Ancora Coffee Roasters, Madison, Wisconsin Restaurant Details

Food:

Delicious coffee, and different drinks offered compared to other places (white chocolate mint is delicious, and I've never see it anywhere else). Cheaper than I expected, too.

Food:

Despite having lived in 8 US and 2 European cities, I can still categorically declare that Ancora's house blend (D'Oro) is the best coffee I've ever tried. I'd put up with some snarky service for that, but it's always been good at this location. Would drive to Spring Green for this coffee.

Food:

Solidly middle of the road coffee.

Food:

Quit serving me the bottom of the barrel! Throw away the last cup and a half of bad coffee in the carafe instead of serving it to your customers.

The staff here needs to be retrained. I live near Ancora, and the coffee has the potential to be great, and when you actually manage to get a fresh cup, it's the best in town hands down. I quit going here after about the 10th time that I went in--hopeful to get a (very expensive) cup of great coffee--but instead was given the bottom of a carafe. The bottom of a carafe of coffee tastes terrible, is muddy, oxidized, and is not very hot. Mocha Java is a beautiful coffee, but not after several hours sitting on the counter.

Strangely, the staff keep two carafes of each coffee sitting on the counter, but only one is actually kept full. Instead of offering to brew a fresh cup when one runs out, they offer to mix in another type of coffee that, they assure, is "basically the same". Take a note from Starbucks and either offer to brew the coffee fresh or as a french press. Also, keep a closer eye on your carafe levels, so that when they're starting to get low, you brew more. It's not rocket science!

One star for ruining your coffee by not keeping it brewed fresh.

Food:

Best coffee I've ever had. I'm particularly fond of black thunder. No need to go anywhere else.