A Gluten Free Vegan’s Review of Madison Chocolate Company in Madison, WI

Madison Chocolate Company is a cafe that serves award winning chocolates, house made pastries, and other sweet treats. The owner, Megan Hile, is a chocolatier and opened their first location in 2017.

The menu is creative and they always have different seasonal items, specials, and unique drinks.

Continue reading to learn about the only dedicated gluten free cafe in Madison, Wisconsin.

Entrance to Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

Details

Designation: Dedicated Gluten Free, Vegan Options

Price Range: $-$$

Style: Bakery, Cafe

Meals Served: Breakfast, Brunch, Coffee, Dessert

Location:

 

• In a nice area on Monroe Street near restaurants and other stores

• Across the street from a bus stop

• Wheelchair accessible entrance, no automatic doors

• Bike Parking on Monroe Street side of the building

• Not a ton of parking. Occasionally a couple spots in the small lot attached to the building or street parking on Glenway Street are open. We typically park somewhere on the street in the neighborhood across the road, around Wyota Avenue.

• Near UW Madison Arboretum and Wingra Park

• Outdoor seating available

• Free Wifi

Atmosphere

Dining room and shop at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

Madison Chocolate Company is a lovely cafe. The dining room is cozy and has a pleasantly eclectic vibe. They have a few tables inside near the coffee bar and display case.

View of the bakery display and counter at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

The inside dining area is smaller and does get crowded during popular times. They do have multiple tables outside that are perfect for when the weather is nice.

Items for sale at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

The entire cafe is also a shop with many artisan chocolates, candies, and other handmade products and gifts. It’s a nice place to enjoy a coffee and pastry to chat with family or a friend.

Even when it’s busy, I enjoy sitting outside or browsing through the store.

I also love watching them make chocolates and other items through the windows they have on the side of the kitchen.

View into the kitchen at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

Menu

Drinks menu at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

The drinks menu at Madison Chocolate Company is displayed on large mirrors over the coffee bar.

Pastry display at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

Available bakery items will be labeled in the display cases. Daily specials are displayed on chalk boards to the left of the register.

You can find their online menu here.

Food

My order

Vegan Peanut Butter Bar at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

Peanut Butter Bar ($5)

• maple syrup, peanut butter, puffed rice, and chocolate

Oat milk latte at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

8 Oz. Latte ($5)

• 2 shots espresso & milk

• Oat milk ($1 upcharge)

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Taste: ★★★★★

The peanut butter bar was great! It was sweet but not too rich or heavy.

It had a soft layer of chocolate and peanut butter on top with crispy rice on the bottom. It also had a bit of salt on top.

The latte was also very good and went perfectly with the peanut butter bar.

Quality: ★★★★★

All of their bakery items are made from scratch in small batches. They obviously use high quality ingredients and have great chocolatiers and bakers.

Variety: ★★☆☆☆

Madison Chocolate Company is dedicated gluten free, so you don’t have to worry about anything containing gluten.

There are a number of coffees, hot chocolates, teas, and other drinks that are either naturally vegan or can be modified to be made with one of multiple plant based milk options.

There are not a lot of bakery items that are vegan. Most of the time there is only one item on the bakery menu that’s vegan.

They do have a couple vegan chocolate bars and candies for sale.

Vegan chocolate bars for sale at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

Quantity: ★★★★★

You can order drinks in any common sizes depending on how much you want.

The bakery goods tend to be smaller. Most of them are pretty rich so a little goes a long way.

Don’t expect to be eating an entire vegan and gluten free meal, but it’s the perfect amount for coffee, breakfast, or dessert.

Value: ★★★★★

Madison Chocolate Company has very reasonable prices, especially when considering the quality.

Service

Hospitality: ★★★★★

Everyone I have interacted with at Madison Chocolate Company has always been very nice and courteous.

Efficiency: ★★★★★

Even when they are busy, they still get drinks and the pre-made bakery items out in just a few minutes. If it’s not busy, you only have to wait long enough for them to make your drink.

Accuracy: ★★★★★

I have been here several times and have never had them mess up an order.

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Safety

Gluten free sign in the entry way at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

Staff knowledge: ★★★★★

Staff is knowledgeable about gluten but everything is gluten free so there is no risk of cross contamination.

They were also able to quickly tell me which bakery items were vegan.

Preparation: ★★★★★

• Dedicated gluten free kitchen and products

Did I get *glutened? No

*Glutened (verb, past tense)
When a person who has celiac disease, or a gluten intolerance, consumes gluten accidentally and experiences gluten induced symptoms.

Overall

★★★★★

Would I go back? Yes

I love getting hot chocolate, coffee, and other drinks at Madison Chocolate Company. It’s great not having to worry about gluten.

While they don’t have many vegan food options, there is still always something I can get. I would love to see them expand their vegan bakery menu in the future.

We always have a lovely experience and enjoy visiting their cafe.

Patio seating at Madison Chocolate Company [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

Tips

Limited Supply

I recommend going earlier in the day rather than later. They make everything in small batches. So, typically, when they are out of their bakery items, they are out for the day.

Small Dining Area

If you are going during a popular time, like brunch on the weekends, it will likely be crowded.

On the weekends, most people are normally waiting for waffles (which are sadly not vegan). This means they can still get drinks and other bakery orders out pretty quickly.

When it’s busy, be prepared for the inside tables to be full. You can sit outside if the weather is nice. Or you can always get your order to go.

New location coming soon

 

Madison Chocolate Company is opening a new location on the southwest corner of Odana Road and S Whitney Way. The new space will feature a larger dining room and drive-thru.

Want to learn more about eating vegan and gluten free in Madison, WI? Check out my article listed below.

Have you been to Madison Chocolate Company? What’s your favorite thing on the menu? Let me know in the comments below!