Joel Taylor

Recording the food & flavor adventures he has with his taste buddies.

Bunna Coffee Service, Ethiopian Coffee West Allis

[!Note📓] As of November 2025, it appears that sadly this business is no longer open.

On S. 77th & Greenfield I found what I believe to be West Allis, WI’s first Ethiopian coffee shop, Google Maps Link. Inside its a comfortable room with a few tables, and comfy chairs scattered pleasantly about. Upon entering I was greeted by the friendly proprietor, a woman with a very calming and comfortable demeanor that made me feel like I was being invited into her home.

The menu includes some very unique items, and all of your typical coffee shop staples like Latte and Espresso. Items of note are the bunna with spice or butter and the nitro cold brews on tap. One cold brew was a typical Ethiopian coffee while the other was a cinnamon tea. Both were excellent and had the mouthfeel of a creamy Guinness and even had the bubbles climb to the top in the same way.

I decided to try a side-by-side bunna with spice and bunna with butter. I learned that bunna is Ethiopian for coffee. The proprietor made the presentation of my coffee into a little show. So this isn’t something you could replicate with carry out and it is worth waiting for and savoring in the shop.

The coffee was brought out in a carafe on a tray with two small cups. The cup on the left included spices in the bottom. The cup on the right included butter on the bottom. Carefully taking each cup from the tray she poured from the carafe and a delicious spicy and fruity aroma engulfed me.

Coffee Service on table

She then asked if I would like to have her burn some incense as I had my coffee. Of course I wanted the complete experience which included an electric incense burner plugged in next to the comfy orange chair I had chosen. As I sat basking in the aroma of the well balanced incense it paired lovely with the already delicious coffee.

Incense as part of coffee service

I’ll be the first to admit that the thought of adding butter to coffee was strange to me and I assumed that it would be oily and funky. In fact, it turns out to be one of my most best coffees of the last year. I would not only order it again, but it is one of my favorites. Compared to spiced bunna the butter bunna had more dimensions to the flavor and was only detectable as slight circles of butter on the top of the coffee. The aroma begins with delicious clove and allspice notes. The body is soft and creamy, with light roast, a touch of brightness with a light fruity character.

The spiced bunna had a slightly more acidic flavor, a thinner body, and slightly more roast that continued into the finish. It was paired with baklava and the sweetness balanced well with the extra roast and stronger flavors. The spice notes were present in the background but not as pronounced as in the butter bunna. The baklava pairing was excellent with both the baklava and the coffee benefiting. The sweet stickiness of the baklava was muted and more spices came out while the acidity went away and the body of the coffee became thicker and richer.

I’ve been in the shop twice now and on one occasion when it wasn’t very busy we talked about the authentic art decorating the shop and Ethiopian coffee she provides. At this shop she makes her own blend by having beans sourced from Ethiopia and roasted in Milwaukee.

I asked about the origins of coffee as Ethiopia and Yemen both advertise themselves as the birthplace of coffee. She shared an original painting by an Ethiopian painter, I believe to be hung up soon in the shop. In several panels it tells the story of the origin of coffee. From a goat herder noticing the effects of coffee on his goats to folks learning how to boil them in water. Regardless of where coffee originated it, they definitely know how to make a great well balanced cup of coffee here.

2024

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