Solid people and great coffee skip the Starbucks at Renaissance and get service right away from awesome people.

The "meh, I've experienced better" tag to 3 stars perfectly explains how I feel about Cartel. I don't understand the hype behind this coffee 'lab'. I was walking around downtown Phoenix, and I passed Cartel enough that I thought it may offer the perfect pick me up to get through the day. A three hour time difference isn't a huge deal, but when you inadvertently wake up at 6am every morning because that's what you're used to, a coffee is always welcomed. Cartel is a no-frills, to the point shop tucked away in an office building. I was kind of bummed that there was no outdoor seating area, as my goal was to sit and enjoy the weather until I needed to pick my friend up from work. I yelped before buying because I was hoping there was another coffee shop around that had an outdoor patio for me to hang out on. Oddly enough, Cartel seems to have put some monopoly of some sort as I couldn't find anything similar in the surrounding area. I was shocked considering I was in the middle of the metro. Defeated, I decided I'd buy a cup and continue walking around downtown. I wanted a cappuccino, but I guess they do it the "proper" way, which means that you get a tiny ass cup 'as that's how they do it in Italy.' Ah, okay. This isn't what I thought I was signing up for, but okay. The employees aren't pretentious, but they mean business when it comes to coffee. There are no cutesy snacks to dip. There are no seats to waste your day away. This is a "I'm going to give you what I believe coffee should be and nothing else" type of place. As I said, eh, I've experienced better is the perfect explanation for Cartel. Maybe my palette isn't refined enough to drink this. Or maybe I dodged a bullet by swearing to not come back. read more

Cartel is a coffee shop located in downtown that serves rich flavored coffee. Whether you're on the go or whether you just want some coffee to sip on, this is by far the best place in the area. The location gives you a nice scenery of the city life too! The coffee itself is rich in flavor, did I mention they roast their own beans!The only downside to this place is that the space is limited, but like I mentioned you're in the heart of downtown so finding a place to sit won't be an issue. There is also additional sitting in the lobby area attached to cartel. read more

Cartel Roasting - The cortado. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This place is exactly what someone should expect a top tier third wave coffee shop to be. Hipster interior, multiple single origin offerings, as well as multiple "slow" brew methods. I had their one and one which is a shot of espresso along with the same shot with steamed milk. It allows you to see the impact of milk on the taste of an espresso. It's a great experience and my single origin espresso was great. I also made sure to try a espresso excelente or their iced horchata latte. Horchata is already delicious and adding a shot of espresso might have made it better. Hard to know for sure, but it definitely didn't make it worse. Strongly recommend this sweet treat. read more

Cartel Roasting - One and One - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Cute place. Very laid back, great view anywhere you sit. Im obsessed with the red chandelier :))) The spicy chai latte was excellent. And the herbal tea was superb!!! read more

Cartel Roasting - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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23 MAY 2011 (MONDAY) LUNCH (Downtown Phoenix Location) We are not connoisseurs (Not the Yelp picky palate reviewer) of food but enjoy well prepared and good tasting food. The menu wasn't extensive but there were a couple of choices. A set of surrounding business group entered and left as quickly as they entered. The limited menu options appeared the reason. We ordered the Tuna with a multi-grain bread and cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, chips and water. Very tasty and fresh. The guy Friday asked if he could provide a surprise cookie from the happy hour and it was a fudge cookie with walnuts. Almost ate it all before the meal arrived. We took a photo of the food but couldn't wait and took a bite. :-) The ambiance of Cartel Coffee Lab created a very welcoming environment. Not noisy or crowded. The service was great. Very prompt and attentive. The most important part of the visit besides the art was the youngster (Anyone under 35 is a youngster to us but he was around 25) was down to earth and made you feel it wasn't the usual fake restaurant dialogue. The crowd appeared to be the retro, art, bohemian, buffalo exchange scene. When a person is comfortable in their own skin they have the ability to adapt to any scene. It reminded us of a Greenwich Village (A section in Lower Manhattan) eatery. The do it all guy (Cash register and serving) informed us (me) that the art on the walls are from Galeria De Los Muertos at 905 N 5th Street in Phoenix. They have some type of connection. Should have inquired regarding Cartel Coffee Lab affiliation with the gallery. The Cartel Coffee Lab (We don't drink any caffeinated drinks) will be a nice lunch date but you will have to negotiate parking in downtown phoenix. The meter maid enjoys her job. If you know that you intend on just hanging out park in garage or better yet park at the Raymond Burr Library for free and take the Light Rail three stops and walk over. We reviewed yelp and decided to include this spot and it was a good choice. You shouldn't be disappointed. read more

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A cappuccino is a 4 oz cup that you pay $6 for the customer service is horrible the manager is rude. And once you're done paying $45 for coffee and snacks they don't let you use the restroom because they're too lazy to clean the floor so they have it locked. And when I ask them to please clean the restroom because I hold a card because I have crone's disease they did noffer to even allow me to go in there because they said their floor was dirty. And then ask me to leave the facility because I was upset about it. read more

Amazing, strong latte, and breakfast burrito was delicious! Found this place at the airport too and it was perfect :) Wanted to go back every morning! read more

Ordered a hot coffee and gave me a cold brew! They did not want to refund me! Very upset about the service here! Go somewhere else!

They horrible service and food nothing good i don't recommend this place so dirty not ways

I am giving two stars solely because there coffee is good. I was a long time client and always ordered a large oat milk latte. However, the last time I went in I was told they no longer serve small, medium, and large size. It is only one size (which is SIGNIFICANTLY SMALL) I then asked what is the price for one size and she told me its $7.50, the same price as the large I used to get. Makes NO SENSE, and I will not be coming back due to this change. Very unfortunate!! read more

Visting PHX for boys vb tourn. Found this lovely & friendly place. It is my go-to every morning. For those fm SoCal and NoCal, it is akin to Peets! Had my "vanilla" as a test. This is a cup of drip coffee. No additions. Smooth and rich roasts. Not a bit of harshness! Fm 7/5-7/8, they are offering a daily baked good and an 8oz drip or coldbrew for $5. They are introducing baked goods to their shops so each day is only one kind of baked good to try. Im sure once it is up & running; they'll have a variety. I had a lemon & almond scone, a blueberry brkfast cake, and a choc chip cookie (was free on July 4!) All and every baked good was light and yummy. Not too sweet. They also had a savory scone but i cant recall the flavor. I'm a "regular" for our visit and will miss it when i leave. read more

Great customer service and very tasty Mocha. There is great seating area for businesses or just to take some pictures of your favorite drinks and pastries ;) read more

Cartel Roasting - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Awesome natural brew, pretty good gifts and gadgets! Staff very friendly and knowledgeable! Cute little walk up window if you're in a hurry! Kind of pricey but worth it! read more

Decent place, easy parking. I wanted something that was not on the menu but the barista asked me if I would let him make me something...so I said sure...it was an agave something (lol) coffee but it was amazing!!! I was hungry and they didn't have the food that I was looking for so I didn't give them a 5 but...they were giving out free cookies on the day I went. I would definitely go back when I come to Phoenix if I'm just looking for a place to chill and only drink coffee. read more

First time here & I love it. I tried the a vanilla oatmilk latte with cinnamon on top . Let me just say holy moly it was delicious. Definitely going to be a repeat customer. read more

Super hipster and trendy, but the coffee lives up to the hype. Their cold brew was smooth and strong, as well their latte. Their banana bread tasted fresh, and was moist and just a little sweet (also was topped with a slice of baked banana, which was a nice touch). You will pay hipster trendy prices, but the quality is far superior to any Starbucks, and the baristas were friendly and willing to give suggestions. Service was also fast despite a reasonably impressive line early in the morning. Definitely will be my go to for coffee the next time I'm in town! read more

This place was just fantastic all around. The service was fast and very friendly. We chatted with the baristas and servers for a bit, and they really know their coffee and products. I had a double Macchiato that was prepared perfectly, and the coffee was so sweet on its own that I didn't want any added sugar. Their BLT has a soft egg on it, making for a very tasty sandwich that I keep thinking about. My wife had some sort of caramel pastry that seemed to be made of lightly cooked cookie dough with a huge slab of caramel in the middle. It was simply stunning. read more

This is a nice coffee chain if you are in need of a espresso pick me up- kind of a weird location, i can't tell if it's like a lobby of an apartment building? kinda weird atmosphere but completely enjoyable. read more

Went in for a quick after-lunch coffee. I thought I'd been to Cartel (a different location) before but I couldn't find my review... anyway, it was decent, but I'm not seeing the hype. I got a macchiato - espresso with steamed milk - and it came in a TINY little tea cup. When I ordered, the cashier said they only make it "traditional" and I had no idea why he said that to me like I didn't know what I was ordering... I'm sure they get a lot of people in that expect the crème-laden chocolate monstrosity that Starbucks will give you if you ordered a mocha macchiato there. However, I hated that he presumed I had no clue what I wanted. With it, I got a chocolate chip cookie - which was larger than your average cookie and undercooked to perfection - but not really worth the price tag. The cookie was $3 (yikes) and the espresso $3. Mom's mocha was another $3. Now, I appreciate that they roast their own coffees here so you get a wholly unique flavour but my espresso was really bitter. Like, medicine bitter. I like a super strong roast flavour but I want it to also be smooth and flavourful. This was neither. Mom agreed about her mocha. 3 stars for effort, environment (the window paintings were awesome and plenty of comfortable seating) and a great cookie but I wouldn't come back. read more

Cartel Roasting - Caffè macchiato - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Excellent pour over! Washed Carmen was very flavorful with citrusy notes. Tasty sweet scone. read more

Cartel Roasting - lobby - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Visited Scottsdale for the first time last week and was looking for a nice coffee shop to stop at. I ordered a latte and also an aero press coffee. The latte tasted average. The aero press took a little longer. The worker started on other drinks before ours and had given them to customers that had ordered after us. Not that we mind but he didn't bother telling us that ours would take longer or what not. When the aero press came, it had an interesting taste, almost a sour after taste. Not sure if it was the type of coffee we chose but it wasn't really to my liking. Quite a hipster place, the staff too. The place is quite small. We came on a Saturday and there weren't much people at the cafe. read more

Cartel Roasting - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I stayed at the Palmoar and found this hidden gem. Coffee was so delicious and I really enjoyed my breakfast. I came here each morning during my stay. The staff is friendly and they offer military discount. I love the general vibe, but was disappointed when I discovered it is a chain. I must say I scout for "traditional" coffee spots, one of a kind type of establishments; however, the coffee is good, and the ambience is cool, so if you are in the area and looking for a good place to have a cup of coffee, don't pass this place up. read more

Cartel Roasting - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Best coffee and friendlier baristas than most places. Their beans are good and I way prefer this place over a starbucks because it is less sweet and more coffee flavor. They roast more like how I enjoy my coffee. read more

This place has almost everything I'd expect from a great coffee shop. Outstanding coffee, delicious croissants, and friendly staff. Not too many sitting spots available though but it's great for grab and go. read more

My previous review was for Cartels old location. On the corner of Washington and 1st Street. And I've been told (because I haven't been back since they moved to their new address) that seating at the new location is much more limited then the former. All I can say is I wish they didn't have to move the old Cartel location was really nice. But I'm glad they are still close by and serving their good coffee. Please Cartel keep on keeping on with the great coffee. You'll keep making all of us smile as we enjoy your great coffee. read more

Super cute place. The coffee is great tasting. I got an americano. My friends weren't sure what the order, the barista was very helpful to them. I can't wait to go back. read more

Cartel, oh Cartel. Why must you reach so deeply into my pocket when all I want is a simple cup of coffee? I recognize that you're the King of the local coffee community, but why can't you consider the peasants? This was my first time in this location since they moved out of the space next door. I just wanted to spend a little time indoors reading my book, so I ordered a small Americano. Coffee: The coffee was good. It wasn't acidic like other drinks I'd ordered from different Cartel locations. My only complaint that it was a little on the cool side. The Americano came to $3.50. Not the most expensive cup of coffee I've ever had, but definitely on the pricier side, especially considering the simplicity of the drink. Service: The baristas were friendly and appreciative of the business. Ambiance: Why are the doors open in the Summer? It seems like such a waste of electricity. The building was a little warm because of this as well. Mind-boggling decision. Other than that, it was an open space, and could be described as industrial. There's cubicle-like seating, but it's not enclosed. It's just the right mix of privacy and openness. There are outlets at each spot. There's also a conference room which I'm going to assume you can book since there's a time-slot sign-in sheet attached to the door. It's not the cosiest coffee shop I've been in, but it's a place that I'll come to when I need to study. read more

I had the best macchiato ever from this fantastic place in Downtown Phoenix. I can't wait to visit again in the morning! Thanks so much to the staff for being there for me! read more

Enjoy the quality of espresso drinks :-) they have pour overs also; so far for the times I've come in, they bring my drink to me personally. Excellent customer service! They have a hardware-type decoration & furnishings. Not my taste, but it's their identity, not mine. read more

Cartel Roasting - Cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Love this place. The baristas are awesome and I would highly recommend the pumpkin butter chia pudding ! So delicious. It's really like 4.5 stars for me. read more

I actually stopped in here twice on Monday: once for an iced chai latte and again later to try one of the house coffees (el bosque). Both were excellent! Service was super good; the baristas were vey friendly and even brought my coffee out to me! I can tell this place is a quick stop for people traveling in and out of the downtown area, so I wish I had went to one of the more loungier spots. Would definitely check out another location on my next trip! read more

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Nice place in downtown. Parking is no problem as there are 2 public lits close. Tge espresso was very good, nice blossom. read more

Cartel Roasting - Very good single origon espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Not sure if my espresso is suppose to leave a heavy residue, but that's pretty filthy if you ask me. One coworker said he wouldn't serve that to his worst enemy. And to think I stepped out of line at Starbucks for this-never again. read more

Cartel Roasting - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I like to stop by here when I am nearby. Great places for fresh ground beans. Neat interior and such

I had an iced cold brew w agave syrup, and was not a fan of it, I've had it before but there's was not good. A bit over priced for regular coffee. read more

Their oat milk latte is okay. Not as smooth as I would hope for but their SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE should have another name! It is a 10/10 for sure and I HIGHLY recommend it. Is stop here in the Phoenix airport and once in downtown PHX. read more

Paradise valley Cartel is a 3-4 star just not the same quality as the other three stores

I love Cartel coffee but this is my least favorite location. I'm sure it is very convenient for people that live in the area, but paying for parking to get coffee is not my cup of jo. read more

I have heard of Cartel over the past few years and have not made it here. I did stop one time a while back and didn't realize how late they open (By late I mean 7am which means I cannot get it before work). Today was different however. It was one of those "If I don't get coffee before my first meeting I may get fired" kind of days so I got on Yelp to see what was nearby that I haven't tried and Cartel was about to open so I headed over. There was one person in front of me ordering, and I didn't do any research so I did not know what they really offered so I eavesdropped! He ordered a "pour over" and I have heard of that but never seen it. It also takes up to 15 minutes which I didn't have so I will be back to try one of these! I opted for my go to at a new place and got a cortado. I totally judge a place on if I can get a cortado and not have to add anything to it. They did not disappoint. I got in the car, took a sip waiting to cringe and look for a sugar and WOW! I was so pleased! It was perfect. Not bitter and I finished it before I was even back in my office. Cartel saved the day lol. I do wish they had their pastries on display or a list to look at or something, they were bins and I didn't hear what he said to the person in front of me what they were and I didn't have a lot of time but would love to have had a snack. I will be back for sure when I can sneak away from work for a coffee. Just wish they opened earlier! read more