Matador Offers Locally Roasted Coffee for NE Phoenix

Whenever I get out of my neighborhood, I like to check out coffee shops that are new to me. Today's trip to REI put me in range of Matador Coffee Roasters, which is on the northeast corner of 32nd Street and Union Hills in Phoenix.

It's a new-ish and nicely decorated place that's pretty comfortable to hang out in. It was pretty deserted around my noontime visit. Here's what you need to know:

Dialing Up a Cappuccino

From the name, you can tell that Matador roasts its own beans. Judging from my cappuccino, that roast is on the darker side. The orientation of the espresso machine let me see the young barista at work. Since I was having my drink there, she prepared it in a porcelain cup. The shots looked nice, with a healthy crema on top.

As far as I can tell, foam is really what separates a cap pro from someone still learning the ropes - and she appears to be still learning. The foam was over-stretched, and she had to spoon it rather than pour it. She did get the appearance nicely, with the foam dominating the middle and a nice hint of brown on the outside edges. She remarked that it wasn't the best-looking foam she's ever done, which was interesting. The temperature was exactly right, and I thought this drink was a nice split between a very dry cap and a wet cap like what Cartel serves (which is a pretty darn good standard to judge by). The taste was pretty good - I don't think this roast will ever produce a cap that blows me away since I prefer a lighter roast. If this barista keeps on-course, she'll be able to do a fine cap. I would be interested to dry an americano or a long black at Matador sometime. Something tells me the dark roast would do really well in that sort of drink. My wife wasn't a big fan of her dirty chai, but she broke her own rule: Never drink a chai made from syrup. Ever.

Personality Goes a Long Way

Both the people behind the counter were very talkative and friendly. While drinking my cap, my wife and I had some good laughs with them. If you visit, I'd bet you'll like that staff. It seems like that sort of place.

Apparently, the staff bakes the pastries and desserts. The chocolate-chip cookies looked particularly good. There's also a decent-sized menu of sandwiches; I didn't pay too much attention to that, but it still sounded appetizing.

A Solid Local Shop

This is no "Third Wave" sort of coffee shop like Cartel, Press or Sola. There's no shame in that. What Matador offers is a far better alternative to Starbucks. You'll be able to get a sweet mocha fix there, clearly, but you'll also get a better-than-average example of more serious coffee drinks. I'd bet it's a pretty popular place earlier in the mornings. If you live in the neighborhood or just happen to be passing by, give them a shot. Or have them give you a shot. Or something like that!