I went to Brunch It Up with a few friends the other weekend and had an okay experience. They have…read morethe important stuff down - food and drinks were all great! We got the mimosa and Bloody Mary flights. They even flavor their own vodkas in house for the bloody's! Online it said both kinds of flights were included their special if the day, which was BOGO half off, but the staff told us the bloody flights were not included. We ordered a skillet, burrito, and harvest hash. Everything was great and came out quickly! What the restaurant is lacking is in overall aesthetic and cleanliness. It seems unfinished inside, has chipped paint, the canvas on the seats is ripping, and the floors were quite dirty where we were seated. We visited when there was only an hour left of them being open, and the staff made it seem like they were wanting to close up. If some of these items are addressed, this place has potential to be really great!

We really wanted to Brunch It Up...we love a good brunch place...so much. We left wishing we'd gone…read moresomewhere else. Brunch It Up (possibly in the middle of rebranding to just "Brunch.") is a classic breakfast spot in downtown Milwaukee...we were there on a Sunday morning...high brunch time, and were seated quickly upstairs. The place had an overall run-down vibe to it...scuffed paint on the walls and a general feeling of not quite matching the quality of the upscale brunch spot implied by their modern logo. Menus...I normally don't comment on the menu itself but our table featured no less than 4 different menus...the regular menu, a drink menu, a specials menu and a mimosas menu...choices are wonderful, but the immediate reaction is this is a whole mess of menus on the table, and I don't know what to look at first. It felt haphazard. Let's move on to the coffee...Coffee is an essential part of the brunch experience. Even at a diner, you want it to be strong...the mug it came in was nice, but it was weak coffee. I need coffee to kick my butt, and if you're serving what's close to "browned water" at a breakfast place, you're missing the mark. How about the food? I can't fault them for the generosity of the portions, but will say individual dishes were way too much for my wife and I...we wish smaller portions were available, so so much didn't go to waste. My wife had the Egg and Waffle sandwich with waffle fries. It was fine. I had the Harvest Hash made with egg whites...the eggs were a little overcooked. (Egg whites require a thoughtful touch when cooking them so they are finished white and not browning all over.) There are plenty of fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, and peppers in there (I guess that's the extent of the harvest in Milwaukee) The hashbrowns it all sat on were undercooked. We were excited about the croissant beignets...Available were the regular ones with chocolate or strawberry dipping sauce, and a special with a fruit dipping sauce. They couldn't mix and match sauces, so we got the special. They were okay but a bit over-fried, losing the croissant texture altogether ...I mean, there's nothing wrong with deep-fried dough with sweet things to dip them in, but we do wish they hadn't fried the croissant out of them to give us the unique experience implied by the name. The menu has plenty to choose from...every breakfast savory or sweet thing you could imagine...and on the nicely designed, modern-looking menu at looks like it could be amazing...but everything we got, plus the experience of sitting in a place that felt a little rundown, left us overall disappointed.

The service was fast and friendly. They have several tables and the atmosphere is cute. I ordered…read morethe apple macchiato and my boyfriend got the raspberry sunrise. Both were really good!

I did not get the most friendly vibes...I came in with my book bag, attempting to do some work &…read morepossibly focus in on some things. The chairs didn't look comfortable. It just didn't feel very inviting and was smaller than what I thought it would be, inside the place. I said I wanted the $4 matcha, and the barista asked me what size--the menu didn't specify sizes, it just said the price by the drink name. I said, "Which one is the $4 one?" She seemed just as confused as me. I asked for a chocolate donut, to which she responded with, "You said the white chocolate right?" *insert casual flip of the tip screen* Between the service and the "vibes," sorry, but I can take my time and business elsewhere.

Must try: The Marx, Bear Paw Burrito, Maple Pecan Cold Brew, and Bear Hug Iced Latte!…read more Why: I came two days in a row for coffee and breakfast. First day I got The Marx bagel sandwich with a Maple Pecan Cold Brew. Loved The Marx because of the French Onion Jam. Bagel was soft and inside had bacon, egg, cheese, and tomato. The Cold Brew was smooth and had a hint of sweetness. On the second day I got the Bear Hug Iced Latte and Bear Paw Burrito. Bear Hug Iced Coffee was much sweeter with chocolate, caramel, and pecan syrup. Burrito was large packed with eggs, cheese, potatoes, and red peppers with Southwest sauce and Sour Cream. Notes: The small coffee shop was inside a corporate office and bank. There are a few tables with free WiFi. Worker was welcoming, friendly, and helpful. On my first visit, the bagel I had still had parchment paper stuck on egg and cheese, which I found out after the first bite and noticed the parchment paper was accidentally left in. They were able to remake a new one since I did not want to spend time trying to peel off parchment paper so they were able to make a new one. I wasn't even mad because the breakfast sandwich and coffee were so good.

Stopped by for a quick coffee stop. The menu offers a lot and has all the classics you could want…read more We enjoyed our vanilla lattes, both the iced and hot version and appreciated the prompt and friendly service.

Been here several times, and it's been a consistently good experience…read more Food: They do a nice job with their hot latte beverages. I usually order the Mocha Latte, which has a good balance of coffee and chocolate. I prefer a little extra foam, so I usually ask for that. One thing I'd like to see is the option of having hot drinks served in a mug instead of only paper cups. They also have a good selection of pastries, including muffins, cookies, and scones. Service: I've always received great service here. Friendly smiles, helpful staff, and quick service make each visit enjoyable. Atmosphere: This location is a unique combination of coffee shop, Jazzercise studio, and Nutman distribution center. They also carry a wide variety of gifts, including crafts, candles, glassware, and greeting cards. It's a fun place to browse if you're looking for a unique gift while enjoying your coffee. A nice spot to stop for your morning coffee.

Good food! Coffee great, too…read more Service Was fast and nice. Interesting vibe- it's kinda like you are in a gift shop instead of a cafe.

Like many, I have had a hard time the past couple of years. I went to the Riverwest Food Pantry…read moreand was promptly greeted, however, the food that I received was substandard, moldy bread, rotten tomatoes, high-calorie and of low-nutritional value. I felt like I received this "food" because I am white and it was just the stuff segregated out. If you're going to do this service, simply tell people that you don't have any quality food to give them. Don't send them home with a couple of bags of garbage...and it was garbage. I threw 75% of it in the trash.

They are open on Saturdays. Show up early, before they open, and get in line. When you go down the…read morestairs, pick up a number by the first letter of your last name. There are refreshments available for free while you wait: coffee, juice, breakfast cakes, cookies, and more. Once you see an intake person, you get in line for food. There is bread, lots of bread, fresh vegetables, canned goods (veggies and fruit mostly), some other dry goods, some toiletries, and more. If you are impoverished, this is a good place. If you are not impoverished, it is a good place to volunteer.

The main problem here are the oddly limited hours but this is otherwise a great place for a coffee…read moreand snack. It's very clean, spacious, sunny with friendly personable workers. Not a lot of vegetarian options except for salads. No fancy coffees, and in fact the overall selection is limited, but you can get a cup of high octane fresh coffee that's better than at a gas station plus a burger or chicken sandwich, a doughnut, and get a little work done at one of the many open tables. There's a couple of pool tables, but the few players making use of them are poor college students so you're not going to make any money if that's what you're after. Don't use the vending machines if the cafe is closed, they are too expensive.

I stopped into Friendship Cafe after walking around the area following an appointment close by, and…read moreI was super excited to find a cafe near where I was. When i walked in, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the staff seemed super nice, and were diligent about helping all orders ahead of me pretty fast paced. I've been dealing with a lot (hence the appointments mentioned) so finding new food places (and food places that are GOOD) always serves as a pick-me-up. I ordered a tuna melt, muffin, and hibiscus iced tea...that tuna melt was so good I completely forgot about taking a picture of it. But the banana chocolate chip muffin and iced tea were also some of the best morning goodies I've ever had. If it wasn't so much of a hike from where I actually live, I'd probably be an everyday regular here. Definitely delicious and would recommend visiting.

This nonprofit cafe makes the most delicious sourdough bread you can imagine and takes all of its…read moreproceeds to help employ and support adults with disabilities and other missions around mental health?! Could there be a better reason to stuff your face full of bread? Friendship Cafe and Bakery hits like home with a mixed staff who are warm, friendly and really are overjoyed to be at work. Some of which are actual graduates of the 12 month employment training program Friendship runs for adults with disabilities to get placed in amazing work environments to support themselves and make (guess what) FRIENDS. The cafe makes coffee drinks, refreshers, teas and other beverages along with every baked good you can dream up. Muffins, cake pops, cookies, cakes, bagels, strudels and delicious loaves of bread. This place also caters any mealtime and touts being able to provide menus that can be: nut free, Kosher, gluten free and dairy free. Customization is key and what they're there for! The distinguished Head Pastry Chef, Tara Forosisky-Benito, puts all her passion into her baked goods and breads. She's worked on this particular sourdough starter perfecting its makeup for a little over 5 years! And to make sure that the kitchen is always performing at the highest quality and speed, she's always 20 steps ahead in terms of prep and early mornings. I got a peek inside the kitchen after I heard all about their nonprofit mission and you could see the creativity popping and the drive to support some of the fellow employees was apparent. Oh, did I mention there's an art studio space, too? As if they aren't doing enough, they host art and little workshops like the popular "Art and Baking" for kiddos in the Fall. This cafe is remote work friendly (free WiFi!), has delicious drinks and baked treats all while supporting an important cause. Will definitely be making a bunch of trips back!

Great café nestled within the Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin building. You wouldb't expect it…read morelooking from outside of the building but this café is super spacious, ample seating and types of seating furniture. It feels like a hotel lobby with conference rooms you can reserve, couches, lounge chairs, low cafe tables, and high top tables. They also carry merch if you're a big fan of the cafe! I tried a Hazelnut Latte with their special of the day Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal. The oatmeal was on the mushy side, I like mine kind of in the middle where I can feel more of the oatmeal texture before it gets to the soft texture, flavor was tasty! Service was easy, there's a visible "Order Here" sign and it didn't take long for my order to be ready. Connecting to WiFi worked, similar to connecting to WiFi in a hotel or Starbucks coffee shop where you have a browser pop up and you click to log in-no ads. Parking was easy to find in a weekday.

I have recently started giving blood at this Versiti location, after I donated blood my wife and…read moredaughter stopped here for lunch. My wife ordered the Peach Green Tea and a Mediterranean salmon salad. She loved the salad, the salad comes with a vinaigrette dressing. My wife thinks a heavier dressing would have been better, otherwise she'd order it again. My daughter and I ordered the Angry hot chicken sandwich and an order of fries. The chicken was hardly angry, but it was very good. Lately, when I order fries I expect them to be average, these fries were hot and very above average. I'm usually pretty hungry after donating blood, so I'll make it a point to come here again.