Starbucks – Third Ward – 326 N. Water St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
/Open early to late every day (5am on weekdays, a little later on weekend days).
This is a storefront Starbucks in an old building on Water Street in the Milwaukee's fancy-pants Third Ward district. I believe it's been here for awhile, and two popular, local coffee shops have opened since within half a block, yet it hangs on, and always seems to be fairly busy. It's a nice one to sit in, very warm feeling, even kind of homey (for a Starbucks). My only complaint is that they could easily fit in a few more tables, especially if they didn't take up so much room with their bullshit product displays. I came in on a Saturday amidst more gale force winds (is Milwaukee on top of a mountain or something?) and got a coffee in a ceramic cup and a good seat at a small table. I'm annoyed that if you get a small coffee it comes to $2.07—why not $2 even?—what am I supposed to do with all that change? I guess there are people who will gladly take 93 cents, but I would just rather deal with dollar bills, come on. Oh, right, maybe no one gets just a small coffee, and no one doesn't use cards, even for coffee. I love that there is a ceramic cup for there, and I hit the cream lottery (half & half thing wasn't empty), but for some reason my coffee smelled like cleaning product. Could it be the containers? (cup, or cream container?)—it tasted good, but made me wonder if they rinse the cups properly. You've got to rinse all traces of soap out, even if it takes some time. I know, I'm just a little bit nuts about that kind of stuff.
Richard Skiller 11.27.17