tucson's best coffee spots
Food Fight: Blue-ribbon brew
By Gerald M. Gay
ggay@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 04.16.2009
Java junkies chose shops all over town when asked who makes the best coffee in Tucson. Leading the pack with the most votes was CaffeNation, a hidden-away coffee stop behind a Baggin's Gourmet Sandwiches branch on East Valencia Road.
CaffeNation is owned by Alexander and Irina Rudnitsky, a husband-and-wife team from Russia who opened their first coffee cart at Tucson Medical Center 15 years ago.
CaffeNation's sign is barely visible from the street, but the location is sound. The south end of Tucson has only a handful of coffee shops, and there isn't a single Starbucks in the immediate area. Customers come primarily from the businesses that make up that strip of Valencia, Alexander Rudnitsky said.
The shop also sells sandwiches and salads. Rudnitsky said their hottest items are the numerous types of mochas, particularly the white chocolate mocha and the black-and-white mocha, made from both dark and white chocolate.
Whitney Sutherland, a 28-year-old recruiting manager for TeleTech, just south of Valencia, said CaffeNation has the best coffee and bagels in Tucson.
"We go there almost on a daily basis, and they never let us down," she said. "They have a multitude of coffee flavors to choose from, and their regular coffee tastes so good. It perks you right up, with no bitter aftertaste."
Kelley Peters said CaffeNation is a regular destination for her and her husband.
"The coffee is consistently well-made," she said. "I love the caramel mocha, and my husband is a huge fan of the mocha freeze. They serve it up with a chocolate-covered coffee bean. Yum!"
Aileen Staebell considers herself a coffee snob, but CaffeNation "always makes it just the way I like it," she said, adding, "I love the excellent service, and the food is great, too."
Just about every java joint in town received props in Caliente's latest Food Fight.
When Alica Espinoza wants a hot cup of joe, she heads to the Coffee Times Drive-Thru on East Speedway.
"They have a very friendly staff, and wait times aren't long at all," the 30-year-old restaurant manager said. "These people are actual baristas, not buttonistas, which I have seen more and more of lately. The whole drive-through concept works well with my on-the-go, got-to-get-to-work-type lifestyle.
Sarah Newby, 24, walks to Caffe Luce on East University Boulevard from her job at the University of Arizona's Center for Creative Photography, where she is a cataloger.
"It has the most affordable coffee in Tucson," Newby said. "They roast their own beans, and all espresso shots are double ristretto, so they are bolder with less bitterness. I'm nothing without my iced Americano from Caffe Luce."
Social worker Anna Steele likes her coffee with a side of communism. She is a regular at Revolutionary Grounds on North Fourth Avenue.
"The (leftist) owner enjoys making quality coffee and food," said Steele, 32. "She knows what to look for in the coffee beans, knows the equipment and how to use it, so the coffee is the best it can be. The staff asks your preferences for every order, so it is easy and comfortable to get exactly what you want."
And Kate Holder, 48, prefers the coziness at Raging Sage.
"It has a unique, neighborly feel, even though it is located on busy Campbell Avenue," she said. "It attracts an interesting mix of people with whom I've had several fun and spontaneous conversations."
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