Downtown sandwiches: Cartel Coffee Lab

There’s a sort-of -new sandwich spot downtown.

Cartel Coffee Lab is a hipster coffee/food hangout that compliments the industrial decor and coffee with indie attitude in spades. A few examples:

Example #1: It’s actually been around for nearly a year, but for a very long while, it was signless.

Example #2: In the early days during the summer, a friend stopped in wanting a triple espresso shot, iced.

“It’s really better hot,” the barrista said. Probably, my friend agreed, but it was 110 outside — and he wasn’t really drinking it for the taste.

“So you’re not going to make it?” my friend queried, shocked.

“Sorry,” said the barrista, and my friend left the shop caffeine-less.

Example #3: Cartel has some great sandwiches, but I’d have never know save a single Tweet months ago. Look on their website for a menu: there’s nothing.

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Being a sandwich person, I saved the Tweet and made a mental note to try the sandwiches at Cartel. What I found, a funky downtown atmosphere, some surprisingly delicious sandwiches, and probably the least attentive service I’d ever encountered.

My husband and I perused the menu and decided on a mayo-less tuna sandwich with spinach and balsamic vinegar for him ($8) and an open-faced egg sandwich with bacon, tomato, spinach and aioli ($6.50) for me, along with a GUS beverage and an ice tea ($3).

I started in on my drink as we waited. Iced tea was MIA.

“Can I get my iced-tea,” my husband asked the girl behind the counter. “You ordered iced tea?” Ding 1.

Our sandwiches arrived soon after. The tuna looked delicious, and the egg sandwich — not what I ordered. Ding 2.

In a few minutes, I had my sandwich, which was slightly less done than it should have been, but otherwise tasty.

As we polished off the sandwiches, my husband decided to refill his exceedingly expensive iced tea. “You had ice coffee, right?” the counter girl questioned. Really?  Ding 3.

Cartel Coffee Lab
1 N. 1st Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Tuna Sandwich, $8

Digby’s Sammy, $6.50

Phoenix sandwiches: Mediterranean Tuna @ Echo Coffee

A friend suggested I meet him at Echo Coffee, an organic coffee spot located in a re-vamped shopping center on 68th Street and Thomas. He uses the modern, open space as a sometime office, and suggested, “They have a really good tuna sandwich…without mayo.”

While I hold no grudges against mayo, I’m a sucker for a delicious sandwich, so I went back and tried it out.

The Mediterranean Tuna is made from tuna, cannellini beans, oil and vinegar on focaccia with a side of olive tepanade; a non-traditional-yet-delicious combination.  I think I might have preferred a more substantial bread,  however this sandwich has launched several at-home recipes. Trial 1: tuna, beans basil, tomatoes with pasta. Another trial, a similar mixture atop toast — like a bruschetta.

Try the original and see if it inspires you.

Echo Coffee
2902 N. 68th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251