Casita Coffee

Casita Coffee, just steps from the Gilbert Heritage District, has a menu loaded with creative drinks. It grew from a beloved mobile cart into a brick and mortar cafe.

But the real headline is the latte. A plain whole milk latte made with a single origin washed Colombia El Nevado, sourced from Moxie Coffee. It is one of the best lattes I have ever tasted. And I have tasted a lot of lattes. The beans were perfectly rested after roast, sitting right in that sweet spot where the espresso truly sings. Freshness is one part of the magic. The other part? Whatever the heck Moxie is doing with the roasting process.

Honestly, I do not know what kind of alchemy Moxie is practicing. Their El Nevado is dialed in to a degree that does not feel quite fair. And the funny thing is, their Guatemala CODECH tastes shockingly similar even though it is a completely different origin from a completely different country. So the terroir is not doing the heavy lifting here. There has to be some secret roasting move going on. Maillard reaction sorcery. Some development time witchcraft. Whatever it is, I am here for it.

Credit where it is due though. Moxie roasts for plenty of shops, but Casita is the one who put this exact bean in my cup. The owner, Mr. Herrera, told me that he personally chose these beans for their incredible flavor. He hunted for the right flavor profile and refused to settle for anything less than the best. That level of care is rare, and in the East Valley it is borderline miraculous. We used to drive clear across the Valley for coffee like this. Casita brought it to our doorstep.

So if you find yourself wandering the Heritage District, keep walking. Casita is a few blocks away and your latte is waiting. Fair warning though, it just might ruin every other latte for you.

Read my complete Casita Coffee review.