The Sow’s Ear

Love this place! The service is always great and it has a wonderful atmosphere. My husband loves the frozen low carb mocha drink– he says no where else in the Madison area has anything close to it. The only slightly negative thing I have to say is the coffee they serve is sometimes a little strange. I am usually up for trying new flavors, but sometimes I just want a plain cup of coffee.

Let’s get lost in a world of yarn together as well as pick up some cute stoneware souvenirs for home.
Yarn:
I been meaning to explore the Sow’s Ear on my last trip to Verona and am quite happy to have gotten the chance to pick up some luxurious and decently priced Vintage DK yarns.
Goodies:
They have mugs and other items for sale. Purchased two (green glazed and blue glazed) mugs for future sipping and knitting.
Food:
Yummy warm apple cider. Soups are ok — should have gotten the quiche which was recommended.
They have this cool machine in the back which rolls your yarn into a ball for you. They even show you and let you do it yourself if you ask nicely :)
Great local shop and would gladly buy more goods here again soon.

Awesome place! Great customer service, both baristas that I talked to were fantastic. You can tell they care about their product. The milk is from a local area farm. They hand make their bakery items. You seriously cannot do better in Verona. Stop going to Starbucks!

Such a cute place! Always love a coffee shop in an old house. If you knit you really won’t want to miss this, as their shop is also a knitting store. I don’t knit, but looked like quite a selection. We only did coffee drinks and smoothies, but everyone was pleased with the order. Service was quick. Coffee is strong.

It’s a cute little store that combines coffee shop/​café with knitting supplies. Harvest Latte was exactly what I was hoping for on a beautiful Sunday that made me excited for fall.
The breakfast menu left a little to be desired. Basically an assortment of quiches, yogurt, or oatmeal were the choices. We had the Tomato Basil and Cauliflower bacon quiche. Both were very well made and actually just filling enough for a good breakfast. Still wish they had a breakfast sandwich or two on the menu, for variety.
All in all a good little place off the main drag in Verona.

Amazing Quiche. It was the best I’ve ever had. You can tell it’s homemade, fresh, and uses quality ingredients. This will be a new favorite for me.

This shop combines coffee, breakfast and coffee break items and a yarn shop (which made my wife happy). During a recent visit we enjoyed well made asparagus and ham quiches with well dressed side greens. There were three regular and one decaf offerings from two area roasters. Service was friendly and helpful.

Lovely coffee house with a small menu. Food options are stronger than many coffee houses which only offer muffins and donuts. The quiche is delicious and satisfying; salads are also good. Lots of drink options other than coffee, are available. You can sit outside on the small front porch or inside. The seating area is small with approximately 14 to 16 seats inside. Often, since there is also a knitting shop inside, you will find knitters and knitting clubs drinking coffee while they work. It’s a very interesting and stimulating place to enjoy a beverage. There is ample parking on both side streets.

Delicious coffee drinks at a cute place. The Caramel-​O is divine. Outdoor seating, kid play space — awesome!

Cute little shop that combines great coffee with knitting. They also have an assortment of treats and bakery items.
Their coffee is strong and reliable. And the baristas take good care of their customers with friendly, personal service. It doesn’t take them long to remember you, and your favorite drink.
The only downside is the potential wait during the morning rush, but it is worth it.

Ask for Sylvie. Her yarn taste– both color and textile– is spot on. I just regret that Ben left; he was the king of coffee.

A very cute little coffee shop with a lovely atmosphere that makes me want to spend the whole afternoon here

Cute little niche. I think the seating could be a little better. I think it can get a little crowded in the winter when there isn’t as much fresh air. Great selection of yarn if you are interested. Prices are slighting higher but if you are used to Starbucks this should be no surprise, and I promise it will be more genuine, homespun, local and equally delicious coffee or other beverages.

I’m not a big coffee drinker but the not coffee selection is delightful! The baristas are also very helpful and incredibly nice! I enjoy the atmosphere in the building. And if you are into any and all things yarn this is a excellent spot for that as well.

The kind of place I love! Great coffee options (Kickapoo, Intelligentsia) and inspired food menu. Coffee house meets knitters united but you can chill out in this rustic house turned coffee meet up and enjoy locally sourced menu. We enjoyed the coffee and lattes and an amazing hot panini style caprese sandwich.

Chicken salad sandwich and strawberry –banana smoothie was delicious! Quick, friendly service and a great, laid back atmosphere with knitting supplies and yarn in every color of the rainbow.
Only complaint: the soup was not hot enough.
Worth coming for a coffee, lunch or knit!

Charmjng little café. Ordered a cortado, which isn’t on the menu. And i love when baristas already know what it is. This one was done well. Quality of the espresso was toasty and slightly fruity.
Free wifi
Great place to work when your office is getting too dull, (and super close to Epic!)

Good concept — coffee and knitting! Love that combination. The staff is very friendly, both the baristas and the knitters (are they both?). The coffee is good.
The reason the Sow’s Ear looses stars is: because the layout of the building is a little wonky — I felt like I was in people’s way the entire time I was browsing the yarn, which was really annoying; and because the yarn selection itself wasn’t that inspiring, to be honest. Not that many beautiful fibers — lots of solid colors, striping yarn, and so forth. They didn’t have Madelinetosh, and their Malabrigo selection was pitiful. We actually went back a second day in a row just to double-​check that I wasn’t missing some magical yarn, a diamond in the rough. I mean, there was one kind of yarn that I really, really liked, but not enough to purchase it. I ended up going to The Knitting Tree and The Cat and Crow and spending almost $ 200 on yarn at those stores.
This isn’t to say that I won’t go back, but I just wasn’t impressed this time.

Love the Sow’s Ear! It’s my home away from home. The atmosphere there is so inviting & comfortable.
Great yarn selection, classes are awesome, staff is friendly & helpful, & the coffee is always top notch. I highly recommend their frozen hot chocolate while knitting or crocheting.
Their rewards program is not limited to yarn purchases, so even if you just go for the coffee, you can benefit.

Needles and caffeine together under one roof. Why yes, please.
I thought parking was going to be a pain because the few times that I’ve driven by, it looked like there was only street parking available, but it was actually a breeze. There is a tiny parking lot in the back, and since the area around the café is mostly residential, there is a lot of street side parking to be found. (: Awesome.
I ordered a 12 oz mocha and a sweet potato, shiitake, and provolone quiche. The mocha is a little too foamy for my taste, but it’s strong and the perfect wake-​me-​up. The quiche was light but filling, which I really appreciated. I’m not a huge breakfast foods fanatic, and I hate really heavy breakfasts that weigh me down for the rest of the day, so I thought the quiche was a perfect compromise. Serving the quiche with a side of greens is a nice touch too, though I’m not a big fan of the salad dressing.
Free wifi is a plus, as is the availability of outlets near every table.
I felt quite a bit out of place with the rest of the clientele, but I can see why many people enjoy spending a Sunday afternoon here. Don’t think I’ll be heading back anytime soon, but I’m glad I gave Sow’s Ear a try!