Open List Home >> Milwaukee, WI >> Restaurants & Food >> Coffee Houses & Tea Rooms >> Alterra Cafe At The Lake
Fresh roasted coffee beans and accessories. Order online today.
Our reclaimed pine coffee tables come in many styles and colors.
Business Summary what's this?
Alterra At The Lake is located in Wisconsin. This American restaurant is known for its coffeehouse. This place features outdoor dining.
4.0 of 5 stars.
I like this place, it's great to have a coffee outside. Yes it can get crowded but there is a reason! It's gooood.
yelp.com - user review - 09/27/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
A precious delicacy in Milwaukee. I have come to the area recently from california for school, and with school, I have readopted this privileged relish. The process of creating a coffee beverage has...
yelp.com - user review - 09/27/2009
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
OK...a few disclaimers. I really don't go to this place on the weekend considering the line and the amount of people inside and out, it is a zoo. Two, I am really pissed they took off the Veggie...
yelp.com - user review - 09/26/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
If you're near Milwaukee's lakefront, be sure to stop by Alterra for a delicious coffee, smoothie, or meal. They have several locations around Milwaukee, all of which are great and have really...
yelp.com - user review - 09/20/2009
Full Review »
The place is the ideal setting for a coffee house, right on the lake. The place is always busy, but service is efficient and friendly. Some may complain about the parking (usually at a premium), but ...
judysbook.com - user review - 09/16/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Ok, so my previous review was relatively useless, I admit.But come on...that was a good, honest phone conversation with an employee, and those are hard to come by nowadays. However, I actually did...
yelp.com - user review - 09/10/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
7:00am DC time: depart National airport7:45am WI time: arrive at Milwaukee airport8:05am: rent car8:30am: snag second to last spot in Alterra on the Lake parking lot, move quickly through short line...
yelp.com - user review - 09/08/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
How can you not love this place? Alterra Cafe at the Lake, or more affectionately referred to as AOL (Alterra on the Lake) by locals, is one of my favorite coffeehouses ever. Their coffee and tea are...
yelp.com - user review - 09/07/2009
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
Excellent coffee, (usually) priced right. Out of all the other coffee places in the city, I have to say this place is by far the best. Of course, you can't put it on par with places like...
yelp.com - user review - 09/06/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Probably the best overall coffee shop I've ever been to, and this is coming after living in Seattle for 5 years. Awesome interior that I believe was once and old grain mill with a cool catwalk...
yelp.com - user review - 09/03/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Much as been written so nicely about this gem by the lake. I'll expound on it in simple terms.1) You're alone, want to be part of the crowd, and get an eye-full of humanity? Maybe you're on a date,...
yelp.com - user review - 08/24/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
This is my favorite nice weather coffee shop in Milwaukee.I basically just drink coffee for its effect as I work but you've got to love this location. The servers are nice enough and the coffee is...
yelp.com - user review - 08/21/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
I love this place. It is a beautiful old buiding and I can remember being there during a difficult time in my life. It was winter, and I was holding my hot, perfect latte. As I was sipping it, I...
yelp.com - user review - 07/26/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
I have grown to dislike Alterra some, but this location and building is a sure fire winner.Coffee: Beans are good but I can't stand the espresso.Food: Overpriced but tastyVibe: High volume, roomy, at...
yelp.com - user review - 05/20/2009
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
I went here for the first time a few weeks ago to study with a friend. I was highly impressed with the ambiance. The setting was so great, really great nooks everywhere to sit down and enjoy your...
yelp.com - user review - 04/25/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
This week I've been invited to return to Milwaukee this summer and I must say that Alterra will be the first place I like to visit when I get off the plane! Sitting next to the lake where many college...
yelp.com - user review - 04/18/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
I didn't get any coffee.This review is basically for the Creme Fraiche truffle and the nice open space inside.After an afternoon at the Milwaukee Museum of Art it was nice to sit and recharge with a...
yelp.com - user review - 04/08/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Great coffee, good free concerts. Whenever I need to get some yard work done, the espresso shake is all I need.
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
This is the pinnacle of coffee shops. The absolute best. My only gripe is that they discontinued their espresso fudge cookie.Fantastic coffee, excellent pastries, and they're sandwiches are better...
yelp.com - user review - 03/12/2009
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Looking forward to another warm season of people watching!
yelp.com - user review - 03/09/2009
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
I like the location more than anything. Its a nice little coffeshop to go to in the summer, right down by the lake. Its usually fairly crowded, though, but hey, guess it just goes to show how good...
yelp.com - user review - 02/23/2009
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
In my opinion the Alterra on the Lake has the best view/atmosphere of any coffee shop in Milwaukee which says a lot. As an avid drinker of bold black coffee Alterras tend to not be my favorite coffee...
yelp.com - user review - 02/07/2009
Full Review »
I got the Alterra holiday pack as a gift this year. It was just a bunch of dried out, lightly roasted, stale coffee beans. I realize that they have to roast that stuff months in advance, but we're talking...
citysearch.com - user review - 01/14/2009
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
I love stopping by here while walking or biking along the lakefront. They have great coffee drinks (especially the their frappes yumm!) and many sandwiches and snacks. Great place to sit outside and...
yelp.com - user review - 12/17/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Best of the Alterras!
yelp.com - user review - 12/16/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Fluked finding this place while driving along the lakefront. From the outside (at least in winter) it just looks like a fairly old public works building with a ton of cars parked out back. Turns out...
yelp.com - user review - 11/29/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Great strong coffee with a fantastic bakery and food menu.
yelp.com - user review - 11/10/2008
Full Review »
If you have never been to this coffee shop then get your ass away from the computer and go! Location is phenomenal with sweet inside and outside seating. The building itself is incredible. Coffee/tea is great...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/27/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
As a former barista at a fair-trade coffee shop in Chicago and a connoisseur of European espresso, I did not expect to find one of my favorite coffee spots in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Yet Alterra Cafe...
yelp.com - user review - 10/26/2008
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
As Steve and I made our way past the art museum early on Sunday morning, we were both near-delirious from lack of sleep and lack of coffee. A planned outing to a local brunch spot had crashed and...
yelp.com - user review - 10/13/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Alterra has the best coffee. It's so strong it's like a mule kicked you in your mouth.
yelp.com - user review - 10/13/2008
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
When I think of Milwaukee, I think of my daughter. Now I have to think of BOTH my daughters when I think of this Alterra. I love how I sat there for hours, I mean HOURS, eating lunch and playing...
yelp.com - user review - 09/19/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is beautifully located and has delicious coffee. When I think of Milwaukee, I think of:1. my sister2. pretty tree-lined streets and cool houses3. Alterra4. my sister5-55. many other...
yelp.com - user review - 09/17/2008
Full Review »
The first things that you will notice it the wonderful view of the lake!! The Cafe is even used for outdoor concerts during the summer (who wouldn't want to go to a concert by the lake?). The Cafe is actually...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/12/2008
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
Since leaving Milwaukee, I always try to stop in at Alterra when visiting. I enjoy the Prospect location more, but this place definitely wins the fantastic view contest with clear sitelines of the...
yelp.com - user review - 09/07/2008
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
They have strong coffee and free wifi access. Most of all, this location has beautiful garden terrace where you can settle comfortably with your book and fully immerse into leisurely reading.
yelp.com - user review - 08/17/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
If you want to sit outside on a nice and look at people go here. And the coffee is good too.
yelp.com - user review - 08/03/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
This is a destination.. Sit outside on the patio in nice weather and enjoy the view, people, coffee and pastry.A must stop in Milwaukee.
yelp.com - user review - 07/18/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
This is the BEST coffee shop/roasters around. I used to work for Midwest Airlines as a Flight Attendant, and we served it on the planes. All our passengers complimented how good the coffee was, and...
yelp.com - user review - 07/16/2008
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
Their coffee milkshake was stupid. Like stupid good. Here I was being a coffee snob trying to order a *real* coffee drink like my cappuccino and although it was as good as a cappuccino in a paper...
yelp.com - user review - 07/11/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
A friend and I decided to spend a day in Milwaukee before a wedding we attended on Sunday, and being the coffee freak that I am I wanted to try Alterra because I heard it was better than...
yelp.com - user review - 07/07/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Despite that it can be too crowded on beautiful days or that the menu could offer a little more variety, particularly of the vegetarian variety, I can't think of a place I'd rather get coffee. I used...
yelp.com - user review - 07/03/2008
Full Review »
3.0 of 5 stars.
The coffee's great. The atmosphere is lovely (especially outside in the summer). But I have an incredibly hard time finding the charm in their over-priced, not-spectacular food. $7 for a BLT? Come on,...
yelp.com - user review - 05/29/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
I can't handle afternoon caffeine but I also can't handle turning down a chance to sit by the lake with something to drink. There are some herbals to address just this dilemma; the Starfire Anise is...
yelp.com - user review - 05/26/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Best coffee in Wisconsin and my favorite refuge in the city. When I was in college I spent many of mornings and nights here studying and taking in the sights. I miss it everyday....Recommendations:...
yelp.com - user review - 05/19/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
With Alterra in town, I don't know why Anodyne even bothers. Alterra has owned my coffee-obsessed heart and soul since I was a pup ordering cloyingly sweet frou-frou drinks at Comet a decade ago. So...
yelp.com - user review - 05/07/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
I'd read the reviews online before I visited, but even then, this place was better than I expected. I am probably biased because it was an ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS spring day in Milwaukee, particularly...
yelp.com - user review - 05/05/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Amazing building, great food... but always crowded. We're not coffee drinkers but they have a great tea selection which is difficult for me to find at the usual coffee shops. And their hot...
yelp.com - user review - 04/13/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Now this is what historical architectural co-opting is all about! Formerly an old Water Pump Room for City of Milwaukee, Alterra has used the space nicely! Take a look at the seating on the catwalks...
yelp.com - user review - 03/24/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
I recently heard a self-help guru say that people who think positively when they're on the hunt for a parking space are more likely to find one. I think the same must be said for tables at this coffee...
yelp.com - user review - 03/11/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Best coffee around, bar-none. The location is okay. Some people are a little into themselves because they're "on the lake". Great place to hang out in the mornings if there's sun out.
yelp.com - user review - 03/05/2008
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
Great location...It can be difficult to find a place to sit down at times. Put this on your "stuff to do" list when in Milwaukee.
yelp.com - user review - 02/17/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Wow. I too now worship on the altar of Alterra. Love this place.
yelp.com - user review - 01/14/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
love this place.used to go here whenever i had a chance.to study, to meet friends, to hang out and read.lovely location by the lake,interesting/historic building/atmosphere,and EXCELLENT mocha shakes!...
yelp.com - user review - 01/14/2008
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Totally awesome. Summer or winter this place is a masterpiece any way you slice it. A classic landmark building redesigned, a company with the highest regard for people and ecology, darn good coffee,...
yelp.com - user review - 12/17/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Alterra by the Lake. For years this old pumping station just sat there, mothballed, collecting dust. Then the geniuses behind Alterra had a dream. A dream to turn this old Milwaukee relic into the...
yelp.com - user review - 12/10/2007
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
What an awesome location for an Alterra coffee shop!! I love the lake views and the converted pumping station. I went here recently with my family and visitors over the Thanksgiving holiday. We walked...
yelp.com - user review - 11/27/2007
Full Review »
Alterra coffee is locally made and awesome. Alterra at the Lake is a small cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, outdoor live music in the summer, sandwiches as well as patrie items, and of course, great...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/27/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
This is my favorite cafe in the world. The Alterra coffee is famously strong. Also try the other beverages--I even like the soda they offer here.The building has character: made of cream city...
yelp.com - user review - 08/11/2007
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
This is, without question, my favorite coffee shop in town. I would give 5 stars if the WIFI was always free - instead they charge an arm and a leg after noon everyday.
yelp.com - user review - 07/22/2007
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
This is a great coffee place with an unique theme. I guess its only flaw is being too popular--every time I go there, there's a long line. But the drinks are well worth it, as is is the food. I'll...
yelp.com - user review - 06/20/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Milwaukee at its finest. Definitely blows any of these "famous" coffeehouses away here in San Fran. The family that owns it are great people too. And the fact that they're using an old abandoned...
yelp.com - user review - 06/13/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
I just cant say enough about the coffee at Alterra. They are masters at roasting and brewing. I was a skeptic at first. That was almost 8 years ago when I met my Wisconsin boy here in CA. He was...
yelp.com - user review - 06/02/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Ah Yes, Alterra at the Lake! Alterra is the best coffee, compared to Starbucks, or McDonalds. They have delicious soups, salads, sometimes sandwiches, muffins, and tons of goodies. Love this Place!!
yelp.com - user review - 05/15/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
What a lovely place to take your newspaper/homework, grab a cup of coffee sit down in a spacious sunlit room, take a deep breath and relax. The coffee is phenomenal. This location would be any...
yelp.com - user review - 05/09/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Great place to hang out. Great chairs, cool building and within walking distance to the water, yacht club and bike path. The old pump house is just neat place to explore.
yelp.com - user review - 02/14/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
One of the finest coffee houses I have been to. From the adaptive reuse of the building (I think it was a pump station) to the rich dark roast of the coffee and gigantic selection of fresh baked...
yelp.com - user review - 01/15/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
I honestly have never wanted spring to come so fast..I can't wait to sit outside and have a Caramel Royale while lookign to the marina. ::sigh::
yelp.com - user review - 12/27/2006
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
alterra has the best chai in town--creamy but with a little kick to it! this particular location is just fantastic; the building is beautiful, the decor is inviting, and the area is vibrant. and on...
yelp.com - user review - 10/20/2006
Full Review »
They have great coffee and good food, too--yummy bakery and sandwiches. At the lake, it's a nice place for people watching. There's also one on Prospect Avenue, just south of North Ave.
judysbook.com - user review - 08/12/2006
Full Review »
I had the opportunity to try an chai and this place. It used to be the old water filtration system and has kept the layout and some of the stuff from it. It is also on the lake just west of Lincoln M...
judysbook.com - user review - 06/08/2006
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
if i lived in milwaukee, you'd find me here. though i love the other alterra by the movie theatre, this one is roomier, is on the lake and has that great outdoor patio. alterra coffee is smooth and...
yelp.com - user review - 04/21/2006
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
This is, without a doubt, the best coffee shop I have come across in my life. It's got the perfect location, a formerly useless building renovated into a two-story cafe, sits lakeside, serves...
yelp.com - user review - 04/20/2006
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
If coffeeshops were pokemon, this would be the rarest, most sought after one that had all the nerds and 12 years olds prematurely ejaculating over. What used to be an old water pumping station has...
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2006
Full Review »
One of my favorite discoveries in Milwaukee was Alterra Coffee Roasters. After strolling along Lake Michigan, this is a great place to stop and relax with fellow joggers, bikers, and roller-bladers. While the...
citysearch.com - user review - 02/15/2006
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
I daydream every once in a while at work about being able to drink coffee and read the Times at coffee shops like these instead of being a productive civil servant. Atmosphere and location make this...
yelp.com - user review - 01/26/2006
Full Review »
Alterra has the worst coffee It's badly roasted, cheep product that they sell for a bunch of money. People only go there because it's not Starbucks, not because it's good. They can't even make an espresso...
citysearch.com - user review - 05/13/2005
Full Review »
vibrant coffeehouse livens up the lakefront...
cityguide.aol.com - user review
Full Review »
© 2010 Open List
About
|
Contact
|
Advertising
|
|
Terms of Use
|
Privacy Policy
|
Site Map
Some data provided by Localeze Some reviews provided by Yelp.com
