The Thread Cafecito

The Thread is a Cuban coffee shop in downtown Phoenix, and almost everything about it is lovely except the part I care about most.

It opened about a year ago on the ground floor of the historic 130 N Central Ave building. (The thrift store that used to be upstairs moved to their newer Eastlake location.) Inside you get black walls and an exposed ceiling warmed up by wood tables, shelves and an army of hanging plants. Staff greet regulars by name. The back room does the rest. No windows, plush seating and lighting that leans dark on purpose. Cozy in a way that makes it feel like an escape hatch from the 110 degree sidewalk out front.

The concept comes from Tiffany Largie, a Jamaican American entrepreneur behind DO THE DAMN THING who wanted to bring the warmth of a Caribbean cafe to Phoenix while keeping cafecito prices honest. You can see the effort right down to importing the espresso roasted in Little Havana in Miami. Ironically no one was able to tell me which roaster or beans when I asked, a strange gap for a place with that level of commitment.

And then there is the cup itself. I am a light roast person and I walked in knowing my bias, but I try things so you do not have to. The espresso pulls dark. The kind that replaces flavor with charcoal somewhere along the way. My medium latte tasted like a campfire that had been talked into becoming a drink.

None of that matters much if you already like your coffee dark. Plenty of people do and The Thread pulls it strong and steady.

Hot espresso drinks come in medium and large. Either size gets the same double shot so the large just buys more milk. In this particular case that might work in your favor. If you like darker roasts but wish the cup came across a little softer, order the large and let the extra milk take the edge off the espresso. There you go 🙂

The kitchen is worth the trip regardless. Syrups are made in house (mostly brown sugar based), pastries bake every morning and everything leans sweet. In February the rapper bbno$ stopped by before a show and gave their iced Americano a 9 out of 10. This is a proof that the cold stuff works even if the hot lattes and I come from different worlds.

House made everything, pastries out of the oven every morning and prices that respect your wallet. Downtown Phoenix has a warm new spot.