Pros: - Lots of tables and outlets to work - Decor and menu is simple and cute Cons: - Weak & terrible tasting cold brew - Dry, tasteless muffin read more

The guys are always warm and friendly here. The coffee, as well as the food, here is awesome. Great place to study, get together with friends, lounge and chill, or bring your own blanket and take a little nap in between studying. :D All I have to say was the last time I came in here, I sat at the bar to study but did not order anything. They did not once look or spoke to me. That was my only complaint, other than that, I love it here. read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Menu - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I LOVE this place! It's perfect for meetings, people watching (I know I'm not the only person who does this), reading with background noise. I love the latte art and the chill atmosphere. The baristas are pretty nice, too. I don't have to worry about them giving me decaf when I didn't ask for it but their decaf espresso is just as tasty as their "hairy chest" espresso. I just wish there was more parking! Sometimes, it's really hard to find a parking spot without violating some parking law.. read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Decaf vanilla latte. - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Three words: Fig Honey Scones. Be still, my beating heart.... When Cartel first opened (back in the day), I was a huge coffee drinker. I would literally drink my weight in it daily. So I know a good cuppa joe when I meet one, and appreciate a quality latte. Now, fast forwarding a few years, I've given up the juice, but still love coming here. Why? 'Ze Food: (Ahem, Fig honey scones) Top favorites: Fig Honey scones (obvi!), banana cake (toe curling amazeballbess), cinnamon rolls...gosh, this list could go on forever!!! There are always cookies, coffee cakes, muffins, lemon bars - So good. So, so good. :) Treat yourself to one. Or five. (I always get a couple things to try and split them with people I'm studying with...*Go Team!*) 'Ze Environment: Aside from the food and drink, the space is a great place to get work done. There are Plenty of chairs/tables for workspace and plenty of plugs. It's always clean, the temperature is always juuuuuuust right. The coffee smell permeates through the space and keeps my brain perky and working as if I was drinking it like back in the day.... 'Ze peeps: The staff is funny, kind, respectful and caring - I've got some pretty wicked allergies and they are always super patient with me and go through ingredients one by one while I longingly goo-goo ga-ga eye the bakery case...which is always filled to the brim with yummy goodness baked fresh with love. And uh, the scones....oh man, 'ze scones. :) read more

Just relax and have a cup of coffee...and maybe a muffin. Chill, man. It's a great place to just escape for a cup o' joe. I recommend headphones for privacy. I've never experienced any of the hipster snootiness that a lot of people talk about here. That may be that I am a bit of a hipster, or you could more accurately say that I have patience. Anything worth drinking/eating should take a little time. If you're in a hurry there's a Dunkin Donuts just across the street a bit. If you're not, and you can appreciate a nicely crafted cup of coffee, place an order and find a seat. If you're down for a solid breakfast/brunch sandwich I always recommend the "Digby". Bacon, arugula, and soft fried eggs on ciabatta is a magical combination. *Tip* Put a little sriracha on it! read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Me and my husband stopped at Cartel while going shopping to Tucson Mall. We were really stressed and cold but the warm and friendly environment of Cartel made us feel cozy and welcome. We had Masala Chai and Cappuccino. The Masala Chai was totally amazing. We missed our bus and came back for another two Masala Chais. You would read more

Cartel Roasting Co - The most amazing Masala tea. You would fall in love with Masala tea. It's sweet spicy flavor would make u want more. - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This is about the Cartel Coffee beans, sold at AJ's, really bad. If you are wanting to put your name on espresso, then you better sell a good product. I've tried many different companies for coffee beans, I have my fav, some great and some good. My pet peeve is, when you pay top dOllar for a product, and it doesn't even rate as good, just plain bad. I tried the Cartel coffee beans, vacuum sealed from AJ's, recently, just for fun I had bought a bag from Trader Joe's, and I was surprised at how good they produced a cup of espresso, did not expect that for around $7 dollars. Now, I bought the Cartel whole beans, espresso blend at AJ's for around $17 dollars, and it was a smaller bag. I was exited to try the beans, after three trie, and three different grind settings, I took the beans and dumped them in the trash. Not only was the extraction weak, on all three settings, but the espresso, if you can call it that, tasted liked cardboard, awful... Save your money if you see these, at less than half price, Trader Joe's has a whole been alternative, with a much better espresso. read more

One of my favorite hangout spots in town! Love the hipster, laid back, warm spacious feel of this place! The staff have always been welcoming and helpful when trying to decide what to order (so many great selections)! Not often do you come across places that are awesome at everything (coffee, pastries, and food). But this place has them all down! Whether you order a sweet chai latte, or a homemade spinach quiche, or a tasty blackberry or orange cranberry scone, I've never been disappointed with my order. Another cool thing is that Cartel supports the food truck scene and local bands around town! On some Wednesday nights they'll block off the whole parking lot strip for such cool hip events! Love it! My only wish is for more couches or cushioned seats, as their woodened seats tend to be hard on the booty. :) Drink and eat it up! read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Food truck event!!!! - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Got a cortado. It was extremely sour!! Never had such sour coffee... it was odd. They have some great tea selections though, and the interior decor/vibe was just right. Bummed about the sour espresso... read more

Just stopped in to try something different. Pretty good Ethiopian pour over. The place has an industrial decor with lots of U of A students grinding away. Reminded me I'm glad to be done with school. Makes the coffee taste better too. Keep on studying kids. read more

Pretentious and unwelcoming. Also, staff seems confused on how to brew a cup of tea or count shots of espresso out. read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Not sure if that is hot tea or just water. What's not in this photo is the triple shot of espresso we ordered. Maybe 1.5 shots? - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

My boyfriend and I came to Cartel for coffee and a few hours of work while we were there over the holidays. I'd say that Cartel is a great place for those of us that work remote -- it wasn't too loud, there were groups of other people working quietly around me, there were plenty of plugs for my computer/phone, the wifi was good, and the coffee was delicious. All in all a very open and airy place with plenty of tables. Would definitely come back! read more

Yay! a local coffee house down the street from my employer's main office. I have these trainings and meetings there...and let's just say sometimes cafinated beverages are seriously needed. So here is Cartel Coffee Lab. I came here a couple of times in the past and enjoyed their chai and mocha. Both were really good. One time though, they put regular milk instead of soymilk in my drink...I'm allergic (not just lactose intollerant) to milk so that was pretty bad. I avoided the place until today...because I had another lovely training. I'm really happy that I came here. As a matter of fact, my experience was so great that I needed to write the review while sitting here enjoying my beverage. Now, for starters, I was grumpy and tired. I was in serious need of an uplifting mocha experience. I mentioned this to the barista who was really nice. That's important to me, especially in a local coffee shop. I mentioned the lactose intollerance and my desire to cut my sugar intake a bit. So he let me sample some of their iced toddy which was really good. It's a nice, light coffee that has a slight natural sweetness. I would imagine that it would be good with a touch of soy milk or cream. Now, I openly admit that I do enjoy Starbuck's but I'd much rather spend my money at a local place. My 16oz iced soy mocha was about 75 cents more here than at starbuck's. It was probably 50 cents or so more than other local places. That's a little pricey but man was it worth it. I have sampled mochas and other non-dairy containing coffee concotions all over Arizona and at least 10 other states. This has got to be one of the best mochas I have had in my life. I mean I could actually taste the espresso and there was a slight hint of chocolate...not the other way around. A lot of places make their coffee waaay too sweet. Not here. If I were to judge the place soley based on coffee and friendiness they would get 5 stars easily. I gave 4 stars because I have mixed feelings about some of the other aspects. The first aspect is atmosphere...I don't really agree that the atmosphere is hipster. That's just not the sense I got from the people there...I dunno....the seating is odd. It's uncomfortable though plentiful. Some of the center tables would also benefit from having access to power, perhaps through an extension cord. The music was find but kind of loud. The second is menu and pricing. They would benefit from posting sizes and pricing. It bugs me when people do not post their prices. Granted, they don't have much of a selection. They have the typical drinks you would find anywhere and they make them well. Not a lot of food though...this is definately a coffee house. read more

This place has a great atmosphere, and I can tell that they spend a lot of time on the quality of the food. The servers are nice, and I enjoy going here. The only downside would be that they don't have a lot of food options- I understand that it's a cafe, but I also wish that they had more breakfast options, and I would go much more often. read more

Cartel Coffee is one of my favorite spots in the PHX area but I have never been to this store before. The customer service very helpful in answering our questions about buying bagged coffee. They allowed us to smell and sample the different blends before purchasing. Additionally, they recommended some nearby hiking trails and fun activities in the area. I would definitely recommend and visit again! read more

This is iced coffee. You have got to be kidding me. I paid 4.50 for essentially iced tea. I'm buying a second coffee on the way to work. read more

Cartel Roasting Co - This is iced coffee. I've never felt more inclined to leave a bad review. - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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So my husband and I decided to join the Dice and Decks event last week. What a fun place with plenty of fun games. We played a fun new game called "Age of War". The coffee was tasty and the atmosphere was nice. I hope to attend the next event and play with more people. read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Second visit. Not returning again. I visit a lot of local roasters and espresso houses in every city I visit to get espresso and usually there is a friendly vibe, even if they don't rock my world in the coffee department. But Cartel... I'm not sure how they're still open. I stood there unacknowledged for a couple minutes, and then asked what I want. No good morning, nothing about today being the first day of a new year, just what would you like? Hot to-go drink came out in a glass. Is that hot? Yeah 140 degrees. I should have specified a hotter drink. Dirty chai. How many shots are in this? Two. Doesn't taste like it - it's too sickly sweet. Maybe too much syrup. Maybe not a good enough roast for me. But I'd say tust skip it and go elsewhere. read more

Updated to 5 stars, they have a site in PHX airport that is also exceptional. These guys have a great process and pull consistent shots every time I go there and Tuscon. I wish more places were like this but unfortunately theres a lot of mediocre coffee out there. These guys stand out and are doing it right. read more

This has been THE best so far. We've recently been to a few other 4-5 star shops, but these guys still take the cup. We walked in the first time and felt a little...awkward. No welcome from the staff was a little off putting, but with a bunch of dudes behind the counter, I guess we can't expect smiles and a sunny "hello". Instead it was deep concentration and beards. A little, hipster? Who cares, they know why we're really there, and it isn't good conversation. It's good coffee, and that they provide. The only other thing that peeved me out was the lack of cream and sugar at the counter. Splenda and agave syrup? Gross. Otherwise, spot on. Strong cups with great flavor. Will be back again and again. *1/13/18- Best espresso in town. The staff has changed and is warm and inviting. They've gotten to know us, and like to comment on our choices, which we love. LOL! Their pastry selection is legit and all tastes amazing. Check this place out, their espresso machine itself is beautiful. read more

This weekend was my first visit to Cartel. I really liked the americano I ordered, and the staff were friendly. I wish they had offered suggestions on their coffee since they had a unique selection to choose from. read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Love this place!!!! Delicious latte! They do the regular coffee house (and tea) beverages and specialty coffee. This cartel is super nice, low-key and artsy. Lots of unique art on the walls. Very roomy and cozy space. Long tables in the middle, good for singles and groups. DELICIOUS quiche. I had the cheese, artichoke and spinach quiche. They heat it up in the kitchen. Yummy looking bakery items. I'll be back! read more

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Coffee and service was good. Very hipster atmosphere but not a problem. Definitely more expensive and a small amount of options. read more

This is really just a Starbucks or Coffee Bean masquerading as a third-wave cafe. But the masquerade works pretty well. They have good lattes and a nice environment. It is a huge step up from the chain places, but not at all on the level of the high-end cafes like Presta Coffee about a mile away on 1st. This place is great to meet up with people or get some work done, but it is so backlit and dark inside, it is difficult to see anything but a lap-top screen unless you sit next to the windows. read more

The coffee and espresso is great here. Customer service is fantastic and everyone was willing to answer any questions. The coffee sizes are a little smaller here than other more mainstream coffee places and the price is a little higher but it is definitely worth it in quality. It was pretty crowded at this location so I ended up having to take it to go. Industrial vibes inside and hipster/student central. They have out free iced water in the center of the lounge. Pretty relaxing place overall. read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Large dirty chai soy latte. - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

First time to Tucson and first time to this location. We stopped in on our last day in town for some morning pick-me-ups. Their cold brew is delicious. Their aesthetic is gorgeous: A mixture of woods and metals, blacks and grays-- A coffee shop after my own industrial heart. See ya next time, Cartel! read more

I really like Cartel and come here all the time to study and be productive! I usually get a hot latte and they always serve up some fun latte art. I'm not a coffee connoisseur but their lattes are my favorite in Tucson. I think the prices on their iced coffees and iced teas are way too high - not sure why iced tea costs more than a latte ($5). They have great baked goods, particularly their scones - green chili cheddar is my favorite. They also have beer and wine for when you want to get your drink on while you study (or maybe you're supposed to have a drink after you study?) Warning - I had a lemon bar here that was really not good and has left an unhappy imprint on my mind. It had big hunks of lemon rind in it that were inedible and I ended up eating only part of it - I almost cried because I have a deep and longstanding love for lemon bars. The lighting in this location is a bit dark and gloomy (compared to the Broadway location) and the music can be too loud at times - I usually bring headphones. read more

Megan was my barista this morning, and wow, what amazing service she gave! She was so kind, quick, and so much fun to talk to! She was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, and helped me narrow down exactly what I wanted, and it turned out amazing! The coffee at Cartel is very tasty and strong, and my friends from out of town begged me to go again the next day. Thank you Megan for your outstanding service, and thank you Cartel for the wonderful drink! read more

Stopped by here on a weekday for a coffee date and we are so glad we did. The coffee was priced fair and was really good. The staff was very friendly and the pecan coffee cake was delicious. Anything to complain about??? The parking isn't the easiest, especially when it is busy. We plan on going back soon to try more breakfast items. read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Our beautiful coffees ;-) - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Such a painful review to write!! Let me start by saying I LOVE Cartel's coffee. It's by far the best coffee in Tucson. What I don't love is their insistence on forcing their politics down everyone's throat. Vaccinated people don't have to wear masks, except at Cartel, which goes to prove that it's not about safety, it's about compliance. Sorry Cartel, you've lost another customer because of the "holier than thou" attitude that's been mentioned so many times in other poor reviews. read more

Spacious and an inviting interior were all Cartel had going for them. We ordered the daily special and a Chemex pour over. Both coffees were highly acidic and not very good, with very week "coffee" flavor profiles. We didn't finish either. As someone who has had coffee in various boutique coffee shops and internationally, this was a grave disappointment. Baked goods from the case were given at room temperature without an offer to warm them up. read more

Cartel lives up to its hipster reputation. Met a friend there for a late morning coffee. Lots of seating and and the mocha was really good, but a little pricey. But the quality was much better than Starbucks. It's a little loud, but not surprising at a coffee house. read more

Ah, Cartel! Whenever I fly down from OR to visit family, Cartel is my coffee refuge. In Portland I'm horribly spoiled for amazing coffee. I live down the street from a spot that does all their roasting in-house. Cartel is the only place I've been in AZ that delivers coffee on par with what I'm used to, along with having the just the most amazing folks working the counter. Do yourself a favor and get a pour over or an espresso, and let your barista pick the bean. You will be neither disappointed nor under-caffeinated. read more

I don't usually write update reviews I stick to my first reviews normally. But this place has really changed a lot since its opening. I don't understand why they just don't have drip decaf. I don't want to order an Americano....And why is their small a dinky little water cup? There are no prices on the menu "wood" A few weeks ago I had ordered a coffee and they told me they were fixing or changing the coffee beans, and I ended up waiting 20 minutes for my order. I watched the people behind the counter the whole time, they kept giggling and chatting with each other, and didn't get right to it. And when I did get my order I asked for cream, and they handed me the entire milk carton, I shook it thinking that the cap was on the the carton, but I was wrong, and milk spilled everywhere and on me. Why can't they just have tins like most places. The atmosphere is more like a dungeon instead of a coffee house. I really had high hopes for this place. read more

Four out of five stars, only one visit so far. Can't judge the whole tree based on one been but the vanilla latte although perfectly made had a off taste to it. Not sure if it was the vanilla they used but wasn't my favorite. Judging a place based on one experience can be tough but their quiche on the other hand was absolutely amazing. I did not say this lightheartedly, are used to make quiche at a high-end establishment and this was above par by all means. I look forward to trying additional coffees and experimenting as they seemed to have a very extensive yet straightforward menu ;) The staff was super friendly too! Did I see a a few taps in there?! read more

Cartel Roasting Co - Jalapeño quiche. Delicious! - Cafes Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Dude...what happened? I LOVED this place...but now...eh at best. The menu is terrible (I think they were going for minimalist, but they got uninformative), the size options are lacking and the barista was confusing at best. Guess I'll stick to Luce for great coffee from now on. read more

I didn't even get to the latte because the Barista was a jerk. I asked for a single shot latte because I didn't want all the caffeine, but he refused to do a single shot latte for "quality" purposes--what a hipster poseur! Expect to pay out big time for an 8 ounce latte--they don't do 12 ounces for their small like others. Check out some of the other posts--I completely agree with one reviewer that Avenue is "a nightmare of smugness and snobbery" and with another who says that the service is "aggressively smug." I love good coffee--I think Starbucks is swill, for the record--but I was in Tucson visiting for the holidays from San Francisco. There's more attitude in this place than there is in some of the far, far better quality coffee joints in the Bay Area. If you don't want to pay outrageous prices for a small drink that you can't even order the way you like, walk 50 feet to your left upon exiting and get a coffee at Raging Sage. Raging Sage is right down the street. The vibe in there was more friendly and they had no problem with my drink order. The prices were also better--they had a normal 12 ounce size--and the coffee was tasty. read more

I admit it - I'm a coffee snob. I worked as a barista, in places that used good beans and sold a quality product, and also in places that didn't. This place doesn't. My drink tasted BAD, and the barista who made it was kind of a jerk. There are no prices/sizes on the menu, likely because they know nobody would pay $6 for a large/triple mocha that tasted like theirs do. This place sucks - there are many other options in the area - I suggest trying one of them instead. read more

When this place reopened as Avenue Coffee, from what was absolutely the strangest coffee place in town, I was really excited. And, for a while, it was a really great place. The couple that ran it were really nice, they played good music, the coffee was cheap, you got one free refill with each cup purchase and the wifi was good. It was a comfortable place to hang out. I will admit though that the coffee left a lot to be desired. It was weak. Soon though, as is always inevitable, it was discovered by the hours of studying college crew, so we kind of stopped going because of the crowds. But they seemed to be doing well. My SO then tells me that they're phasing out their frequency cards, and that we should go one day and make the best of it. I bit, so we went. Inside, it's virtually the same place, except for the menu, which is DRASTICALLY different. First, you can no longer order a cup of coffee. No, you get to pick from three, and they make it when you order it. No convenient pot to just grab some coffee and sit down, you now have to wait for the preparation. Fine enough, but the coffee starts at $3 for a small and goes up as the elevation of where the beans are grown (printed on the menu) does. This practice cannot last long. I mean, the crowd they get in here does not care about where their beans come from. They just want reasonably priced, good coffee, ideally from a pot, then they want to sit down and use the wifi. It's not that easy anymore, and I can't understand why someone would think that this sort of formula would work in Tucson. read more

They don't serve drip coffee because they care about you. Go to Dunkin Donuts if you want drip coffee. This place is for "coffee snobs" like myself or people who want to not drink black water from Coffee X. They actually care about the product they give you. Yes, that matters to them. Why? Because the best part of waking up is not Folgers, kids. Their coffee is gentle like Ghandi, loud like Samuel L Jackson, and friggin smells as magical as a unicorn. Just close your eyes and imagine a unicorn, now imagine how magical it smells. Exactly. As for the girl who wanted a "one shot" latte: order chocolate milk next time, its the 21st century, we drink our latte's with two shots. read more