Cartel Coffee Lab
| Address: | 7124 E 5th Ave, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, USA |
| Phone: | +1 480-621-6381 |
| Site: | cartelcoffeelab.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–10PM 7AM–10PM 7AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 15
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Brandon Bird
My wife and I are long time avid fans of Cartel, operated by truly artisanal, passionate and effective people. They accomplish much more than being a "Coffee Shop." They have the top 3 best coffees Ive ever had. So we entered a raffle to win coffee catering and were actually selected. For the last 2 days, weve been able to offer our own clientele free cups of the best cold press Ive ever had. Cartel brought the growlers to us and even included a bottle of their cane sugar. The man that brought it (Kavon) was delightful, professional and down to Earth. We were already loyal patrons and yet they did not skimp on the free service. Its one of those companies thats so rare now, completely trustworthy with quality and service. Expense is slightly above average but you get more for every penny spent than anywhere else and its well worth it. Their Puerta Verde was the greatest coffee Ive ever had and Ive had many a more fancy cups of coffee that flew in under their bar. When our complementary toddy is expended, we will be refilling the growlers and keeping this coffee on hand for our customers.
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Will Lee
Aside from the inconsistent customer service, the coffee is outstanding. As a newcomer, do not expect the soft spoken girl who works here to help you understand their ordering system. Im typically faced with impatience and ridicule for not hearing a word the red haired barista whispers to me when Im looking at the menu. I get that its best to know what youre ordering when approaching the counter, but what if youve never heard of a chemex, aeropress, etc.? Cartel would do well to reevaluate its menu (where are the available sizes?). This may reduce the learning curve for new customers. There are a handful of genuinely helpful and professional employees who are willing to share their expertise with the customers (when its not too busy). I will definitely be back to Cartel.
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Emily Garcia
Although small, Cartel is a great coffee shop. I saw them brew coffee with a clever driper and instantly fell in love with them. The fact that they use this method shows me that they care about how their coffee is brewed and are meticulous enough to keep an eye on the amount of water they are pouring and how long they are letting it steep for. Its a pain-in-the-butt manual system, but it guarantees that good beans turn into good coffee. I have also tried their iced chai latte and liked it quite a bit. They serve a few beer and wine selections at night and have people come in and jam on their guitars every so often. A very chill place to take a break from the Old Town craziness.
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HR Price
9 out of 10, only because it can be quite a long wait time, especially if youre in a hurry and its busy. Best coffee in the city, hands down. High quality beans are roadted fresh every week at the Tempe location, so youre getting as good as it gets. Delicious teas, cold brews, and beers as well as your standard coffee drinks are offered. They wont usually give you straight espresso to go because it starts to sour very fast. Just talk to the barrista. My standard order is "an americano to go, with as little water in it as possible."
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Wyatt Greenway
Wish I could give them five stars! I love Cartel... They have great atmosphere. It is just that their coffee isnt very good (great Chai tea though!), and their prices are a bit steep. But overall a fairly nice place. :-) Btw, if you like coffee that is as sour and rancid as lemon water then this is the place to be! If you like a nice, deep, rich, toasted coffee flavor without the sour / rancid twang then maybe consider getting coffee somewhere else...
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Ben Thornsberry
Great coffee, made fresh by the cup when you order it. Expect a lengthy wait if there is any kind of line but it is worth it. They use an Aeropress to make each cup of coffee which I love. It is similar to a French press but a slightly different and doesnt filter out as much of the oils as drip does. The only thing Id like to see improved would be a larger selction of bold coffee, they mainly have mild and medium blends.
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Josh Bowe
Im a local here in Old Town, and this is my go-to coffee spot. Im here just about every other day picking up an Iced toddy, or a dirty chai latte for the wife. (both are delicious) The crowd here is naturally older than Cartels counter part in Tempe. The baristas are always friendly and prompt. Theres not much else to say about this spot besides the fact that they serve beer on tap as well, which is awesome.
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A Private User
This location is a more adult version of is location in Tempe. Of course the coffee and pastries are excellent The music played is still eclectic and interesting but more palatable than in college driven Ash location. At cartel 5th ave you can come in before or after work and slow down your busy day whilst surrounding yourself with art good music and of course the beautiful people of Scottsdale, AZ.
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Martin Taylor
Came in and had a savory scone along with a cold brew coffee. The scone had zucchini and was a nice switch from overly sweet morning pastries. The cold brew was smooth and easy to drink. The shop leaves simple syrup out which is nice as plain sugar doesnt dissolve well. Free internet, relaxed atmosphere, and a variety of options for manually brewed coffee make it worth a return trip.
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Rejane S
Coffee is indeed amazing, when they care to sell it for you! Went in on a weekday early morning and asked for a cappuccino to go. Batista refused and suggested a dry latte instead because apparently their cappuccinos are made to be drank in 3min and it was not really "worth his effort" to steam the milk for me to go and spoil his art on my way go work. Not cool.
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matthew mike
Nice coffee shop with a dynamic setting. I dont drink much coffee anymore and Im not big on tea, so I like that they have beer on tap. Thats a winner for me. I didnt get the same snobby, pretentious attitudes from employees here that Ive gotten from the location in Tucson - at least not yet. Overall, I enjoyed my experience here.
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hornsby1958
I always look for local non-Starbucks coffee shops when I travel. Found this place yesterday and tried it out this morning. Really great find. Coffee is delicious, baked goods fresh and the feel is industrial with concrete floors and lots of metal. Great bookshelf for reading and board games. Give it a try.
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Lara Seamon
Excellent environment, coffee and cookies. They have many more items to choose from. I eat the vegan cookie and ice coffee. Good size area to sit have a meeting or do some work. Like that they have inside and outdoor seating. Very trendy. Not like Starbucks and packed. Very comfortable.
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James Frazier Garland
Pretty marginal and its pricey. $4 for a black coffee in my own mug and she didnt even fill it up completely (its only 14oz). I guess if youre a real coffee snob the boutique blends might appeal to you. I give it 3 stars because it is a nice workspace with reasonably fast WiFi.
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Sophie Turner-Creedy
Wish I could give more stars as the level of detail in the pursuit of excellent coffee is admirable and the closest to cool/hipster as Scottsdale can get...however the barista was devoid of any charm and looked annoyed at having to explain the menu to me.
