Reviews of Fair Trade Coffee House (Coffee Shop)

Thomas Jeffries

Frothy, dry, large-bubbled foam on the cappuccino, oversteamed to the extent that the milk had lost all sweetness and the drink was scalding hot. Exceedingly dry coffee cake, enough so that it could be mistaken for a gluten free imitation. Bathroom had no paper towels, only a deafeningly loud blower.

Jamie Crypto

Try the spring mix salad with poppy seed dressing. Yum! Great place!

carol bloodworth

Nice place to hang out, use wifi. Fresh soups, bakery, coffee. The almond crossiant was dissappointing, but friendly good service.

Cody Lund

Every person that works here has the best attitudes we have been coming here for over 2 months and each time is like a new experience it is a weekly visit for us and we don't plan on changing it. Make sure to ask for off menu drinks as some of the workers have drinks they can make!

Appesh M

I went to undergrad and med school at UW. Needless to say, the city is a gem, but this coffee shop is without doubt the best place to hang out, study or just watch the day go by in Madison. I started going here my junior year in college and went about 2-5 times a week ever since (I wish they sold stock... I would have made myself a millionaire). Great memories of studying and hanging out with friends here. Great people, really welcoming and warm vibe (literally- they have a gas fireplace in the back section), and perfect location. If this place ever went out of business I would buy it and not change a thing. Probably the best coffee shop in the world. If you like people-watching, hang out in front. If you need to get some work done, the back section is usually quieter. Oh yeah, the coffee and tea is excellent, too.

Matt Kingston

Love the organic Peruvian coffee!

Carol Larsen

Clean, friendly, comfortable.

Jake Vande Walle

The coffee here was pretty good, and their baked goods were too. Nothing special, but a good place to spend a few hours doing some work in with a cup of coffee!

J. Greenwood

Classic coffeeshop vibe, great food, great espresso drinks.

Matthew Harrison

Relative of mine & yet to taste the coffee but I've read the top review's this place deserves, roll-on our next visit from the UK.

Fabien Hubert

Good chai charger. The chai tea latte felt a little bit watery but no big deal!

Vera Mane

The service was great and it was a nice cozy nook you could enjoy breakfast with friends at. They have a great menu that is artistic and legible to read. The chai latte is a little weak for my strong tastes but the food was good. They have a printer you can hook up to so it's very convenient for college kids.

El Spruce

Friendly staff and coffee for a good price

Blake Alvarenga

Awesome, friendly staff and great pastries!

Thomas C. Mueller

Well-lit, plenty of seating, and great service (fast and the staff is never grumpy.) I've never had a problem with their open Wi-Fi - it's always on, strong signal, and I've never had bandwidth problems. During cooler days they had a gas fireplace in back lit. There is also a small secluded patio out back and seating in front on the sidewalk during the warmer months. Oh, and they rotate their artwork frequently, and it's always from local artists.

Lorenzo Desiati

Good single espresso

William Miller

Always friendly staff, strong and rich flavored coffee.

Don George

Friendly atmosphere, great service, good variety in the menu. Prices reasonable for appropriate size servings.

TaraTragedy

Everyone who works here is always kind and fun. Their food and drinks are always fresh and delicious. :)

Sheila Holt

Great chai latte. And great people.

Julio Giovanni Flores

Great bake items!

Brian Anderson

Great service, food and coffee delish!

Eve Smallwood

Service was fast and friendly, and the location was spacious. Nice space to meet friends or do some work on the laptop. The coffee and dessert items I got were decent. I'd definitely recommend this spot.

Sasha Aranow

Fair Trade Coffee House is a wonderful, locally owned shop with delicious food and beverage options. Not only can you feel good about your purchase being fairly traded, but you can feel good about supporting Madison businesses, too. Fair Trade offers a cozy environment with amply seating and great people watching on State Street. There is something for everyone here as they have blended, hot and cold options and a fantastic coffee and tea selection. It is nice to have options for more than one roast of coffee! The food at Fair Trade is also worth the visit. Options are varied and vegetarians will not be disappointed. There is something for everyone- sweet or savory, meals or snacks. The staff at Fair Trade is wonderful! Everyone is always happy to greet you and have a chat while they take your order or prepare it. Smiling faces will make your day.

Natasha John

Yummy cold brew coffee. Quick nice service

Julia Clementi

My favorite is the PBandB shake! (Peanut butter and banana) if you are a coffee fiend, ask for it with a short of espresso ♡

Jackson Reed

Wonderful staff, delicious coffee, their zucchini muffins are a treat!!

Mark Rimkus

Good brew of dark coffee. Great place to relax.

Harold Stafford

I love everything about this coffee house; fast, friendly, clean place with great coffee and super fast Wi-Fi!

Aaron I

Rude staff, the pastry had very little filling mainly just bread. The espresso coffee was pretty bad also, burnt.

Harish Ramalingam

Great spot for coffee and hot chocolate. It has a great ambiance and it's right downtown

KT Gold

My Husband and I had our first date here. We sat outside in the quaint, but pretty garden area. Its a slice of heaven in the busy downtown world!

Stephanie Bartelt

“Fair trade” and “locally sourced” are things that I look for. Wish I could pack up this place and take it back to Massachusetts with me. Delicious and vibrant.

Mona Lisa Mazvimavi

Coffee was pretty good, as well as the sandwich I had. However, I wish they had more options for vegetarians. And a bit pricey.

Steven Klein

Solid coffee, nice atmosphere. Great for doing homework or catching up with friends

Robbie Adams

Really cute coffee shop. Make sure you check out the little patio in the back. Of course I only drank a bottle of beer here but hey... it was a good beer.

Alan Turnquist

I rarely post reviews, but damn: I just ate the best store bought apple pie that I have ever had, and that's something. Also, a nice warm reception from the baristas and a cool patio out back. I've been in a Colectivo rut lately, but that's going to change. How has this place hidden in plain sight for so long? Highly recommended.

T Garner

Very nice

Tiffany Crump

Excellent jasmine green tea. The desserts are delicious; try the vegan zucchini muffin. It tastes like heaven.

Alexandra McNeill

Great atmosphere with a fantastic vegan chocolate cheesecake, and a couple of savoury vegan options too. Both almond and soy milks available (75c). The lady who took my order was lovely and friendly. Will definitely return! Free and easy-to-access Wi-Fi, good bathrooms.

Raegan Niemela

Tons of GF options, and really great costumer service!

Jazzmine Razaa

Excellent breakfast options, the breakfast croissant sandwich is to die for. The desserts and drinks are phenomenal too! It’s so worth the trip or even ordering it through EatStreet.

Venecia Rollins

My favorite coffee shop to sit with a good book. Nice atmosphere, good coffee, and great pastries.

Tiago Ribeiro

Very cozy.

Heidi OToole

Love this coffee shop and their food!

Emanuel C. Schwam

A lively comfortable cafe with decent food.

Regina Elliott

Nice downtown café. Good coffee, free WiFi. A little loud.

Mark Greenwood

Great service! Especially Jack! Give that kid a raise!

Skyler Cage

Hot chai tea latte taste kinda watery. But the lemon bar was amazing.

Jessica Simm

No burnt coffee here. If you're sensitive to acidity, poor water quality, our stale flavors, this is your best bet on State Street. The food is excellent, the art on the walls is local and for sale, and the staff knows they're doing.

J Kardia

Great (fair trade) coffee, friendly staff, good in house food and an atmosphere just made for studying, I cannot recommend this coffee shop enough!

Vicki Widdicombe

Excellent customer service.

Eric M

Good coffee, good atmosphere, not too expensive. Would reccomend

Mark Sconce

1. Sandwiches taste great and are sized right. 2. Cakes and pies are too small for me but fantastic. 3. You can hear the employees behind the counter converse too easily, and it's usually kinda loud or immature. 4. Plenty of outlets. 5. The tables mostly rock. Lame coffee sleeve solution. Just get better tables. 6. That damn employee door in the back section is so obnoxiously loud when it closes. I mean seriously. It sounds like someone's slamming the door full force when an employee comes or goes. 7. Soups are great. 8. Real silverware. 9. Nice, large white folded paper napkins.

Eugene Gutman

They are extremely understaffed. Service is very slow, lines are long. The coffee is not bad though.

M Schumacher

Customer service is relatively poor. The last 4 or so times I've been there my order has not been correct. Sadly, this coffee shop I use to love, but is not going downhill.

EMILIAN DOBREV

Wonderful place for a healthy meal, hot cup of joe, and incredibly friendly service. A great spot to study or have low-key meetings. Sometimes crowded, but that's further indication it's well-worth it. Enjoy! :)

Gerry Foster

Great coffee, great food, and wonderful service. Wifi was a bit slow, but it's wifi, not the coffee shop's fault. Good art to boot. The prices are very reasonable and I really enjoyed the coffee I had. Came in two days in a row while in Madison on holiday. Very nice little shop.

Jesse Shackelford

owners are openly racist and take pride in the fact that they have an all white work force

Jonah Conner

Very good coffee and atmosphere. They have a decent food menu as well.

Shelby R

Great space, lots of seating options. We sat on the back patio outside, which private and quiet. Sandwich got two thumbs up, as did side salad with dressing. Coffee drink was missing an ingredient.

Krispy Black

Always a pleasant customer service atmosphere. They have great coffee drinks as well (I always get the Grashopper Mocha).

Sadie Bennett

Love this place! Has a great, quiet atmosphere, great for relaxing or studying. Service is super friendly and both food and drinks are great.

Andrew Semancik

Without a doubt one of the best places to get coffee in Madison. Despite being centered in the hustle and bustle of State Street, the staff takes their time to make sure every single customer is treated like family. They pay attention to the little details - the folded napkins on their plates, the latte art rather than just filling a cup normally, making sure the place is always clean and welcoming. Wish I could give it more than 5 stars; definitely worth a stop.

Sara W

First go to Chocolate Shoppe on the corner and buy a single scoop of salted caramel ice cream in a dish. Take it to Fair Trade Coffeehouse. Buy a shot of espresso. Spoon/pour espresso over ice cream and eat. Amazing.

Bryan Plymale

Healthy Vegan Lentil Soup and Everything Bagel. Best Place on State Street

Travis Lewallen

Had a dirty chai and it tasted great. Pastries also are fresh! Lots of space to sit and plenty of charging outlets.

Alicia Bostrack

I'm here a lot, and I've had 99% positive interactions with employees, and never had to send back a drink. One of the few coffee houses I actually leave tips because of the service. It's some of the best espresso drinks on state (amazing house-made vanilla syrup too), and a good selection of hot tea. They do charge a bit to ice tea though, which is why I'm here less when it gets warm. Gets really crowded in here sometimes! Lots of other students studying, so not usually too loud. I'm gluten free and greatly appreciate the gf chocolate cake and pumpkin muffins. Really good stuff!

Joshua Kaminski

Kind, prompt service. Coffee isn't the best, good latte drinks. Lots of meal options and pastries. Scones are a little expensive, other pastries, well priced. Good internet cafe.

Luke VandenLangenberg

Fair trade coffee. 10x better than "four bucks". Great location to study

Matt Nafa

Great coffee

Rebecca Laabs

The coffee was great and the staff was super friendly.

Lauren Carr

Cool place. I got a fruit smoothie and it was delicious. Environment was great and the staff were all friendly. The awesome dude who took my order even took the time to help me figure out what to get. I would definitely come back here next time I'm in Madison - the food looked delicious!

Emily Conradt

THE BEST sugar free vanilla latte I have ever had. & Always the most friendly staff. Will go back again and again

Ariel Haber-Fawcett

Food was eh.

Paul Keen

Excellent coffee snacks and WiFi. Good place to meet up or get some work done.

Alessandra G

Good local spot, great food and love the secret garden spot out back!

Marion Hunt

Great drinks and service

Mathias Lemos

Amazing coffee place! Great place to study if your are a student or to do some work if you need a place to sit that has food and coffee! The staff are great as well!

Amy Bushee

Came here specifically because I read online they have vegan bars! My husband and I split a vegan peanut butter bar - delicious!

jerry govert

Love their coffee!

QuHarrison Terry

Pie is delicious

L3E6D9 9D6E3L

Delicious coffee and very nice people!

Jess English

Really overpriced for what you are getting, but in a college area, guess no one cooks.

Christina Langston

It's a cozy little place, and the staff are nice, but the coffee was not very good either time I went there. It does get pretty loud in there, so bring headphones if you're looking to read or study.

TJ Fedikovich

Great service! Great staff!

Christopher Law

Very good coffee and mocha. The place has plenty of seating, although it is a bit cramped at times. It is my favorite coffee joint in Madison

Bryan Haddon

Cushy chairs and a decent latte. Crowded on a cool Saturday afternoon.

Pearl Davis

Best tasting coffee that I have had in Madison yet! Nice atmosphere and friendly employees. Also, the granola is the bomb-- get a bowl of it!

Caleb Szyszkiewicz

Best coffee shop in town. Awesome employees and amazing coffee and pastries.

thomas walsh

Wonderful place, great coffe, excellent sandwich, very affordable

Cody Wheeler

A great coffeeshop starts with great owners. For Fair Trade and Michelangelo's, that's Lori and Sam. They put their heart and soul into these coffeeshops and it really shows. Visit these coffeeshops and you're sure to receive: 1) High quality drinks -- This means the baristas know what they are doing. This is not to be taken lightly in a town like Madison where poorly-trained college students are setting the bar pretty low in many other coffeeshops... 2) Baked goodies made IN-HOUSE. This is really special and they are one of the only places in Madison doing it. Tired of that bland scone or muffin...? At Fair Trade you get baked goods fresh out of the oven. 3) A Clean, Well-Lighted Place -- If you're looking for that perfect spot to study or meet with friends, this is it. Cozy up by the fireplace. The tables are huge and they are open late (11PM every night!) But don't take my word for it, go see for yourself.

W. John Coletta

Dark roast was very flavorful, rich and complex. Vegan zucchini muffin was great, too! Chill atmosphere for socializing or getting work done.

David Liang

Nice place, they dont bother you if you don't buy anything.

Kaci Wilkes

Espresso Miel. Mmmmmm

Casey Thompson

Great place!

Kurt Kiefer

Warm and friendly

Mary Owen

My absolutely favorite coffee shop in madison! I love everything about this establishment from the organic fair trade coffee, to the friendly smiles of the workers, and then the microgreens they serve in the sandwiches. Gotta love a local company that cares about the wellbeing/health of the community! <3

Benjamin Nash

Decent local coffee joint. They've usually got these tasty vegan chocolate peanut butter bars, and sometimes vegan food options. Coffee's solid, and I like their mocha tea. It's made with carob, so don't drink it thinking you're getting chocolate, but it is tasty.

Arik Van Asten

Great atmosphere to read a book or study, oh and did I mention they don't make a bad cup of coffee too. Overall a great place with great value and atmosphere

John Desai

I love the vegetarian-friendly menu.

Britt Bischoff

I highly recommend the Turtle Mocha Latte :)

Spencer Fricke

Great place for a good cup of coffee

Alyson Douglas

Looks great since they redid the outside.

Joe Blaylock

The coffee is good and so are the paninis. I really couldn't expect anything more.

Joe Platz

Good coffee and pastries. Great location.

Lisa F

My drink was good. My husband's chai charger tasted watered down though. Peanut butter bar was really yummy!

Antonio Rubio

Fair Trade Coffee House is by far my favorite place to go in Madison. They have the best music, the best coffee, and the best pastries. I sat there for hours on end working on my homework and drinking great coffee.

William Anderson

Great coffee!

Ben Chase

I really enjoy this place. It has a great city coffee shop vibe with a surprising number of options for food and drinks. They have a few varieties of cold brew on tap which is great when you want a cold drink with a little kick to it. Grab an Italian soda if you're not feeling coffee vibes.

Aric Dichraff

Nice spot. Great food and excellent service.

Karla Longoria

The coffee and atmosphere were delightful.

kevin howard

Okay thanks

Spencer

Best coffee in Madison and great vibe.

Isotope Blue

One huge room plus a small alcove. 30-35 tables, all full on a Sunday afternoon. Local art on walls, but too large a room to feel cozy. Free wi-fi w/o password. A few outlets, but inaccessible from most tables. Moderate size, lunch food menu. Lots of teas. They make their own chai concentrate - pretty good, only a little too sweet. Large selection of good but not great pastries.

Araceli Esparza

We enjoyed their back balcony area!

Cat Bayouth

Good coffee, fair prices and helpful staff. My only complaint is that some issues with cleanliness and some iffy drinks.

Michael Helmers

Super friendly staff with great coffee

Gretchen T.

I stop by this place a few times a week, since I work nearby. The staff are always friendly, willing to work with my preferences, and the coffee is good and the treats are DELICIOUS. Especially the lemon bars, the fresh muffins, and the berry mascarpone cake, wow. The new salads are lovely and a welcome fresh item. Great place to meet and chat with friends, hang out and do some work, or drop by to cool off in summer or warm up in winter.

Gregory Kelley

Chill atmosphere. Love it.

Ryan Poetzl

not verry friendly. .. but good coffee

Robert McKinney

Employees smoke right outside the door, then make drinks without washing their hands. I've witnessed this multiple times. I left my drink on the counter because I wanted to throw up!

Allen DeWitt

Lovely space, and great service, with plenty of options.

Vincenzo Fallico

Don't know about their coffee but their lemonade was terrible

Jacquelina Marie

Yummy food, awesome coffee. And why not drink up some fair trade?

Amelia Burrellski

ALWAYS a primo place for EXCELLENT eats and coffees, teas... smoothies!!!!

Mike Mett

Busy but consistent

Lisa

Good coffee, great environment

Jillian Harmening

Great soup, free WiFi and bathrooms for customers.

Rikin Soni

Just the right amount of space and noise for studying. The table sizes are adequate. The coffee and other drinks are made of quality. The food and dessert has a great range when it comes to prices and taste. Would recommend to check out.

Austin Holik

Historically my favorite coffee shop in Madison. Great, strong, dark coffee, plus good quality cafe-style food with vegetarian options. Bright and open atmosphere. It can get busy at times. Open late!

Xavier Arzola-Villegas

Great service.

Kyle Shosten

Great coffee shop in a great location

Amanda Drinsinger

Great coffee house, great hours, chill staff

Brenda Eve Ladin

Fresh offerings and an inviting decor.

Frog Soup

Great place to get a sandwich and a coffee. Friendly and fast service. Best place in town.

Phil Immerfall

Overpriced

Андрей Ганин

(Translated by Google) Strange taste of coffee, bitter espresso, but invigorates (Original) Странного вкуса кофе, горьковатый эспрессо, но бодрит

Samuel Bieneman

Ask for Connor's waffles

April Machan

Really great coffee and lovely baked goods. Plenty of small table seating, especially for a State Street location. FYI: Bathroom only for customers.