Cartel Coffee Lab - Tucson

I really enjoyed this coffee shop. The ambiance is different and the decorations are fun. I was blown away by the vegan pop tart, it's really hard to make good pastry dough without eggs and butter and they did a bang-up job. I ordered one of their specialty coffees, the iconic tonic, and was surprised by how well espresso, grapefruit juice, and tonic water go together. Basically the food and drinks here are incredibly creative and blew me away with their innovation.

The moment I walked in the door , I knew the moment I noticed the scents of creative coffee speciality I knew …If you haven’t , you should , if you have , you loved it. If you didn’t I feel for you.If your looking for a craft coffee and traditional Cartel roaster is for you. I tried the CCL Wife had honey lavender matcha. Both beyond words.

Downtown Tucson isn’t the best of downtowns compared to other cities if its size but it still has lots to offer. Most of my time here I’ve ventured exclusively to establishments on Congress never thinking of changing it up and maybe trying out new places on Broadway. I finally decided to try it and chose Cartel Coffee Lab. I love coffee so it made sense to go here. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in as I discovered the nice atmosphere of this coffee shop. I loved the layout and the decor. I’m sensitive more than the average person as to how I’m greeted at the counter so I always approach with caution. I was happy when the girl at the counter greeted me with a nice enthusiastic hello and smile . I ordered the mocha and it was great. A couple of issues I had was I found the price was a little high for the size of the drink. I ordered a small for nearly $5 and I left a $1 tip so it was an expensive coffee for the size. The other gripe I had was the employee that made my coffee didn’t smile once the entire time I was there. I thanked her a couple of times with a smile but nothing in return. Again that’s just me being overly sensitive. I know she was focused on making the drinks but a little smile wouldn’t hurt. I will definitely return though just for the ambience alone.

I had a maple iced latte and their lemon bar. Everything was delicious! They have a very laid back atmosphere, cool industrial art, and lots of space/seating. The staff was kind and attentive. Would love to come again or check out their other locations!

I 've enjoyed Cartel for the past 4 years and location to location (I 'm currently at the downtown Tucson location), bean to bean, brew to brew, I 've never been disappointed. Most locations are also a great place to have a meeting. One important note at most places, most coffee shops, you 're tempted to get fancy and go for the more expensive brew don 't start there, the basic drip is fantastic even though today I did a poor over (don 't judge me for being bougie). Yes the fancy beans are wonderful, you won 't want to go back and try the basics you should and if you try the 'Carmen Washed ' (my favorite) you 'll find a fruity and wonderfully light brew.