Location

4208 28th Ave S., Minneapolis
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Ratings

Pros

Lots of space, great coffee, unique experience.

Cons

As a new business, a few kinks still need to be worked out.

Review

“A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” I am reminded of this popular declaration from 1970s feminism every time I drive by Angry Catfish Bicycles and Coffee. First, because you’ve got “fish” and “bicycle” right there next to each other in the name, and second because a combination bike shop and coffeehouse seems as arbitrary, on its surface, as a fish on a bike.

Don’t get me wrong; I know plenty of hardcore cycling fanatics who also enjoy their share of caffeine. I just never really envisioned combining the two into a single business. But here it is, plunked down right in (well, almost right in) my very own neighborhood.

Angry Catfish is still a fairly new business, still trying to establish a following in the neighborhood. Full disclosure: I was contacted a week ago by a representative of Angry Catfish, hoping for a review here. I had been planning to do so anyway, and I am here anonymously, as usual — I didn’t identify myself when I came in.

The first thing that strikes you upon entering is just how big the space is. It’s divided into two areas: the front quarter of the space is the coffeehouse, with a large coffee bar and a spacious seating area, featuring both restaurant tables and a living room-style area with chairs, a sofa, a large coffee table and a fireplace. (And, for the first time in my travels, I really like the sofa… I totally want it in my house. Very cool.) The back three quarters are the bike shop. The bike shop, in particular, doesn’t seem “finished” yet, but there are a number of bikes and some accessories for sale, and there’s also a bike repair area.

Bar drinks include the usual assortment of coffees and teas, expertly prepared (on par with Kopplin’s in presentation, as shown here, and only slightly inferior to it in taste. An assortment of healthy juice beverages are also available, in keeping with the cyclist spirit. (For those who care, I just overheard the barista say to another customer that they do not have skim milk; they use whole milk or soy milk only. Given their apparent emphasis on artisan-quality espresso drinks, I think this makes perfect sense. Considering the health-conscious emphasis of a great many cyclists, however, I’m not quite so sure.)

Food selections are limited to a small number of the typical kinds of pastries you’ll find at most coffeehouses, along with a vast array of packaged nutrition bars (e.g. Clif, my personal favorite), in keeping with the cyclist theme.

WiFi is available, with a password. The barista came to our table with a card containing the password as soon as he saw us pull our laptops out. There’s definitely a level of care and commitment to service going on here. These guys really want to succeed, and I would like to see that happen for them.

There are several other, more established coffeehouses nearby, including Nokomis Beach, just a few blocks south (and probably my favorite in the area). But Angry Catfish has a unique vibe that I think will definitely appeal to the large number of serious cyclists in Minneapolis. Ideally the business would be located a few blocks farther south (say, where the disappointingly aimless Mel-O-Glaze bakery resides, within sight of the Grand Rounds bike path and directly on Minnehaha Parkway), to best capitalize on cyclist traffic during the warm months. But this is still a pretty good location for a combination coffeehouse and bike shop.

Angry Catfish shows a lot of potential, and I wish its proprietors the best of luck. The dead of winter (it’s 4 below zero as I write this) is not the best time to predict the success or failure of a cycling-related business; to say this isn’t their peak season would be a laughable understatement. If they can hang on until spring, I think they’ll do well.