Beans & Barley Cafe

Surprisingly good Mexican food! Also, I love their German Chocolate Cake! I’m sure their other food is good, but apparently I’m a creature of habit.

I give Beans and Barley three starts because I truly have mixed feelings about this place. I have eaten here twice — and the food is fine. But only fine. Given their approach to food, it’s unexpectedly difficult to find something gluten free but NOT vegan. I have yet to find something that I couldn’t make as well at home, which makes this a convenient stop in a pinch, but not a destination. The gift area is very nice however, and I like to come in when I need a housewarming or similar gift for a friend. My office also uses the catering service frequently. The chicken pine nut sandwiches are always a big hit!
The downside is that the catering order is rarely fully ready to go at pickup time, but having an order delivered comes with a massive charge. Just my opinion, but if I’m already spending 800 on food, is another 125 to have it delivered really justifiable? Also, when I came to pick up the many, many trays I ordered, they were only wrapped in saran wrap, so I had to risk squashing half the food as the trays couldn’t be stacked.
This place has many strengths, and could be great, but for me it just doesn’t quite add up.

My favorite thing on the menu is the Tofu Burrito. I go here almost every Saturday since I’ve moved to Milwaukee.
It’s amazing! And so is Liz– my favorite waitress. She gives exceptional, unsurpassable customer service.

It’s an easy commute to this restaurant and market, if you live around the North Ave. scene. Small parking lot in front of the building, and the side streets are usually filled. Parking is hit or miss here.
The entrance has a bulletin board filled with upcoming events, among other neighborhood notices. There is usually a wait time for dinner because the place is popular. Usually, there are a few seats open at the bar, if you don’t mind.
As for the menu, the burritos are a crowd favorite. My personal favorite is the vegetable stir fry with spicy coconut curry sauce! Chase it down with a shot of wheatgrass, if you are feeling super healthy and vegan!
The market attached to the restaurant can be pricey, but very accommodating for vegan/​vegetarians! The market is targeting health, so there are items/​brands there that some grocery stores don’t sell. The deli’s menu is always fresh, if you want something already prepared. The market also sells hip greeting cards, and other gift ideas. I brought a bag there that has a cat print on it because I needed it right meow and then.

Beans and Barley is an East side favorite for vegetarian and healthy food. Their dishes are great, don’t let the vegetarian part scare you away if you’re not into they type of this, they have more than enough healthy options for the meat eaters too. I love this place and have been going there for years.
The chili is fantastic (add avocados and cheese) so good!

If you’re looking for a vegetarian friendly meal, this is a great place to visit.
The store essentially has three sections: café/​restaurant with bar, carry-​out only area, and a retail grocery store.

I liked my meal for sure. I got the sweet potato and bean burrito. Very tasty albeit a bit dry and dense. The sour cream on the side lightened it up a bit. My friend got the huevos which I wouldn’t recommend. It tasted like runny salsa with an egg. My sister ordered the cinnamon bun pancake and it was like spice overload. Mostly nutmeg actually. Either way huge portion but after the one bite I just felt bad that that’s all she had to eat :/.
I am happy I tried it but I think they should concentrate on a few key items (such as the burrito I got) and not have such an expansive menu with just ok items.

B&B was the first place I ate in MKE before I even moved here. That sweet potato black bean burrito is hella good. I like the little store/​deli combo for hippies on the go, but prefer to head here for a sit-​down meal. The space is very pretty, but the design — all glass and metal with high ceilings — makes for quite a loud experience. The staff is either extremely friendly or completely stand-​offish. Our last meal there, the server whispered her responses, didn’t make eye contact once, and dropped off the food without a word. What the heck?
The food is delish, the prices are very reasonable, this is the place to bring vegetarian visitors without disappointing your meat eaters. Then get dessert at the donuts stand across the street. Because street donuts, kids.

An Eastside staple! Amazing deli, restaurant and grocery store.
Beans offers one of the best deli selections in town. Great mix of veggie, vegan and meaty options. Favorites: Basic burrito, peanut noodles, curry tofu salad, and the beautiful broccoli salad.
The restaurant offers great options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I highly recommend the Huevos Rancheros (only served on weekends) or the Walnut Burger.
Beans also has a killer gift sections (beautiful calendars, journals, mugs, candles, etc., and has done a great job expanding their baby/children’s section.
One of my favorite spots in Milwaukee!

As I slowly start to slip into the dark ways of a vegetarian lifestyle, my heart longs for Beans & Barley more and more. I have always enjoyed mixing it up during my meat eating days, but in my current midlife crisis I want to live here.
Breakfast has a spectacular spread of omelets, burritos, pancakes, french toast, and lox. The egg burrito can be a little overwhelming with eggs at times but is still very delicious. You truly have to love eggs if you want to eat the burrito. Almond french toast is really good and probably my girlfriends favorite dish for breakfast. I do the majority of my damage when there is a Lox Plate in front of me. Overall, just a fresh plate that gives me everything that I am looking for in the morning. If you are a meat eater and are looking for something a little different I do encourage you to try the duck bacon as a side.
For dinner the go-​to item is going to be the variation of burritos that are offered. I am a human garbage disposal and converting to a vegetarian or primarily vegetarian lifestyle is hard. Even a meat eater can find pleasure in these burritos readers. Do not be alarmed by this next statement, but I ate three burritos in one sitting here. It was extremely uncomfortable but I am in love with simple/​delicious food, and this is about as good as it will ever get.
As for the deli, fresh is the word, pretty much anything on the menu is at the deli too. I have never tried the pies but that does seem to be a popular item. If you are looking for a small addition to a meal there are sides galore to choose from.
Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Beans and Barley has me wanting more.

I went here during the week with a vegetarian friend for lunch, and was seated right away! My goodness I LOVED Beans!!! This was about four months ago and I had just recently started being more conscientious of my diet choices, and boy did this place just really do it for me! Awesome variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, burritos. There’s also a breakfast menu served until 11:00 daily (2:00 pm on weekends). Also a large assortment of hot drinks featuring Anodyne coffee and RISHI tea, as well as other delectable espresso drink options. Did I mention they have smoothies too?!? I mean, really, there is SO MUCH GOODNESS to choose from! Overall, just a super cool atmosphere with attentive and polite staff. I would likely enjoy everything… EVERYTHING… on the menu, which excites me to go back and try more! It’s awesome to have a healthy BUT DELICIOUS café near me! With lots and lots of options!
I have also heard great things about the deli and organic grocery which is connected on the other side of the restaurant, but didn’t get a chance to peruse, as I had to catch a nail appointment ;-p So needless to say, I WILL be going back and indulging in delicious healthy food… and not feeling one bit guilty ;-) Bring on the beans!

So many good things to say about B&B:
1) family friendly: high chairs, kids menu, changing table in bathroom
2) almond or soy milk to choose from for coffee
3) delicious tofu scramble
4) yummy smoothies: I had the kale coconut
5) reasonably priced
6) wonderful gift shop: great place for stocking stuffers or unusual birthday gifts
7) helpful wait staff and store clerks
8) awesome deli, soups and bakery goods to take home
9) best tortilla soup in the planet (and only vegan one I’ve ever found)!

Have you ever played the, «if you could only choose one restaurant in Milwaukee to go to for the rest of your life, which one would you choose» game? no? just me then. Well, Beans and Barley is that spot for me! Seriously, you can’t go wrong with the plentiful variety of things to eat here. Being a meat-​eater who enjoys a meat-​free meal every now and again, Beans is one of the best, most fulfilling spots. Some of my go-​to meals you ask? Breakfast: Tofu Scramble (seriously, you won’t miss the eggs). Lunch/​Dinner: Tofu or chicken fajitas– SO much flavor, Fish Cake sandwich– took a risk one time and it payed off, and the Sweet Potato and Black Bean burrito– so good, you’ll try to make it at home (and fail and then go and just order it). Beans is easily one of my family’s favorite places to eat as well, so its a real winner all around. If you’re looking for a place that can please even the toughest set of taste buds, look no further!

I found my favorite dish– the Tofu Scramble. Delicious tofu tossed with tamari, sesame seeds, among other things. Get it with Udi toast, homemade jam, and a side pancake (don’t hate). MUST TRY!

Beans and Barley is literally the best place to eat in town! Healthy organic food, amazing staff, and a tasty to-​go menu. Their bean burritos are so good for lunch, along with their pre-​made salads for lunch. When I go to sit down, it can be a fancy or casual experience because the wait staff is always exceptional. After a rough night, I recommend their fresh orange and carrot juice and/​or their amazing bloody mary’s!

Great food (tofu scramble with potatoes), and possibly the best biscuit I’ve had! I also enjoyed a delicious cup of peach white tea, strawberry jam (just like Gramma’s), and great service to boot! Too bad I didn’t find this place sooner! Wonderful!

This place rocks.
So I went here for brunch and didn’t know what to expect but knew it must be good seeing there was a 30 min wait to get in.
Had the quesadilla which was fantastic. Tons of flavor and the side of rice was great. That alone I could have had and been good to go.
Overall service was fast and the food was great! Also the little shop is fun to kill the time when waiting!

Love the atmosphere! Very fresh and bright. The little store in the front has some really decent items also and helps kill the time while you wait for a table. I had the special of the day which was a mushroom lasagna with salad and bread. Salad and bread were average but the lasagna was super good!

All the black people work in the back or have the bussing job up front. The manager/​ownership/​many workers are racist and all the women that work as servers are caddy and fight with each other all day.
Please stop giving this place your business.

Beans is a solid family– and vegetarian-​friendly restaurant with a very laidback, almost homey environment.
The space isn’t too big, so I recommend either going on a slower night, before 6, or being prepared to wait to sit. The lighting can be pretty dim at night, but I like that. It’s not too loud, not too quiet. Good for a date night, casual conversation with friends, or a business meeting.
The food isn’t too crazy and out-​of-​the-​ordinary, but it tastes good and it’s healthy. I feel fantastic after I’ve finished a meal here, which is something my sensitive stomach rarely permits. My favorite menu items are the chicken pine nut wrap (chicken salad with actual chicken that flakes off when you eat it, PLUS pine nuts), walnut burger (super flavorful veggie-​friendly sandwich – $ 1 avocado upgrade please!), and any of the burritos (not very authentic but fresh and baked).
I dig the shop on the other side of the store. I haven’t utilized the deli portion yet, but they have a nice little selection of organic/​GF/​vegan items that may be hard to find. I’d rather spend a little more money and have it benefit a local business aka Beans than go down the street to Whole Feeds and feed their corporation, but whatevs.
Bonus points for patio seating in the summer!

This place makes me wish I had a hippie flag to fly. It’s trendy, healthy, local — it’s hippie chic, in food form. If I’m ever uncertain about where to brunch, I find myself suggesting Beans & Barley.
— LOCALE: Located off North Ave, it’s in a bustling part of town, filled with interesting people. They have their own lot, but if it’s full, you may find yourself having to drive around a bit (they do have some of those coveted downtown angle parking spots on the neighboring street though if you luck out!). The restaurant area is very open and airy — lots of natural lighting. Can get a bit loud when the place is packed though.
— FOOD: The menu is filled with interesting options, and includes a lot of vegetarian /​healthy options. The drink menu is awesome for different juices and they have the best hot chocolate in town (get the big one). You will feel full when you leave, without having that greasy, bad full feeling you get some places. Some items have better flavor than others. I recommend going with anything they have for a special. The Eggs Benedict will knock your socks off
— SERVICE: depending on how busy they are, I’ve had both speedy and slow service. One thing I can say, is the servers are always very nice (and often eerily calm) and helpful with the menu.
— WAIT: If it’s a weekend and if it’s brunch, you will find yourself with a 30 minute+ wait if you don’t get their early enough. You can wander around their little store/​shopping area while you wait, but then you run the risk of not hearing your name called — so it’s a dice roll.
— STORE: The grocery/​shopping area of B&B is full of hidden gems. Organic products galore. Whenever I eat at this place, I always wonder the store part as well. If you’re looking for some unique gift items, or specialty food items, definitely go browse. Especially if you want to grab some local goodies (from brews to crafts).

1 star for lackluster service. It took 15 minutes for them to remember that my husband ordered a salad to go. Only after we reminded them did they bring it over 5 minutes later.
2 stars for food quality. Everything was fresh… just lacked in taste.
Also, something about the way this grocery store/​coffee bar/​deli counter is set up is disconcerting. Won’t be returning.

For a great dependable/​consistent, laid back lunch, dinner, breakfast, snack restaurant Beans & Barley is fantastic. Obviously don’t compare to pricier places.
I honestly think the 2 $$ is misleading. It can easily be just $ for a substantial amount of food. You could also come in for a smoothie or $ 5 dollar hot bar lunch during a week day. They have gluten free bread that they serve with jam, and omelets come with toast and potatoes. I am not vegetarian but their tofu scramble and salad with tofu are so good!!! (even my boyfriend loved the tofu scramble).
Before I was diagnosed with Celiac I would look up their daily/​monthly specials online on a weekly basis — esp for the featured muffin and pancake.
My carnivore boyfriend and my Celiac self are always happy when we have a laid back meal at Beans & Barley.

Service, food, ambiance and price are always spot on at this place. Fresh organic food at an affordable cost. Never disappointed. I’d say brunch has their best food/​menu.
Fresh juices, dietary and allergy friendly options and a little something for everyone’s taste.

Not only is it a vegetarian restaurant, but it’s also a health market. I got the balsamic tofu sandwich and it was amazing. The employees were very friendly as well. If I’m in MKE again, I’ll be back.

Great hot food bar!
Reasonably priced salads and bakery.
Great salsa!
Day old half priced bakery with a little oven love at home still delish!

I’m not a vegetarian, but I like vegetables, so I sometimes go to these vegetarian-​friendly restaurants because they can treat the vegetables with a little more respect than you might find at a place that’s more about the meat.
I started with the vegetarian chili. The addition of bulgur was interesting, though with all of the diced onion, celery, and peppers in there is was more like a chunky minestrone than a chili.
A grilled vegetable sandwich is something you can find at many restaurants in this vein: mushrooms, onion, broccoli, red pepper, zucchini. Pretty standard. They don’t prepare it like Beans & Barley, though, who take a few pieces of each of these vegetables, cut in pieces much larger than appropriate for eating between two slices of bread — including whole button mushrooms — cover it in mozzarella, and slap it between a bun. I got the feeling this veg was already prepped to be used in other dishes. It was grilled, but with very little oil, so everything was softened but still largely with all of its water content. Those whole mushrooms required me to unhinge my jaw to take a bite in places. The mozzarella didn’t provide much other than a means of keeping all of these disparate parts together. The bun didn’t provide anything at all. It was a side dish, not a fully realized main course.
Both the «chili» and the sandwich hearken back to a simpler time when vegetarian cooking was harder to find around Milwaukee. Back then, all you had to do was offer an option without meat, or with a meat substitute and you’d be good to go. The standard is higher today, and a vegetarian meal should mean more than just giving me more vegetables. Why not slice all of the components of my sandwich evenly so they’re approximately the same size? Maybe add a little bit of pesto/​hummus/​guacamole along with the mozzarella cheese? How about adding some finely diced mushrooms to the chili so you get some meatiness and texture like the real thing? There just wasn’t as much of an effort as I was expecting for a place with this much history.
Maybe Beans and Barley’s history caused me to build it up more than I should have. At its core, the café is a nice landmark in the middle of the East Side where you can get a salad, a sandwich, or some scrambled eggs. It’s reasonably healthy. Expecting anything beyond that might be too much.

Journey back with me for a brief second to 1997…
A brown haired 22 year old Lisa stops on her way back from step aerobics classes to the little grocery store (long before Whole Foods) tucked into Beans and Barley. The chicken pine nut salad in the deli case was almost always my choice
Flashforward to 2015…
They still have Chicken Pine nut Salad! I stopped in recently on my way to (yep, still) yoga class and am still amazed at all the goods they cram into that store. They have the aforementioned deli case and will also make you a smoothie of your choice there too. Back in the day I discovered giant tubs of this crazy soy protein power called «Source of life» at Beans which had some miracle-​inducing combo of 5 gizillion supplements. It also had seaweed in it which left your blender and glasses coated in sort of green cement. Imagine my delight in learning that they’ll just add a scoop of Source of Life (for a buck) to your smoothie (I highly recommend the Coconut Kale) and save you a night of cleaning green goop.
Other items noticed on my last trip:
– Vegan «toona»
–a «calming» pacifier for babies (couldn’t we all use one of these now and again?)
–Sanrio Chococat Earrings
–Jojoba, Lavender, and nearly a whole wall of essential oils.
As far as the restaurant, Beans is still reliable and inexpensive, and seems especially suited to breakfasts (weekends are busy,) but anytime is fine. The inside looks like a cafeteria with a sort of well-​worn modernity. The food is simple but generally well made and tasty. It isn’t strictly vegetarian — there’s meat dishes available too.
This place is left over from a time when North Avenue and the East side felt a little more «patchouli and sandalwood» and less «American Apparel and Ian’s pizza». Then again, with Whole Foods on the scene with a similar grocery store, maybe BNB was just far ahead of its time back in the day.
Now if only ESO or the Mantra Lounge was still downstairs…

This place rules. Not only does their tofu scramble have a load of flavor — it rivals a lot of scrambles I’ve ingested in my lifetime, including at some of my favorite NYC spots. The meal came with potatoes and a bagel with a vegan «cream cheese» spread … For under $ 10. And there was enough for leftovers.
Cute, spacious and an awesome breakfast spot for vegans, vegetarians and all other fans of delicious food. They also pay attention to refilling your coffee.
So happy Beans and Barley exists. It’s perfect for plant-​eaters visiting Wisconsin and healthy. Not the typical deep-​fried vegan food I’ve been encountering while visiting.

Reminds me a lot of the Willy Street Co-​Op in Madison.
+ Fair amount of indoor and outdoor seating
+ Smallish coffee bar/​seating area
— Indoor area gets incredibly noisy, quickly. All hard surfaces = reverberation and noise
— Place fills up quickly on weekends; expect a 30 – 35 minute wait if you arrive after 9:00am
+ Prompt servers
+ Simple menu; largely vegetarian
+ Reasonable pricing
+ Aerodyne coffee; free refills
— Wasn’t a fan of the particular roast as offered
+ Cubano breakfast plate was delicious — nicely cooked scrambled eggs, flavorful beans
— Beans obviously served from a chafing dish via an ice cream scoop
+ Fresh fruit available as a side
— No greens available as a side?

Tasty, fresh, affordable. Love Beans & Barley! I’m fairly loyal to the Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito (turned into tacos — because I prefer corn tortillas). It comes with a small side of chips and salsa and a super delicious and tangy lime sour cream. Try it.
Breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner — options for every time of the day here, and the attached store features baked goods and some hot items to go, as well, if you don’t feel like dining in. (Pro tip: nice mini wine selection, too!) The menu leans heavily on the veggie side, but that’s OK with me… I always leave satisfied and properly fueled. They do simple, delicious meals right here.

This café is connected to a kitschy grocery store with all things local, organic, natural and gluten-​free.
The dining area has a romantic ambience but is suitable for families, friends, the like. Service is friendly. Our waitress was very eccentric and upbeat.
Food!
Most options on the menu can be made non-​vegetarian with the addition is chicken. I’m not sure if they use all «organic» ingredients or not. If they do, everyone else is charging huge margins because Beans & Barley is pretty cost efficient.
The baked feta appetizer — I go nuts for cheese and this cheese was no exception. Feta cheese crumbles mixed with olives, sundried tomatoes and olive oil, served with generous portions of warm pita bread. Think Greek salad without that lettuce nonsense. I could eat the baked feta with a spoon. Forget pita! (Okay, not really because the pita was delicious as well). This dish alone would call for a repeat visit.
Black bean and sweet potato burrito — Ehhh. It was okay. I liked the flavors of the black beans and sweet potato but the texture was too mushy in my opinion. It felt like I was eating baby food. For some reason, the chicken didn’t help much either.
Spinach mushroom quiche — Decent, not much else to say. Needed a bit more salt but you can’t go wrong with spinach and mushroom.