This is one of the only localish coffee shops in the area and it's located inside of the Desert Ridge shopping center. It opens at 8am on the weekdays which is rather late for a coffee shop especially for one of the only ones in the area. I do love Cartel's coffee as it's not bitter and they have housemade plant based milk. My issue is the coffee shop/ brand is very inconsistent. Sometimes they will allow you to sub their specialty drink's milk and sometimes they won't. I'm allergic to nuts so I love their CCL but I cannot have nut based milk. Sometimes they will allow me to sub the milk and sometimes they won't. I also ask about their blueberry syrup in an iced latte and sometimes it's a yes and sometimes it's a no as they supposedly made an exact amount for every latte they sell. It becomes such a hassle as I don't like the syrup line they have (it has a sour after taste) so I try to stick with their house-made syrups. There is very limited options for coffee in the area so unfortunately I have to stick around arguing with the barista every now and again to get the latte order right. read more

Staff was super and offered me samples of the cold brews till I chose the delicious nitro. I will return for another purchase. I like the welcoming posters and stickers for sale. I felt at peace here. read more

Cartel Roasting - A caring place. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I saw several locations of Cartel Roasting Company in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, so decided to try out their location at Desert Ridge Marketplace. They have quite a few tables for indoor seating, as well as tables outdoor that are shared with the many other food/drink businesses nearby. The iced mocha (3/5) I ordered was pretty underwhelming. I liked that it wasn't too sweet, but I'd have been better off going to a Starbucks or local coffee spot, as the drink was average at best, and a bit more expensive than other shops. Service was quick and friendly. While I'm glad to have tried a more local chain in Cartel Roasting Company, it's probably a one and done experience experience for me. read more

Cartel Roasting - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Quick and friendly service and calming atmosphere with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. This cartel is located in Desert Ridge Marketplace, a great location to grab coffee and go! I got a seasonal drink the CCL, they were out of the Caramel so I substituted for lavendar and simple syrup. It was delicious and a light refreshing drink.they do have non-dairy substitutes. read more

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Their seasonal drinks are pretty good! Nice people working there, cute little shop. I got to try their take on pumpkin spice for both the coffee and the matcha. If you're a coffee drinker, I definitely recommend that over the matcha as the matcha was heavy on the "spice." read more

The coffee was fine, but the overall experience missed the mark for me. The new decor--dead/dried plants mixed with vintage trinkets--felt a little strange and out of place. The bathroom was very dirty, which made the whole place feel less cared for. Probably not somewhere I'd rush back to. read more

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Inside the outdoor shopping mall/plaza. I was looking for a non-Starbucks afternoon pick-me-up. Especially without all the sugary options. Cartel had a variety of fresh and made to order drinks. I enjoyed the matcha latté with oat milk. I was alerted that they usually add vanilla syrup to it and was asked if I I wanted it. I was grateful they told me because I don't like vanilla or those sweeteners; I prefer bitter tasting beverages. The matcha tasted great sans vanilla or sugar. Personally I would have even tolerated more matcha powder. The drink was warm and delicious. I also tried their Everything seasoning scone which was savory and indulgent. I highly recommend it. Cartel is a great coffee place to try when you're looking for a great coffee style beverage and a light snack. read more

Cartel Roasting - Matcha Latté - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I am giving 1 star ONLY because the coffee tasted good. Wanted to sit in this establishment to enjoy my coffee in the AC. Instead of enjoyment I received disgust. The pictures say it all and these are literally just the few items within reach of the seat I chose. As seen in the photos, this place is not in disarray from an afternoon rush, this is complete and utter filth that has not been touched in ages. Would you want your food and drink items anywhere near this? I did glance behind the counter and was happy to see the items in immediate view were wiped down, but I can bet EVERYTHING needs a deep clean. Come on manager.... Do better! I'm grossed out. read more

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Just started serving new sandwiches and the high protein breakfast sandwich is probably one of the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever eaten from a coffee shop. read more

Good coffee, if you like it hot or iced definitely give them a try. I did enjoy a fresh cup of iced coffee, read more

Four of us went in for coffee and lattes, and none of us were happy with our drinks. My mocha was the worst one I ever had in my life. My husband didn't like his black coffee, said it was too acidic. Sorry not to be rude but that's the truth. Place is small but clean. Everyone was kind. read more

I love Cartel coffee and try to swing by one of their Valley locations from time to time. I have been drinking their coffee since visiting their flagship location in Tempe back in their early days. This Cartel Coffee is located inside Desert Ridge Marketplace. Cartel Roasting Co. has a menu that offers everything from cold brew to signature coffee drinks to teas. They also sell canned coffee drinks. An Iced Latte has been my go-to drink lately and I was shopping at the mall and stopped in to order one. Cartel has grown from a coffee cart to multiple locations across the Valley in less than 20 years. This Cartel location is a little smaller than most of their locations and lacks the charm that most Cartel coffee shops have. But I still love their products and always appreciate the smoothness of my iced latte that I get from Cartel. Plus it is nice to support one of our local AZ coffee shops. My service from the barista was great. read more

Cartel Roasting - the outside of a restaurant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Small coffee shop inside Dessert ridge shopping center. Ample parking. A lot of open space to sit and do work. Good volume of people coming in and out. Good location! read more

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I paid 8.75 for their sweetened latte that is advertised at 6.75. Why? I still have no idea - the menu states that it is a "sweetened latte with your choice of milk" - I asked for cashew milk and they charged me extra as well as for the sweetener. When I questioned the employee, he just kept repeating that alternate milk was extra, but I was trying to get him to understand that stating "milk of your choice" under the description implies that this is built into the cost already. I gave up trying to explain this to him because it went way over his head and paid the $8.75 which is ridiculous for a latte - someone either needs to train employees on how to charge appropriately or reword their menu so the description isn't misleading. Definitely my last time coming here. read more

So glad I decided to risk taking another stab at this location. Ty (sp?) and Grace greeted us warmly and more than made up for previous experience. Went with a friend and ordered specialty lattes that tasted like gingerbread! read more

Cartel Roasting - Mulling spices latter - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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One of the worst coffees I've ever had. Will not be back. It just tasted very burnt and bland.

Service was quick and easy, staff is very respectful and nice. The coffee is the perfect mix of flavor and coffee (if that makes any sense). On top of that the atmosphere is very peaceful, never any yelling or annoyances and the art on the walls pulls it all together. read more

Cartel Roasting - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

great coffee - they know it's an art! strong, bold punch, just how i like it! pour over and espressos are fantastic, i haven't tried too many of the mixed fu-fu drinks. read more

Great place for a coffee Tasty lavender latte and egg burrito. Nice atmosphere, quiet for some work read more

Absolutely love their coffee!!! Wish they had an extra person working most of the time going there though- getting a latte shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. read more

Great little coffee spot nestled in the desert ridge mall. Service was friendly and fast, the. Menu is simple but what they do they do well. The vanilla latte I had was really good, you can taste quality of the beans in every sip. I would completely recommend this place over Starbucks read more

Cartel Roasting - Vanilla latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Needed a coffee fix while shopping and decided to try this place out. No frills, straight up barista made. Ordered a Latte with Oat milk. Strong but, it tasted a bit burnt. Service was pretty non existent. Which made me feel regret for patronizing this place. At least pretend you like your job. I'll save my $6 for a place that enjoys serving customers a coffee drink that's not burnt. I'll pass on this place and won't return. read more

Hard to find but really good!! I wanted a good coffee and not a chain. Well worth it.

This was my first time here. The young man that helped me was very polite and kind. He made what I ordered and also treated my friend well. The place was clean and neat, including the restroom. 7/30/25 read more

We had been in several times in the past and had really enjoyed it but this time we were left very disappointed.We ordered 2 drinks and a pastry.My gingerbread cappuccino tastes acidic and almost sour,my husbands was a bit better but both drinks were supposed to be hot and they weren't even lukewarm.The pastry which was an orange cranberry muffin was cold and just tasted like pure sugar.Nothing was edible. read more

I am not a huge fan of Starbucks so I was glad to see this local chain taking its place! My husband and I got drinks here this morning and they were very strong. I got a cold brew with oat milk and vanilla, my husband got a mocha with extra espresso. Our drinks were ready fast. Cute and clean in here, more light in here now and more trendy haha. No complaints for service! Glad to have this nearby and will likely be back! read more

Cartel Roasting - Cold brew - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Cartel Roasting took over the old Starbucks coffee in Desert Ridge. They have very fresh roasted beans. I've purchased the Buena Vista Natural. It had faint chocolate smell and taste to it. Very pleasant! I want to go back and try other roasts. Little pricy but worth a try. Highly recommend. read more

Cartel Roasting - Coffee beans - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Love how this spot is in Desert Ridge shopping center. A little far for me but definitely worth it. Got a simple iced latte and it was really refreshing. read more

Espresso setup was Italiano puro. Gas water and a spoon all on the same plate. GiGi and Jackie were like Shaq and Kobe!! GiGi told Jackie she's too young to have bad knees and that's when I noticed Jackie's Circus Clown Cardigan.....def too youthful for bad knees with that fashion excellence! The espresso machine La marcozzo or whatever that fancy brand is shows the owner ain't messing around. New stop in Desert Ridge!! Oooooohhhhhh and the espresso----hot hot hot and that rarely happens anywhere but an Italian bakery so boom boom boom. $3.50...get outta town Luke Duke. I really like the espresso in a clear glass even tho I just realized my pinkie didn't naturally point to Heaven!! read more

We tried Cartel for the first time yesterday at desert ridge marketplace, and while I could tell the coffee was quality I was a bit displeased with the experience. I looked at the speciality menu and went to order the CCL (which is a shaken espresso with vegan caramel and almond/coconut cream). I expressed to the worker kindly that I'm not a fan of almond milk in my coffee and was wondering if I could change my milk to half and half. He said they can't change the recipes and that it's more coconut forward. I went ahead and tried it anyway, and unfortunately didn't love it based on the almond taste. My only desire is that they would have tried to work with me to make it a drink I loved. I wouldn't have minded paying extra for half in half, or having them suggest I order a completely different drink (for example, a shaken espresso with caramel and a splash of half and half). I had two sips of my drink and then had to toss. I could tell the coffee was quality and I would have loved it if it weren't for the almost aftertaste. I'm hoping to try again if the baristas have a suggestion on what drink I may enjoy. read more

Every time I've gone the coffee tastes burnt. Their flavors don't help. Strongly do not recommend

My drink was good and they have some fun drinks on their menu. I appreciated the ability to mobile order without creating an account. That being said, do not go to this location unless you're already at this mall. We picked it and routed ourselves to the location because it looked like it was next door to a Target with easy access. It wasn't. We checked inside the Target also not there. Then we tried on a different phone and it sent us to a nearby Cold Stone. Eventually we found it but this was a huge inconvenience and a 15 minute detour. read more

First tine trying tgis fancy olace. I usually get espresso, iced in the summer. Theirs is the bitterest, burned, gross cup of Joe I have ever had. Worse than my hotel room coffee. Plus it cost me nearly ten bucks with tax and tip. Too bad I had already gotten to my car out in the parking lot before I noticed. read more

Went to get a drink with the wife after walking around desert ridge. I like a little whip cream in my cappuccino, but strangely this place does not have Whipped Cream?????? Add it and charge an extra dollar, just have it available, why not have it at all. read more

Cartel Roasting - a woman looking at her cell phone - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Not easy to find because Apple Maps makes it look like it's inside Target. It's actually on the other side, near the movie theatre. Nice to find a good coffee spot... not common in this area after moving from LA where I had 8 amazing coffee shops in a 2 mile radius :-) read more

Came from out of state, second Cartel I've been to while here. Absolutely fantastic coffee. The agave iced latte is perfectly sweet without over powering the coffee. Baristas have been friendly both times. Will be my new go to when in AZ. Can't imagine giving this place a bad review. It's good coffee, I'll take that over the frills of other places any day. read more

I think the coffee is great. But you can't even call the store to see if they have what you want in stock. And when you get there, they tell you you can check online for stock, but that's not always accurate. In today's day and age you don't have a phone number for your business? Doesn't sound like a very good business plan to me read more

This coffee is awesome! Pleasant service. Nice inside / outside seating. You will be happy after a visit!

Blueberry muffin is so delicious! Their iced dirty chai is my absolute favorite! The workers are so nice. The vibe is very welcoming!

Stopped in here many times since opening. Baristas are always friendly and coffee is always great. Once you try coffee like what cartel has to offer Starbucks seems subpar and only good for their convenience factor. read more