Cartel Coffee Lab

Awesome spot! Super clean and great friendly staff. The store was very unique and modern. Wasn’t a typical coffee store.
Would highly recommend the Iced Latte. It was very good.
The staff at the register talked me through their options and why they do what they do. Because of that I landed a great drink!

Ordered a Chai coffee. It was the best coffee I ever had, but it was too sweet. Went again and asked them for half syrup. That then became the best coffee I ever had.

Latte art at the aiport?! Yup!
Cartel in is the C terminal. Middle Cs. Southwest.
They have delish pastries, brownies and cookies and well as perfect coffee.
There is a bar hightop to sit at, but other than that, it is a small to go place. There is a Starbucks nearby but you can’t beat Cartel. Plus, it sounds dangerous.

This is definitely where you should get your coffee when flying Southwest in Phoenix! Skip the Starbucks at security and head over to this place right closest to gate C12, you’ll be glad you did. I haven’t tried many things here but the latte with almond milk is strong and smooth, a rare combination. I actually put half has much splenda in one of these as I normally would in a Starbucks of similar size to get the right sweetness. Course the almond milk adds some sweetness over soy milk at other places. Even if you normally order your coffee with dairy milk, give the almond a try, its really good.
As other reviews have said, they take their time, so I’d there’s a line, don’t expect to be out of there in 2 minutes, but it’s really worth it. If its not overly busy, then it is no problem though. Great start to a flying day, thanks Cartel!

Fast friendly service! Every person at the counter was smiling and friendly and extremely helpful which is nice to see after a 5 am flight. Creamy smooth mocha latte makes a zombie feeling morning a lot more Alive

Even though it is an airport location, this place still has great, fresh-​brewed coffee. Don’t expect it to be quick unless you get the cold brew or daily coffee. They have been doing cold brew since before it was cool, and they’ve got it down, but…
For a real Cartel experience, you need to get a cappuccino («for here» only!) or wait 5 minutes for them to brew you a fresh cup.
The pastries are nice, too.

Don’t mean to sound like a coffee snob, but love that there is an artisan coffee shop at Sky Harbor. Super convenient location close to Southwest gates that is open super early: 4:30 for early birds!
Bought a pound of coffee and had the Santa Isabel via Aeropress; it was really good. Free daily brew if you buy a pound of coffee.
Their pop tarts and cold brew are also top knotch.
This location would be perfect if they had nitro cold brew on the menu.

What a wonderful find while waiting in Sky Harbor Airport during a layover!
They have a great variety of beans and prep options that I would normally only see at a standalone coffee boutique in the city, and they’re so well-​priced! It was only $ 2.75 for a delicious cold brew!
Highly recommend if you have some extra time in the Phoenix airport.

Bottom Line: Really good craft brew coffee.
I passed Cartel Coffee Lab while on a short layover at PHX. I noticed two things: hip décor and a sign indicating that they serve some really good coffee. Not needing another ounce of caffeine I decided to try Cartel Coffee Lab. Although usually I just get a drip coffee I decided to get a mocha. It had a very pure taste of coffee beans and cocoa beans. It wasn’t sweet which I liked. It just tasted natural and genuine. The upscale coffee definitely matched the cool vibe of the place including friendly employees and hip décor. After enjoying my highly caffeinated beverage I was ready to walk out on the tarmac and use my hands to push a Boeing 737 to the runway. :-)

Walked all the way over from A gates for this. Indicates it was open till 21:00. Was closed as of 19:30. Please update your hours.

I read somewhere that Cartel Coffee Lab is actually one of the ONLY craft brew coffee houses in an airport in the United States. Talk about exclusive right? I mean if I was the only one in the entire nation, I would be a little snobby about my coffee too. They have the usual suspects such as cold brew, espresso drinks, tea, baked goods, and other pre-​packaged sandwiches and such since they are in an airport after all. I was looking at their brew methods and they had a whole bunch of different ways: Aeropress, Hario V60, Clever, Chemex. I have no idea what any of those methods are but it sure sounded fancy!
We just needed some caffeine since we had gotten up fairly early for our flights. We stuck with a simple iced mocha and an iced chai. My iced mocha was fantastic. Just the right amount of chocolate, not too sweet, and not a hint of bitterness. It was very good. My boyfriend’s chai was also quite fantastic. I enjoyed it very much even though it was a tad sweet for me. Overall, we liked our drinks but it was pretty expensive for a small drink. But I guess that’s what we get for going to a high end coffee shop in an airport instead of a Starbucks. ⁴⁄₅

I love when local businesses are able to set up shop in the airport and get their brand and product exposed to a wider audience. Cartel Coffee Lab roasts their own beans and sources from around the world. Their menu is fairly basic, if you want frou-​frou drinks, they have flavored syrups on hand, but you’ll have to ask for them. Their cold brew is out of this world, one of the smoothest I’ve tasted and hella strong.
I guess you have to get here early for their pastries, because at 9AM they were either all out for the day or they somehow weren’t out yet. There’s a small seating area to drink your beverage and charge your device.
The only downside? They only do espresso drinks in ceramic cups for «dine-​in» service at the bar. I was in a rush, so that wasn’t an option. But if you find yourself at PDX with time to spare, spend it here.

Craft brew coffee in an airport? YES. For me, this is the coolest thing in Phoenix’s airport. It’s one of the only craft brew coffee houses in an airport in the United States, overall it’s 4.5 stars.
They have cold brew, espresso drinks, teas, baked goods and pre-​packaged food that you can take on the plane. There are different brew methods to pick from… Aeropress (8 oz), Hario V60 (12 oz), Clever (16 oz), Chemex (20 oz). Prices for all drinks are reasonable.
Cold Brew — Good strong flavor, they used a Mexican bean (LDC Chiapas) for this one when I was there.
Latte — Very good, strong with a thick milky froth. Highly recommended.
Cappuccino — I was going to order this but was told that they only do espresso drinks in real cups for sit down orders only. They do not do cappuccinos in to go cups, which is why they recommended a small latte to me.
The only thing I was bummed about was that I couldn’t get a cappuccino to go. I know coffee making is a craft and espressos take time to make, but we are in an airport. People are on the go and I’m sure there are others that want a high quality espresso hit while trying to run over to their next gate to catch a transfer. Other than that gripe, I don’t have any complaints about their bean or brew quality.
Yes, you can find V60 drip, espressos and cold brew coffees in an airport, you just have to hit up Phoenix and be near the Southwest Airlines gates in Terminal 4.

As I was told, the only independent privately owned coffee shop in any airport in the country. Cool!
Legit coffee from people that care. I got a cup using the V60. I don’t know a whole lot about the alternate brewing methods. It took about 5 minutes, so it’s not for you if you have to catch a flight right away. The coffee did have a wide range of flavor notes, like fruitiness, wood, sweetness, and earthiness. It was good– not amazing, but I can definitely appreciate the craft in the brewing method.
Thanks Cartel!

Why 5 stars? Because this is the best coffee you’ll ever find at an airport.
— — —
Of every airport I’ve ever been to, I’ve never found a coffee spot as awesome as this. You really don’t feel like you’re inside an airport while you’re waiting on your beverage of choice. I think it might be an optical illusion, and not actually inside the walls of Sky Harbor.
Not only are the drinks delicious, but the trendy décor is as hip as it gets. And while service can vary hour by hour, the barista who happened to help me was incredibly friendly.
There aren’t a ton of details one can procure from a four minute experience, but Cartel was as good as it gets across the board: taste, service, and ambiance = 3 thumbs up!

I enjoyed how this place does different type of brewing methods. Although I thought the girl work the cash register was not very knowledgeable in the different brewing methods. She couldn’t seem to be bothered to explain them or how the beans go together. Perhaps it’s because this place is in the airport so there is no need to worry about repeated guest. The coffee itself was alright. The brewing method selection just seemed like a fad. But props to the place for coming up with ways to distinguish itself from the average coffee places.

The BEST cappuccino I’ve had in a long time, and it happened to be at Phoenix Airport!
Did you know that Cartel Coffee Lab…
–1. is local company founded in Tempe Arizona (six location to serve you and growing)
–2. Jason Silberschlag, is the owner of Cartel Coffee Lab, and a native of Tucson and also a University of Arizona alumni.
–3. Cartel Coffee Lab roast their own coffee beans
–4. there is no take out so you have to sit and enjoy your espresso and cappuccino, just like the Italians in Italy. LOL: p (good way to catch up on your Unilocaling while enjoying your favorite beverage).
–5. Their pastries… oh my, I recommend their Banana Bread, it was just fantastic.
–6. Best of the best, excellent customer service!
Cartel Coffee Lab was «named» 1 of 9 BEST COFFEE in the USA! I believe it. Checkout the interview with owner Jason at Arizona Daily Wildcat:
Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

finally, a real coffee shop inside an airport. The barista was very knowledgeable and will chop up coffee with you if you have the time. Hipsters and coffee lovers will love stopping by here. The best coffee I’ve had at an airport. I highly recommend the pour over if you want a hot cup and cold brew for a cold drink. Talk to the barista for recommendations on what kind of beans you want for your cup of coffee.
Goods:
+They roast their own coffee
+ Pour over coffee available
+ Cold brew coffee available
So So:
— More on the expensive side but it’s an airport afterall.
I’d definitely make my way over here if I had a layover and some time for a fresh cup of pour over.

I was at the airport and just had to make one more exclusively AZ foodie spot. I had heard that Cartel’s coffee and pop tarts were stellar so I got myself an iced latte — per their recommendation and the aforementioned Pop tart.
Unfortunately, i was not impressed with either item. The latte was just… I can’t even think of a description other than «blah». The pastry was better than a boxed pop tart although quite frankly it was just OK.
I suppose on the positive side I won’t be having unconquerable cravings for cartel’s coffee or pastries.

The name is catchy and the coffee is yummy. The crew are friendly, as well. I ordered a vanilla latte and it was oh so delicious! It had the right amount of bitterness balanced perfectly by vanilla flavoring and milk froth. I ordered a small one and I sure wished I got the large one instead! It is that good. It is fun watching the crew make the magic happen.
Cartel Coffee was the perfect haven in a busy airport. Take a sip and it drowns the noise and slows everything down. I was a little disappointed that I did not get to enjoy this wonderful concoction on my way home. I had to settle on another brand coffee. Sigh.
I wish there were more of this around. I love me some Starbucks but there is so many around. Cartel Coffee was a refreshing change. So if you are flying Southwest into PHX, make sure you swing by this coffee place with a catchy name. It will out a boost back into your step.