Citizen Espresso Bar

This location is now closed. :(

I’ve been going to Citizen Espresso Bar regularly since it was still a Lola location, probably about 3 years. I went there today to find a note on the door saying that the shop would be closed permanently. This is a huge loss! Citizen Espresso Bar was the best coffee shop in uptown Phoenix. The staff was really warm and welcoming, the coffee was fantastic and fairly priced, and the baked goods were delicious and consistent. They regularly featured work from local and national artists on their walls. All in all, I wish every coffee shop would look and feel like this. I’m really sad to see it go and hope they figure out a way to bring it back very soon!

Even though I find the menu options to be basic and somewhat limited, I really enjoy the facility design, décor, and overall ambiance of this place. The furnishings are very relaxed and inviting, and their coffee and espresso are very good, and I enjoy their iced tea. I do wish they had a larger tea selection, though, and a greater variety of pastries. However, as another reviewer mentioned, this is the ideal place to come for studying or to read a book. This is a great independent coffeehouse right in the heart of Phoenix.

There was a «down home» feel to Citizen that I really liked. The staff was very personable — beyond welcoming and actually talkative. Most importantly, the coffee was delicious. I took my mocha to go, so I can’t tell you much about the wi-​fi or anything along those lines. But, they had me at: friendly with great coffee. If I lived closer I might become a regular.

I really like this place… and need to come here more often! Free wifi, lots of outlets, good food and drink, and I like the ambiance and layout. Most importantly, the espresso drink I ordered (an iced mocha) was very good. Not the most mocha-​y flavor, but I can always order with extra mocha next time.
Yay for finding a cool new place!

There is really nothing special about this coffee shop, but I enjoy it for a few personal reasons:
–They nearly always play music that matches my tastes
–There is a nice tall chair area to sit and read a book while looking out the window as the Metro Rail passes by
–It’s not Starbucks (a reason I like every coffee shop that isn’t Starbucks)
Only issues:
–Slightly overpriced for their coffee quality
–They really should check the quality of their beans before they brew them. (I’ve had some very over roasted beans before, but I’ve also had some done very well.)
This isn’t somewhere I’d suggest taking a friend to chit chat, but I definitely suggest it for doing homework or reading a book by yourself.

Recently discovered this gem. Cool loft-​like space, good coffee, and great people watching with an eclectic urban mix that makes me feel like I’m in a real city. This is the kind of place that makes you want to pick up a magazine, find a comfy chair, and settle in for the long haul.

Great coffee and great service. A great place to hang out with friends and family :-)

So this place has been through the wringer. The whole daughter/​mother fight and who is running the place played out all over the media. I didn’t know any of that when I started going here. If it were still the way it was when I first started going there then I’d give it four or five stars for sure… sadly for them I didn’t write my first review here until I had a bad experience.
I started going to Citizen Espresso Bar because they carried Jewel’s Cupcakes baked goods. I am gluten free and they had an extensive line of Jewel’s products along with their beverage choices. My husband and I would come in and grab some Joe and a little treat and I’d be SOOOOOOOOOOO happy that I could eat a cupcake or roll with my coffee. I can’t do that at about 99 percent of coffee shops around Phoenix.
However, again this past fall, there is a switch up of who is in charge and now I cannot get any gluten free products now. Now I wait again until someone gets on the ball and offers all of us gf peeps a place to get our treat on WITH our java.
When I asked about it I was snubbed and told that they were making all of their products now and gf wasn’t going to be an option. Well, I determine where we go for coffee and treats due to the fact that I need to be able to eat so… they lose all of our family business.

I had hoped this locally owned place would «wow» me. Sadly, Citizen Espresso Bar doesn’t get my vote.
Of the two baristas, only one could crack a smile. The iced latte was slightly bitter and the Jewel’s mini lemon cupcake would have been MUCH better had it been fresh, not refrigerated.
I found my pleather chair to be comfy and I might have wanted to sit in it longer to catch up on some work, but I couldn’t get a WiFi connection to save my life. And what’s up with the non-​stop Led Zeppelin being piped in through the speakers? I like them, but it seemed an odd choice for a coffee spot.
To be diplomatic about it, I’ll just say Citizen’s has room for improvement and leave it at that.

I really enjoy the décor and atmosphere here. Comfy couches, great coffee, lots of outlets for us computer-​dwellers. I had the tomato basil quiche… it was good, but it was around 2 pm so it probably would have been really good this morning.
I have never been here in the morning hours, so I don’t know how hectic it gets or what the service is like when it’s busy, but it’s great for a midafternoon study spot.

I paid almost 8 dollars for a mocha latte and a bagel and cream cheese. The coffee was good but not disappointing; the bagel was a Costco bagel. I used to be a regular when it was Lola’s, and then Citizen before management changed. It’s just not worth the price when there are other places to go that are also barely adequate but cheaper.
The wifi didn’t work using both my phone and laptop. I came here to do homework. Thankfully, I jailbroke my phone so I can tether my phone to my laptop to get an internet connection.
The chairs are cheap and uncomfortable.
Maybe I’m in a grumpy mood. Whatever. I’ll give it another try in a few months.
If I want to pay $ 8 for a pastry and coffee, I’ll go to Lux, where the internet also doesn’t work, but at least they’ll have fresh pastries and excellent coffee.
And the Central Phoenix coffee shops used to be so great…

I give Citizen Espresso 5 stars because their coffee is BOMBtastic. I really dig the fact they offer other options than the normal super sugary coffee drinks. I Love love Love their Honey Lattes (Just honey, no other sugar). They also offer a Hive Espresso drink (Vanilla and Honey) and Royal Espresso (Vanilla, Honey, and Cinammon). Both of which are amazing. Aside from their kick butt coffee, the atmosphere is cool, and the staff is always friendly. I would come here everyday if I had the chance.

Our barista was super nice and friendly but then the coffee was meh. I thought it was just a bit too watered down and maybe there was too much milk or something else. It just did not taste the same. I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe it was me, maybe the barista was having an off day, maybe it was cuz it was too hot outside, maybe I expect too much, maybe whatever but it just wasn’t right.
Having said that I will be back to give it another shot, and hopefully it will be just perfect!

Excellent iced Americano!
Very nice «a3deh»! (Arabic for setting)

I was driving to the store and saw the sign for Citizen… Right away I knew I needed to try this place as part of the Coffee Tour of Phx… (ftw). I made a u turn and stopped in. The space is cute, I like all of the colors and the little ‘bar’ area that looks out over central. I felt that the latte was just ok, not bad, but nothing special. The milk didn’t have that creamy mouth feel that you get from a good latte and the first sip was a bit bitter (subsequent sips were a little better). I understand they use Lola coffee, but I think the difference is in the baristas. I also tried their blueberry scone… I thought it was way too wet and sweet for a scone, more like a flat muffin. Not really for me. I don’t think I would go out of my way to get coffee here.

Love this! Not only am I overwhelmed at having so many vegan/​GF options, but they still serve Lola coffee, which I am a big fan of.
Great atmosphere. The baristas are more friendly than they were at the Lola, to be quite honest. I went twic elast week and had two perfect lattes, and some wonderful vegan desserts!

This is Lola’s coffee with a new a new sign and ruder people. My coffee was awful. Thank goodness is was just an espresso shot, so the pain was short lived. I felt I was taking medicine. The place has not changed much. It could have potential, but I don’t need to come back.

I come here all the time to get work done. I get so much more done here than I do at home sometime. Latte and the Hive are great drinks.
I a certain employee would stop making so much noise behind the counter when he is cleaning out something with every drink. He slams the metal thing against the counter. If he didn’t, this place would def get 5 stars.

Good espresso. Good service. Good atmosphere.
Will return!