The Arizona Republic has an article titled “Valley coffee scene perks up with indie shops” written by Randy Cordova.

A few choice quotes from the article:

“There’s a density of people in Phoenix that is ripe for the picking,” Jason says. “There are 30- and 40-story buildings with a lot of people . . . . There are ASU students, lots of them. A lot of residential things have popped up in the area. Together, you’re talking about a big group of people.” — Jason Silberschlag

If the figures from his blog are any indication, coffee awareness is growing in the Valley. Through a recent survey, he learned that about 50 percent of his readers began browsing Arizona Coffee in the past year. That’s pretty encouraging for a 5-year-old blog.

Randy asked me what my top 5 coffee shops are:

Cartel Coffee Lab, 225 W. University Drive, Tempe

Press Coffee Food & Wine, 5410 E. High St., Phoenix

Solo Cafe, 107 E. Baseline Road, Tempe

Firecreek Coffee Co., 6501 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek

Liberty Market Espresso Bar, 230 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert

Keep in mind this isn’t an exhaustive list of my favorites. There are a lot of fantastic coffee shops around Phoenix that deserve equal praise.

Thanks to Randy for the great reporting!

Arizona Coffee

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6 comments

  1. Looks like I have some new stops in the valley. Thanks.

    Lou

  2. Pierce/Bear

    And do not forget the Light Rail; it runs within 1 mile of many a coffeehouse 🙂

  3. Richard

    I tried Firecreek this afternoon after reading this article. Great place, great service and fantastic drinks! I loved their roasting room! I can see why this one is on your short list!

  4. As a professor I plan my weekends and breaks around coffee shops. I spent all Spring Break working at the Solo Cafe. As always they were friendly and served excellent products. My son has soccer practice near the Liberty Cafe and they provide the same quality and friendly service. And they have excellent deserts.

  5. Alexa

    As an ASU student, I know what it’s like to have your life revolve around coffee. I liked this article because I think it’s important to spread awareness about non-corporate shops. Plus, downtown Phoenix has some hidden gems. Thanks for helping us find some. 🙂