Dubuque, Iowa: Wayfarer Coffee

Nov 12

Counter and front seating area of Wayfarer

As a remote worker, I’m often looking for a great place to sit and work, and coffee shops are always at the top of that list. I love having a little drink and treat to motivate my writing, and the atmosphere can encourage a feeling of creativity. After visiting or working in a coffee shop, I like to share about my experience so you can find the best coffee shop for you.

What you’re looking for in a coffee shop will vary depending on why you go—remote workers will need solid tables, outlets, and a great internet connection. Those looking to sit and read a book might want a comfy spot and good treats. And if you’re meeting up with a friend, maybe you just need a chill place to sit and chat.

In this article, I’ll tell you all about my experience at Wayfarer Coffee so you can figure out if it’s where you want to go.

About Wayfarer

Wayfarer Coffee is located in the Millwork District of Dubuque, in the CARADCO building. It’s a cute little area featuring a lot of remodeled old buildings that represent the area’s industrial history. Near the river, you’re in the belly of the city when visiting this coffee shop.

Also known as the Schmid Innovation Center, this building is a former millwork factory that used to make windows and doors. According to the website, it “fills an entire city block and was built between 1880 and 1906.”

Inside and Vibe

It’s no secret that I’m a lover of river towns, and if you’re anything like me, you’re going to enjoy the moment you first walk into this building. Full of many other businesses—including a boutique athletics store—you can literally smell the history here. It’s not as gross as I’m making it sound. I just really like the smell of an old building.

If you’re a creative freelancer like me, you might enjoy the way this place smells. It makes it easy to feel creative, to want to try something new.

One thing that I took note of is that the baristas here are almost supernaturally nice—they greet you the moment you walk through the door. Even when that door is on the side, and you’re just coming back from using the bathroom in the hall.

We came in and got our drinks, then got seated at a small-ish table near the side. We were able to charge our laptops—but only because I remembered to stick an extension cord thing in Theo’s bag, and we were positioned so it wouldn’t be in the way of anyone.

(Pro-tip: Stash a low-profile extension cord in your bag for situations just like this, or when you need to split an outlet with another table! Ours has three regular plugs, along with USB and USB-C plugs to make sure we can charge all our devices. Just do like what I said above—never stretch this where someone might walk, or get in the way. A good rule of thumb is that if you think it might be a hazard, just don’t do it.)

Seating area in the back of Wayfarer Coffee

We sat at the front of the store, at a kind of small white table with pink chairs, but there was an area in the back with chairs, couches, and a larger table. That big table might have been more comfortable and spacious, but it’s a rude move to take a big table when you’re just two people. (I’d call that a pro-tip, but I fear it’s just common sense.)

Additionally, a cool thing about this space was that it shares a location with a wine club, which you can see pictured before. I actually don’t drink, but it was still neat to see the diagrams about wine. Along with the row of wine and soda in the back, it really gave you the sense that Wayfarer was serious about drinks.

Wine Club that shares the space with Wayfarer

Is Wayfarer any good?

As far as seating goes, Wayfarer isn’t exactly the best for sitting down with your laptop. Most of the tables are pretty small, and far enough away from outlets that it can be hard to maneuver. With both of us sitting at the table, it was definitely a squeeze. For just one person, you’d be fine.

It wasn’t too busy, and the music wasn’t too loud, either. For Wi-fi, we had to go to the baristas and ask, and they actually had us log in to the Wine Club’s guest internet, rather than the one for the coffee shop.

Drinks

Iced Mocha & Iced Matcha Latte

Like always, I went for the iced mocha with oat milk, and Theo went for the iced matcha with honey. Here’s the cost breakdown:

Iced Mocha with Oatmilk: $7.51 (Including $0.93 to make it a mocha and $1.00 for oat milk)

Iced matcha latte with honey: $6.51

Our total was $17.00 flat, including tax and a $2.00 tip. What’s interesting to me about this is that on the receipt, it says, “Locally roasted artisan espresso, perfectly steamed milk, and a flavor of choice” as the description for the latte, but my flavor choice—mocha—cost extra, even though I didn’t add anything else.

I really liked my mocha—it was chocolatey, and the espresso was rich and smooth. Theo was less impressed with the matcha, which suffered from the “tastes like a glass of milk” syndrome that so often plagues iced matcha.

Food

Chocolate Chip Scone & Breakfast Burrito

Like we always do, we started to get hungry after working here for a while, and decided to go with one savory and one sweet choice. Our savory was a breakfast burrito that came with a side of salsa—it was good, and very filling. I thought this came with a lot of food for the price, and couldn’t even finish my half (it was that filling).

The chocolate chip scone was kind of forgettable. (Or maybe I’m just picky—I like it to have a sugary crust on the outside, or something extra! Maybe chocolate chip walnut or cranberry, or just something to give it a little more flavor or texture than what it had.)

What to know before you visit Wayfarer

At Postcards and Pins, we understand the awkward traveler, because that’s often us. We always try to compile some information to understand before visiting each location. These are some things to keep in mind about Wayfarer:

The restrooms are in the hallway next to Wayfarer. This is a shared building with other businesses. To get the bathroom, go through the doors next to the wine club and turn to your right. You’ll see the sign for the bathrooms halfway down the hall.
There never seemed to be a shortage of tables. We went on a Friday morning, and though the tables were small, they were never completely full, even during the busiest part.
The wifi password isn’t displayed. Like I mentioned above, you’ll have to ask the barista for the Wi-fi password, so it can be handiest to do it while ordering.
There isn’t any free street parking, but there is a parking ramp across the street. We parked there—at only a dollar an hour, it really isn’t bad. And bonus points for being able to charge our Bolt EUV while we enjoyed our coffee and got some work done.
Enjoy plenty of other fun stops downtown. In this part of Dubuque, you’re within walking distance of a lot of fun stuff. Check out the used book store, or River Lights (which reminded us of the bookstore from You’ve Got Mail.) Additionally, it was fun to check out the architecture at the Carnegie library. Before you leave, you have to go up to the incline, even if you don’t actually ride the elevator car, because the views are incredible. We’ve also been told to check out Eagle Park, though we haven’t had the chance to check it out yet.
This one closes early-ish. Depending on what time you like to drink your coffee and get to work, Wayfarer might not work for you. When we visited, they closed at 1pm, which means unless you’re getting there right when they open (7am) that coffee you pay for might not buy you a lot of time to work.

Final thoughts on Wayfarer

All in all, we really enjoyed visiting this coffee shop, and it’s worth it if you get in early. After work, treat yourself to a walk downtown to check out the bookstore. Ride the street elevator up, or just go for a ride up on the hilly side of town—it’s totally worth it for the views, even on a slightly cloudy day, like when we went.