Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea Delivers an Eclectic Café Experience on the East Side [REVIEW]

Restaurant name: Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea
Restaurant address: 1001 N Astor St., Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone Number: 414-231-3167
Business Hours: M-F 6:30am to 8pm; Sat & Sun 7:30am to 8pm.
Cuisine type: American, Vegetarian, Vegan
Price per entrée: $2.99-$11.99
Attire: Casual
Reservations: No
Payment: Credit Card, Cash

Service: 8 munchies
Setting: 8 munchies
Food: 6 munchies
Value: 8 munchies
Overall: 7 munchies

Upon moving into my apartment in Yankee Hill back in September, I noticed a brand-spanking-new café was under construction just around the corner. I had never heard of Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea, so I gave it a quick Google. To my surprise, I discovered that the café originates from my hometown of Chicago, although I’d never come across one while I lived there. Despite the café’s geographical convenience, I continued to opt for my usual Starbucks order. Feeling a tad homesick one November morning, my boyfriend and I finally slipped around the corner to take a peek at the café situated on the ground level of a newly built apartment complex on State and Astor.  

According to the Fairgrounds website, the name “Fairgrounds” is an ode to all of the adventures and discovery experienced during youth, “Today, our cafés strive to capture the same sense of wonder, excitement, and discovery that always inspires us at the fairgrounds.” It’s safe to say that walking into a Fairgrounds café for the first time is exactly like being a wide-eyed child at the fair. I was immediately drawn to all of the modern-vintage décor, such as the white-painted brick wall strutting a vintage fireplace and over-sized, carnivalesque “F.” The space itself is small, so finding seating can be difficult and the volume levels can get quite high. I also noticed the lack of electrical outlets for charging laptops, leading to the conclusion that the café would be inconvenient for doing work.

The first thing I noticed walking up to the café were the floor-to-ceiling windows inviting in tons of natural light. When we arrived around 10:30 a.m., the café was so packed I was worried we wouldn’t find seats. At the back of the room sits the order counter where planks of wood displaying the drink menu hang behind it. Considering it’s a coffee and tea café, I was surprised to see food menus stacked on the counter. My boyfriend and I studied one, trying to decide what we wanted. We both fixated on the breakfast tacos and made a deal: he would order the Fairgrounds Favorite Breakfast Tacos  ($5.49) and I would order the Bacon and Potato Breakfast Tacos ($5.49) as well as a mysterious muffin ($3) taunting me from behind the bakery case, which disappointingly did not have tags or descriptions for the pastries. My boyfriend ordered a12-ounce iced Peach Blossom White tea ($3.79) while I was excited to see that Fairgrounds offers seasonal cold brews on tap. I asked the barista’s recommendation, she answered, “the Metropolis,” but offered no descriptors; I decided to try a 16-ounce ($4.99) anyway. She gave us a number for our food, and we found seats at a bar top.  

We marveled at Lake Michigan peaking through the trees of Juneau Park until my name was called when our drinks were ready at the counter. I had no idea what to expect from the cold brew, but I was pleasantly surprised at the taste of rich, dark chocolate notes giving it a bittersweet profile worth every penny it cost me. Of course, I also had to have a sip of my boyfriend’s iced tea, which unfortunately lacked the robust flavor I had anticipated from an almost $4 cup. A few minutes later the barista delivered our tacos, without my mystery muffin. Fortunately, she realized her mistake and brought it over right away. As someone who has worked in the food industry, I tend to be very lenient and forgiving when a server is forgetful.  

At first glance, my tray didn’t look appetizing. The two tacos looked like something I could throw together with whatever leftovers I had in the fridge after weeks of not buying groceries. I looked over at my boyfriend’s tray and saw two colorful tacos. I instantly grew jealous. We took our first bites and while he nodded his head with delight, I frowned with disappointment. The eggs, bacon and potatoes on my tacos needed seasoning, though the savory tomatillo sauce was a nice touch. I tried my boyfriend’s taco and was taken back by the burst of flavor. It was light, yet fresh and savory – a true reflection of the bright charred tomato salsa and pickled shallots it wore – everything about it was perfect; however, we both agreed that three tacos per plate would be nice considering the portion sizes and lack of sides.

Next was the mystery muffin. It was an orange-brown color with berries poking through, topped with sugar and some seeds. I took one bite and immediately recognized it was a pumpkin cranberry muffin topped with pumpkin seeds. I was relieved there hadn’t been a tag on the muffin behind the casing, as I never would have thought pumpkin and cranberry went well together. The seeds on top added a nice contrast from the soft, moist cake. The mystery muffin turned out to be my favorite item we tried that day.

Overall, we left pleasantly surprised. We initially expected an average café experience, but it turned out to be an eclectic and refreshing take on a routine coffee run. For a craft coffee and tea café, the pricing was fair, although I couldn’t afford to frequent it often. It’s the perfect place to take relatives visiting from out of town or for young professionals to hang out. If you’re looking to switch up your boring Starbucks run, you’re sure to have a field day at Fairgrounds. Just beware of the hit-or-miss food menu.