Cartel’s downtown location is currently closed for renovation, but here’s a little review I wrote up recently and wanted to share. The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive at Cartel’s downtown location is that there’s a huge red chandelier hanging really low. So low, in fact, that it is almost touching the floor. Around the chandelier are a few comfortable couches. Big floor to ceiling windows dominate the corner and let in lots of natural light. To the back, there are lots of tables and chairs, as well as a bar where you can sit and enjoy the view. Cartel Coffee Lab has about a half-dozen locations situated around the state. Their flagship store is located in Tempe, AZ. The downtown Phoenix coffee scene has expanded significantly over the last few years, and Cartel Coffee Lab is one of the companies with a serious coffee offering. Located on 1st Ave. and Adams in downtown Phoenix, Cartel Coffee Lab is situated at the base of an office building. Cartel shares space with a juice and breakfast bar called Kaleidoscope Juice. This seems to work perfectly, because the seating areas are shared and it just gives you even more food options. I ordered my usual drink: a small cappuccino for here, which was perfectly crafted and served in a small cup. I’ve never had a bad cappuccino at Cartel. They know the craft of making good coffee. I also ordered one of their awesome dill scones which are made with goat cheese. Awesome! I’ll definitely be getting one of those next time, as well. They have a regular rotation of food options including donuts, scones, and muffins. If you haven’t visited Cartel’s downtown location in a while, you should! They have moved a few doors down to the south west corner of the building, and now occupy a larger and more comfortable space. For those new to Cartel Coffee Lab, a bit of background: They opened their first location in Tempe, AZ about 7 years ago. At that time, they occupied just a small space and had a coffee cart on wheels. Their lease at the time restricted their food sales, and so you could only buy a single food item which was a sort of granola bar. Cartel has really grown up! They now have about 6-locations statewide and in addition to roasting coffee they also brew beer. Getting there Cartel Coffee Lab 1 N. 1st St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (480) 621-6381
