The Briar

The Briar is an easy cafe to miss. Amidst the quiet neighborhood of Northeast Minneapolis, The Briar stands out with its loud exterior and secretly serves some of the best coffees in the city. I have been hopping around Minneapolis cafes in search of the best work spots, and The Briar is one of the only places I've made a second round to. From the second you walk in, the cafe is very warm and inviting. It feels like a very humble and comfy place. The barista has a warm smile, and the music is soft and soothing. It feels like a cabin. Everything is finished in wood, and everyone is close to each other without being cramped. Distinctly, the menu features not only a coffee section, but also a full bar of cocktails, wines, and draft beers. During the day, they serve sandwiches and limited fresh pastry, offering slightly more variety after 4 pm with an expanded menu. There are four featured specialty coffees. Each features a very prominent, aromatic herb, with all coffees being served with oat milk by default. On my first visit earlier in the week, I went for the Autumn Serenade and a Pork Cutie sandwich. Priced at 7.50, the coffees are a little expensive, but they are really worth it. The Autumn Serenade features house-made molasses brown sugar syrup, rosemary salt, espresso, and oat milk. I essentially saw this as a latte with a twist; however, I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this drink. Sprinkled atop the coffee was a rosemary salt that perfectly blended into every sip I took from beginning to end. It was prominent yet not overpowering, and added an earthiness that balanced well with the syrup. The espresso still comes through and is complemented by a nice oat milk that adds additional depth to the flavor. I have never seen rosemary featured in a coffee, and was very pleasantly surprised to enjoy the drink as much as I did. More recently, I went back and opted for the Holy Hand Grenade, really wanting to explore what else The Briar had to offer after loving my first experience so much. The Holy Hand Grenade is composed of lavender, pomegranate grenadine, espresso, bitters, and oatmilk. Even though I really enjoyed this drink as well, I thought it had a very similar flavor profile to the Autumn Serenade. I didn't have them back-to-back, but the lavender had a very similar earthiness and punchy flavor to contrast the sweetness of the grenadine, making for a delicious, balanced drink. The main difference to me was that the lavender was more incorporated, with less texture in the drink overall due to the omission of salt. While the drinks were delicious, the only gripe I had with The Briar was the sandwich. The Pork Cutie comes on a brioche bun, with house-made porchetta, white cheddar, egg, cornichon aioli, and hot sauce. For nine dollars, the portion was reasonable. To start, the texture of the bread was great. Being slightly toasted gave it a nice crunch while still being fluffy on the inside. The aioli was the highlight, being creamy, rich, and slightly spicy. It added a lot of complexity and balance to the sandwich. The egg was also delicious, being perfectly fluffy and soft. However, I had a small problem with the ratios. The pork was inconsistently spread out. The pork flavor was mild towards the edges of the sandwich, while more of the pork overlapped in the center, making for fuller bites with more prominent flavor that I enjoyed more. Furthermore, I thought the bread had a wheaty aftertaste that I didn't particularly like, but it wasn't a major distraction. Aside from some minor issues I had with the sandwich, The Briar really stands out as an amazing spot for any occasion. The drinks are absolutely worth a stop, featuring great espresso and a unique herbiness that I haven't seen done as well anywhere else. While the sandwich wasn't perfect, it's definitely worth a shot if you're hungry and already at The Briar. Based on my first couple of visits, I am eager to continue working my way through the menu and am excited to try something new on my next visit.