Roast Coffee Company

This is a cozy neighborhood coffee shop that I’m glad I was able to stop by during a weekend visit. As an out-​of-​towner, I came here with a local who insisted that it is one of her favorite places and by no means was I disappointed. Street parking is easy and convenient. Wish we could have stayed in to enjoy the nice atmosphere and tunes instead of taking our drinks to-​go. I can’t say since we sadly weren’t able to stay, but I hope that this is a coffee shop that serves their drinks in ceramic mugs for those that are staying in instead of using disposables!
If you want something sweet and not your typical cappuccino, latte, or mocha, try the «crackhead» (either iced or hot). It can be made with almond milk (bonus!) and is a great dose of sweetness, caffeine, and a wonderful pick-​me-​up. We also had a caramel drink (the name escapes me) which was a risk for me since sometimes I’m not the biggest caramel fan, but hey it was still delish! And the super friendly barista made a design in the foam which I LOVE. I find that not many do that anymore, so it was a nice surprise.
They’re not open too late, so make sure to hit it up on the weekends instead of an after-​work, after-​class time. I love local coffee shops and let me tell you, this is a place not to pass up.

One of my favorite spot in east side! I’ve been going there pretty regularly. Coffee and sandwiches are creative and consistently yummy, and the environment is chill and also welcoming. I’ve always gotten great service, and I really like the music they play there. Overall a fantastic local spot-​highly recommended!

Leaving a coffee shop in tears because the barista is extremely rude is an experience I never thought I’d have.
It was my first time there and I ordered a large Choco chai because I was having a crap day and gharadelli chocolate sounded awesome. Got a large cuz I had the 10% check in offer. He gets my drink rings me up an says «we don’t accept Unilocal» I was kinda irritated because I wouldn’t have gotten a large otherwise but he runs my credit card and then tells me «you basically get the same deal if you pay cash» … Great so glad you told me before running my credit card…
I walk out and take a sip it’s cold… Walk back inside. Get an irritated «sup» I told him my drink wasn’t hot at all and got a rude «it’s a drinkable temperature» but it’s not hot and he says «well you must be used to too hot things» clearly it’s my fault my made to order drink isn’t correct. I thanked him for his rudeness and left in tears and he called out «you’re extremely rude too have an interesting day»
I will never be back here. I hope that a-​hole is fired before he ruins the day of others.

Good spot. No one is necessarily in a hurry when taking or making your order. Staff is always friendly though. Good tunes playing and pretty rad art for sale on the walls.
Breakfast sandwiches and espresso is on par. I can’t really speak to anything else though.

Been here a couple times over the years & just went here this week for a bagel. Small & can be hard to find a spot inside. Interior is very unique & cool. Not sure about their coffee yet. But they make some pretty good bagels & lunch items. I will be going back again. Prices seem very reasonable. Workers are always very nice & cool. You just can’t go wrong here, I dig places like that.

I love roast. It is a small neighborhood coffee shop. The atmosphere is on point, good & quirky, but not trying to hard to be something it isn’t. There are literally outlets everywhere, so if you need to get work done at the shop, you can easily plug in. The coffee is great, there are a lot of options to fullfil your special needs and the breakfast bagel sandwiches live in my dreams, delicious.

I live a few blocks away. I have lived at this location for about a year now and have visited just about every coffee shop in town. BUT Roast Coffee Company. So, I walked down and decided to give them a shot!
I think I arrived at Roast Coffee around 10:30 on a HOT summer day. When I arrived, there was a line of about 5 – 6 people, waiting to order. The worst part of it all was there was only one dude working… Taking orders, making drinks, making the food, and all at the same time trying to deal with a shipment of STUFF that he had to roll in himself while we all were standing in line waiting… It was chaos. It took 20 minutes to order. I actually really felt for him, because he was working his ass off.
On a positive note, Roast Coffee Company carries Anodyne coffee. The greatest coffee in the history of history. The drip brewed coffee tastes exactly the same as at both Anodyne locations. +1 for Consistency! And for being in such an awful spot, the barista was really friendly and offered us a punch card. The bakery looked old, so we decided to pass. To touch back on the «waiting in line» incident, I hope RCC has a few more people working during the school year or I can see people leaving to go to nearby Starbucks.
& that would be awful because as most coffee snobs know, Starbae is everything that is wrong in the coffee world.
I will be back, especially if I am in a morning rush, and unable to make my coffee for the school day. And of course, will update my review, once I have.

Best neighborhood coffee house on the Eastside. Ryan and his crew see me locking up my bike and have my coffee ready by the time I get inside.
Street parking easily found within a block, and right on bus lines (22,40U, 60, & Green line — aka old 10 route).
Nice outdoor patio to chill on, great food, subtle music for mood, and of course great coffee!
Bonus: lots of power outlets and WiFi.

Out of all the coffee shops visited in MKE, this was my least favorite. I was there on a Sunday afternoon. There was only one employee, and he was very busy. I wasn’t in a rush, but one would have been frustrated if they were.
Coffee was good, space for chatting and working, and looked like the menu was good, although I didn’t eat.
I probably wouldn’t go back but good in a pinch!

First visit here and I really try to have a few visits in before writing reviews unless I am traveling, but I feel a need to talk about really good local businesses. I had to stop in and try the Anodyne coffee. Collectivo (served) and Starbucks stores everywhere, I enjoy coffee and had to see what this was all about. First I tried their coffee of the day. Guatemala San Pedro. Nice smooth medium roast from what I can tell. Not too bitter. Then I tried one of their specialty coffees, Caramel Cosmo, Ghirardelli caramel Latte. Again, seems to be a medium roast coffee, smooth with just the right caramel flavor.
I love the location. Right down from UW-​Milwaukee and mixed with students, professionals and residence. It is a neighborhood shop and it is great to see businesses like this. First impression when you walk in is, «wow, cool décor and ambiance. Reminds me of Soho but the homes of Milwaukee. I love the décor and the wood slatted walls on one side and the lighting above the serving area with a local artist displayed on the walls. I’ve been sitting here for an hour and a half and the music has been a great eclectic variety and I feel no need to pull out my iPhone… jazz, contemporary, hard rock to various forms of alternative. From The Offspring to a symphony version of Star Wars… is that cool? Cudos to the person creating this playlist. I noticed electrical plugs along all the seating around the perimeter. How many places do you go to and can’t find ample electrical sources? Makes you want to sit here and keep drinking! Not too loud and a constant flow of people has been fun for those who like to people watch.
A short drive north of Collectivo and Starbucks or for those in the suburbs, it is worth a drive to experience something different in a coffee house. The Anodyne coffee so far is good… not the really bold flavor variety you can get at a Starbucks (at least from two different coffees I’ve had) but it is good. The atmosphere is worth the visit alone.
Question of the day to those who read this (reply with a comment). Which do you prefer, Anodyn, Collectivo, Starbucks or Dunkin donut coffee and why?

My favorite part about this coffee shop is the super friendly baristas. They always seem to be hanging out for their own satisfaction rather than working.
The laid back vibe of The Roast is refreshing compared to the normal fast-​paced hustle and bustle of other coffee shops. I like to think that the calmness with which the baristas prepare the drinks seem into them and transfer to me.
On a different note, the bagels here are unlike any other bagel I’ve ever tried, and I really really like them. They seem like maybe they’re homemade.

Good coffee, great lattes, can’t speak to the food. The lines were a little longer than competitors.

Roast serves up the best coffee drinks in Milwaukee! Perfection every time. The environment is warm and super friendly. Ryan and staff are always fun and entertaining, we are so thankful to have Roast in the neighborhood!!! And on our daily route. Food hits the spot but the coffee helps me survive. Go to roast! Try the crack head, euro Cappa or raspberry truffle.

I want to like Roast really, really badly. The drink menu is really solid, it’s a good space, I’m pretty sure my next drink is free… but something about it just doesn’t come off right.
First of all I can not get over the price. MKE coffee in general seems expensive to me (even coming from San Francisco) but Roast’s is pretty ridiculous. About $ 4 for any kind of espresso beverage. Secondly, the drinks are never, ever hot enough, they always taste lukewarm. This is partly my fault because I drink my coffee really slowly so if it starts off lukewarm like Roast’s, it ends up stone cold by the time I finish.
The space is decent, but the back table is always reserved for staff. This leaves pretty much every other seating next to the door which makes you pretty cold when everyone opens the door to come in or out. Still, it can be cozy in there, and it’s fun to people watch.
I used to go very often because it was right across the street from my house. I go less frequently now and will probably only stop by to get that free drink (punch card is a plus!)
Overall: not bad, but am underwhelmed.

My boyfriend just brought me back my regular summer coffee drink: an iced latte (preferably with almond milk). This is the best latte I’ve ever had in my life. The espresso is delicious and the almond milk is awesome as well. Something so simple only tastes this good when it’s made right with quality ingredients. Oh, and my boyfriend did mention that the service was above average and the batista was the nicest he’s ever had.

The overwhelming smell of patchouli greets you as you walk in the front door. Local art on the walls and some ironically handmade counters decorate the place. The place screams, «I bike places.» The good news is they actually have almond milk as an option.

I like this place. It’s a little off the beaten path, and that’s a good thing. The staff seems to consist of about 3 people who more or less do it all. You’re not going to get bang-​bang, in and out, rapid corporate coffeeshop service, but what you will get is a personal experience, friendly staff that will get to know you, and fucking amazing, perfectly brewed Anodyne (MKE local) coffee, expertly-​prepared espresso drinks, and great breakfast/​lunch sandwiches. Oh yeah, and music that will pick up your mood even before the caffeine hits your lips.

It was my first time there and I’ll be a regular. It’s a really calm and warm environment. Staff as well as patrons were very nice. My vanilla latte was better than my usual Starbuck’s skinny vanilla latte. However I can’t wait to try the raspberry truffle latte that everyone talks about… Hmmm… See ya tomorrow…

This has been my go-​to coffee shop in Milwaukee for a solid 5 years now. All of the hand crafted drinks are creative and quite tasty! I usually have a hard time deciding what I want when I get there because there are so many tasty options. In the end I always end up getting one of my usuals because it’s so good I can’t venture to try something else! Favorite drinks: white chocolate chai w/​espresso and iced mint condition which is a mint mocha with house made chocolate syrup. NOM! I’m a mint mocha freak and there is something about the chocolate syrup they make that is just so different in the best way possible!
The food here is amazing! You HAVE to try the arcade fire bagel or the radio head (both breakfast bagels). They’re to die for! The yogurt parfait is better than any that i’ve made. I need to know what kind of granola they use because IT’S TOO GOOD.
The interior design there is awesome. Great high seating by the windows. Perfect for people watching in the morning ;) They always have a local artists work up for sale. Usually very unique and interesting work!
Naturally I’ve gotten to know some of the employees and they’re all great characters! Oh and they KNOW how to make their coffee that’s for sure. The owner Ryan is an awesome guy. Very funny and always smiling! What a great atmosphere. Kudos to the Roast!

Without poking around on the Unilocal app’s «monocle» (augmented reality — check it Unilocalers), I wouldn’t have known this shop existed. Sad because it is the closest coffee shop to my house.
They serve Anodyne coffee and whip up a yummy chai latte. Some of the employees are hilarious! It’s welcome change from my typical work-​from-​home Friday.
The sandwiches are good. I wasn’t a huge fan of the bread used for their panini sandwiches, but the veggie sandwich I got another time was solid.