Portage Pi Cafe & Juice Bar

Mmm this is guuud pie! I had a buy one get one free with Red Card so I split the apple hand pie with a friend and took a chicken one home for dinner. The apple one was good; the chicken one was OUTSTANDING even a few hours later! I microwaved it about a minute on each side and it was perfect. The chicken was tasty and the potatoes and veggies in it were flavorful. Try it!

I almost hesitate to write this review, because once others find out about how good the coffee and salads are at Portage, and what a fantastic place it is to work, it’s going to be overrun. But it’s hard not to swoon upon entering and seeing the La Colombe coffee they sell and serve, beautiful fresh salads to go, and warm atmosphere resplendent with Wisconsin nostalgia. I will be back, as much as I can, until too many others become wise to how great it is.

This place is right down the street for me and it is very hard not to stop here every morning! A juice bar is the perfect addition to Madison — and one I have been waiting for since I came here for school. Located in the Graduate Hotel lobby, the atmosphere is so cute. It’s comfortable and warm.
I’ve had three of their juices now: Thronton Melon (honeydew, cucumber, ginger, lemon, mint), Arnold Pointdexter (blueberry, green tea, celery, lemon), and the Bluto (apple, pineapple, coconut, mint). While all three are amazing and are all good for different reasons, the overall best in my opinion is the Bluto. It is so deliciously sweet and almost creamy because of the coconut.
I’ve also had their Kale Cob salad, which was very good with the addition of kale and well-​seasoned chicken breast.
Unfortunately, I give Portage Pi ⁴⁄₅ because it is overpriced. I understand $ 6 for pressed juice but $ 7 – 9 for a pre-​made salad is ridiculous. The Cob has many toppings but other salads seemed to lack them. The hand pies are a good size… but should only be about $ 5 – 6. They are by no means meal-​sized as they are basically a pasty.
Additionally, I think Portage should add more juices to their menu! A juice bar should have more than 3 + a rotating flavor. I would love to see that!
If I haven’t made this obvious, I will continue to come back!

I’m giving Portage Pi an optimistic 3 stars. I think it has so much potential and I’m really excited about it, but there are a few major areas that need improvement.
The space is gorgeous! An awesome alternative to a coffee shop for getting things done. I saw a lot of outlets. Apparently they’re expanding to include outdoor areas as well.
The food is pretty good. I liked my Wisconsin Pi (cheese curds, ham, egg) but my roommate wasn’t crazy about her short rib pi. Thought my smoothie was great.
My real gripe is the price. $ 6 for a smoothie and $ 6 for a very small pie. I think they could make the pies a little bigger and then I would be happy to pay the money.
It also took like 10 minutes to make my smoothie. Hire more staff or find a more efficient process, please!

Stopped by Portage Pi for some lunch. First off the lounge space was amazing !! Free wifi and plenty of seats for me and my laptop Made my way to the counter to order and couldn’t decide on a handmade Pi or a Panini. I went with the Wisconsin Pi. So yummy and filling, eggs, cheese curds and herbs. Ordered a local brewed soda and connected my laptop. Friendly service and great atmosphere. I will be back.

This place is extremely unique. Fantastic space. Great hand pies smoothies and fresh juices. Coffee is fantastic and local tap beer!