Chico Coffee Bar

Did you know Puerto Rico grows coffee? I did not. Not until I walked into Chico Coffee Bar in Downtown Phoenix and got humbled... But let me back up. Chico is a new house roaster on the ground floor of a modern brick building on Roosevelt Row, tucked under some shade trees. And the location matters. The Roosevelt arts district is like no other in Phoenix! Here historic brick buildings sit next to modern apartments, galleries and coffee shops. The murals are everywhere. It is walkable. It is lively.  It is the kind of neighborhood where a coffee becomes part of a morning stroll.

You walk into Chico and the vibe hits you fast. A warm brick accent wall. A handwritten chalkboard menu wrapped in greenery. Vinyl records on the walls (there is a whole Michael Jackson situation going on). And comfortable dark wood seating that begs you to stay a while. It is cozy. It is stylish. It is a great place to work or just slow down. The outdoor setup is simple but welcoming. A small table with chairs sits right under the black metal overhang. The concrete sidewalk stays clean and those shade trees do their part. It is the perfect spot for a quick coffee break outside.

But the real hook is in the cup. The owner, Jonathan, roasts the beans himself over in San Tan, and the house blend is a mix of Mexican, Puerto Rican and Colombian coffee. I was skeptical. I am a guy who favors light roasted single origin beans, so a three country blend usually is not my thing. Then my latte arrived and won me over. As it cooled, the blend started to tell its story. The Mexican beans bring a nutty, almost almond note up front. The Puerto Rican beans follow with a smooth, creamy sweetness. And a tiny hit of bright citrus at the end gives away the Colombian addition tying the whole thing together. My one nitpick is the milk arrived steamed too hot. Had it come in a bit cooler, those notes would have popped even more. And yeah, I went home and fell down a Puerto Rican coffee rabbit hole (turns out they grow Bourbon, Typica and a local variety called Limani up in the Cordillera Central mountains). Who knew! Honestly, that was one of the highlights of my visit. It pushed me to learn about an origin I had completely overlooked.

A couple more things. Chico never adds a surcharge for milk alternatives which is a quiet kindness in a world of oat milk upcharges. The signature Cafe Chico latte uses a house made brown sugar syrup with maple notes. As of my visit, most of the other syrups are commercial and that house made brown sugar is the lone exception. I am excited to see where Jonathan takes this and I would love to watch that house made lineup grow into more syrups and purees. Oh, and the baristas adjust shot counts by cup size to keep the strength balanced which shows that they care.

Downtown Phoenix has plenty of good coffee. But not many shops will teach you something new about where coffee comes from. Chico did. So go out there and support this local family business. It is the kind of shop worth rooting for.