Dryhootch

Update: Dryhootch Madison moved to 2825 University Ave. next to IHOP (see comment below). Thanks, Dryhootch!
Update: Dryhootch Madison is closed.
In a word: Mission driven.

The specs: #00856  
8025 Excelsior Dr., 53717
Details at
Official web site, Facebook, Twitter

Latest Dryhootch news and reviews

JM ate 2 chocolate chip cookies and a Sierra Mist.
Nichole had a cup of coffee.
The bill was about $5/person, plus a $10-ish pound of coffee, plus tip.
JM gave Dryhootch a C+; Nichole gave Dryhootch a B+ (see our grading rubric).

Dryhootch is a coffee shop with a special objective. It's part of a Midwest-based organization with the mission statement "helping the veteran and their families who survived the war, survive the peace." The Madison location is in an out-of-the way office building off Excelsior Drive, but if you know it's there it's not too hard to find. They host support groups, therapy dog visits, the occasional writers' group, and assorted other services for US veterans and the general public. They celebrated their first cake day in spring 2013.

As far as coffee shops go, Dryhootch is pretty nice. A plain brewed coffee was hot and fresh, suppied by Stone Creek Coffee in Milwaukee. We went late in the day so there was a smallish selection of baked goods - the chocolate chip cookies presumably baked from frozen dough were the good kind of that variety.

The space is smallish. There's one community table, a tall counter, and maybe a couple low tables - no cushy chairs, but it's definitely a good setup for interaction rather than solitary pursuits (like social networking, haha). We had a great chat with the barista, bought some beans, pondered some stuff, and were just grateful to be there.

Comments

[Marsha K]

I'm saddened a bit by your grades for Dryhootch and want to encourage folks to go there simply because it's an incredibly worthy cause. I could understand a C+ if the cookies had been plain bad or the coffee had been cold and this were a standard coffee place or restaurant; but this is a place with a wonderful mission and it deserves extra credit for the human services it provides disenfranchised veterans. Upon reflection, I don't think it's even fair to include the Hootch in your blog (and I'm a huge fan of yours, so it hurts me to write anything even slightly condemning of you) because it simply can't be compared to places like Manna Cafe or C's restaurant yet it's a very important place to a lot of people.

[Madison Dryhootch]

Dryhootch Madison has moved during the late summer of 2015 to 2825 University Ave. Suite B (next to IHOP, near Madison VA) Madison, WI 53705. New hours are 9:00am - 4:00pm M-F, with occational special events during the weekends - please see the website for the calendar of events. The phone number is 608-250-2540. Hope to see you there, and thank you for supporting a veteran!