More neighborhood cafes where you can pause awhile
If you don’t know them already, meet some neighborhood cafes.
Full of Beans Cafe
184 S. 2nd St.
Remember this cafe for its especially tender cinnamon rolls and cute mini pies with lattice tops. Oh, and waffles on weekend mornings. All pastries are made at the cafe daily. Book lovers can drop in on the book clubs — science fiction on the fourth Tuesday of each month, general topics on the third Monday.
Hours: 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. (414) 539-6448. fullofbeanscafe. com Velobahn Coffee & Cycle
3618 W. PIerce St.
This spacious cafe is awash in natural light from factory-style windows. The focus is coffee, though Velobahn also serves some pastries. Near the Hank Aaron Trail, it shares space with a bicycle-maintenance shop; community and private events are scheduled in the off hours.
Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. (414) 249-5657. velobahncoffee.com
Sprocket Cafe
3385 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
A classic, bohemian neighborhood cafe. It’s furnished in antiques-shop chic — chrome dinette sets, a mug decorated in the Twister game dots. (The cafe has ties to Rusty Sprocket Antiques next door.) You can get your doughnut fix or a well-made sandwich, like the Bike Club: Black Forest ham, salami, red onions, sharp cheddar and lettuce on sourdough.
Hours: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. (414) 539-4040. sprocketcafe .weebly. com Tribeca Gallery Cafe & Books
1318 S. 1st St.
A new bookstore? How often does that happen? Tribeca in Walker’s Point is a second location for the Watertown bookstore and cafe, open since December. Most of the space is dedicated to the cafe, so there’s plenty of room to sprawl with a book, a coffee, pastries and light lunch items, or a laptop — Tribeca is in firstfloor retail space at the Freshwater Plaza apartments.
Hours: 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. (414) 509-6822. tribecagallery cafe.com Red June Cafe
773 N. Jefferson St.
An outpost of a Chicago cafe, Red June might be the only cafe in Milwaukee to use coffee beans from Julius Meinl, the Vienna roaster and coffeehouse. A tiny but charming space that serves the full complement of modern coffeehouse standards, including smoothies.
Hours: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday (hours to expand in summer). (414) 800-7906. facebook.com/ redjunemke This Great Coffee Place
365 Cottonwood Ave., Hartland
This cafe has been around for 11 years, but it has a new owner with a culinary background as of Feb. 2: Krista Tillotson. Most cafes understandably rely on lunch meat for their sandwiches, but Tillotson roasts the meat herself and it makes all the difference. She’s cracking fresh eggs for the breakfast sandwiches, and pastries are made in the kitchen. Look for salads soon.
Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. (262) 367-2211. facebook.com/ThisGreat CoffeePlace Birch & Banyan
150 E. Capitol Drive, Hartland
In Hartland’s village center, this cozy cafe occupies a historical building that was freshly remodeled last year; it even has a small conference room. Sandwiches and pastries are grab-and-go for customers in a hurry. If you’re partial to lattes, try Birch & Banyan’s latte made with honey.
Hours: 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday. (262) 313-9912. birchandbanyancoffee.com
And new cafes are always on the horizon. Stone Creek coffee roaster will open its 13th cafe, complete with an elaborate patio, at 2650 N. Downer Ave. in mid-May. The exact date will be announced later.