Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix & Scottsdale Coffee: Specialty Thrives in the Desert

The heat drove everyone indoors. The coffee scene benefited.

5 min read · May 2026 · By Gabe Petersen

The Quick Shot Local Grounds Worth the Grind Barista's Notes Crema Finds

The Quick Shot

Phoenix and Scottsdale's best specialty coffee is concentrated along Central Avenue in Midtown, in Arcadia, Old Town Scottsdale, and Tempe near ASU. Top shops include Lux Central, Cartel Roasting Co., Copper Star Coffee, Echo Coffee, and Jarrod's Coffee & Gallery, with hidden gems like The Thread CAFECITO in Roosevelt Row, BAK&JO Bakery in Mesa, and Xolo Coffee on 16th Street. Crema tracks 135 independent shops in Phoenix, chains excluded.

Phoenix has a coffee reputation problem. People assume that a sprawling, car-centric desert city of 1.6 million runs on chain coffee and morning smoothies. They're wrong. Cartel Coffee Lab built a regional roasting program that changed how the Southwest thinks about specialty coffee, and the scene that grew up around it in Central Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale is legitimately excellent. The geography doesn't help navigation — Phoenix is enormous and the best shops are spread across several distinct neighborhoods that require a car to connect. But the density within each pocket is real. Central Avenue in midtown Phoenix has a walkable coffee cluster anchored by Lux Central. Old Town Scottsdale has Cartel and Echo Coffee for serious extraction. Tempe has a university-driven scene that runs later than anywhere else in the metro. The heat sends everyone inside for four months of summer, which turns out to be very good for coffee culture.

Local Grounds

Central Phoenix / Midtown

The N Central Ave corridor between Camelback and Thomas. Lux Central, Copper Star, fa-me cafe. Walkable if you're staying midtown, and the most reliable coffee per block in the city.

Arcadia

East of Central Phoenix, west of Scottsdale. Echo Coffee anchors this pocket. Lower key than Old Town, higher quality per block. Dog-friendly patios and a crowd that found a good thing.

Old Town Scottsdale

Cartel's flagship and Arcadia Farms are the draws. More restaurant energy than pure coffee focus, but the anchors are strong and the morning crowd is worth joining.

Tempe

ASU's gravitational pull keeps the independent scene alive and open late. Cartel on Cady Mall, Jarrod's, Harlow's. Stays open later than the rest of the metro.

Worth the Grind

Lux Central

4402 N Central Ave · Central Phoenix

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The original anchor of the Central Phoenix café scene and still its most recognizable name. Lux runs until midnight most days, has a full food menu, and draws the full cross-section of the city. Over 3,100 reviews at 4.5 stars. The espresso is good; the hours and the room are what make it essential.

Cartel Roasting Co.

7124 E 5th Ave · Old Town Scottsdale

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Cartel started in Tucson and built a roasting program that became the reference point for specialty coffee in Arizona. The Old Town Scottsdale location is the most convenient for visitors. Pour-overs are the move. Multiple locations across the metro; all are solid, this one has the best setting.

Copper Star Coffee

4220 N 7th Ave · Central Phoenix

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A Central Phoenix neighborhood anchor with nearly 2,000 reviews at 4.7 stars. Full espresso program, outdoor seating, drive-thru that doesn't compromise the quality inside. One of the most consistently reliable shops in the metro.

Echo Coffee

2902 N 68th St · Arcadia / Scottsdale

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The serious pour-over shop in the Arcadia neighborhood. Dog-friendly patio, espresso-focused bar, and a crowd of regulars who found a good thing and kept it relatively quiet. The balance between specialty rigor and actual hospitality is well-calibrated. Go on a weekday morning.

Jarrod's Coffee, Tea, & Gallery

109 W University Dr · Tempe

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Coffee shop and rotating art gallery on the edge of ASU's campus. 4.8 stars from over 1,100 reviews. The gallery component is real — actual rotating shows, not wall decoration. Better than it needs to be for a university-area shop and worth a visit even if you're not near campus.

Barista’s Notes

01Phoenix is enormous and the best coffee is spread across 30+ miles. Pick one neighborhood per morning rather than trying to connect multiple areas.
02Summer means 110°F afternoons. Cold brew quality across the metro is exceptional as a result. Plan morning visits and be inside by noon.
03Lux Central in Midtown stays open until midnight most nights — one of the few specialty cafés in the country that genuinely functions as a late-night third space.
04Cartel has several locations across the metro. The Tempe location on Cady Mall has the best atmosphere for staying a few hours.
05The Arcadia neighborhood east of Central Phoenix is the most walkable coffee pocket in the metro. Echo Coffee is the anchor and the surrounding blocks reward exploration on foot.

Crema FindsHidden Gems

High-rated, low-profile spots that don’t show up when tourists Google “best coffee near me.” You’re welcome.

The Thread - CAFECITO

130 N Central Ave · Downtown Phoenix

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5 stars, 165 reviews, in the Roosevelt Row arts district. A specialty espresso bar that runs like a community space: deliberately small, intentional about sourcing, and building loyalty fast without any marketing effort. Not on the obvious lists yet.

BAK&JO Bakery and Coffee

2820 E University Dr · Mesa

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4.9 stars, 333 reviews. A Korean-influenced bakery and coffee shop in East Mesa that deserves far more attention than it gets. The pastries are exceptional, the cold brew program is serious, and the matcha is better than most dedicated matcha spots in the metro. Worth the drive if you're in the east valley.

Xolo Coffee

2428 N 16th St · Phoenix

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4.9 stars, 307 reviews, on 16th Street in central Phoenix. Espresso-focused and serious about it without being precious. The kind of neighborhood shop that regulars treat as a daily anchor. Not on the tourist radar, which is exactly why it's worth knowing about.

Phoenix and Scottsdale have more specialty coffee than the city's reputation suggests. Browse the full map on Crema.

Explore every coffee shop in Phoenix

Browse Phoenix on Crema →

Quick Facts

How many specialty coffee shops are in Phoenix?

Crema tracks 135 independent coffee shops in Phoenix, AZ. All chains excluded.

What are the most popular coffee shops in Phoenix?

Luci's at the Orchard, Lux Central, Nami are among the most-reviewed specialty shops in Phoenix. See the full ranked list on Crema.

Are there laptop-friendly coffee shops in Phoenix?

Yes — 45 shops in Phoenix are tagged as laptop-friendly on Crema, with reliable wifi and room to work.

Are there coffee shops open early in Phoenix?

2 shops in Phoenix open before 7am. Filter by "Early (before 7am)" in the Crema app to find them.

Are there coffee shops with outdoor seating in Phoenix?

20 shops in Phoenix have outdoor seating. Use the "Outdoor seating" filter on Crema to browse them.

Are there dog-friendly coffee shops in Phoenix?

2 shops in Phoenix are tagged as dog-friendly on Crema.

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