Xolo Coffee

So a tattoo artist walks into the coffee business. I know how that sounds but it is the actual origin of Xolo. Malice, the owner, first opened ITS Tattoo next door. He ran it for about a year. Then he looked around and thought, why not do coffee too? And so in 2022 Xolo was born. Because why not.

I love that energy. And you feel it the moment you walk in.

Let me set the scene. The space blends vibrant Chicano culture with a clean industrial cafe look. There are concrete floors and a white subway tile counter. The seating is mid century leather paired with sleek barstools. But the design is only half the story. The shelves are curated with local merch and traditional Mexican artwork. There are marigold accents. There is striking black and white photography on the walls. It is warm. It has deep cultural identity. The whole room feels like a tribute to the culture Malice comes from, and that respect shows in every corner.

And Malice is easy to talk to. We had a good long chat. He told me about the beans, and the story is out of control.

Here is the deal. Malice uses Mexican Chiapas beans, medium roasted. He buys them from a friend who owns a farm in Chiapas. But the beans do not go straight to the shop. They travel from Mexico all the way to Paris, France to get roasted. Then they get shipped back fresh to his shop in Phoenix. That is a lot of frequent flyer miles for a coffee bean. Malice and his wife also commute to Mexico regularly for almost everything they use here. This is a labor of love. You can taste it.

Now to the coffee, because this is a coffee shop after all. Shots are pulled on a gorgeous restored La San Marco espresso machine. I first ordered a latte. Craft coffee fans will be happy to know Xolo offers a single hot latte size. That means balance. Every shot here is pulled by weight and done with care. That is the right move. It gets you consistent results cup after cup.

As the drink cooled I could easily pick up the nutty character of the Mexican beans. There were hints of chocolate and a little cinnamon spice on the back end. At the time of my visit 2% milk was available and that turned out to be a good thing. That 2% hits a sweet spot. It has enough fat for a silky rounded mouthfeel without going heavy. It does not mask the delicate flavors of the beans. The whole thing tasted smooth, sweet and comforting Zero harsh bitterness.

We also ordered the Azucar Morena (means brown sugar in Spanish). This one was deep and rich with a warm spice. Not too earthy and not too sweet. Just a good blend of Mexican spices and espresso. The balance really got me. Most Mexican coffee I have tried in the past is not like this. Xolo does it right. And there are plenty of house made syrups here if you want to try other signature drinks.

As I was leaving I thanked Malice and asked him what he wanted the readers of azcoffeeshops.com to know about him. He just smiled and said, "Just come on in and enjoy a cup of coffee".

So that is the whole thing right there. A tattoo artist who followed a whim. Beans that fly across an ocean and back. A restored Italian machine in a room full of marigolds. It sounds like too many ideas. But Malice pulls it all together into one cup, hands it to you with a smile and asks for nothing but that you enjoy it. So go on in. Do the man a favor and enjoy a cup of coffee.