I have to admit that I have been looking forward to working on the Dine Like a Local: Coffee & Tea category as an excuse to scoot about town to satisfy my caffeine fix. Many of you may be saying that there are more coffee and tea places to check out than the following six, and I encourage you to nominate them in the next Dine Like a Local contest that is sure to happen next year. In the meantime, go check out these charming spots and drop me a line as to which is your favorite! xoM
Enroute Coffee & Tea House. Established in 2016 by two best friends, Brittany & Deni, Enroute Coffee & Tea is a West Valley gem, crafting drinks to personal preferences while using premium ingredients. Enroute serves single origin, direct trade espresso from a small local roaster, Union Coffee Co., in Peoria. Their cold brew is handcrafted in small infused batches with Nitro, and their signature frappucinos are much-publicized. If you are a tea aficionado, they offer over 24 loose leaf teas ranging in flavors and colors, like the favorite Raspberry Hibiscus herbal tea. I was excited to try one of their Lotus drinks, a plant-based energy drink powered by superfood botanicals, an alternative way to get your daily caffeine fix. I ordered the Prickly Peak Lotus drink, and found it very refreshing. Enroute has partnered with another West Valley favorite, The Boyer Bakery, to sell specialty baked goods which include a few vegan options. Also, a must try are the macarons by Nora’s Macarons. Good to know: Enroute can accommodate most allergies and restrictions. THE SCOUT GUIDE PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE WINNER.
15605 W Roosevelt St #107, Goodyear, AZ. www.enroutecoffeeaz.com
Fourtillfour Café. Fourtillfour is located in Old Town Scottsdale in a quaint white building on the corner of 1st Ave. and Marshall Way. The interior resembles a renovated garage, with all the seating currently outside on a patio and a grassy yard shaded by beautiful trees. The owner, Nico Samaras, found inspiration for the concept from his time spent in San Francisco and the spaces he would frequent in the beautiful City by the Bay. As a Marine Corps. veteran, car enthusiast and avid traveler, Nico has been around vintage cars all of his life, and wanted to bring together lovers of caffeine, cars and adventure. The name, Fourtillfour, is derived from a vanity plate for Nico’s Porsche model 356, whose numbers on a clock read 3:56, or four minutes till four. Every Saturday, Fourtillfour holds “Cars and Coffee” events (car shows), the listing of which is found on their website. They serve a variety of coffee, lattés, espresso, cappuccinos, cold brew and tea, my favorite drink for the moment being the Vanilla Lavender Latté. Fourtillfour also sells its own brand of coffee, Four Coffee, that is roasted in-house and sold in what looks like oil cans. Fuel for the body, if you will. Good to know: Fourtillfour does not sell pastries, but I hear the cinnamon sugar toast with Irish butter on Noble Bread is delish.
7105 E 1st Ave, Scottsdale, AZ. www.fourtillfour.com
Maverick Coffee. Maverick Coffee was started by a trio of Australian athletes and businessmen in search of the Australian classic Flat White. It was more recently bought out by one of the three Aussies who, from what I can gather from my visit and from research, has changed things a bit. While they used to serve beans roasted by San Francisco-based Ritual Coffee Roasters, they now roast their own and sell the beans under their Maverick brand. Gone are the Aussie-style pies, and in with the breakfast burritos and avocado toasts. Maverick also serves a selection of delicious pastries from local Sugarloaf Lane Bakery, a vegan bakery out of Chandler. I have to say this is one thing I really appreciate as I am always in search of decent vegan pastries and they are really hard to come by. I had also read about a large lounge area featuring comfy couches and communal seating, but in the time of COVID, that appears to have been taken out, and currently there are several high tops where you can meet with a few friends or work on your laptop. Good to know: the WIFI is great and I would recommend ordering the Honey Lavender Latté with their house-made almond mylk.
10269 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ. www.maverickcoffeeaz.square.site
Provision Coffee Bar. Provision Coffee Bar is a coffee roaster, cocktail bar, and eatery in Phoenix on the southeast corner of 32nd Street and Campbell. People come from all over the valley to this quaint neighborhood coffee and cocktail concept founded by co-owners Lawrence Jarvey and Dan Suh. Lawrence has over 10 years of experience in the restaurant industry, and prior to being a restaurant owner was a professional golfer. Dan has years of experience in the specialty coffee industry ranging in various roles including green buying, roasting, training, and brewing. He is a current certified lead instructor for the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) and has competed and judged in the US Barista Championships. Provision also serves up small bites, such as sandwiches and artisan bread using local Noble Bread, freshly baked goods from Sugarloaf Lane Bakery (try the chocolate chip scone) and 350 Bakery, macarons by Decadent Macaron, and chocolates from Noi Cacao. On their website you can find a selection of spirits and beer to go. Good to know: in-house cocktail service has resumed on the weekends only, and you can make a reservation for seating on their website or try your luck as a walk-in. THE SCOUT GUIDE PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE WINNER.
4501 N 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ. www.provisioncoffee.com
Sip Coffee & Beer. With locations in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Sip Coffee & Beer offers caffeinated drinks from Cartel coffee and has a small list of breakfast and lunch items, as well as a daily selection of pastries from Nocawich. Each location has a slightly different menu, but you can be sure to find a grilled cheese sandwich with Havarti and smoked cheddar cheese for lunch, and breakfast burritos, the Garage Breakfast Sandwich and Avo Toast for early-morning fare. Regarding fermented drinks, Sip offers 20+ taps, most of them dedicated to different craft beers and finer wine. Good to know: both locations have nice patios that are dog friendly, and both are lovely spaces in which to work or gather with friends (small groups, of course!).
Sip House: 3617 N Goldwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ.
Sip Garage: 3620 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ. www.sipcoffeeandbeer.com
Teaspressa. ASU alum, Allison DeVane started selling tea from a bicycle cart in college. Her love of the beverage was so great she pitched her Teaspressa idea to Shark Tank. And while unsuccessful with that endeavor, she succeeded in opening two Teaspressa locations, first in the Arcadia neighborhood, and second downtown, that quickly became wildly popular. Teaspressa boasts that what they sell is coffee-inspired tea. They have a patent pending method and machine on making tea like espresso and with these tea shots you can add water or milk to make americanos or lattes. It has coffee-like consistency, bold taste, and some teas are caffeinated. They also serve coffee and inventive tea cocktails, like the English Garden (my fave), with Charles Grey Tea infused Botanist Gin, Tempus Fugit Crème de Violette, Lavender, and Lemon. Good to know: as of 11/13/2020, Teaspressa is only offering a limited menu of food and spirits on a to-go basis out of the downtown location (the Arcadia location is closed). I am waiting with bated breath for their reopening.
100 W Portland St. Suite 108, Phoenix, AZ. www.teaspressa.square.site
In case you missed my first Scout Guide post — view the Sweets & Desserts category winners here. Searching for more local coffee and tea spots in the Valley? Get started with my post about Press Coffee, an Arizona roastery and cafe.
