Special thanks to Kelsey Sederstrom for contributing this article and photographs. Kelsey is a freelance writer from Phoenix, AZ. On a recent visit to Flagstaff, I pulled up Yelp to find a coffee place in town. Matador Coffee immediately caught my attention, with a whopping five star rating. From the second I pulled up, I knew I was in for a treat. I hadn’t even opened my car door yet, but I could smell the coffee roasting. The coffee shop is actually a renovated car repair garage, now decorated in black, white and turquoise. Marquee lighting and a matador print adorn the walls. A separate little building, operating as a drive through, sits in the ample parking lot. You walk into the shop through the rolled up garage door; right into the open roastery! Matador Coffee is decorated simply, with a counter to order from and a large farm style table to sit at. But this simplicity highlights just how much effort goes into making a good cup of coffee. It was an absolute joy to see the roasting equipment, and the large burlap sacks filled with beans. Matador Coffee had a great selection of specialty drinks to choose from. I ordered one of my favorite drinks, a black and white mocha. I was so close to ordering a specialty mocha that came with a chunk of dark chocolate at the bottom! Finding great mochas is more difficult than it seems; too often, specialty drinks are very sweet. I prefer coffee, whether straight black, a simple latte, or an extravagant mocha, to be rich and delicious, without overpowering sweetness. Mocha’s especially require fine balance of the rich chocolate and acidic coffee. The mocha I ordered at Matador hit this balance perfectly. My mom ordered a decaf mocha, which was like a glorified, frothy hot chocolate. I also took home a bag of the Arizona Blend. I’ve been using this medium roast in a french press and iced coffee. It’s absolutely worth it to purchase beans from a local roastery, it produces fresher coffee, and it’s a pleasant way to have a little bit of Matador with you every morning. *In addition to offering pastries, Matador also had a breakfast menu, with things like breakfast burritos. Getting there Matador Coffee Roasting Company 203 S. Milton Rd. Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Phone: (928) 226-3354
