Colectivo Coffee

The taste of the coffee is good and the atmosphere is appealing, but that’s were it ends. The cashiers can be very short, rude and often more involved with themselves then helping customers.
I’ve often waited over 20 minuets for coffee while observing no hustle from the employees. Thanks for making me late to work.
If you are planning on staying and working, then fine but if you are in a hurry, try somewhere else. I also find it regrettable that there cups are not recyclable.
I still go, and enjoy the coffee if I plan to stay and work, so I’m not completely against them, I’m just saying it’s not your best option.

Out of all the Colectivos, this is probably one of my FAVORITE locations. Coffeehouses in general make studying, writing papers, and otherwise being inside on nice days more tolerable. This Colectivo, however, brings the indoors outdoors with this patio and giant door that opens. I have the best of all worlds here: outdoors and outlets. I can write some of my massive thesis in peace without fear of my computer dying and with a soft, warm breeze coming in.
I just adore this spot! Colectivo isn’t my favorite coffeehouse, given all the options we have here in MKE, but this location and concept is wonderful! I will keep coming back.

I liked the breakfast burrito, as a San Diego native I know a few things about breakfast burritos. This one was a bit small, but tasty. I liked the coffee, had a cappuccino and it was rich and hit the spot. Fresh squeezed OJ was fresh and very OJ ish. Mason got the bacon biscuits and they were very good, moist and lots of cheese.

A definite must in the city of Milwaukee we shall visit this place every time we return

The sheer number of people who come here is a testament to how good it is. It can be hard to even find a seat! Lovely atmosphere to study/​get some work done. They have a nice selection of teas and it is definitely necessary to try their focaccia cheese melt which is a step up from other grilled cheeses cuz of the chipotle cream cheese spread.
Great vibe!

I frequent this shop often to try their espresso, which is always varied in blend week to week. Most of their baristas are trained pretty well and i have enjoyed several amazing orders of espresso among the mediocre. Baristas can be a bit limited in speech but they make up for it by creating a quality atmosphere and service! The homeless and emphatic strangers are small and infrequent however you will see them around the location and sometimes outside it. There is also definitely no shortage of attractive women/​men and the places buzzes to the resonance of the city along with the beauty of its natural décor. I’ve worked with coffee and the guys that run the place are mindful and diligent. Thanks for listening enjoy the coffee.

So for a Milwaukee business to crawl out of the deep, dark cracks of this city and really make something pretty special on its own, is remarkable. My experience with collectivo has been a mixed bag. Once I got food poisoning that was a major bummer, and almost everyone I have talked to that used to work there said it was a shit place to work, super top heavy and long hours. I think the coffee is pretty good, very very acidic, it packs a punch tho. After a black eye I feel like i just downed a few Adderall. The best part of collectivo the atmosphere, it feels damn good to be in that place. Comfy, cozy, trendy.

This has got to be my favorite Colectivo location. It’s the perfect place to stop for coffee after shopping at the nearby stores, or getting groceries at Whole Foods just a few steps away. Since it’s on the bigger side, there is PLENTY of seating area — big tables, small tables, and even a long communal table in the middle. The atmosphere here is fairly quiet because everyone seems to be doing work. There are outlets next to every table as well.
Colectivo is no stranger to me, but I decided to write a review because of their new matcha latte! I’m a huge fan of matcha and the fact that Colectivo serves it now makes my life complete. There is a difference between genuine matcha powder and the disappointing commercialized artificial ones. I was pleasantly surprised when Colectivo’s tasted nothing like the latter! It’s not overly sweet too; in fact, I don’t think they put any sugar in which is great because you can add it yourself to your own liking. Good job once again, Colectivo. Making my day as usual (:

If I ever own my own coffee shop, I would like it to be based off this particular Colectivo.
Benefits:
1. It’s huge
2. Plenty of plug points
3. Fast and Free Wifi
4. Good Hot Chocolate
Everything I could every ask of a coffee shop it delivered and more! The place looks like a coffee shop but one look up and you’ll feel like you’re right next to nature thanks to all the plants. The atmosphere here is super chill and is great for studying or have a conversation.
You can expect me to be back here very soon!

When I first went inside of the coffee shop I was surprised how it looked similar to a greenhouse with all of the plants and a Starbucks combined. I love the atmosphere and everything is so clean and nice. I can tell it’s very crowded in there because it is a very popular place to go in Milwaukee. I really enjoyed the sandwich special which was the tomato mozzarella as well as their wide selected menu items. I also saw my first gospel choir which was magnificent. I would highly recommend this place for anyone who likes healthy delicious food at fair prices.

Never enough seating. Tried this Colectivo and the lakefront one on a Saturday evening and a Sunday afternoon. We could not find one spot. However, they’d locked a room off with extra seating. It’s annoying having to come and leave a place when you’re trying to start studying.

If I were just rating the chorizo breakfast burrito this place would get a 10! I absolutely love it! I really like the vibe at this location. They have tables inside and then a second room that opens to the outdoors. Its always pretty busy with people meeting or just working. I haven’t personally worked here so I can’t say much for atmosphere but I would definitely try it. Coffee is good but I have an endless complaint with the sizes of the cups at Colectivo. If you drink a medium at a normal coffee shop, get a large here. The cups are smaller than I personally would expect. Regardless I keep coming back so its not that big of a deal. :)

Great service nice and clean love the sports tea

One of my favorite coffee shops I’ve been to ever! We absolutely loved this place, they source everything locally, have a really unique menu with a lot of healthy options. The atmosphere was really inviting with quick service and of course the coffee was delicious. I had the avocado chorizo breakfast special on a roll– absolutely delicious.

I love the atmosphere and vibe of this location (see pictures below). Had this been around back when I was a student at UWM, I probably would have studied here everyday. It’s nicer and less hectic than the location on the lakefront (in the old water pumping station).
I’m not a coffee drinker, but I enjoy their mocha shakes and Italian sodas (order it with raspberry and mint syrups.. . so refreshing).

This is a nice chill spot with great coffee. Nice large space and the music isn’t too loud so it’s a solid spot to focus and get some work done during the day.

Coffee is always great at colectivo but this particular space is so bright and airy. Lots of tables and outlets! Lol always important! When it’s nice outside they open the doors which is great for people watching as well!

Really a great place for business, dates, etc. coffee is great and the staff is friendly! Lakefront location is great!

Short and sweet: This is the BEST Colectivo (née Alterra) we got, folks. Great + consistent service, awesome freaking coffee. For some reason a vanilla almond milk latte tastes sweeter here than anywhere else.
But, BUT the best thing… G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S. Stunning, immaculate place. I walk into the café and am immediately at ease. Lush, beautiful plants everywhere. Open space, community tables, lots of beautiful glass panes and and and. Just everything. So thoughtfully and beautifully designed. I prefer it leaps to Alterra on the Lake, though the views there are hard to beat. Take yourself here.
There’s some information about the design and construction of the café in this awesome DearMkE vid:

Colectivo, you really never do me wrong. Great coffee and great food. I recommend the chorizo burrito and any lunch sandwich. The prospect location isn’t my favorite only due to the fact it’s a attraction for the homeless .I don’t mind them outside and will occasionally help them out with a meal. The problem occurs when their inside passed out at the table next to me when I’m trying to enjoy my cheesy biscuit. Speaking of cheesy biscuits, they have excellent home made orange juice. They also have a nice selection of fruit cups that are fresh and never old ! It’s a nice location for us folks on the east side. They open up the garage door in the summer and you can get the fresh air while still inside on the wifi!

Colectivo on Prospect has everything a neighborhood coffee shop should have. Great coffee, delicious sandwiches and pastries, good sunlight and lots of hanging plants. Perfect to catch up with a friend, get work done, or grab a coffee and lunch to go.

Big Colectivo fan here, and this location is one of my favorites.
They’ve been changing up the seating arrangement, and the layout they currently have is great. There are ample outlets to plug in your laptop if need be. In the summer, it further comes to life with the open doors to the patio.
They do pour overs here and you really can’t beat that. Convenient location, a good merch display, and a full menu rounds out Prospect to be on of my top places to grab some coffee.

UPDATE
5 STARS
This location, IMO, is the most comfortable of them all.
While parking isn’t always the easiest, I love the layout and design of this one best.

I’ve had Colectivo coffee at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport, but I had never been in one of their coffee shops until just recently. I stopped at the location on Prospect Ave and was very impressed with the place. It is very spacious, with lots of seating, both indoors and out. The staff is very friendly and efficient. It does not take too long to receive your order. While you’re waiting for your order, you can check out the Colectivo merchandise for sale. I purchased a tshirt while waiting for my mocha latte.
They have many, many drinks to choose from. My go-​to is the mocha latte made with dark chocolate & espresso (you can also get it with white chocolate). They also have a food menu with several things to choose from. I am going to make sure to try the smoked salmon the next time I’m there :-)

I really can’t believe that I’ve never written a review for Colectivo Prospect, since I spend so much time there. I’m about to remedy this situation!
Colectivo is a MKE staple. They have really good food (smoked salmon breakfast sandwich for the win!) — their soups and quiches are especially good — and baked goods. (I crave their cranberry almond scones!)
I almost always order iced tea, but I have had their iced coffee and it’s been pretty good. That’s one of the great things about Colectivo — that they’re consistent across locations in terms of food, coffee, and service.
What I especially like about the Prospect Avenue location — what sets it apart from the Lakefront and Riverwest locations — is that they have a seemingly endless amount of outlets and small tables, so it’s ideal for college students and people who work from home and need to get out of the house and have human contact IRL (that’d be me). It’s rare that I go to the Prospect location and can’t find a seat — I think it’s happened to me once in three or so years. It’s just so big, and the layout is perfect for people who need to plant themselves down for several hours and get work done (and imbibe a ton of food and drink).

Perfect coffee house vibe here! I’d never been to a Collectivo (or the formerly Alterra) but this is the kind of atmosphere I am always on the lookout for in a coffee shop; a place with friendly baristas where you can comfortably and efficiently get down to business, study or chill out.
The shop itself is definitely set up with Marquette students in mind, with a long table in the center of the main room fully equipped with a lamp and outlets at every single seat! In addition to that, there is more wall seating available along the sides of said room, plus a whole second room off the main room with rows of tables more conducive to dining and chatting. The main room almost had a library kind of feel to it. I distinctly remember keeping it to about a whisper as people were clearly studying, while the secondary room just felt more «talky».
During my visit, my friend and I were able to indulge in an espresso, a latte, a hot cider and several bakery items. Let me just say– don’t skip the biscotti. So delicious and maybe even a bit thick for some people, but I loved it as it is perfect for dunking in a hot beverage. Oh, you will surely break a tooth on that baby without a dunk. I had the chocolate chip biscotti, then before leaving picked up a second one to go, as well as a cinnamon pecan variety. I am likely to get that at every visit.
On to the drinks! I’m new to ordering just an espresso, and I found my double shot a little strong for my personal tastes. After all, I am a latte girl… which is why I ordered both. ;) My honey latte could have used more honey, but the espresso/​milk in there was on point; a very nice, mellow, soothing effect with just the perfect amount of foam. And if you like hot apple cider, this place had the best I’ve ever had. Steeped like a tea, using a bag of apple pieces and other aromatics and spices, it was just perfect, and not too sweet (definitely less sweet than Starbucks– which I used to love, btw). I would have a hard time not ordering the hot apple cider now that I know of its existence.
So the drinks we now know are good, but did I mention the cups? Aaaaaadorable! Are you a graphic designer? Are you a day of the dead fan? Are you both, like me? The paper cups are über cute and I actually chose the size of my latte based on what cup design I would get. Hello gorgeous sugar skull! I even kept and washed my cup at home and it now is prominently used as décor on a dining room shelf! Yes, it’s clear I love the cups. ;) Also noteworthy, they sell actual reusable cups with said designs, but I was definitely too cheap that day, but a normal (non dork-​able) person would buy a reusable cup instead of washing out a paper one. In fact, their entire little gift shop can be seen as you walk in, full of cute mugs and apparel that I was very tempted to buy.
I’ve already gone on too long, but I have to mention there’s a patio out front in warm weather, and you’re practically in a rainforest in the main room. Look up above you and you will see daylight streaming in amidst a bazillion tropical plants hanging down from the rafters. My first thought was: Yikes, Rainforest Café, but these were real and not cheesy, adding more oxygen into our lovely environment.
So yes, it’s easy to see why I loved this Collectivo. Having never been to another location, I’m curious what the next one I go to will be like. I can’t imagine it topping this experience. I would absolutely return here every chance I get, and plan to do just that. Maybe I’ll actually splurge on a real, live non paper cup. (Gasp!)