Beans and Barley Cafe Is A Hidden Gem For The East Side

Beans and Barley Market and Café

1901 East North Avenue, Milwaukee Wi 53202

Contact: 414-278-7878

Hours: 8:00am- 9:00pm, Monday-Sunday

North Avenue on the East Side of Milwaukee is full of hidden gems, and I have only uncovered just a few; Beans and Barley Cafe is one of the hidden gems that every Milwaukee resident should visit. It’s located directly on North Avenue and the corner of Kenilworth Avenue. Simply look for their bright red neon sign, and the vines growing up the aged brick. This is a full-service café with a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. The cuisine specializes in healthy and tasty meals, offering a wide variety for vegetarian and vegan eaters. All of their meals are homemade, with local products ensuring the freshness of each bite.

What started as a local health-food store in 1979 offering only a select few things has grown into so much more. Mike Stevens, owner, has since operated the business with three other partners due to his relocation to California. With product additions to their quick-mart, added selections to their hot and cold deli, and the 80 persons sit down café, Beans and Barley has become a staple for East side residents.  Since my discovery of this local café, it has become one of my favorites. Stopping in for a sandwich or wrap to go or a full sit-down meal, the service has been nothing but fantastic.  On a recent weekend night, a friend and I were in the mood for a good meal that wouldn’t leave us feeling over-stuffed. Beans and Barley is favorite for all of us, so there it was.

While reservations are not necessary, they do accept them. Arriving around 6:30 p.m., the restaurant was full of hungry customers, but we did not wait long for a table. Quick to seat us, a server with a friendly smile escorted us to our booth. The seating space offers booths and tables, and during the warm seasons there is an outdoor area as well. At night, the space is light with warm undertone lighting, and each table has a tea-light candle to set the ambiance. Greenery and local artists paintings decorate the room. Pots with cacti, flowers, and other plants sit by the large windows going from the floor to the ceiling. Soft jazz music plays in the background, and there is a buzz from the deli and store side, but you are still able to enjoy your meal and company.

Once seated in our spacious booth, our waiter greets us. Introducing himself, he immediately hands us three glasses of water and asks if he is able to get us anything else. Leaving the menus, he informs us of their weekly and night special—a spinach and cheese lasagna, which is vegetarian friendly. The dinner menu offers a variety of foods ranging from burritos, Panini, pastas and full entrée options.

Our waiter returned in a timely manner and was prepared to take our order. I ordered my favorite dish; sweet potato and black bean burrito. As a vegetarian and Mexican cuisine fan, it can be difficult to find options that are fully vegetarian besides a basic quesadilla. He immediately has follow up questions for me, asking if I would prefer mild, medium or spicy salsa with chips as my side—mild please. My friend proceeds with her order as well. She has a gluten allergy, and she was able to order a mozzarella and tomato melt on gluten free bread.

Waiting not long at all, our meals are served hot and ready for us to enjoy. The sweet potato and black bean burrito is wrapped in a flour tortilla, tucked in tightly ensuring that all of its insides are secured for deliciousness. Toasted to just the right amount of degree, the tortilla is crispy on its edges. This jam-packed burrito contains chunks of roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, Mexican rice, and homemade guacamole. Served alongside of it are tortilla chips, my mild salsa and a lime sour cream sauce. The lime hinted sour cream adds a tart flavor to each bite, so I use my spoon to dress the top of the burrito with it. While the ingredients are tucked in neatly, the burrito tends to unravel with each bite so dipping it into the cup of sour cream can get messy.

Being a vegetarian, it can be difficult to find meals that are not generic and bland—this burrito is far from that. With a variety of different tastes, spices and textures each bite is perfect in its own. The sweet potatoes are cooked just right, not too soft and not too hard. The rice offers a different texture and consistency when mixed in with such soft ingredients. The bottom of the burrito was more black bean than anything else, and this is when the chips came in handy. I used the lightly salted tortilla chips to scoop out the extra black beans, and dipped it into the mild salsa.

Not forgetting to check in, our waiter returns to see if everything “came out alright”. His friendly demeanor made the experience even more enjoyable. He was attentive, and noticed that our water glasses needed to be refilled. Rushing away, he was back within less than a minute to refill them.

My gluten free friend was enjoying her toasted sandwich, and she explained that she was pleasantly surprised with their allergy friendly menu. On a gluten free roll, her sandwich was toasted just enough to melt the mozzarella. With each bite, strings of mozzarella stretched far. On the roll, melted cheese, roasted tomatoes and spinach were included. Served with it was their “house” side, a red potato salad and quinoa. The restaurant noted her gluten allergy and allotted her two sides that she was able to enjoy. With this also came a pickle. Having dined with several times previously, she often struggles to find restaurants that are able to provide her with several meal choices that work well with her—Beans and Barely is one of those places.

Our waiter checked in on us one last time before asking us how we wanted to handle the bill. They easily were able to split the charge between us both and did this efficiently without any issues. Beans and Barely accepts all forms of payment, so this process was smooth as well. The price of the meal was fair, and perfect for a college student budget. A delicious burrito with chips and salsa all for $7; falling perfectly within a college student budget. Our waiter politely thanked us for coming and told us to enjoy the rest of our evening. His manners were nothing but exquisite.

Beans and Barley is the perfect place for a home-cooked “feel” of a meal within a small budget, as well as for those with dietary restrictions or preferences. Even if you are a meat lover, there are still plenty of options. All and all, everyone should visit this gem on the East side.

Rating:

Cuisine Type: American, Café, Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly

Price Per Entrée: $6-$12

Attire: Casual

Reservations: Taken, not necessary

Payment: Cash and Credit Cards

Rating

Service: 4 out of 5 stars

Setting: 3 out of 5 stars

Food: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Value: 4 out of 5 stars

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars