Amaranth Bakery & Cafe

Baked goods always delicious and coffee is on point. All the food taste fresh and perfectly cooked, hard for me to get to get out of there with just one baked good.

The staff are super sweet and very gracious (especially the young lady at the front desk who takes your order.) The ambiance is casual and cozy. The potato leek soup is really good, so is the coffee. The sandwich we chose was not that good though (harissa turkey) and the size of the individual sandwhich portions were inconsistent. The bakery items we picked (desserts) were delicious. Overall, I would recommend the baked goods, maybe skip the sandwiches *or at least the turkey harissa.

The service is marvelous. The owner and the staff people are engaging and responsive to the needs of their patrons. However, I had high expectations for the food but was disappointed when I bit into my sandwich and eat my soup. This place isn’t a bad place, but to me, the food Isn’t 5-​star quality. The coffee, however, was unique and I loved it. It was very flavorful.

The only thing wrong with this joint is that they aren’t open 24 — 7. I like to stop in early on my way to work… There isn’t a morsel that won’t send you over the moon but my favorites are for sure the croissants (once you have theirs all others with fail in comparison). Make sure you get a Ham & Gruyère. Out of this world and if they have Apple Fritters consider it your lucky day and buy them all. Every.Last.One.

Excellent. This is my favourite café/​bakery in Milwaukee. It’s a laid back feel just like you are walking into a buddy’s house. All the food I Have had here has been yummy! I have tried the lemon sour – awesome, sour flavor, the lentil soup – wonderful flavors, several sandwiches – all great and various beverages and bakery things – all leading. They use all-​natural ingredients without bromine and GMOs which seals the deal for me.

In my opinion, this is definitely the very best bakery in Milwaukee and is better than any I ‘ve found in New York either. Everything is made in house, from scratch, using only the finest ingredients. The soups are excellent too. The owners are definitely idealists, starting this gourmet, all-​natural bakery in the centre of an incredibly impoverished area. I can’t say enough about how delicious it’s. Definitely worth going from the way for.

Thank you, Unilocal reviewers, for making me aware of Amaranth Bakery. I very much regret that its existence wasn’t known to me sooner. Having visited for lunch twice now with other family members, it’s obvious we will be going back often. As a tea drinker with coffee drinking kids, I appreciate getting high-​quality tea when dining out. The tea here is Harney & Sons, and while all of it is good, I am partial to the green tea with coconut, lemongrass, vanilla, and ginger. My kids love the coffee here, but I’ll have to take their word for it. Favorite things I’ve ordered so far are roasted vegetable sandwich, lemon tart with fresh fruit garnish, and a sweet and buttery piece of pastry paradise called Kouign‑amann. Other family favorites to date are pad thai, personal-​sized quiche, and Key lime tart. Everything in the cases looks spectacular and the posted specials make it hard to choose. As new patrons, we had many questions when ordering and appreciated the helpful, patient staff. Like the food, drinks, and service, the ambience is simple perfection.

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!
I love the vibe — the down-​to-​earth feel, the cozy café atmosphere, the friendly and dedicated staff, and the consistent quality of their amazing food!
The owner is happy to walk you through today’s menu, bread, and baked goods. If it’s your first time, he is gracious enough to give you a little background on the bakery and what they offer.
A tip: They close at 2pm, they aren’t open Mondays and if you plan on going for lunch then the earlier the better if you want the most selection to choose from. They tend to sell out around 1/​after 1. However, one time I went around 1:30pm and they were out of everything but a deli salad. Even though it was all they had left, it was delicious, flavorful and filling.
Some of the items I have tried so far include soups, sandwiches, mochas, savory brioche, sweet brioche, rolls, their Kouign‑amann, a brownie, and their cold deli salads.
When I order soup, I always order a bowl rather than a cup, especially if it’s to go. I typically can only eat half of my bowl sized container of soup but these are the kind of leftovers you look forward to.
I often pair my soup with a savory brioche and can comment that they have all been exceptional. I’ve tried one with nuts, sage, mushrooms, and parmesan (I think), I’ve tried a butternut squash, a pumpkin, and even one with gorgonzola cheese even though I absolutely HATE gorgonzola. I told myself if there was ever a time I might like gorgonzola cheese on/​in something, I bet it would most likely be from this place… and sure enough, it was good. This place is that great!
While literally each and every item I have tried here has been incredible, I wanted to share some examples:
–The shrimp curry soup: OMG, delicious! I loved the intensely aromatic flavor of this soup. The curry wasn’t spicy but extremely flavorful, savory, and delectable. If you haven’t tried it and enjoy curry, I highly suggest ordering it!
–kale, potato, and sausage soup: This soup was creamy, extremely flavorful, hearty and filling. YUM!
Kouign‑amann: This tiny, round and flaky sweet pastry thing was soooooooo good and so addicting (of course, with layers of sugar and butter baked in) — be careful! It pairs exceptionally well with a large Mocha in the morning.
I hope this review helps. Seriously, if you haven’t tried this place yet, you should go… right now! NO SERIOUSLY, GO! :)

Worth a trip; charming atmosphere and great baked goods. Not many can do croissants as well as this. Breads, scones, cookies and soups are also creative and delicious. We always take a bunch of stuff home to freeze when we visit Milwaukee. Good coffee and warm friendly service as well.

Just stopped in yesterday and solidified a 5 Star rating over and over. Just soooo good. Love that Key Lime tart.

I was looking for lunch so I decided to give Amaranth a try. I ordered the chicken vegetable curry soup and the roasted eggplant pesto sandwich! Lunch was simply amazing. I was a little disappointed that my soup was placed in a coffee cup (to go), but I will definitely be back!

I wanted to do something special for my 300^th review, and given my sweet tooth I had to go to Milwaukee’s only five star bakery.
Every star that Amaranth has earned thus far is well deserved. This place is amazing. It’s totally Milwaukee. I feel that most neighborhoods in the city have a place like this that totally flies by and stays off the radar except to a special few who live nearby or stop in by accident. This place isn’t in a trendy neighborhood. This place isn’t on a block that’s trying to have some artsy revival. This is a business obviously content in doing their own thing, and their thing is providing some of the finest bakery that has ever graced this sweet tooth.
I walked into the seemingly unassuming, yet colorful café for a late breakfast with the little tyke. The vibe is very much like one of the small cafes you might find a little bit closer to the lake, but definitely more of a neighborhood vibe as friendly locals mix in with business type folks who stop in for lunch or before going downtown. The walls are filled with art pieces, some of which might have came home with me if I wasn’t watching the spending. This place is cozy and beautiful.
There’s a friendly man working up front, and I could see two workers in the back hard at work, getting ready for the lunch rush. I glanced over the small menu and decided to have a spinach and cheese quiche. The spinach tastes fresh, the cheese tasted amazing and the crust was perfectly buttery and flaky. Incredible. Paired up with a mocha, this was a damn good breakfast.
I followed up with a couple of Kouign Amann’s for my daughter and I, and I’m proud to say I’ve finally found the holy grail of Milwaukee bakery. The perfect mix of sweet, caramelized sugar that crusts on the outside with a soft, buttery inside. This is the piece of bakery I want to buy for everyone I know. If they could make me a Kouign Amann birthday cake, I would gladly pay top dollar.
I left with a pecan roll for my wife, but it smelled so good it never made it out of the car. Yes, this place had me eating two pieces of bakery within an hour while on a diet. Maybe I’ll jog the 6 and a half miles it takes me to get here next time so I can sample even more bakery.

I would give 5 stars for the service and the owners. Very nice people.
I feel bad to write this review but I need to be clear.
I find the after taste of the ham and cheese croissant like pastry puff to be so distasteful, that I had to give it one star.
I would never have gone to that neighbourhood and to this place, but for so many of the five star reviews.
1. The owners and customers were both very nice. It did not seem like a safe neighbourhood and I would not go there after dark.
2. This review is only about ONE dish I tried. It is a ham and cheese croissant sandwich. It left a «fatty» unpleasant taste in my mouth. Tastes more like «bulk made» than from a specialized bakery. I took two bites and discarded it. The taste was so bad, that I had to write this review and give it one star.
Their soup looked delicious. but I didn’t feel like trying it, after the distasteful pastry.
It is a tiny place. Just a couple of tables.
Seems clean enough.
I get no pleasure in writing one star review for this. The owners seem very nice people.
I got two nasty messages because of this 1 star review. I have no malice. At Unilocal,we are expected to provide honest reviews. and I rely on such reviews. I felt that it was such a waste of my Saturday morning, to have gone to this place, based on other reviews. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and those who gave it 5 stars might well have enjoyed it very much. I didn’t and I reviewed it accordingly.
I repeat. please do try their bread and soups and they very well might be very nice.
I am writing only about what I ate. Not about their entire menu.

LOVE this place.
The owner clearly has a passion for his business and for supporting the local community. The inside is small and cozy and the quintessential neighborhood bakery. Lots of community projects are highlighted up on the walls of the place and quite often I see teachers and students meeting for discussion.
Onto the food. The seeded ciabatta is worth the drive alone. The perfect blend of crispy crust and chewy doughy inside. It normally sells out early in the morning so i’ve found calling ahead so they put a loaf aside is the safest bet. They also have great rotating specials, like chicken pot pie, and lots of great soups. Everything ive every gotten has been awesome and you can tell made with a lot of love.
FYI– they also do bike perks (free cup of coffee).
Definitely check this place out and tell everyone you know.

This is an example of a baker doing it right!!! they go the distance here and will keep your cardiologist in business. Try the Kouign Amann (pronounced more like Queen Yamann) think croissant but add more butter and carmelize sugar on the outside. simply the best tasting pastry I think I’ve ever eaten.
Its a really neat space from the revolutionary books on the book shelf to the people you meet and the unique conversations you can have here.
they easily could have located in other parts of the city and been more successful but choose to invest in the local community… on top of that they have amazing bakery. Win-​win.

I spent my last few moments on a quick trip to Milwaukee at Amaranth Bakery and had a tinge of regret that I couldn’t stay longer. It’s the kind of place where I wish I could become a regular. In that brief stay, I saw some outstanding service and everyone was made to feel at home. People of all shapes, sizes and ages. That’s so wonderful to see.
Many happy returns, I wish you continued success and would recommend this to anyone. Such delicious treats and throw in delicious and local Anodyne coffee just to tie everything together.

Yes… oh yes!
What more do you want? Its a bakery without the glitz and glam There isnt a lot of promotion or advertising. However the Unilocal are at a solid 5 and the food is great. This proves that you don’t need to conform to what everyone else thinks that you should in order to be great. Good food and great personality wins every time.
I stopped in before work early one morning. I almost missed it, i was wondering where it was at. Its on the corner of 33^rd and Lisbon. Its next door to or attached to a youth art studio.
It smelled god like at the front door. I grabbed a couple of Frisbee sized cookies. Oh or are they good. I am dusting crumbs off as i type this to be exact. I buy into the philosophy of the business. Locally sourced ingredients are what they pride themselves on as well as fair trade and what you see is what you get.
Its small and intimate, the foods are all made daily and in house by the husband and wife duo. I would like to try something different, the menu changes daily. So for me it will be the luck of the dice.
I would go back now if i could, but i cant, so i wont. But hey maybe you can go. Right now as long as its within the business hours. You wont be disappointing.

The local food folk told us that this bakery was the best in Milwaukee, and gosh — they were right!
Everything is fresh and delectable. I know this because I tried it all: door cherry tart and hazelnut cherry scone and a cheese, tomato and pesto tart and two types of rugelach. The crusts were flakey and the flavors were bright and it was really, really hard to stop eating.
Also noteworthy is the tabal chocolate, ground and roasted upstairs and sourced bean-​to-​bar from farmer cooperatives in Peru, Bolivia, and Costa Rica. (Why do I know this? The chocolatier was there, and he have us a taste of all of the samples. So, so good!)
Most important, though, is the way in which this place is a bit of a community gem. Dave is super friendly and seems like the sort of person who knows everybody and has lots of stories to share. If you’re new to Milwaukee, this is definitely a good place meet some of the city’s most fun folks!

I must review before I forget how awesome the bakery tastes. The night before I visited, I had a dream I was eating a cinnamon roll. So, as you can imagine, the morning bun was a perfect choice. It was slightly crisp on the outside with soft, buttery inside and a copious sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
They have Anodyne coffee. In my book, any coffee shop who has Anodyne’s house blend gets an extra star. It’s just that good.
I’m not sure if I would chill out here. Maybe during the summer when I can sit outside. They have a bike rack so I’ll have to ride over sometime.

For reasons I never can rationalize or explain, I really love the Washington park neighborhood from like the area around Washington park and the library on down. Friends who live or grew up in the city always tell me no. you can’t live there, its a bad neighbor hood, blah blah blah. Nonetheless, I take lisbon/​walnut street on my way back to the east side because theres just something I love about that area.
Soooo.imagine my surprise when I find out theres a coffee house enroute!
Cute, but more in an art deco/​arts and crafts sorta way without trying too hard. The coffee was good and reasonably priced. I didn’t get any baked goods but the case was full of yummy looking treats as well as a lunch menu. (The soup sounded really good)
Next to the building was a little patio with outdoor tables and a community/​urban garden.
Cute! Going to try to make this my routine morning work coffee stop.