Brewed Awakenings

On a trip home from California and I seriously just stood in a line of 3 people for 15 minutes while 2 workers talked to each other with their backs to the counter. It’s like this every time I’ve been here since it changed from Aspen. They do not get service here at all. Don’t bother!

Clean and cozy atmosphere, wonderful and friendly staff. Nora is seriously the best cook ever — try her brie and ham sandwich, it will blow your mind.

We love it here!!! Great service, wonderful coffees and delicious parties and quiches.

Extremely friendly staff and a nice and laid back location. Great vegetarian and vegan food available.

Great coffee, great food, great service! I run in here for lunch pretty often, call ahead to order my sandwich and they’ll have it ready and waiting for me — which is SO appreciated as I am always in a hurry. A great place to meet friends or for business also. The bakery items are BEAUTIFUL. (And super tasty!)

A bit of a wait for your order busy or not. When it is busy, it is chaos. People everywhere, no deligated line or pick up area.
Staff are occasionally friendly depending on whom you deal with. The young men behind the counter are usually more salty than the ladies.
Drinks are usually worth the wait. Not much into the vegan food though.

Not a place for just a to-​go coffee, they are extremely inefficient in the ordering and prioritizing of the orders. The food is pretty tasty just wouldn’t suggest it if you’re in a hurry.

Ignore the bad reviews… the «brewed girls» are back ! This is no longer Aspen, the original owners are in business again. Delicious food, great coffee & special drinks ! Welcome Back ! We are so glad to see you there again !

Went in for the first time since the switch back to Brewed Awakenings after Aspen closed. For the most part, very little has changed. However, I was very disappointed that they no longer offer pour over coffees. I haven’t been impressed with the drip coffees I’ve tried under either ownership and the fact that Aspen was the only coffee shop in Appleton (that I’m aware of) that had pour overs was the main reason I chose it over the other options. I still like the tea selection and hippie-​esque vibe this place has, but service was slow and not particularly cheerful, even forgiving them the Saturday mid morning rush. All things considered, not bad, but I will no longer make this location my primary choice for coffee in Appleton.

Service is always friendly, food is great, coffee delicious and well made. Try the bakery items, Nora makes some great scones and brownies. I always get extra points when I bring some home.
They just reopened in their old location in downtown Appleton. I am excited to be able to hang out there between meetings.

When I giggled after noticing the coffee stirrers were actually fettuccine, the tattoo clad gentleman behind the counter looked at me as if I had 3 heads. Nevertheless, this place has hipster charm and good coffee. The breakfast panini I ordered came to the table hot, fresh, and delicious. Recommended.

AKA/​Aspen Coffee
My partner (who has Celiacs sprue) and I called here knowing they advertised Gluten Free food options. (Celiacs sprue is a disease, any gluten he ingests makes him seriously ill.)
I asked the woman who answered if they were careful about cross contamination issues when making the gluten free food. We had just left Harmony Café when they said they could not guarantee contamination free food (see review)
The woman on the phone said they were not concerned with being careful. Their gluten free food was always Cross contaminated.
This encompasses all food labeled Gluten Free, deserts, salads etc. There are no precautions taken to keep Gluten from contaminating their products.
Those who prefer gluten free eating as a personal choice may be comfortable eating here. Those who are sensitive, intolerant or suffer from the disease of Celiac Sprue, should NOT eat the food here.

They have closed and reopened as Aspen Tea and Coffee.

I like this joint (mostly because I am Anti-Starbucks)…I love the gelato and the atmosphere and the people. I don’t go here very often for two reasons.
1) They serve Alterra coffee — although it is supposedly «fair-​trade», it is WAY too acidic to be considered palatable.
2) Can you do something about the odor — when I leave here, my clothing smell acrid and «food-​ish». I don’t want to smell like this place when I leave.

This is one of your cozy local downtown coffee houses. Nothing exceptional but I wanted to write a review just because of their gelato. They make their own and it is delicious! There are different flavors every week. Most I have tried are good but their dark chocolate mint is life changing. Rich, creamy and an all natural flavor. I could see tiny specks of vanilla bean in their vanilla gelato — a sign that they use real vanilla bean and not the artificial stuff.
As for the coffee… they brew and serve Alterra, a fair trade and organic Milwaukee based brand. In case you’re into drinking ‘socially responsible’ coffee. They also have the usual coffee shop food — paninis, wraps, coffee cakes etc.
What I dislike about this place is the hours — closes way too early over the weekends.
Go for a gelato and coffee on your next trip to the farmers market. :)

I love brewed awakenings. I’ve even made up an excuse to visit Appleton from Green Bay just to get breakfast here. Delicious sandwiches, quiches, baked goods, homemade soups, coffee, and ice cream all in a cozy atmosphere. My favorite soup was a curried vegetable that was to die for. So good and perfect way to cut the chill in the never-​ending Wisconsin winter.

This coffee Shop has delicious options for drinks and food, and is well scoped for vegetarians and vegans!
They did start to run out of fruit and veggies by the weekend, which didn’t help, but i was there with a large group of healthy eaters.

Brewed Awakenings has quickly become my favorite café in downtown Appleton (and I’ve tried them all). Their baristas make killer cappuccinos and are always friendly. Also, their soup is really nice. I had the minestrone (more like a stew) and it was hot and a little spicy, just how I like it. Normally I’ve noticed places in Appleton straying away from spice, but they haven’t!
The atmosphere is also really great. The building seems to be quite old and has a nice feel on the inside (look at the ceiling). There is art on the walls, and lots of different places to sit in… couches, big tables, high up tables. It gives everyone a choice, as opposed to most places with just one option. Their music choice is also killer (which always makes me happy). Normally I find it necessary to drown out the tunes with my own headphones, but I was very willing to listen.
Give Brewed Awakenings a try… you’ll love it. They also have ice cream and sandwiches for those looking for something other than the typical espresso and baked goods.

This place has a lot of sweetness to offer. Their baked goods display is chock-​full of delectable-​looking, interesting, and even HEALTHY sweetness (try a Booster Bite, which contains fruit and seeds and nuts and no extra sugar); their baristas are sweet; their décor and music are equally sweet; their specialty drinks look worth trying if you’re into sweeter beverages; and lastly, they have GELATO.
The coffee is heavenly. I had their French Roast, which was served perfectly hot in a nice, big Aspen Coffee and Tea mug.
Other features include free wireless, 25 cent refills!, less of a crowd than down the street at Harmony, and some really interesting art to absorb after you’ve taken in the fascinating old interior.

I don’t tend to write reviews os places, as I think they can be sometimes unfairly evil. That said, after today’s experience at this place, well, I think it’s well deserved.
I ordered a ½ sandwich, soup combo. The soup was supposed to be asparagus & prosciutto soup. What I received instead was a brown, curdled mess that looked amazingly similar to cat vomit. It tasted about like I would imagine cat vomit tastes as well.
I mentioned to the woman behind the counter that I thought the soup had been made incorrectly, as it was inedible and rather gross. Her response? «Oops.» Then she turned around and walked away.
I waited around for about 5 minutes to see if there would be any further reaction /​interaction. But, no. That was the end of it.
So, yeah. I can’t honestly recommend this place and would suggest steering clear. There are plenty of other coffee shops in the area with much better food and service.