WHERE to begin? I've been familiar with B&B since its earliest days (which roughly coincided with the earliest days of another great Milwaukee institution, Outpost Natural Foods -- where I was a member and volunteer). A good friend of mine cooked at B&B for a while. As young, recent college grads, my wife and I regularly ate there. Along with Oriental Drugs, the Blue River Cafe, The Outpost and Century Hall, B&B was a favorite, comforting go-to spot. Although I couldn't visit very often during my 25 years on the west coast, I was so very happy to know that it was still here, and as wonderful as ever, when I returned to Wisconsin in 2008. How funny to think that this tremendous haven for those wanting to include at least some vegetarian foods in their diet occupied the spot once known for Frenchy's restaurant (the place famous/infamous for its bear and lion steaks)! I'll need a new place to eat before going to the Oriental Theater. And I'll need a long time to process the sadness I feel. All the best to the owners and staff . . . and here's hoping that maybe B&B will live on in another location. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - "My God! Do you suppose it can read?" - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I grew up in the Milwaukee area and my family came here RELIGIOUSLY. Went for the first time in years while visiting family in Wisco and it's still as good as I remember. So many options on the menu and so many options for vegans or non-vegans. This time we ended up ordering food to go at the hot bar, but you can sit at the restaurant if you want. I got a chicken burrito and cold brew to go. The chicken burrito was so good, really enjoyed it with the salsa that they gave us. We ordered a lot of food and it took a long time for some reason. The staff was so kind tho - they apologized for the wait and told us to take a cookie and a candy for free for the trouble. This was totally unnecessary because we were having a good time browsing the market, but still so sweet regardless. The market is so cute, and I always find things that make great gifts for friends and family when I'm there. Definitely stop in if you're in Milwaukee!! read more

a milwaukee staple! i've been coming here for as long as i can remember (i think literally since i was a toddler) and it never disappoints! so many options for any occasion - you can sit down and eat, get takeout, order ready-made food from their hot bar, or shop at the market. the staff is always so friendly and the food is delicious! the market is so adorable, plenty of stocking-stuffer items for the holiday season. i always make sure to stop by here anytime i'm in milwaukee! read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

What started as a great place a few decades ago, really went downhill the past couple years. The restaurant and their service suffered. Indeed, the restaurant and servers lost their charm. The shop always maintained a nice offering of goods and prepared foods. I purchased many gifts in the shop over the years. read more

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So sad to see this place closing (this coming January). Great comfort food and a haven for vegetarians. Stop by before the end of January 2026! read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Indoor store - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This is a quality cafe and their products are healthy and include vegan offerings. The place was recommended by my son for sandwich-like items. I called in and picked up 3 items for an early light dinner. These were a chicken burrito ($12.50), a beans and chicken burrito ($11.25), and a tuna melt ($11.95). The tuna melt was a tuna melt, but those burritos were tip-top fresh and delicious. They also came with a small serving of tortilla chips. I called the order in and it was ready in 15 minutes and the place wasn't very busy at 5pm on a Sunday. They have a grocery section, deli, a coffee bar, and an airy dining room. They also have a smallish but convenient parking lot. Good, versatile cafe for you if you're in the area! read more

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I love Beans & Barley. It's a great casual spot to eat, hang, shop, work - whatever! I can usually find parking in their lot, and I love to shop around their store before or after eating. Their food service isn't the quickest, but the food is worth the wait. (Just don't come in a rush!) read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Grilled Vegetable Salad - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Cutest little store with so many different kinds of treats and goodies. I tried the tostadas and they were just so plain. It lacked seasoning. I loveeee beans and this made me not like beans anymore. Just a whole bunch of mush with wilted lettuce on top. Definitely would try something else next time. read more

Beans & Barley is a comfortable spot on the East Side with some really tasty bites. My dining companion and I got the artichoke and parmesan dip for a starter and it was spectacular. In fact, once we ran out of bread to dip with I proceeded to eat the rest with a spoon. For an entrée I chose the grilled cheese but doctored it up with turkey, onion, tomato, and avocado. Did it add $4 more dollars to the sandwich's price? Yes. But was it worth it? Absolutely. The dining area itself isn't super large, but the high ceilings make it feel airy. The soft instrumental music and gentle lighting really make Beans & Barley an excellent place to chat. Service was relaxed, but I didn't mind the slower pace at all. It wasn't egregiously slow where you start to think "where the heck is my food," but rather "I'm not feeling rushed at all, this is quite pleasant!" I'd definitely recommend checking out Beans & Barley. I know I'll be returning. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Grilled cheese with turkey, onion, tomato, and avocado - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Haven't been here in YEARS. It's better than remembered. Good and good for you food, friendly and fast service. And they have great grab & go section. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Beans & Barley has the perfect ambiance of granola core and farm to table. You can sit inside or outside, and it's sort of a world building experience; the moment you're inside, you pick an array of baked goods, household knick knacks from the attached store, or the moment you're outside, you're surrounded by arching trees, night time lights, and the bustle of Milwaukee's traffic in the background. I went for their Roasted Sweet Potato Veggie Burrito, and what impressed me most was the portion. This place did not miss with giving a hefty serving of food for a reasonable price, along with a side of tortilla chips and salsa. My only critique: more seasonings in the beans of the burrito would've made for a more flavorful experience, but maybe the baseline and what makes Beans & Barley what it is, are their more raw, to-the-bean and to-the-barley flavors. Personally, I just would've preferred a bit more kick or salt or pepper in the burrito for a tongue tickle haha The service was extremely welcoming and patient; we were new to Beans & Barley, so we were talked through their menu. For extra recommendations; consider their house special spaghetti, tofu sandwich, or this burrito. The location of Beans & Barley makes it perfect for an evening out during a summer or fall night, and then a walk around the area or to pop a squat across from the Crossroad Collective at their outdoor patio space where you can catch a nice sunset. Overall, lovely experience! Parking is accessible, but it's the city so give yourself time to park + walk. Will definitely be coming back here to try more things off the menu and have my fix of some of the best, healthy vegetarian + vegan selections in Milwaukee. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Roasted Sweet Potato and Bean Burrito - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This is a great place for vegans and non-vegans. We had lunches covering both vegan and non-vegan sides of the menu. Chicken burritos were great, but I did not realize black olives were included - my bad! I don't care for them except on pizza. Black olives are not a burrito option in my opinion. Turkey club was nice but kind of on the small side possibly due to the hallah bread? Hallah can be a petite bread... The vegan dishes were very well received! Beans and Barley was doing a booming business on our visit during a weekday morning. Stop in for the vegan and non-vegan items. You'll be happy you did! read more

Picked up a to go sweet potato burrito today before going to the library. It was good! I think they might have changed the recipe from a couple years ago, I might be mistaken, it just wasn't as great as usual. And it was over $12 which is a little too expensive but that's just how it is these days. The salsa and lime crema were delicious. I also love their cute little grocery store. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Sweet Potato Burrito with sauces - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Was surprised to be seated and waited on so quickly as the restaurant was packed. My sandwich & soup were unique and delicious!

Lovey spot in a busy area on North St. Fun store inside with lots of cool gift ideas, games, cups, socks, kitchen gadgets, book and so much more! Good food with many choices. Waitstaff was friendly & tentative. read more

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Convenient store and restaurant in one--call it a trendy CrackerBarrel. I order the Middle Eastern Chicken, and although the meal was alright, it had nothing Middle Eastern to it. They were out of the Egyptian lentil soup, which I was really looking forward to. The seating was kind of annoying. Seated in front of the door, so every time the door opened a warm wind blew at us. Kinda weird spot to put a table. It is pretty packed during lunch, so people must like it. My first experience was worth a 3 star. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Wonderful keylime pie so loved and will miss when they close. Excellent food and variety. Nice spacious area with lots of light..Was a great place for meeting friends.. read more

I went to Beans & Barley with a large group of my work colleagues. Our server was attentive to every order. Also, she was able to divide the check by person. Her attention to detail and ability to handle our large group was unmatched. Note: we called in advance to notify them of our large party of around 10 people. As for the food, it was fresh and delicious per usual. I love their pretzel buns here because they are always fluffy and delicious. I can't wait to go back! read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Grilled Chicken Sandwich - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Really great little lunch spot!! We ordered lunch to go from here and I opted for the tuna melt and a chai tea. The tuna melt was fantastic! I was surprised at the dill and capers that make it stand apart from other tuna melts! The chai was perfectly spicy and as a nice tough the even included a butter cookie is a go bag taped to ge to go cup! Adorable!! I highly recommend! read more

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Wonderful cafe right in the heart of Milwaukee. Location is close to campus as well. Parking is free and available. The restaurant was clean and the service was super quick. The vegetarian biscuits and gravy were delightful as well as their green smoothie. Within the cafes building there is also a really cool shop full of food and trinkets that I had a blast exploring. I really enjoyed my time at this cafe and will definitely be returning! read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Vegetarian Biscuits and Gravy - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

haven't been here in years and decided to stop in with my boyfriend after receiving a $15 giftcard. I forgot how cute the shop here is, and I feel like now I'll stop in sometime in the future even just to shop. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because the service felt super slow. I'm sure they are having staffing issues just like the rest of the industry, but it did put a damper on the experience for us. We thought we would have enough time to eat and ended up having to leave the restaurant before we got our main entrees. So to be fair, we were on a time schedule. Our waiter was super nice, just clearly had a lot to cover. He was helpful in wrapping up our mains to go, and eventually we got boxes for the apps we had started. The food was DELICIOUS. I loved the garlicy taste of the artichoke dip, and the esquites was perfectly refreshing yet creamy. My boyfriend got the Turkey Reuben (which I'd call a Rachel) and my tuna melt was exactly what I wanted. read more

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We have come less frequently, since we moved to Racine. But I remember Beans on Murray Ave. in the '73's. It has always been a favorite on the Eastside. A place to renew with old friends and have great food! I am so sorry to hear you go!! read more

Easily made online reservations here for Mother's Day breakfast, and was glad I did! This is a great, long-standing spot on North Avenue with on-site parking, restaurant, small market, and deli. Admittedly, though from the area, I forgot how wonderful this place is. The dining area is a nice size, and the food is absolutely amazing. Our server was attentive and quick, and our food came out very timely. We all ordered a Bloody Mary to start, but I asked that mine be made spicy. Usually, when I do this anywhere, I am inevitably disappointed. However, they made it perfectly and not overwhelmingly spicy. We ordered the Mexican quiche, blueberry buttermilk pancakes and the lemon ricotta pancakes. All were delicious! The Mexican quiche was light and airy, the potatoes well seasoned and the side fruit very fresh. The buttermilk pancakes were light and fluffy, made with fresh, nicely sized blueberries. The lemon ricotta pancakes were very tasty, with the ricotta adding a slight sweetness to the pancakes that paired well with the blueberry syrup. Beans and Barley has been a long-time east side staple, and there's no doubt why. Great food, great service, and a great location make this a great gem to try out and revisit. read more

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Cool ambiance inside! We went for breakfast. Tried out the breakfast burrito with a side of fruit. It was a good portion. The burrito was nice and crispy on the outside :) Loved the flavor on the inside, it melts in your mouth. Overall, a solid choice for a healthy breakfast!!! read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Egg Burrito - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We love this place. Everything about it is great. The people, the food, the location, ambiance, service! It's all good!

A Milwaukee Classic. Way ahead of its time in the world of foodies now. So many vegetarian and vegan options and everything is delicious.

Food: very good! I have eaten way too many chicken burritos to count, but they are excellent. They also have very good sandwiches and breakfast food. The ingredients are also healthy so it's a nice treat if you don't want to make dinner, but want to be healthy. Service: sometimes can be slow, but everyone is very nice. Ambiance: it's got a lot of different things you need so it's nice to be able to pick up any groceries you need while you wait for your food read more

A cute stop for Saturday morning brunch. It's been a while since I last dined at this eatery. The weather was warm and sunny; a beautiful day. Fresh orange juice and 1 blueberry pancake were my breakfast. Next time, I'll check if the cutlery is placed with my to-go order. The customer service is decent. I will visit again. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Take Out Bag & Beverage. - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

#vegan Usually a busy place. Good vegan options. I love the tofu sandwich and chocolate shake. Lots of options within the deli area. Inside this great little store with super awesome stuff !!! read more

It's been a while since we dined in at "Beans" - been doing a lot of carry out. Happy to say that our weekday lunch was fabulous. We were seated promptly and the server was great - attentive but not hovering. I got the classic stir fry with tofu and the curry sauce and it was better than I remembered. It's SO hard to find healthy/healthy-ish food in restaurants, so this dish was SO refreshing. Loaded with tender-crisp veggies and perfectly sautéed tofu, it was delish. The sauce was just a little spicy and not overblown with salt. My partner had the quesadilla and it was great. I had to snitch a few tortilla chips because I wanted the salsa and yep, it's the same salsa and just as good as I remembered. With all the chain places around, it felt good to support this Milwaukee classic and it sure tasted good too! read more

I wandered in while I was on a walk. I planned to look at the deli but wandered into the bar for a drink. The staff is so sweet! My bartender/barista made a phenomenal Paloma. She also upsold me on the Italian Quiche when she called it a "mushroom quiche." The quiche itself was decent but small and the crust was standard pie crust. It was absolutely packed with vegetables though. I was a fan! There is not a ton of seating or parking so do plan ahead if you're going for food or drinks! The store had a ton of cute kitchy items which is perfect for my new apartment. Their deli has many options and that's what makes this a great one stop shop. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Quiche of the Day - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A neat spot here with a cool shop attached with unique gifts and food. We had brunch. Service was great and the prices were fair but one thing ruined the whole experience for us: None of the food was hot. The toast and eggs were literally cold. The potatoes were just barely room temperature. The food was tasty but just obviously was sitting around for a while before being delivered. It really takes away from the experience to order hot food on a cold morning and have it come out cold. We're going to try it again soon and hope for better. read more

This is a hard review for me to write. I've been a Beans fan for 4+ decades. Yesterday I was pumped to have almost an hour to grab a bite between meetings. It was easy to park, so I hoped the cafe would not be busy. A person behind the bar greeted me, saying I'd be helped soon. Within minutes, I was greeted again, asked if I wanted a spot in the restaurant or patio. The restaurant was nearly empty, but I picked the patio because of the time weather. Maybe that was my mistake. During my 15 minute wait with water and menu, I became very familiar with their food options and the back of the sole server's head. I left without service or fanfare, and limited time to find food elsewhere. read more

If you've been intimidated by the waiting line trying to get a dine-in seat fear not, it moves fast. This is low key one of the best breakfasts around--delicious, reasonably priced, plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. And you can get a bagel or English muffin as a bread choice. Today I almost went for the pesto scramble but the seasonal omelet also had pesto--and roasted tomatoes--so I went with that. It was fluffy but substantial, with always-great breakfast potatoes on the side. And I had a sesame bagel with butter and jam. Do not snooze on that jam, it's a terrific accompaniment to everything. One great thing about dining in is spying on other people's plates. I saw some pancakes go out and now I want to try those next. I even saw someone who wasn't in a breakfast mood getting a soup and salad. The grocery section is still awesome too. I like to scope out the deli items--and markdowns--in the refrigerated section. The sushi is also respectable. I didn't get one today but a lot of times I buy a blank-inside card to put a letter in, or some fun stationery. Great stop for a weekend breakfast. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Seasonal Farmer's Omelet - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Attempted to dine tonight. No host greeted us and no line, after several minutes sat ourselves at an empty table. Waited several minutes with no service when a host arrived and informed us the the table had been reserved and we must leave and there was a waiting list of at least 25 minutes. There are many alternative restaurants nearby and we found a cafe with prompt and pleasant service and good food. I won't return to Beans and Barley. read more

Seriously good food, kind & welcoming staff, great vibes. B&B is one of the best third spaces on the east side. Their burritos & sushi are soooo good, & there's always interesting people dropping by for everything from groceries to fine dining & cool art. It's like the best kind of co-op attached to a hip restaurant full of amazing finds. I even got to model for a professional photographer that made me feel like a movie star!! Definitely one of the best places in Milwaukee. I've always felt welcome at B&B. read more

I was there last Thursday and became very sick... something was up with the food or drink.

I had no idea what a cute spot this was! I stopped in to check out the store and noticed the cafe while I was there. I made it a point to come back and eat here and I'm so glad I did. It has a slight diner feel, with lots of natural light and open space. Even coming around lunchtime on a weekend, we were seated promptly and our food came out quickly. They do serve brunch, and they have a variety of alcoholic drinks including mimosas and Bloodies. I opted for a chicken salad sandwich and a cup of their barley soup. Both were phenomenal! The best part is that they sell the chicken salad in their store, so I can easily buy some to go if I don't have time to dine in. I will definitely be back to try more of their menu! read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - a large group of people sitting at tables - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I've probably driven by this restaurant/ store so many times while in downtown. It's got that "Whole Foods" kind of vibe. I'm always in the lookout for vegetarian friendly restaurants that have multiple menu items. This restaurant is very veg friendly and has many menu options. I was sooo happy that I could actually have a choice instead of making do with only one choice. I had breakfast for one which consisted of their great coffee and the jalapeño omelette. The omelette had both fresh and candied jalapeños, with sour cream in the center. Never a combination I would have thought of; perfectly sweet, salty, spicy and savory. The restaurant was quiet still, clean and bright. Server was attentive. I will definitely have to bring the fam here. read more

Beans & Barley Cafe - Delis Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Went for breakfast with a friend. He got coffee (unlimited refills $2.95) and we both got orange rabbit juices (sm. $3.50). The juice was phenomenal! Perfect amount of orange juice to sweeten up the carrot juice. My friend ordered the jalapeño popper omelet ($11.95) and it was outpouring with cream cheese, a little too much for his taste but he still very much enjoyed his breakfast. I had the pesto scrambled eggs ($11.95) they were delicious and even had slight crunch from the pine nuts, which i really liked the change in texture. The potatoes were a little greasy- I would have liked more of a crispy potato, but they had great onion flavor. The jam they give in the side was also delicious, especially with the sourdough bread. No complaints with service! Overall, I would recommend this restaurant. It's also attached to a boutique which had some cute items. Next time I'm going to try a smoothie!! read more

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