The Nicollet

You have closed (again), but your waffles were really quite good, and the sausage, cheese, egg sandwiches were much better than McDonald’s.
I liked this place because it was kind of a no man’s land, a space that was so large and open that you could do anything, and a space that was so un-​inhibiting and non-​judgemental that you could do anything.

The Nicollet, not to be confused with Nicollet Diner, is a neighborhood coffeehouse located across the intersection from Starbucks. This fact alone is enough to lure me here instead of to the nation’s largest coffee chain. That said, I think the Nicollet is a better spot during the evening, when you can enjoy live performances, beer and wine in addition to caffeinated beverages.
The servers are friendly and accommodating. In the AM (including Saturdays) there is often only one person working, which means there can be a short, but tolerable wait before you’re served. During a recent visit, I sampled a surprisingly good and affordable breakfast sandwich here. It was basically a petite panini with egg, cheese and sausage. It was worth the wait.
The space is large and a great place for people watching. If you bring a laptop, make sure its charged, I didn’t see many conveniently-​located outlets.

One of my favorite coffee shops in town and definitely the best in the area. Great place to get some studying/​work done. Plenty of space and the staff is great!

This is a nice little shop. The ceilings are really high, and the floors are wood, making the shop very open yet cozy. The coffee is great — although I haven’t tried the food yet.

I really like this place, but they have to get their ambient music under control. I’m siting here right now and about to leave since what’s playing is a.) too loud, and b.) grating and distracting.

Having been here 3 times now, I can say I enjoy the ambiance, the food is good if not a bit overpriced, the service is so so, and the people watching is fantastic.
The Tuna curry panini was good, the pancakes good, eggs Benedict good.
There is a pretty diverse crowd here, not racially, but sexual orientation-​wise, lifestyle-​wise, and occupation-​wise. I suspect that no matter what time you go, there are patrons who have just gotten up, and patrons that are about to go to bed, patrons who have just gotten off work, and patrons who are on their way to work.

Love this little place! Service is always incredibly friendly and it’s a joy talking with the staff here when I go to order. They have a small assortment of café sandwiches, pastries, and breakfast items, so it’s great for a quick bite. Prices are very reasonable/​comparable to other local coffee shops in the area. Also, their scones are amazing. Scones are some of my favorite baked goods if done right, and they do theirs right! I’ve had too many that are overly dry, but the ones here are perfect.
In addition to the menu and the service, it’s also just a cute place to hang out. It’s large and open with tall ceilings and plenty of seating space. They also have games and free WiFi! I’ve seen signs out front advertising live music (there’s a small stage) set up in the corner, but I’ve never had a chance to experience it… as a metalhead, I’m not sure it would be my scene. :)

Super nice local coffee shop with friendly staff. I had a lovely steeped green jasmine tea while I worked on my laptop. Easy street parking. Good power outlets for laptops. Excellent tea. The food that others around me were enjoying looks good and healthy. Nice spot. Will be back.

Stand by the register for 15mins, didn’t see a damn soul. And it’s in the middle of the day. Service suck the big one.

Waffle was delicious. Super divey. Breakfast served all day long. Game selection available, free wifi. Almond soy and rice milk available. Bike parking out front. Coffee was decent.

They’ve been hosting live jazz music on Friday nights lately. The layout of the room works well for the music and while I wish they had a full bar, they do have beer and wine. The staff are friendly and the music is excellent. I hope they book more music — especially jazz — in the evenings.

I had the blueberry tea and the raspberry chocolate truffle. The truffle was terrible. The tea was okay and the décor is nice. I would have stayed longer if the appearance of live music didn’t interrupt my work so suddenly.

At 6:30 Wednesday Starbucks across the street had an all employee meeting filling the store so I thought I’d check this place out. First off there were no prices on the various items in the display. I hate having to ask and often leave wondering if they gave the right price, like in this case. He told me the muffins and bagels were $ 2.75, and that included cream chees for the bagel. When I asked how much it was without cream cheese, he told me it still was $ 2.75. Really? I ended up buying a $ 2.00 coffee which he didn’t ring up, placing the $ 5.00 I gave him behind the counter and giving me change out of the tip jar. I expect that’s where my bill was headed. He then warned me I’d be paying a cover at 8:00. The taped music was good, but I expect there is plenty of cash under the table shenanigans here.

Had the oatmeal, of course and was pleasantly surprised. For $ 3.50 I received a basic bowl of oatmeal along with brown sugar and milk. Basic to be sure, but the richest basic oatmeal I’ve had in Minneapolis yet. The taste was naturally sweet and the oats were thick and cooked to perfection. If they had offered any fruit/​nuts it would have easily moved into my second favorite oatmeal behind the Boiler Room’s deluxe oatmeal.

why you may ask is this coffee shop so good? its their amazing chocolate truffels! yes hand dipped hand made chocolate truffles, utter decadence for 2 bucks, throw down for your fav. coffee drink and a sandwich and you get free wifi, what a deal. also its is at the hub of two bus routs if you like busing or bike riding because these buses do have the bike rack for riders in case you get too full after you go there, lol! I love this place and it stays open till 10!

I ordered coffee and oatmeal. The bill was five dollars. So good at a great price. It’s odd to me that the Starbucks across the street was packed when there is this nice, local shop to support.
The unicorn art is not my thing, but lends to the eclectic décor. Friendly service and worth a short walk from downtown.

Great place to go for a quick bite. Comfortable dining area, relatively clean, warm in the winter, can get a bit hot in the summer (they just open the doors and have fans going). The drinks are always good, a tad overpriced, but it’s in the neighborhood and I like supporting non-​conglomerate businesses in the area. Some of the food is great, some is mediocre, but I’ve never had something I wouldn’t order again. Employees are always friendly and it’s a convenient place to go.

The old business still has their website up. The correct website is
Note: they do not sell burgers or pizza. This is a coffee place that also sells about 6 panning-​like sandwiches, pasta salads and soups. They gots waffles and breakfast stuff, too.
It’s a nice comfortable space with lists of tables and a few comfy chairs. The art is nicely displayed and the staff is friendly.
Tried the turkey with pesto sandwich. Tasty but not amazing. Certainly good, though. The tuna melt is a curried tuna – no indication on the chalkboard menu that this is the case. I liked it fine, but would not have ordered it if I knew it was curried tuna.
The chili had a nice complex taste to it. I’d go back.

Another neighborhood gem. Everything here is wonderful — the soups, sandwiches, breakfasts and beverages. I still miss Acadia, but this is a more than adequate replacement.

The Nicollet is under new ownership and I have observed steady improvement. The menu is different and the coffee is substantially better. So much better!

I’ve lived in the neighborhood for several years, and I’ve seen this place go through a few owners. I always tried it out when it announced a new owner, and was always disappointed. When the owner of another local coffee shop took over, I was thrilled. My corner coffee shop is FINALLY a place that isn’t painful to visit!
The staff is excellent. They are always friendly, but they still know how to be friendly and quick when it’s busy. The coffee is great. The oatmeal and breakfast sandwiches are pretty basic but wonderful. The sandwiches are also wonderful, and they’re finally open past 4pm.

Can’t say Franklin Ave outside of Seward offers much to do for locals let alone visitors, but The Nicollet is a nice exception. I always seem to forget about this place since I usually just head down LaSalle (and Franklin is off my radar for someplace to hang out), but I made it a point to stop in for a bit. The atmosphere is typical nice coffee shop (or restaurant or bar) in an old building: exposed brick walls, large windows, and nice creaky hardwood floors with a neutral color scheme with lots of brown and black. I’ll have to try the drip coffee, but the espresso was good though like many others while not one of the top spots in Mpls it’s a solid option. It’s a cozy spot and it’s good to know they’re open til 10PM. Definitely no need to cross the street for that chain’s coffee that’s for sure: they don’t serve burned beans here.

Can’t say enough great things about this place…
Great customer service, great selection of food and snacks, great coffee, chill atmosphere.
I love this place. The staff is SO helpful and friendly. Highly recommended!