Colectivo Coffee East Tosa

Great Experience!

Dead of winter and you can still sit outside by the fire. Line got a little long but hey, there are not many places in MKE that are like this. I no longer live in the state and this is one of the few places in WI that provides a great cup of coffee.

I can sum this up in just a few sentences…
Coffee made to order… I get to watch it drip… even better than a french press.
Burrito just big enough to kill the hunger… not enough to make you painfully full… and a bit of spice.
Excellent.

This Colectivo is a great one! It has a fireplace inside and a fire pit outside that complements a relaxed atmosphere. The staff is extremely friendly and cheerful. If you’re stopping in for breakfast I recommend trying the chorizo burrito. It’s amazing!

Great location and an outdoor fire pit that was great today, with a bit of chill and wind.
Awesome staff also.
Well worth the stop.

When writing this review I had to constantly remind myself «you can’t judge a business by its patrons». This Colectivo location is quite large, with a big enclosed patio and a wonderful outdoor space. Like other locations, the parking lot is kind of wonky and frankly, sucks, but what can you do?
I had to work here for a few hours and I honestly don’t understand how any person could work, study or hang out here. That’s not the fault of Colectivo — they provide a beautiful space with lots of seating, free wifi, indoor and outdoor fireplaces and all the caffeinated drinks a body could want. It’s the patrons — most of whom seem to be complete assholes — sorry, but it’s true.
Let your kids run (literally) wild while you chat up your mommy brigade buddies? Sure! Go right ahead!
Pick up your garbage/​drink cups/​napkins and dispose of them like a responsible human? Hell no — just leave it laying around for someone else to clean up.
Have loud, detailed, extremely personal conversations about rather inappropriate things with no regard for anyone else? Do it, girl!
There were some nice couches, but one looked like someone had willfully crumbled up an entire muffin and scattered the whole thing on the seat. There were discarded Go-​Gurt containers laying on the floor. Ugh. I get that they want people to feel at home but some folks seem to be taking that way too literally.
I feel bad, because the staff seems very friendly and helpful. The food I ordered arrived quickly, wasn’t expensive at all and was reasonably tasty. I love their iced Sportea for sure and again, the prices are pretty good.
But seriously people — learn how to behave in public.

This a great Java spot!
Lots of tables for patio seating.
Several patio chairs located around a fire.
Shade and sunshine seating.
Lots of indoor space both in front of store and back.
Super friendly staff!
Walking distance to bakeries, coffee shop and candy store and other grocers.
By the way the coffee is great too!!!

Love this place!!! Great coffee/​great food and good variety of both. I frequent this location for lunch and every, single time I stop by ALL of the people working are super nice! I always leave with great food, drink or both, but also leave with a smile on my face, just because their employees are so kind.

Big fan of the cutsey unique Wisconsin chain. I just noticed today too that they serve beer too… don’t think it gets more Wisconsin than that :)
My most favorite coffee drink is an almond milk latte with sugar free hazelnut and they execute this well. However for a small it’s around $ 6 so it’s not an everyday treat…

Good coffee, but somehow the atmosphere and table organization makes it feel permanently crowded, noisy, and claustrophobic. I wouldn’t enjoy spending longer than it takes me to eat one of their tasty pastries and finish my black coffee. I don’t know how all the students studying here can concentrate.

This is a delightful coffee shop up in Wauwatosa. The fireplace adds much to the ambiance, and the seating is quite plentiful. The coffee is about as good as it gets; DC needs to get its act together and get some coffee this good! Definitely the best café to hit if you’re in the Milwaukee metro area!

Awesome neighborhood location, always friendly service, and of course delicious coffee. Definitely a stop for me every time I pass through the area.

This is a pretty rad Colectivo. This location is still only a year or two old. In general I like Colectivo’s coffee, tea, and food offerings and Colectivo East Tosa is consistent with that. I particularly enjoy the physical layout and features here. They have a main room and a side room. The side room has a fireplace and garage type doors that open up when it’s nice out or stay closed but provide lots of natural lighting when it’s cold out. They also have plenty of outdoor seating and even an outdoor fireplace. Parking can be a pain here (as with most Colectivos it seems) but if there’s not a lot spot there is street parking on Wells or 68^th. My only complaint about this place is it always seems to be so busy. I kinda hate it here on weekends when it seems like all the Wauwatosa Wendys are bringing their kids here for cookies and hot cocoa. Oh well. I frequent them more on weeknights anyway. My one other wish is that they would be open until 10pm (instead of 9) on weeknights. Overall, a great Colectivo location.
P. S. Oh yeah– They serve beer here!

I think a lot of things changed when all Alterra was bought out. they are in a good location but it is usually hard to find parking during peak times. Be ready to walk in a couple of blocks. I like the interior it is very spacious. The exterior has a large amount of outdoor seating and a great fireplace. It is a fun place to meet up with friends or to finish up a work project. I do not think the coffee is as good as it used to be. It doesn’t seem as flavorful or Rich.

This is a great location; lots of table, chairs and bar stool seating.
The multi-​season patio/​ante room allows for a lot of natural light… that is, when the sun’s out, of course!
I’ve only been here a couple of times, but each time the employees have handled the amount of patrons efficiently, quickly and politely.

This location is great. There is plenty of seating for meandering or meeting. The baristas are friendly and helpful. My favorite part is the large fire pit outside. What a great idea!

The menu has changed since they were Alterra, and I am a little disappointed. Some people complain just because things are not the way they used to be, but I feel there is a serious drop in flavor and quality since the menu /​name change.
Portions are smaller, and the taste is not as good.
I got the California melt today, which was always one of my favorites at Alterra.
At Collective, the bread was extremely hard to chew, the bacon was under cooked, and it was just not as good as I have had in the past.
For what my conspiracy theory it is worth, with the name change and rapid location expansion, I bet they have had to make cost cut backs to give better profits and margins at all of there stores.
I used to love going to Alterra with my family and it was always a special occasion. Now it is just a disappointment.
I hope they make some improvements soon, or I will be looking for a new place to go.
As far as the coffee, lattes are just glorified chocolate milk, and they all taste the same to me.

I’m SO glad this location opened. I did more than half of my homework for grad school at the location at North and Swan but its SO RIDICULOUSLY CROWDED nowadays. This location is designed so fabulously — a great range of places to park yourself. Comfy couches right in front of the fireplace, and creative indoor/​outdoor spaces. Always plenty of room and spacious feeling. Combined with Colectivo’s awesome food, bev and service, as always. This is the first location to serve beer, and it ain’t bad, in my opinion. I even liked their IPA and I’m not usually a fan.

The Lakefront location is my usual haunt, but I am incredibly impressed with the new East Tosa digs.
Fire pit? Check!
Lots of seating? Check!
Delicious Colectivo drinks and food? Check!
A great place to stop in for morning coffee or a relaxing evening reading/​playing scrabble? (Note: Scrabble not provided).
Parking: Virtually none (street available). Save the EARF, ride a bike!
Summary? I’m in. Order the breakfast burrito; the salsa is a nice touch to a great kick-​start to your day. Or night, if you are down with breakfast for dinner.

I am writing this review while at the Wauwatosa Colectivo on Wells Street. Thus far I’m one Voltaire cup in and my pulse is racing, my palms are sweating and fingers are tapping on the keys like a hungry Pileated Woodpecker pecks on a dead deciduous.
This place is great. Flat out and unequivocally. I’ve been coming here early mornings since they have opened. It’s a great place to do work before going to work. I like to sit in the side area (garage?) near the fireplace. The music is played at a pleasant volume and often they’ll play The Beatles.
Nothing gets the day off to a good start like a strong cup of coffee and The Beatles.
The design of this Colectivo is super cool. So much so that, even though I live within walking distance of Wauwatosa’s other Colectivo on 92^nd and North, I choose to drive to this location. There’s lots of natural light, earthy décor and ample seating. If you’re lucky, the garage doors may be open on a warm, but rainy Summer day. You’ll never want to leave; it’s so peaceful and your productivity will be through the roof.
Plus, they have beer. Yep, beer. This location has beer brewed for them by Sheboygan’s Three Sheeps Brewery. I’ve tried them all and they’re all quite tasty. The nice thing, too, about serving beer is offers a reversing effect to the 10 or 12 cups of coffee that revved me up earlier in the day.
So anyway, in summary, this place is wonderful. I’m very happy they’ve opened not too far to my house and provide me easy access to preferred vehicle of caffiene ingestion: their incredibly strong and bold coffees.
Speaking of which, the Voltaire is so strong that it’s increased my typing efficiency by nearly 900 percent. Proof? This entire review was written in 27 seconds. ;)