Canteen 3255

This coffee house has a homey environment. It is quiet so bring your book! Their iced coffee would have been perfect if slightly less bitter, but hey, it was pretty darn good.
I sat by the window and watched people pedal down Bryant. It’s January and snow was coming down good. You got to love Minneapolitan culture.

Nice ambience, but expect to drink your coffee very quickly before it gets stone cold. My mocha came lukewarm because, I was actually told by the barista that they prepare all their coffee at «drinking temperature». OK then since it is actually-15°F outside as I sip this not-​so-​warm beverage, I give the place a lukewarm rating.

I have tried them other coffee houses. I was not a fan But Canteen I like. They have really good coffee and then Canteen Bars are awesome. I really like their Toast Bar also! Very Unique.

I love coming here, it’s my neighborhood coffee shop with exceptional coffee. Employees are always friendly. Lots of space to get work done! I haven’t tried the toast bar yet but it always looks great.

I dunno. I mean, I don’t really know how I feel about $ 4 toast but I guess I envisioned Canteen could pull it off if they have a bright, airy space with the smell of fresh baked bread wafting through the air as you came in, a plethora of artisan breads arranged in baskets. «Oh, which one shall I choose?!,» I would think to myself.
Well, what they couldn’t do was pull off $ 4 toast when I walked into a dark coffee shop that was quieter than a library, with a handful of visitors, and… where is the darn bread?!? Maybe it’s because I came mid-​afternoon on a weekday my experience was so different but it was not lively or jam packed. Speaking of jam, there was one lone jar of jam in the bakery case… no bread. My first single clue I had made it to the right place, that this could be a toast bar.
It comes across as a straight up coffee shop if you didn’t know they offered a toast bar. You’re welcomed with a big green chalkboard of coffee selections, and off to the far right, there’s another one that mentions their toast for $ 4, almost as if it’s an after thought.
That said, their chai was pretty darn good, not the concentrate stuff. The staff fit the vibe, not too friendly, a little dark. I believe he was talking about where the MN Hells Angels hangs out?

As someone who goes to a lot of cafes but more for the ambience and less for the coffee (all the good coffees taste the same to me), this place was really great.
I love the dark hardwood they have on the floors. The design is minimalist but cozy. They have plenty of seating — I went on a Sunday evening so there weren’t many people, but if there were they have another room in the back. Plenty of windows to let in the sun and if you heat up easily, almost every table has an a/​c vent blowing VERY cold air.
It’s a great place to work, study, meet up with friends. In the 1 – 2 hours I was there at least 2 – 3 people came in to say hello to the owner and chat. Seems like a great neighborhood joint, on the hipster side of things. Will definitely come back when I have more appetite for some yummy pastries and need some focus time.

The Dogwood Coffee they serve here is always delicious. And while I was weary of the «artisan toast» trend, I can tell you that a few bucks for access to a buffet of local breads and spreads is well worth it.
I was actually a little sad when Urban Bean closed down this location, but Canteen is a worthy successor. The atmosphere is much the same.
If you’re one of those silly people who expect a public space to be «cozy» or «silent», be warned, other people do like to show up here, and sometimes they have conversations amongst themselves (out loud, with their voices).
It’s my go-​to in the neighborhood, especially if you have a friend or two with you.

Even though this former Urban Bean location has rebranded to Canteen 3235, it still has a special place in my heart. Why?
During grad school, I would camp out on both weekend and weekday nights and pound away on my keyboard while sipping on a deliciously cold brew. Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve been able to graduate, if it wasn’t for this coffee shop. And, it’s really a shame that I’ve been away for so long ever since I received my degree.
Even the barista that I would often see there, who is an Asian brotha with long hair, also recognized my long absence when I stepped in for the first time in months last Sunday: «I haven’t seen you in a long time, man!»
*****
Anyways, things to know about this neighborhood coffee shop:
–Regarding ambience and décor, it’s somewhere between cozy (e.g. Coffee Shop NE) and minimalist (e.g. Anelace Coffee).
–Menu is simple (and that’s good)! Frou-​frou drinks are whack and totally bastardize coffee. It parallels my sentiment towards banh mi tacos. Just no.
–Lots of the baked goods are from Patisserie 46!
–They do classic drinks very well. (Cold press for life!)
–Tons of seating.
–Two huge six-​person plus tables in the second room.
–Their peanut butter banana smoothie rocks.
–Plenty of parking exist on the street. They also have their own lot.
–They play classic hip-​hop to house to old school rock. Yes. All of this.
–Music won’t make your ears bleed aka it’s at the right volume.
If they could make the seats a bit more comfortable — which would tremendously help us mobile workers — I would gladly give them another star. (My butt can only take three to four hours of working there.) Nonetheless, it’s still one of my favorite coffee shops in the Twin Cities.

The toast and natural nut butter was the highlight of my visit. Coffee selection was slightly above average, as was the ambiance for Twin Cities coffee shops. It almost felt a bit too spacious, but I’m not sure which extreme I’d rather have– probably depends on the purpose of the visit. One thing I really liked was the giant table in the middle of their side room, which looked like a team of 6 – 7 could dig in comfortably for a long work session. I’ll be heading back to give it another shot as my first visit was purely social.

The calming atmosphere, courteous staff, and great selections make this place my go-​to for coffee and pastries in uptown.

Best iced coffees lattes in uptown. It’s a great, a quiet place to do work and they are open late.

My friend and I met for coffee today, both of us had never been here. The coffee was great, and I really loved the look of the shop. BUT the barista acted like we were the biggest pains in the ass, even though all we did was order lattes, no special instructions, and a croissant. We were just kind of like «whatever», and sat down to catch up. But then I decided I’d like some jam– oh boy, what a favor to ask. I had to break up chat time with his friend for it.
We weren’t looking to have our buns kissed, but you would have thought we walked in to this guy’s house and started ordering him around. I can see where this place could be awesome, but… there’s other coffee shops, ones that treat nice people willing to give money with a little respect.

Canteen offers great coffee and has a toast bar! (I was there on a Sunday morning so I am not sure how often the toast bar is available.) I got a small latte and the barista was very friendly. He also gave me a little chocolate to go with — how cute! The toast bar is $ 3.50 I believe and has the option of different butters and spreads. I toasted the bread and then put on a thicker butter with cinnamon sugar and it was delicious!
The inside is pretty plain and more industrial rather than cozy. There is a back room that offers more space. We had a bigger group so it was nice we could put tables together but almost everybody else that was there was alone. A different time I came here by myself and it was so quiet I felt bad when my phone rang and didn’t want to talk on the phone so I wouldn’t bother others.
Overall, this place has good coffee and pastries. The toast bar is something fun to come in and try as well. I would not say it is a cozy place but it is pretty peaceful and you can get your work done here.

So I’ve been meaning to try this place for some time because I am fascinating with the thought of the toast bar. I came here book-​in-​hand looking for a cozy place to spend a leisurely afternoon away from work. Cozy, Canteen 3255 is not.
What is it is modern, uncomfortable, a bit sterile and dare I say it, drab. And dark. And, moody?
I walked in excited to try a new coffee shop and left feeling disappointed and let down. I asked the barista which baked goods did not contain nuts. She couldn’t definitively tell me that a lot of them DIDN’T, so opted for the one thing (chocolate croissant) that she knew absolutely was nut-​free.
Sat down with my book and was amazing at how many people were working in total silence. I don’t mind a quiet coffee shop, I prefer one actually, but in this one, you could hear a pin drop and the back room was probably half-​full. Someone’s phone rang (and they answered it! RUDE!) and I could feel the glares from others all around me.
The final nail in the coffin of this dreary coffee shop was the bathroom. Painted all black with a dingy chair in the corner? It reminded me of the timeout room in preschool. No thanks!
I think I’ll come back once more to try the toast bar for myself. But word to the wise — it’s not more expensive ($ 4.00) making it that much more potentially ridiculous.

I have stopped in twice recently. Wish this was around when I used to live three blocks away. A much cozier atmosphere than Urban Bean. The strong scent of good Dogwood coffee greets you as you enter, you get polite service to explain the toast bar and yummy HOMEMADE nut butters to spread on your toast. Not to mention homemade fresh bread. Also, the owner makes delicious Holly Bars of granola and goodness. My friend enjoyed a turkey sandwich here too. Bakers Wife doughnuts provided here too. What more could you want in a local coffee shop to either study or catch up with friends?

I don’t think I could even guess how many hours I’ve spent here studying, working, and just hanging out. The coffee and selection of teas are fantastic, as are the pastries and toast bar. Great atmosphere, great staff, and great location.

After reading about the «artisan toast» coming to Minneapolis, I finally checked the place out this weekend. I was so very pleasantly surprised. The toast bar is simple, but the spreads are well-​made and good. The space is super welcoming with the wood ceiling and décor. The staff was so nice, prices reasonable. They served Dogwood Coffee – a giant plus. I just wish the café were closer to my apartment otherwise I’d be there everyday.

This is a great coffee shop with lots of big tables to spread out and do work, read or whatever. Plus, they make the most delicious goodies in-​house, like a chocolate-​coconut-​granola bar. Yum!

Yes, Canteen has fantastic Dogwood coffee and offers a great selection of baked goods. Yes, it’s a great place to bring a laptop and get work done. But let’s get real and talk about their recent controversy: starting a gourmet toast program.
It’s been a heated Unilocal discussion for quite some time (see:
), and since I could eat bread for basically every meal and die happy, I’ve been a pro-​toast bar advocate through and through. You can order toast at Canteen any day of the week for $ 2.50 per order + $ 0.75 per topping, but the best deal is offered on Saturdays/​Sundays, when 2 slices of toast + DIY toppings is just $ 3.50.
Unfortunately, the process was fairly confusing — as confusing as putting bread in a toaster can be, anyway. First, I chose my bread: last weekend, they offered currant walnut sourdough, baguette, and multigrain, all from Patisserie 46. Bread was sliced, then handed to me for toasting. There were 2 double toasters available, but we were informed that we’d blow a fuse if all of the slots were in use at the same time. Also, the slices of bread were generous (no complaints there!), but they were too big to fit in the toaster, so if you didn’t cut them in half, you had to toast TWICE. So… we waited. Things got crowded and awkward for a while. My suggestion would be to have one of the employees toast the bread before giving it to the customer — I get it that it might not be the easiest for the barista to multitask all over the place, but it would really streamline the process when the place is busy.
After I got through that really awkward stage, that’s when the fun began (It’s pretty weird that I consider toast topping «fun». Please disregard my weirdness). The options: two different butters (Hope Creamery and one from a nearby Wisconsin farm), Beez Kneez buckwheat honey, cinnamon-​sugar, mashed avocado and sea salt, maple almond butter, peanut butter, strawberry balsamic black pepper jelly, and raspberry green tea jam. Pro tip: put a little of everything on your plate and get the heck out of that cramped space — you can top your toast once you’ve sat down.
Everything was, of course delicious and fantastic. Clearly, the bread and accoutrements are top notch. I just think there are a few kinks to work out if this toast thing really catches on.

This coffee shop is one of the reasons we live in Uptown.
Canteen 3255 nails the essentials, amazing coffee, prepared the right way.
And it has a few bonuses including; delicious baked goods, vegan treats, panini sandwiches, and a toast bar!
It is a great space for hanging out, casual meetings, and getting work done.
Always bustling, but rarely too crowded.
Free wifi, friendly, but not annoying staff, and quick service.
And open late night for study and work sessions.
You can find me there every morning!