. "1"^^ . . "3"^^ . "2"^^ . . "2012-11-27T00:00:00"^^ . "5"^^ . "Finally, a coffee place you can brag about going to.\n\nCartel is an intelligent coffee shop with trendy decor and knowledgeable baristas. I feel good about being there, like I've chosen wisely for not going to a run-of-the-mill coffee-bucks type establishment. Though I sometimes feel out of my element because I don't know a lot about coffee, I've always been treated with courteous and attentive customer service.\n\nBy the way, major bonus points for using an iPad to place orders and being able to text or email you the receipt. Why don't more places do that?\n\nThe Espresso is strong with a solid kick and does the trick. I like how they serve it in a mug instead of a paper cup. The Chai Latte is also phenomenal. As good, if not better than ones I've had elsewhere. I'm impressed by the various coffee beans and accessories they offer too. I even purchased the Aeropress so I can make coffee like them (and because of the great reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK). *Be sure to buy it from the store, though*\n\nLooking forward to trying out their food and BEER selections soon. But, even if they only served coffee, I'd be more than happy.\n\nDefinitely check out their Tempe location for a very hipster hole-in-the-wall ambiance that reminds me of drinking coffee in a place like Chicago or NYC: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cartel-coffee-lab-tempe"^^ .