Fireroast Cafe

Terrible coffee, horrible service. Staff was rude and short. Been coming here since I moved to the neighborhood eight years ago. Will now take my business elsewhere.

This is an adorable neighborhood coffee shop that I shake my head at myself for not having visited sooner. I was there a bit before lunch time and the barista at the counter warned me as I was waiting in line with my hands full (it was obvious I was there to get some work done) that it was going to fill up quickly so I better set my things down so I get a spot! How kind. He was very friendly and told me all about the art on the wall (local artist from that neighborhood!) and how they bring in new art every month or so. It was clear he wanted to be there and enjoyed his work.
This is a super cozy coffee shop, or café rather, that is perfect for meeting friends or studying/​getting work done. I’ll have to try the food next time because let me tell you, it looked delish! I got a hot chocolate which was better-​than-​average, plus some nice foam decoration, and it was tastefully piping hot (which a lot of other coffee shops seem to have a hard time with).
There is plenty of street parking available since it is nestled in a neighborhood, but to note, they also have their own very small parking lot. Might as well pull up a chair and stay awhile!

What a marvelous find this place was. Living across the river in nearby Highland Park, I like to make weekend excursions to the Nokomis neighborhood where this is located and was curious to try this unassuming, small shop.
The location is what appears to have been a residence, so it’s small. But it’s brimming with art and crafts (for sale) and an eclectic, independent vibe. Seating is at a premium due to the small space, but if you can get it it’s worth it.
The coffee was quite good (they have a full array of espresso beverages and coffees), but the food is what really surprised me in the best way. I’ve grown extremely skeptical of coffeeshop food, but Fireroast defied my expectations with a lunch salad on par with a good «sit down» restaurant.
I understand that there are DFL functions held here from the other reviews, but I won’t hold that against them. This spot makes a great pairing with the nearby Riverside Theater or anywhere in nearby Longfellow or Nokomis.

Visiting from out of town, I found Fireroast Café on a list of best coffee houses to work in and am glad that I did. It is comfortable and there are ample outlets to plug in your devices. The latte was perfect and the ginger scone delicious. I wish I had been hungry enough to try the soups, all of which are made in house. It is clear that this is a neighborhood place because the owner, Jeff, knows the many regulars who came in during the time I was there.

I miss living a few blocks from here! It’s a great little neighborhood coffee shop, and the employees are always so nice. Their burritos and rosemary chicken salad are delicious and some of my favorites. The only drawback is hot food can be a little slow to get sometimes, but it’s worth the wait! And they have Sebastian Joe’s ice cream (including my fave: Nicollet Ave Pothole) so you can get a good sweet fix too.
Also a plus is their good free wifi, so you can always get a hot drink and settle in for an afternoon with your computer.

Great place to have coffee and study. Tasty food and very cool hipster atmosphere that really reminded me of Portland, OR with the music, décor, recycling bins.

We came in here the last hour it was open, so we were disappointed when the person serving us said they were out of regular coffee (you’re a coffee shop, right???).
We really liked the actual shop though and we have heard the food is pretty good, so we plan on trying it again.

Met up with a friend to work on a project for a few hours. Here’s my take:
Food and Drink — got to start with the basics, so I got the house Ugandan brew. Very good. To me, it seemed to have a good medium body, was smooth and satisfying, and was only slightly acidic. That all coming from a fairly untrained pallet. The cranberry white chocolate muffin, though, was AMAZING. Just doughy enough to not make it too soft and also not too sickeningly sweet, which I feel like is very possible considering cranberries and white chocolate could both be categorized as «sweet things.»
Atmosphere — laid back, ample seating space. It’s tucked away in the neighborhoods of South Minneapolis, so I don’t think a lot of traffic rolls through there. There was a pretty loud, boisterous woman sitting next to us holding a social activist meeting that got kind of annoying after awhile, but I’m guessing there aren’t daily revolutionary conventions at Fireroast, so I won’t hold it against them.
Price — fairly priced. I think I paid about 7 bucks for a muffin, coffee and orange juice.
Overall — I’d definitely go back! Great place to get work done, socialize, and fight the Man :)

Just moved into the neighborhood and I wasn’t sure I’d find a coffee shop I enjoyed as much as the one in my previous neighborhood. I drink coffee and study a lot, so coffee shops are important to me. More importantly, a coffee shop with the right atmosphere.
Fireroast has already become my go to coffee shop. It’s warm and welcoming and everyone has been friendly. The food is very well done, keep in mind I’m comparing it to other coffee shops, they have both a breakfast and lunch menu with things ranging from breakfast burritos to sandwiches and soups. Their baked goods are worth trying too.
If you’re in the area, you should get over here and check it out — the vibe is great for working/​studying or just hanging out with friends.

I am sure this is probably a great place to eat, but I was very disappointed on Thursday evening when we had to order 3 times because they had run out of ingredients for many of their dishes. It was early, only 5pm! Each time we ordered, it took 5 or more minutes for them to realize they couldn’t make what we ordered. Not only did this make us late for an event, but the food they served us was average and there was no offer for a refund or discount. I won’t be back.

Met a friend here last night for chai and dinner. I have to say, the chai tea was the best I have ever had, hands down. Very well spiced and made with a delicious black Assam. For dinner, I tried the mushroom and manchego cheese quesadilla. I was pleasantly surprised by the corn tortilla rather than flour. Most excellent! It was very tasty and had a lovely tomato relish on the side. We shared the coconut pumpkin curry soup, which was lovely. The atmosphere is a comfortable, clean, and quiet neighborhood coffee shop with non-​intrusive electronic music. I would love to go on a quiet day to myself as well, just to read a book and sip excellent chai.

This place is a decent place for the Summer, but it seems cramped when you’re forced to be inside. I would have given it 4 stars but I had a pretty unpleasant experience this past weekend when I was trying to have a serious conversation with someone and they started \ randomly vacuuming mid-​day, which I do not understand the reasoning behind that.

Wow! I had a mind blowing turkey quesadilla! Now we have a problem… Im coming back everyday! Great place, great food.

We grabbed takeout here before heading back to Chicago. I’m so glad we did because the breakfast food was fantastic and inexpensive. The staff was also super friendly.

A coffee shop with a conscience leaving a smaller footprint on the planet and serving up world class customer service and excellent Java.
You will feel welcome and be remembered.

Staying with friends and happened upon this place yesterday when looking for a place within walking distance for some coffee. Such a great treat and find, enjoyed a cappuccino and a ginger cardamon blonde brownie. Cute location with a few tables inside and out. Decided to come back today for lunch. Enjoyed the soup of the day, a cold spicy gazpacho loaded with chunks of fresh veggies. Also had the mozzarella tomato panini and my partner had the basil tomato goat cheese sandwich. Both were fresh and tasty. To drink, we tried the refreshing mint rosemary lemonade. Wanted to take home the whole pitcher! Seems like a popular place in the neighborhood for a bite to eat. Heard a few patrons commenting on the bakery items, which seem to sell out fast as they are available on a first come first serve basis – which is a good sign of quality! Not a vegetarian or gluten-​free but seems like they have options for those preferences as well. Staff also was turn friendly and attentive. If we lived here, definitely would make it a regular spot, and will try the Sebastian Joe’s ice cream next time.

Best lunch I’ve had in a long time. I had the half Rosemary chicken salad sandwich and cup of chicken and wild rice soup. Both were absolutely amazing. Everything is so fresh and tastes so healthy. I want to come back for lunch tomorrow!

****WARNING: Not child/​stroller-​friendly****
This review is about the general vibe of this place, not the food or the coffee, which is decent.
I believe the owner’s disquieting/​nervous/​unwelcoming vibe may be based on his desire to provide the best customer experience possible, but I have to say that he managed to create quite the opposite experience for this (former) patron.
I have been to this neighborhood café numerous times and there are a few things that have spoiled the atmosphere enough to warrant never going back:
— Audible micromanagement of staff in the background on the part of the owner, as well as what appears to be high staff turnover. Although I have been here several times with friends, I have not once had the same barista and it is hard not to notice the stiff, uncomfortable atmosphere in which they work.
— It appears only certain customers are welcome. It seems obvious that the owner strives to recognize and know the names of some regular patrons but not others, as indicated by other reviews. He has never asked my name in all the times I have been there since moving into the neighborhood but judging from some of the reviews, certainly goes out of his way to know others.
— Incident #1: My friend and I were tying up my dog outside when the owner nervously approached me, stood above me (invading my personal space), and asked me to do what I was already in the process of doing: leaving my dog outside. Why would the owner ask me to do what I was already doing while muttering something about serving food/​losing his license under his breath? I found this situation uncomfortable, nonsensical, and odd.
— Incident #2: We had been on a walk and my infant was asleep in her stroller. We chose not to disturb her from her sleep by removing her from the stroller and brought it into the café, pushing it off to the side. It was not busy — I saw a total of three other patrons during the time we were there.
I was stunned when the owner again unnecessarily INVADED MY PERSONAL SPACE by approaching my infant in her stroller. She had been asleep the entire time we had been there UNTIL the owner put his face up to the stroller and told me, «Her eyes are open. She’s crying.» What the??? She had been asleep the entire time we were there and had NOT been crying until he approached us. He seemed to be indicating that the stroller was in the way or that the baby was unwelcome by his behavior and it came across in a very unpleasant, passive-​aggressive tone.
Talk about bizarre! Stunned by his odd behavior and the unwelcoming atmosphere he was creating, we chose to leave, never to return.
I fail to see why a neighborhood like Longfellow, with its many young children and general neighborly, family-​friendly vibe, tolerates a place like this where apparently, not everyone is welcome. I will definitely be sharing my negative experience here with my neighborhood play date group, as well as every neighbor with dogs and young children.

Excellent coffee and great sandwiches. I had a Cubano panini today and it was fire. Likely the best I’ve had.
Their soups are also equally on fleek.
I don’t stop in too frequently but I’ve always noticed how friendly the staff is as well. It’s jus an overall great neighborhood café.

I would have taken a picture of my Rosemary Chicken Salad and cup of Curried Lentil Soup, but I took one delicious bite and finished it before I even thought of looking at my phone. It was SO good. Flavorful, unique, fresh, and all made from scratch.
I always have such a positive experience here; the owner Jeff is very friendly and is so hospitable — it almost feels like I’m being welcomed into his home for dinner. Plus, every time I’ve been here he personally asks how I enjoyed the food (and I can always say it was fabulous).
Fire Roast Café is great! I promise to take a picture of my food next time ;)

Great neighborhood café, nice people, good food

My favorite coffee shop. Ever! Great service. Incredible coffee. The best muffins I have ever eaten.
The staff is awesome here. My workout buddies and i frequent Fire Roast, and all the baristas know all our orders and are friendly and engaging. It’s such a welcoming environment.
The cold press is some of my favorite in all of Minneapolis, and the lattes are always perfectly foamy. Their cranberry orange and blueberry lemon muffins are out of this world, sweet and moist and dense all at once. Also, even the bananas are better here. I don’t know how they do it!

Simple, laid-​back café with some decent breakfast/​lunch and beverage offerings to suit all tastes. Baked goods for nibbling and Sebastian Joe’s ice cream for indulging are also available.
After my rec footy game in brutal summer heat, I sought a light yet quick lunch, preferably outdoors where it would potentially be more socially acceptable to be mud-​covered from head (well, technically, arms) to toe. This fit the bill.
Order at the counter, grab your number and seating, and hold tight (maybe a little longer than seemingly necessary) till your grub arrives. [Full disclosure: I am admittedly biased towards wait staff-​free eateries.]
Homemade granola + yogurt. Well done… sweet, crunchy (but not tooth-​shatteringly so), chunky with freshly soft almonds.
Snagged a bite (s) of my bf’s chicken burrito. Well-​stuffed and pressed with yummy ingredients, but standard and could easily be replicated at home with basic ingredients even by culinary dunces such as moi.
Service was very pleasant (particularly from the man who I assumed owner) as was the space. Two rooms indoors, one more restaurant style-​seating (booths and tables/​chairs), the other a serene java-​sipping lounge with art-​adorned sky blue (or some equally calming hue) walls*. Plus, a number of umbrella-​clad bistro tables outdoors.
I’d happily return next time I’m in the Longfellow vicinity.
*Upon skimming through photos, the wall is more of a jarring red-​orange, yet this backroom still embodied a calming vibe.