I wanted to like this place ever since I drove past it on an exploratory drive through the Sunnyslope area. Based on it's location, it seemed like it might be less pretentious than some of it's other centrally-located peers. After several visits, I am glad to give it five stars for being one of my favorite coffee shops in the Phoenix area. On my first visit here, I immediately noticed two things: 1) the roasting equipment and raw beans displayed prominently, indicating that they did indeed roast their own beans and 2) the prices, which are lower than the average coffee shop (I'm thinking Starbucks, which came to prominence with a reputation for high prices but has really fallen into the middle of the pack compared with the better local places that have cropped up) and far lower than most gourmet shops. True, you're not getting a pour over for each cup, but you know that it was freshly roasted (and ground) and it's less than $2 a cup. The beans are the real deal, though: $10.95/lb for freshly roasted, delicious coffee beans? I know some good places for coffee but none of them can even touch that price, most hovering closer to $15/16 per lb. Although I usually go for regular coffee when exploring a new place, I decided to get a latte on that first trip visit, which did not disappoint - good smooth espresso flavor and the right ratio of milk for me. The next time that I stopped in, I asked a few questions about the beans and bought a cup of coffee. After some debate, I went with their Bold roast, which I later found out is also their espresso roast. While it makes for a good espresso, I found it fairly light for a "bold" cup of coffee, and after adding just a splash of cream it tasted somewhat watered down. In the future I'd probably go with one of their other roasts, particularly the Double French. This is a mix between their dark Sumatra roast and Tanzanian peaberry. I was a little concerned when I purchased it, as the barista told me to "wait for the oils to come out on the beans." Though I don't know a ton about coffee, one of the things I thought I knew was that oily beans = ruined beans, but after making it at home on a French press, it quickly entered my upper echelon of coffees. I also picked up some single source Guatemalan while I was there, a brighter and somewhat less flavorful roast, but still excellent. Compared to many of the other places in town, this place is perhaps a bit dumpy, but it's got good character and the baristas are super friendly and helpful. They display art in the store and even have a special night for it each month (Second Saturdays?) It's also very quiet and has outdoor tables, so I could imagine getting some work done there unlike more popular and louder shops. I'll definitely be getting beans and drinks from this place in the future.
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positive

Finally, a real, honest to goodness Seattle style coffee house in Phoenix without the rain -- and, you drink "fair trade" coffee!
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positive

Great food great service! I've taken multiple friends here and have recommended it to lots of others who enjoy authentic Thai food! Love Thai House!
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positive

It's not only a book store but also a community wherein a lot of readers meet. They also have a wide selection of used and unused books as well as novelty items so I get to do my shopping at the same time!
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positive