Waukesha's Mountain Top Coffee: A Dream Realized

WAUKESHA, WI — It's a weekday morning in Downtown Waukesha, and the morning crowd at Mountain Top coffee gives way to a steady stream of college students, remote workers set up on laptops and walk-ups who take their coffees and espresso drinks to go.

For owner Nathan Darrow, it's just a slice of life that was part of a dream that began years ago when he too was a college student. He went to school for landscape architecture in North Carolina, but fell in love with coffee, and moved back to the Midwest, he told Patch.

Darrow said the name Mountain Top came from his days in North Carolina, where he took in the restorative powers of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a stretch of parkway known for its scenery and beautiful surroundings.

He later went on to work at the Roots Coffee Shop, eventually serving as general manager before the shop closed. He opened Mountain Top in the same storefront in July 2019.

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New paint, decor and a new vibe were all part of the plan. The shop's design combines robin's egg blue walls with the amber glow of vintage bulbs. Local art hangs on the walls, and a spacious back room lends space to parties of all sizes - and quiet corners for people heads-down in work projects or study materials.

Darrow cuts a path between the barista counter and kitchen, checking on the hand-made bakery that the shop is known for, as well as the Anodyne-coffee fueled drinks he and a team of talented baristas perfect for their customers.

During the colder months, Darrow recommends the butterbeer latte - a Harry Potter-inspired espresso drink that features caramel and butter rum English toffee. When it comes to eats, Mountain Top has a full menu of sandwiches and small plates, but Darrow recommends the sweet potato grilled cheese sandwich. Made entirely from scratch, it has sweet roasted potato slices, carmelized onions and balsamic mayo on sourdough bread.

Mountain Top hosts open mic nights on Fridays, coffee bingo on Wednesdays — where customers can win free drinks — and live music on Saturdays.

Mountain Top Coffee

363 W. Main St., Waukesha

(262) 278-4869

mntcoffee.com

Hours

6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday
6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday
7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday