Café Brioso

I did not have a good experience. It was lunch time and it was crowded, no biggie, but that showed off a lot of the shortcomings of the layout. But, clearly, I thought, it is popular for lunch which was a good sign. I don’t get it.
The bad: The food was really bland. The special BLAST Bly with sprouts was really boring and dry. They only put 3 slices of avocado on the whole thing and didn’t provide mayo unless you asked. The provided mayo was in frustrating small packets. The sandwich itself was just forgettable: not enough avocado, bland tomato and super dry. The curried lentil soup was bland and watery. It was under salted and tasted like they through curry powder in at the end to mask the lack of flavor. The ambiance here is lacking and the interior feels tired and not super clean. I all now it is downtown, but still. The bathroom is through this creepy stairwell in the basement. The layout of the eating area is very long and narrow which makes it difficult to maneuver around and the ordering stream with separate food then coffee and pay is not intuitive.
The good: the maple latte was actually tasty.
I would not return. I left hungry because the food was so in satisfying I could not finish it. The food reminded me of stuff I would have been served in the late 90s at a natural food store in the worst possible sense. I didn’t enjoy the experience because it was hectic and ultimately unfulfilling.

At the risk of over-​hyping, I would argue they have some of the best iced coffee in the country. I like mine black, and café brioso’s is perfect that way. It’s incredibly smooth, almost chocolatey.
I also ended up getting a turkey sandwich while I was there, which was generously piled on some thick, delicious bread, though I forget exactly what kind.
As others have said, the vibe inside is rather average, but with the quality of the coffee, it almost makes the mild aesthetics charming. It also probably keeps the place a little less crowded than being an ultra-​hip, instagram-​romantic white-​washed minimalist space.
For good coffee with zero pretension, visit Café Brioso.

Probably one of the worst chai lattes in existence. My wife didn’t like the coffee either. Not a ton of breakfast food, the bagels we did have weren’t very good, bland and dense. Saw tons of people flooding in on a weekday morning to get their caffeine fix, and I question their judgement. First visit was the only visit on a recent trip to Columbus. Wouldn’t go back.

I came here because the coffee is supposed to be exceptional and I wanted a baked item (typical of a café). This place had neither at 11am, except sub-​par coffee and cookies. I opted for lunch — it was forgettable soup and salad.

Maybe the best cup of cap in the city. Good, strong and creamy. If you like the cap from one of the big chains then this will be quite different.

Short review: My favorite coffee in Columbus.
Longer review: A sip of cup of coffee from this place melts away the exhaustion of driving downtown, dealing with traffic, and spinning tirelessly to the top of terrible garages which charge $ 10 for 15 minutes.

Words can’t express how much I love this place. It’s my ‘go-​to’ for lunch when I don’t pack. I love their soups! I usually get the soup/​sandwich deal (cup or bowl of soup & a half a sammich). The atmosphere is quite chill, which is why I think I like it so much. When you work all day, it’s nice to get a little break in the middle. Café Brioso does EXACTLY that for me! The people there are really friendly, and are proud of their work. I’ve never actually had coffee there, but their cookies are great for a take-​away snack after lunch. I’m going to have to try their scones after reading Heather D.‘s review!

Honey vanilla soy lattes are delicious and unique. As previous reviews mentioned (I should have read them earlier) meters on Gay are max 30 mins which is annoying if you want to work/​hang out

Five stars for Brioso. My favorite coffee shop in Columbus. They’re usually really busy, but they’re fast. They have the best coffee in the city and, even better, they’re the most reasonably priced. Everything I’ve had is far and above better than other java joints. They use Hartzler milk for cappuccinos and I’ve a convert. See ya, Snowville. Hartzler is my new favorite!

So yummy! They have great lunch options as well as amazing coffee! The vegan red bean soup is really really good! Also a great place to study!

I’m digging the chill cyclist vibes here. No-​frills décor and menu, but nicely crafted espresso drinks and super friendly employees happy to engage in conversation. Lots of tables and a prime downtown location. Here you can hold an offsite meeting, meet a friend for a bite to eat or get down to business on your laptop at the long street-​facing counter. When the free wifi wouldn’t connect, they were kind enough to let me use their private wifi! Parking is 3-​hr meter.

Beautiful new space! Exposed brick, pretty bathroom, great pour over. Way more available parking meters than on Gay St. Incredibly friendly and helpful staff that take visible pride in Brioso. The menu is simple, which is great for me since I take my coffee black. My friend’s espresso was beautiful. Will definitely be back to get to know this space better! Congrats, guys!

While the ambiance of the place leaves something to be desired, it doesn’t take away from the quality craftsmanship of this in-​house roasted coffee!
We tried a cortado and a honey-​vanilla latte. They boast the best milk in Ohio and I would tend to agree as my espresso has nary met a richer whole milk to accompany it.
Which leads me to express my joy at this rich deeply aromatic and smooth espresso served up with grace and expertise by quality baristas.
The honey vanilla latte while touted as a favorite left something for my coffee loving heart to be desired — perhaps the stardom of the best milk in Ohio is too much for the coffee to withstand when served in such disproportionate measure.
One last mention would be the crispy scone — maple pecan — delicious but so petite — I would have liked a few more bites! All in all this is a quality establishment — stick to the drinks where the coffee can be the star and you will agree!

Great coffee! My husband and I always look forward to stopping in for a coffee when we are in town. The staff is always friendly!

I was excited to try out this local Columbus coffee spot.
I ordered the pour over coffee which happened to be Ethiopian blend that day and the banana nut scone.
The coffee was good, not the most amazing coffee I have ever had but still good for a standard morning cup of coffee. The scone however was AMAZING, so good I actually ended up grabbing a second for the road.
The ambience is nothing special. Lots of tables and chairs little to no decoration a very low key place that isn’t trying too hard. Would not be my first place to come and work for the day, because it reminds of a bar, but would recommend coming to grab a cup of coffee.
Ps: they never asked if I wanted for here or to go which is a coffee shop pet peeve of mine. I personally like to enjoy my coffee from a mug, and wasn’t given the option.

Why Brioso isn’t more crowded in the mornings is beyond me. The coffee is in my mind the best to be had downtown. And it’s not like you pay a premium for that quality. It’s more affordable than Starbucks!
They toast the beans there in the store (so if you’re walking by and think something is on fire, that’s why). And the people in charge of preparing the beans are incredibly knowledgeable about what they do. They’re like sommeliers of coffee. Tell them what you’re looking for, and they’ll be happy to steer you in the right direction.
Also, if you’re getting beans, don’t forget your small drip coffee! I really like the lighter full city roast, it seems to better highlight the flavor of whatever bean they used.
Also, the baked goods are excellent. If I’m feeling like a treat, I’ll get one of the delicious blueberry muffins to go along with my coffee. They also have really great chocolate chip cookies, if you’re in the mood for dessert!

I’ve worked downtime, around Cap Square, for nearly 15 years, and today was my first trip to Café Brioso. Trendy and hipster are the two adjectives that come to mind to describe the joint. I only got a small honey latte, but it was pretty tasty. I can’t speak to the food, but the coffee was spot on.

Oh hey, it’s national coffee day! To celebrate, my coworkers and I walked here for a cup of morning joe. Also, we are trying to complete the Coffee Trail through Experience Columbus (visit several local coffee joints and get a free tshirt!). I’ve been in a few times before, but was happy to stop in for a cup of coffee because theirs is always so good! This is the place where if you knew a lot of about coffee, you could come and nerd out. Or, if you’re just a fan of a delicious cup of brew, you’ll be happy too.
The only things here that kind of irk me is the ordering counter. They have two counters– one for food, and one for drinks… so if you want more than one thing you can order at one but have to pick the other item up at the other counter. It gets confusing. Also, if you don’t really know all that much about styles of brewed coffee, the signage for the coffee beans can be a bit hard to understand. Fortunately, the people here seem to be nice enough and will explain it to you.
I’ve yet to try any lunchtime food, but I did have a really tasty muffin — that I ordered at one counter and picked up at the other. Amazing coffee. You can take a bag home to brew later!

Before I write the rest of my review. Just know that I will be going back to this place to try it again and see how it compares to my first visit. I am just giving my impression from my first and only visit to this place.
I have been going to different Coffee places around Columbus since I moved in March. I visited this place recently because I have heard so much about it. When I pulled up it look really cool outside. I even found a parking meter that was still paid for. Talk about awesome start for this place. Well it went down hill from there. I walked in and the lady at the cash register wasn’t really polite. Don’t get me wrong she wasn’t rude by any means. She almost seemed more shy and socially awkward then rude. I asked her if I had to get one thing here what would she recommend (I usually ask that question at new places I am trying) She said «I don’t know.» I thought, «fair enough maybe its her first day and she truly doesn’t know.» so I just said I will have a large cappuccino. I went and sat down with my mac like any good hipster at a coffee shop would do. They called my order out and I said thank you and just received a blank stare from the person that served me. I thought again «No big deal maybe they didn’t hear me.» They were being really polite to every body else in there, so I thought nothing of that! The drink was okay. Nothing special, but thats what I get for ordering a typical drink. I took my glass up to the front to tell them thank you for the service. When I said thank you to 3 people behind the bar they just turned around and looked at me. They didn’t say anything, just stared at me.
Maybe it was just a bad day! That why I prefaced my review with what I did. I will be going back to try it out again. The coffee was okay nothing special but it seems to be a great place by everyone else’s reviews. So I want to go back and try it one more time.
We will see what happens!

Ethiopian yirgacheffe, best coffee ever. The staff here is very knowledgable, friendly and talented. Thanks to JJ for describing all the roasts and letting me smell each batch. He was informative and genuine and lacked the condescension typical of many independent roasters employees. All in all, best cup of the day (out of five separate Columbus locations)

I am a fan of their coffee.
Owner is very friendly and knowledgeable. Met the owner during one of their coffee tasting offering at an Experience Columbus event. It is refreshing to see an independent coffee shop where the owner and baristas are passionate about their product, and these fellas should be.
Prime location downtown on Gay St.

Checked this place out during my Columbus Coffee Experience, and it was sadly the lowest ranked in my mind.
I ordered a honey vanilla latte and was told to go to three different counter spaces so I could order from three different people, and then finally pay at the «correct» counter. It was all very confusing and the staff seemed annoyed the entire time. My latte was super sweet, could only finish half of it.

Eat here a lot for lunch, always good. But today’s sandwich special on hot salted focaccia bread just out of the oven was simply spectacular.
They make a superb latte with a perfect crema that’s no nonsense and some of the best in Columbus.

Café Brioso is the definition of an awesome neighborhood coffee shop. They’ve been on the corner of Gay and High forever, it seems — ten years? Twelve? I’m here two or three times a week, minimum.
Brioso is a cozy, yet open space with plenty of windows and lots of seating. You’ll find local art on the walls, curated by local artist/​staff barista Adam (check out @bigmanjapan on Instagram), a roasting station for your take-​home grind, a semi-​permanent pop-​up shop (Flying Gent mercantile), plenty of flyers for upcoming events big and small — you see what I’m saying here.
But don’t discount the real reasons Brioso has thrived downtown — the coffee and the staff. As mentioned, they purchase single-​origin coffees and roast them onsite. That burnt-​coffee smell you get a whiff of sometimes? Brioso. Their baristas know, understand and love coffee. They compete in contests of skill and love what they do. Just ask, and they’re happy to tell you. Pourovers are available as well as honey maple lattes and cold-​brewed iced coffee. Best part — you can order that latte, or any coffee that isn’t black or an espresso without feeling looked down upon. (I love, love LOVE coffee, but can’t drink it black, and it pains me to no end to get the snotty barista stare-​down. Thank you JJ and everyone else!)
Brioso also has fresh-​made croissants, muffins, and scones for breakfast; soups, salads, and sandwiches (using Dan the Baker’s breads) for lunch; and a good selection of pie and cookies for that late-​afternoon pick-​me-​up. Always plenty of vegetarian and at least one vegan offering every day.
You’ll wonder why you were ever slumming it over at Starbucks. Seriously.

Such a neat place. The standard latte was amongst the best I’ve ever had — rivals Stumptown in New York City, and though a few of us didn’t agree on this point, I would say that Café Brioso’s is actually better. And the barista took 15 minutes to explain how the micro foam design atop lattes happens when we asked him about it. He also explained how best to enjoy espresso drinks, and how to do our own milk designs on espresso drinks at home.
Cool little bike-​themed shop in the corner, though pretty impractical for actual bikers on a ride.
The maple and maple vanilla lattes were sweet for my liking, but if you’re into sweet coffee drinks, I’m sure you’d enjoy it because the base of coffee and milk is so nice.
Enjoy — it’s a lovely place!

Superb latte. On a road trip from south Texas to upstate New York & sampling MANY lattes on the route! This one is the best since San Antonio. by far. I could tell the moment I saw it that it was going to be good… the consistency was perfectly creamy & foam free! A Rosetta is a good sign that you are getting a great latte, and the one in my cup was beautiful.
I’m only giving four stars because of the atmosphere. The location was awesome & we found parking right away, but the décor was really lacking. It seemed a bit haphazard, with bicycle wheels hanging from the ceiling, potted pants, & other random items. This place would be killer if it was spruced up a bit!

Hands down the best cold brew coffee I’ve ever tasted.
The coffee tastes fantastic without any cream or sweetener. It’s smooth and has no bitter taste at all. Although this coffee shop might not be the most accessible destination for people who don’t work/​live downtown, it is worth the hunt for a parking meter to start your day off with Brioso coffee. The employees have always been incredibly friendly and helpful. Even with a line of people, I’ve never waited longer than a minute or so for my drink.
I can’t recommend the cold brew enough. For me, it is the perfect cup of coffee.

If you let me order off the menu two minutes til closing on a holiday and give me no ‘tude, you’re all aces in my book. If you then spend additional time to help me place an order because I’ve never been to your establishment, and you want me to have a great cup of joe, I’m even more impressed.
This described my first experience at the lovely Café Brioso located in downtown Columbus. Even though a few employees were giving me the stank eye, the gentleman helping me was super cool, and even called out to one of the employees to hold off on his closing procedures in case he needed to use certain equipment to make my drink.
I settled on the honey and milk latte and took in the ambiance while I waited. There is plenty of seating in this place, and the vibe is so chill. I feel you could come here and study in a quiet corner or share laughs with friends. Food stuffs is also available but the cases were empty when I came in and I didn’t see a menu to comment on that part of the business.
The were huge containers of beans from around the world beckoning me. I can’t wait to go back and find out more about them.
My latte was incredibly smooth, and was a perfect blend or sweet, milk, and espresso. Thank you boys. I can’t wait to come back with more than two minutes to spate!