Brewhemia

Reviews 7

MA

Matt Uhlman

This place was definitely hip before it was hip to be cool, or cool to be hip... either way, its a pretty cool little place. Located right across the street from NewBo market, its a great place to either stop in and grab a drink before going to the market, after going to the market or really anytime youre in the mood for something with caffeinated goodness. Its located inside the ground floor of an old brick building, and has a really need vibe throughout. They serve coffee / espresso, tea, food and have a brew counter is well. Nice to see that theyre doing some good stuff with their coffees, including an iced drip preparation as well as siphon pressed. The only bummer about this was the fact that the siphon press is only available in a small pot variety and is something like $15. Definitely a nice treat when youre with a couple of friends, however its a bummer that there isnt an option for a person to enjoy by themselves. The coffee here is all organic Kama which is not always my favorite - not because theres anything wrong with it, but because Im not as much of a fan of the flavor for some reason. The beer options looked solid, however given it was 8 oclock in the morning, I wasnt ready to have a flight quite yet. Definitely something to go back and try. All the food that was coming out looked excellent, and the variety looked just right, with more options than normal for a standard coffee shop. It was a good amount of seating in both front and back of the coffee shop. Plenty of tables for groups or for hanging by yourself. Easy to see why this place is very popular. Well worth checking out.

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MA

Maxwell Douglas

I wanted to give Brehwemia less stars but I just couldnt. This place is special. They take pride in everything they do and they arent afraid to try new things. And those things are always good. Management is almost always around checking on service and assisting the staff. They arent just sitting at home collecting checks while quality slides. Kudos on that. So it makes me sad to say our visits have gone from multiple times a week to only once or twice a year. I hate to be the guy that complains about price but Ive watched their breakfast burritos increase three dollars in one year. I mean cmon with that. Another reviewer wrote "The prices are more than fair for the quality of coffee and food." Thats generally true...but only up to a point. They arent that good or filling to be worth nine dollars. On top of that and other price increases it is always a struggle to find a seat. You end up shoehorned in to a spot or have to take it to go (no thanks). They moved last year and this new spot is barely larger than the first one which was already too small. Why not take the opportunity to get a larger space? To keep the exclusive cool vibe? The "if theres a line it must be good" mentality? The small size may be why they had to raise the prices. They had to supplement the lower sales from all the Macbook hipsters occupying half the seats polishing their photoshop skills for hours while sipping a water. You cant have a small cafe with a large staff AND let it be a hangout for starving artists.

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JA

James Heires

I visit BC from time to time for breakfast on my way to work. Comfortable, open warehouse trendy atmosphere in the trendy NewBo area, with large windows on the street side of the building. My breakfast consists of coffee and a pastry, which limits my food choices to muffins and scones. Muffins are typically dry and sometimes contain odd flavor combinations. I have not ventured into the scones yet. Coffee is excellent, but I HATE how they make me wait for my special brew (other coffees are immediately available in air-pots). Today, for example, I was almost finished eating my Sahara desert muffin by the time my coffee was ready. They didnt even *start* making my coffee for a good 5 minutes (an eternity in my book) after I placed my order (the shop wasnt busy either). This translates into what I interpret to be an attitude problem on the part of the barista. That said, I continue to buy from BC (when I have extra time to waste).

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RY

Ryan Niehaus

Nice little cafe. Not a ton of seating, so not good for large gatherings. Healthy food selections, as well as a few decadent-looking desserts. I had the dirty chai, which was excellent. I also had a mother nature omelette, which was good but could use more cheese to even out the flavor. I also enjoyed a coffee cake which was tasty, but a bit dry. However: the servers were fast, upbeat, and friendly. When I walked in, I saw a bunch of people on laptops. I thought "Sweet, Wifi". Unfortunately I sat down to work on my laptop, and there was no such thing. (Just Free IMON Wifi from NewBo Market with a weak signal, and CSPS, which must have a MAC address filter or something...) I think Wifi should should be required for any coffee shop nowadays... Overall, Id say its a great place to get a cup of coffee and maybe something healthy. If you plan on getting work done at this coffee shop, youd better bring your hotspot.

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TR

Travis Edmonds

Hot day outside so went over to Brewhemia while my car was charging up at Newbo. Great location in a vibrant part of town. The historic building has a great atmosphere. Wifi access however be charged up if you plan on working as there are few outlets available. I ordered a bohemian iced coffee drink. Great drink but if you love a more bold coffee flavor a nitro may be a better pick. Quiche was delish, despite having tomato and spinach it was not a watery mess, just the right amount of moisture and two different sauce pairings which made it even better. I did find however that the prices of menu items on the online menu and actual menu differed. The quiche of the day was listed online at $5.95. On the menu in the restaurant it is $6.99. Still worth the extra buck but it would be nice to have the website display accurate information.

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DA

Dane Jacobson

The best choice for coffee around downtown, and probably in Cedar Rapids. Im more of a fan of pour over than the drip coffee / espresso drinks offered here, but the drinks are so tasty it more than makes up for a lack of variety in the beans. The breakfast sandwiches are also tasty and reasonably priced. The obvious downside is that the place can be overly full even after moving to its new, larger location. On the weekends if you want a place to sit for some amount of time, you will need patience or to get there early. There can also be a long line for service at the counter. Still, the line moves quickly for espresso drinks and if youre in a major rush there is an option to skip the line and get self-service drip coffee which works on the honor system.

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NA

nate ross

Its a definite third wave cafe. Pourovers, Japanese-style iced coffee towers, nitro-charged cold brew... The staff is very knowledgeable, very friendly. The atmosphere is well-engineered, with tables you might expect from a hipster logging camp. The coffee, right.. Thats why youre there after all. Top tier. Great beans roasted expertly and brewed with experience and care. Best coffee in town. If its a coffee-based beverage and you cant find it here you should think long and hard about the horrible orders youve inflicted on past baristas.

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