Colectivo Coffee 68th St

This coffee shop is...fine. Their blends are hit or miss and they don't have a house blend or anything consistently available so you never know what you're walking into. Service tends to be slow which is surprising given the number of folks working there and how transactional and impersonal the staff is. Food is pretty good. Rewards program has been scaled back twice in the past year. The location and patio are excellent, though the nearby bus stop that kids use for school was recently moved next to the Colectivo. So every morning the patio is overrun by 10-20 kids. This place could be / used to be a great neighborhood spot but now it feels more like a national chain.

This place used to be a great coffee shop. They offered a wide selection of bakery items—including allergy-friendly options. If you ordered food, they gave you a number, you sat down, worked or talked, and your food came to you like a civilized human experience. Now? The allergy-friendly options are gone. You’re forced to hover awkwardly at the counter like you’re waiting for jury duty, only to have your food shouted out and handed to you in a sad little brown bag. And don’t worry—you’ll still be waiting, because your order will almost certainly be bumped behind five or six invisible mobile orders that seem to matter more than the people actually standing there. If that weren’t enough, the staff continues to allow a clearly mentally ill customer to dance, sing, shout—apparently without concern for the comfort of anyone else. Collectivo, you are a shadow of your former self.

11.24.2025 Update: I like a good coffee shop, and I like many of the Colectivo locations. This Colectivo is on a busy street corner in Wauwatosa. For being in this part of the city, it has a big footprint including parking, a large outdoor patio with a firepit, and an expansive interior. The overall design is what I would call urban chic. It has plenty of places for seating, singles, deuces, or larger tables. It also has an inside patio with garage doors that open during nice weather. Like I said, lots of space for finding a comfortable spot. Stopped here on a Monday morning around 7am. It wasn’t that busy, with a few other small groups scattered around. I got right up to the counter and was greeted by a cheerful staff person. Got my order for a London Fog Tea Latte (little lavender, little vanilla, extra foam), along with a special bakery item, Chai Spice Apple Crumb Cake. They made my latte in a mug, but they were out of plates for the bakery. They were able to warm up the crumb cake, which was much appreciated. The London Fog Latte was excellent. Just the right flavors, not too sweet, and the texture was good. The temperature was a bit on the cooler side, so I’ll be sure to ask for extra hot next time. Unfortunately, the crumb cake was a big disappointment. It was so dry and crumbly that it practically disintegrated into dust. In the past, I have found some of the Colectivo bakery to be hit or miss. I’m not a muffin fan, and I don’t like their scones because the texture is all wrong, but I have had luck with the Almond Croissants. Lots to like about this Colectivo. I’d come back, and probably tweak my order a bit to make it an even better experience. Original: I like Colectivo. It's a local chain that does a nice job with creating a personal space with an excellent service and food/drink. I have found the staff to be helpful and efficient. This particular location has nice character, lots of space inside, serveral different seating areas, and an outside patio with a fire pit (although I do wonder why it runs all the time, even without people seated by it).

My bacon egg and cheese $10 croissant sandwich was burnt to a crisp - see pics. If I had eaten in person, I would’ve asked them to remake it, however I had it delivered. Took two bites and done. Only posting this review because this isn’t the first disappointing experience/ bad food I’ve had at this location. So I think it’s probably time for me to move on from going there. I could deal with the fact that the staff aren’t friendly, but don’t mess with my food.

The mango peach ginger smoothie was bright, a bit tart, and wonderfully refreshing. The veggie pesto breakfast burrito ($7.50 plus tax) was rather small. There is plenty of seating, indoors and out, and the space is a relaxed place to hangout.