've looked at the menu here before coming in. Food was actually pretty decent, if a bit funky. You ordered and then sat down. Eventually somebody from the back came out, slapped down your bowl of food, and yelled out its name. The names of all the dishes are quite odd, so you're really not sure what the person said. Then they turned and walked away. So everybody that ordered food just kind of looked at each other wondering-is that mine? Is it yours? The staff did not really seem concerned that people get what they ordered. read more

I am generally pretty skeptical when it comes to negative reviews (read: 3 or fewer stars) on Yelp. I like to read through them and make my own pre-judgements based on common themes between the reviews; and even then, I try to look at a conglomerate of negative reviews being attributable to people tending to complain more than compliment. That said, allow me to complain. The negative reviews on here generally all have merit, in my opinion. In the summer, when the (beautiful, garage door-type) windows are open, flies will congregate inside. I don't think in itself this is Barriques' fault; but they *do* have a tendency to let the trash overfill and crumbs hang out on nearly all of the tables. And no, I haven't bought anything requiring a barista to make anything more than a hot apple cider from any of the Barriques in years, because the variation of my wine-by-the-glass pours are enough to dissuade me from anything requiring attention to detail. And no, I don't usually get anything more than a cookie to eat, because the food (chain-wide) has never been anything to write home about. And yes, I do think it's *some kind* of business move to drive a local coffee shop across the street out of business, and sell wine a few doors down from a local liquor shop. The most infuriating thing about this location, though, is the lack of adequate seating, especially in the cooler seasons when the patio chairs aren't out. This (like the flies) is *mostly* not Barriques' fault; it's mostly just grade-A student Loiterville. I won't go as far to say that many patrons buy nothing, but it's definitely a common experience to look around and see nothing but MacBooks, textbooks, and (frankly gross-looking) water cups on tables. To their credit, Barriques made a few laminated "Share my table!" signs and put them next to the water cups, but I've never seen one being used. It's frustrating to me, as I do spend a good chunk of change at the collective Barriques'. A large portion of that is even at this location; though that's really only because I often wait at this location for my partner to finish work at the hospital before picking him up, and there hasn't been anywhere else coffee-shop-esque in the immediate area since the aforementioned single-location coffee shop across the street closed. I really just wish I could love this location, because it's got potential to be the best of all of the Barriques. read more

I am so glad that Barriques added another location close to campus/hospital on university! When I lived in Madison, Barriques was my coffee shop of choice to do work. The WiFi is fast and free. Plenty of space. The drinks are delicious. They also will rotate a few drinks with the seasons, which is fun. I also love their soup and the rolls that come with! Lastly, they have lots of wine for the choosing if you decide you need a bottle to take home! I appreciate that the wine isn't that much more expensive then buying it at a liquor store. Be careful when parking around here though-- 2 hour parking on the streets before 6 PM. read more

Decent space with decent seating. The day my classmates and I went, we decided to order a bottle of their Cabernet Sauvignon, which paired beautifully with our homework assignments. The cost of the actual bottle was about $10. This would have been super reasonable and student-friendly if they didn't charge a $5 corking fee, which brought up the cost of our bottle by an additional 50%. read more

I adore this location of Barriques! I have been an avid customer of this Madison chain since I was in 7th grade, and I love how they keep on expanding through Madison. The menu and drinks are the same as the locations, as well as having a wide variety of pastries. This location has the perfect amount of wine for a display. There is a nice balance of white, rose, and red wines for people to choose from. They also have some smaller coffee related merchandise that people can purchase from. This location on University Ave probably is one of my top 3 favorite locations in Madison along side the Capital location and the Monroe location. They have 2 major walls just dedicated to floor to ceiling windows allowing the most amount of natural light. This location also has a patio for people to use when the weather is nicer. There is a bounty of seating here at this location. From tables and booths meant for 1-2 people to large groups of people, they can accommodate your seating needs! read more

I lived a couple blocks away while in school and would have been here everyday if had been there! During the summer they are able to open the big side doors so the place completely open and the cool outside air can come in. You can still sit inside but it's almost like you're working outside without the sun beating down on you. Their coffee is good. I've only had the iced coffee a few times. It's not my favorite coffee in the world so it's probably about average. However, the prices are super reasonable. Also, lots of outlets for your technology. I thought parking would be annoying but I haven't had any issues finding street parking the several times I've visited. It's a great place to study. It's also a great place for a date given their nice atmosphere and fairly large wine selection. I will definitely frequent this place while I'm in Madison. read more

A new Barriques in my neighborhood! I'm a fan! I usually trek over to the Monroe street location, but this is a great addition for those that work at UW hospital and are health science students living in the area. It's right across the street from Lombardinos (and unfortunately nearby 5th element bringing in some competition). Same menu, similar looks. LOVE to see that they have outlets near all the booths and almost by all the tables. It's definitely smaller than the Monroe hub, and carries a lesser assortment of wine and spirits. They have a few less tea options than other locations too, but otherwise follows suit with the other Barriques sister locations. Looking forward to when they open their garage door windows for the spring and summer! Sidenote: One of the employees mentioned that they're ending their Belly reward system. If you use this at other locations, they don't have it here! Cash in those rewards soon. read more

The coffees were good. The jack avocado wrap was basically flavorless and the scrambled egg used in it was made of artificial eggs. The tuna salad sandwich was pretty fine. The service was good. read more

20 mins for a milkshake when there's nobody here. The wait staff seemed to be having fun taking pics of the other drinks they made (for themselves). I asked if there was butter or jam for my scone and was totally ignored while they were talking. Pretty expensive & the staff could use a dose of customer service training. read more

Barriques University - a woman preparing food in a restaurant - Cafes Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

One block from the Best Western Inn Tower makes it pretty convenient for a quick bite before heading out to the airport. Got the pulled pork quesadillas and they were adequately filled with bell peppers, cheese, pulled pork, and some saucy goodness to dip it in. Could do with more cheese and more crispy tortilla but all in all delicious. Wish it were bigger for the price. read more

Barriques University - * Pulled pork quesadillas. - Cafes Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Ordered ahead and waited the maximum amount of time to ensure it'd be ready. Showed up and they had forgotten about it. Didn't apologize or anything. I've worked in food service and I'm lenient, but this was not good service. read more

I did end up going back a few times, but I didn't enjoy it too much. The service is fairly slow and the tables are often dirty, although the sandwiches and coffee are pretty good. Opening the doors to University would be great if it weren't for the trucks and flies. read more

This is a great place to meet for coffee with a colleague or friend. For those looking to study or read, not so much. The afternoon I paid Barriques University a visit, just about every table was taken and it was LOUD with conversation. The noise was so bad that the barista who took my order for a misto gave me chai instead. It is fun to watch the Old University street traffic out the plate glass windows if you get bored with your conversation. read more

Stopped in today and ordered a large cold brew. When it was ready, the barista handed it to me and said medium so I told her I had ordered a large. She apologized and I watched her pour it into a different cup, walk over to the sink and top it off with WATER. Thanks a lot, would not come back. ‍ read more

The coffee is good, but the food is mediocre and overpriced. Last time i got a breakfast sandwich which was still frozen in the center. They happily made me another one, but the new sandwich didnt have the greens on it. This time I gave the food another shot and ordered a quesadilla and it was greasy and not very flavorful. Dont waste your money on their food. read more

Meh, another chain... albeit local feels very much like a chain experience. The well known chain also pushed out a fabulous small coffee shop that had opened across the street. Totally lost any respect I had left for this business. Two stars only because the open concept is nice for warmer months. Coffee is ok and food is subpar. So many better choices in Madison. read more

Great coffee as usual but had an unfortunate experience today where my boyfriend and I brought our own reusable thermos for our lattes. Barista made a snarky face and took our thermos to the back to show others working too. I've have my eco friendly habits embraced at other Barriques locations but to have them mocked today was unexpected. It's 2019 people use reusable mugs. Get with the program. read more

It's a pleasant enough place but they need to do something about the flies! I had to keep shooting them away from my coffee, which, by the way, could have been hotter. Service was friendly and I likes the music. read more

I have ordered the same drink five times now as I started working next door and sadly it's the only coffee shop close enough to go to on my way to and from work, Only one time was it any good. It cost 6.96$ for a 16oz expresso frappe with caramel. Some times It's So runny I wonder if they used any ice, sometimes it's so thick (way too much ice) I can't even drink it.The employees are so slow when I have stopped on my way to catch the bus after work. You would think 14 minutes would be plenty of time to order and receive one blended drink. Wrong. I have watched one employee take all the orders then make all the drinks, the 2nd employee was wrapping bread in Saran wrap while a 3rd employee stood there watching the girl wrapping bread, and the 4th employee was standing around chatting with the girl making all the drinks. Hmmm... maybe less talking and more training on drink Consistency and customer service read more

I love Barriques. I usually go to the Monroe Street location, but this one just opened up near my work. Today was my first day going to this location. They promptly took my order, but then forgot to make it! They apologized several times and the drink was great, but it seems like they still need to figure things out. I'm chalking this up to being a new location and will return. read more

I often go here because I live locally so my experiences are not based on a one-off. Awful service, can't even be bothered to call out when your drink or food is ready. They won't bring anything to your table even if you have an infant with you. Tables are not clean, area where the trash is has flies all over it and is dirty. Not family-friendly. I contacted Barriques to tell them how poor their service was and they haven't even bothered to respond. read more