Giant Coffee

As a fellow barista in the specialty coffee community I was stoked to visit Giant Coffee and bring my friends to show them what the boutique coffee industry is about. I’m currently visiting from Sacramento and was excited to check the coffee scene in Phoenix, and unfortunately this was my first stop. I must say the coffee should have been a bit better if the baristas attitude were going to be so shitty.

5 stars for the food and coffee, and 1 star for service (seems like a new guy is training and the blonde barista was even an asshole to him). I instantly regretted my 40% tip after experiencing the blonde barista. She’s draining. No smile, and even more so a look of ‘wow, I can’t believe I have to help you right now’. No «you’re welcome» after I thanked her (for ringing me up for a bagel that I ordered 10 minutes before, but they missed). My word of advise to her is that if you hate your job so much, or are so miserable in your own life that you can’t enjoy nice people giving you nice amounts of money, don’t work here; it ruined an otherwise perfect visit.
The food was an entirely different story. I had the granola with milk and couldn’t have been more pleased. The milk was outstanding. My daughter had a bagel, which I contemplated stealing from her after she shared a bite (she’s only 11, so this would’ve been an easy task, hmmmm). Crispy on the outside and so soft on the inside. Oh, and even the cream cheese was heavenly. My toddlers had the muffin, which was a pumpkin chocolate chip today, and it was perfect. It had a nice sugar crust on the top and the inside was definitely not dry. Seriously incredible.

I love this place. The ambiance is perfect and it’s never been packed when I’ve come in (around 9−11ish on weekdays). It’s great for getting work done, the music is at a perfect volume combined with the small conversations going on throughout the café. Nothing too distracting. I’m not giving 5 stars because the coffee isn’t spectacular for the price but it gets the job done. I’ve been grabbing honey vanilla lattes which are good but didn’t live up to the Unilocal hype for me. The mocha was okay. I’ll probably continue to come here just because I’m in love with the atmosphere.

These guys get it. My only complaint is that they’re not closer to my house.

I’m a huge coffee aficionado, and had heard about the Honey Vanilla Latte. I’m always a huge fan of new twists to the latte, I’ve tried Almond lattes, Lavender lattes, and Green Tea lattes from different places I’ve lived in and visited.
The verdict? The Honey Vanilla Latte was bland and tasteless in my opinion. My bias is that I like strong flavors, and frankly, this could be why I was unimpressed. My boyfriend on the other hand, also had a sip, and liked that the flavor was more subtle and simple. So depending on your taste, the Honey Vanilla Latte could be hit or miss for you.
The ambience is casual, hipster, a bit plainer and industrial as compared to other coffee shops which emit a more welcoming, cozy vibe. There’s also a trendy cute boutique within the same space. I personally loved shopping in the boutique better than my latte!
All in all, check out Giant Coffee if you’re a fan for subtlety and simplicity. Not my vibe, but could be yours.

Got the honey vanilla latte. It’s smooth and light but I wish I could taste more of the expresso. The honey seems to overpower it somehow. The ambience is trendy and I could hear the bass of the music before I reached the door. Not the type of coffee shop I’d come here to study or get work done but rather a place I’d go to meet up or catch up with friends.

Cool downtown coffee place. The service was very good. I really like the layout how the seats on the sides were facing in to the shop and had little tables in front of you. Nice design. The coffee was pretty good. I had a honey latte. It was nice although not as amazing as some other reviewer’s have said it was. Maybe it was an off day. Overall though it was a good place to go for some coffee and a downtown artsy experience.

Not too bad of a place, cool setting. Good latte, didn’t try any of the single origin pour over so can’t say what they’re like. But over all, cool atmosphere, I like it.

What a super rad coffee shop! This has been on my radar for a while. I heard a lot of great things about Giant Coffee and how wonderful their coffee was. Yep, so true. Though a bit hidden from the main road and the building very inconspicuous, you know you’re in the perfect place once you open the door. Wow, the increasingly rare combination of cozy ambiance, warm service and great product. I’m stoked to return to try more of their drink and food optons. Their baked goods looked awesome. Definitely a great place to pop in to before or after a trip to the Phoenix Art Museum across the street. Great Light Rail access too.

Those who know me, know I’m a coffee lovin fool, so when a friend told me we needed to go to Giant Coffee, I was like hurry let’s go!
We arrived around 11ish on a sat morning, the place wasn’t too busy, more like steady, and it’s a cute little shop, with plenty of seats.
After checking out the menu I knew I wanted to try something new, well need to me, and I went with the Honey Vanilla Latte, honey mixed with sweet vanilla blended with cream and coffee, oh this was a sweet treat. Once you have a Honey Vanilla Latte, you wind up craving it, so I must hurry back to get more.
Glad to add Giant Coffee to my ever growing Coffee Houses list.

Love this downtown coffee spot that’s really easy to get too and walking distance from the light rail. Coffee is always good and the staff is always polite. The place is a little small and can fill up if you’re looking to stay.

5 stars for Product! 1 star for service.
Drinks are always awesome– milk and espresso are consistently sweet and smooth. Best honey vanilla lattes.
Service SUCKS.
Sadly, its just another one of those snobby coffee shops where the baristas think they are better than you. The cashier was fine, the barista was horrible. I work in this business and I wouldn’t hire her. After spending $ 45 on product I asked the barista for a bathroom key– she looked me directly in the face and ignored me and motioned me to wait back in the line for the cashier to give it to me. I just used a key from the boutique next door.
Then– a man came in and purchased a burrito and a drink and she proceed to count how many sugars he took and in front of at least 20 people she scolded him and told him he could not have anymore sugar or cream. Really?
Best part was that customer reprimanded her right back and stood his ground.
If I could give one piece of advice– part ways with your blonde barista, she makes great milk but she’s miserable.

i like to rate Coffee Shops on the following scales:
Coffee/​Tea: on the higher-​end side. baristas aren’t particularly talented and the espresso drinks are Cartel-​level. meh. not good, not awful, just over-​priced and passable.
Service: fairly stern but not bad.
Parking: a challenge. i don’t believe they have a parking lot here, and the street spaces are limited. sssooo, what? do you chance it by parking in the Walgreen’s lot across the street or the Phx library lot? do they tow fervently in Phx? i’m from california, boss, where we don’t chance it. i guess you have to park in an adjacent neighborhood and hoof it for ½ a mile if none of the 10 street spaces are avail? weird. and the shop doesn’t address parking on its website, social media or signage in the actual location. l-​a-​m-​e. ***update*** from looking at other Unilocal reviews, it does look like they have half a dozen spaces in back of the building. shouldn’t be that hard to find where your parking is. still lame.
Ambiance: i personally don’t like it. the individual tables are too small. the WAY awkward DJ booth/​seats along the back wall lord over the general seating area from an elevated perch that makes you feel like the emperor is watching your every move. coffee shops should have comfy seating, not alters. then, there is the cliché’d communal table in the center of this mess, which is probably the best option, depending on which way you’re facing. plenty of room, i guess, if you have a couple seats to yourself. this place is too dark; windows along the northern edge only. super cute and artsy, but not very practical for meetings, getting work done, or anything other than chugging an espresso shot and bouncing.
Clientele: cool. mix of students (some too young/​high school), professionals and of course… The Hipsters. minus the loud sub-​18-​year-​olds, good vibe.
Fun Fact: if you want water in a to-​go cup, it’s a 50-​cent charge.
Overall: very average, dark and cramped space for a quick meeting if you’re in the area. meh.

What a beautiful coffee shop! Sleek without being uncomfortable, the décor is a feast for the eyes. Lovely pastries, hot teas and chai! The hot cocoa is a little different — not very sweet, with a touch of spice. The service is always friendly.
A great place to relax with a tasty beverage and snack.

If you’re on a quest to God’s Country (aka Texas) via Los Angeles and in dire need of a pick me up, you’ll find that a detour to Giant Coffee is a godsend!
I owe my gratitude to my friend, Harlan (who formerly worked here at Giant but now crafts fine spro at the Best Coffee Shop in the World, G&B Coffee in Los Angeles, CA) for tipping me off to Giant. He said I had to eat a try their breakfast burrito (which there were an abundance of them in their display case wrapped in foil) but regrettably I did not.
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We arrived around 2:50pm and the barista told me that in 10 minutes, pastries would be half off! If you’re a cheapskate and want to save a few $, swing by for discounted pastries at 3pm!
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Giant offers customers comfortable loitering space, equipped with much counter space for doing work on your computer and plenty of seating. I think you’ll agree that hanging out at Giant is something worthwhile especially when you’re seeking refuge from that scorching desert heat!
Giant exclusively serves San Francisco based Four Barrel Coffee for filter and espresso with Friendo Blendo serving as house spro.
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For the record, I’m not a huge fan of Four Barrel, much like I’m not a huge fan of Blue Bottle, Stumptown, Sightglass, Wrecking Ball, et al. Perhaps it’s because my palate has evolved and prefers lighter roasted espresso or filter pulled for spro. On average, my exposure to Four Barrel is average at best. It only seems like Menotti’s Coffee Stop in Venice, CA does the best job with FB.
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Cappuccino ($ 3.50): 3.5÷5
In hindsight, I really wish I would have ordered this with almond milk because my Asian Stomach Syndrome can easily be set off… not a good idea when on road trip! But whenever a shop sources Straus Organic Barista Milk, I’ll gladly deal with the consequences. It was evident that my espresso was mildly under extracted but the creaminess of Straus Organic Barista Milk helped make this cappaccino palatable. And because Four Barrel is more classic espresso, I was left with a «bold» finish. That is not necessarily a good thing for me because I don’t want a forever lingering «bold» aftertaste.
Surely, I cannot expect Phoenix to have a robust coffee scene like what is found in Los Angeles, so I mustn’t be so harsh. If you’re like me and only drink specialty coffee, it’s a no-​brainer to grab a spro here at Giant Coffee. It’s a great little shop. You’ll love it here!

This place is a nice little chill spot, you see many people of all backgrounds frequenting this little place. I went here to get some coffee and read a book. There were quite a few people here doing the same. I sat near the front of the shop and it was rather hot, this is due to the really nice large windows with no covering, the restroom was cold enough to hang meat from the ceiling and it would stay frozen. I was taken care of as they made sure I had cold water and it ended up not being too bad.
The place is modern and hipster. They sale all kinds of pastries and sweets and some really good coffee.
Taking a star as there is very little parking. I parked in the CVS parking lot. If CVS get tough about their lot this place may see a decline in customers.

I went for coffee here with three others so that we could enjoy something espresso-​like .
I had the honey vanilla latte and I was not disappointed. The flavor was rich and the honey added a new dimension to my usual vanilla latte.
We arrived at about 3 pm which was also the beginning of Happy Hour when all the pastries are half off. So we also tried a feta cheese and onion scone and a sugary berry muffin that were both yummy.
The décor is unusual as it looks as if the decorator started and then decided that it would be too much work to finish so just left it unfinished. If you like concrete and plywood and steam punk, this is your piece of heaven.
Definitely an eclectic clientele who come for coffee, wi-​fi and maybe the company, especially if there are people there who came for the opportunity to debate over a great cup of coffee.
Try this place, you’ll like it.

My normal taste test coffee (Americano) for a new place went out the window here. Why? I had to try the honey vanilla latte because of all the recommendations from Unilocalers.
I also had two pastries. OK, maybe I had a fourth of each of the two pastries (which means ½ of something, for those who are math challenged), one scone and one crumb muffin. The latter was worth fighting over or going back up to the counter and ordering another, especially at half price because it was after 3 p.m.
As for the honey vanilla latte, I understand why everyone raves about it. Definitely have it in a ceramic mug, if you are staying at the place, which is what I did. It was just that right amount of sweetness but not too sweet.
Plenty of seating, including four chairs facing outward so the occupants can enjoy the view. The entire glass window seems to open up. What a great concept.

Honey Vanilla Latte– 3 words you must say to your barista.
Such a beautiful and lovely open space with plenty of seating, just enough near outlets and store front that has the ability to open up completely to the street. If there’s nothing better than having coffee with an open store front on a beautiful morning, I don’t know what is.
The Honey Vanilla Latte is delicious, enjoyable and not too sweet. Just enough coffee and yes, the fact they use Strauss milk made the cup that much more better. It was so good that once I finished my cup, I did think about getting another.
Great environment, the service I had was just fine and quick and great coffee. Kind of wish they had a literal Giant coffee size (or mug) — because that’s what size I want the next time I grab a Honey Vanilla Latte here!

I’ve been wanting to visit in a long time so I am happy I finally got to. Randomly, my partner and I decided to visit this one morning. It was a little hard to find and I had no idea where to park so we parked at CVS. When we got to the coffee shop, I was told we can park at the street in the front or there is additional parking in the back.
The shop was beautiful — very urban, city like, open and trendy. It would be a cool place to hang out if you have tons of work, studying, or catching up to do. Future hubby ordered the vanilla latte and I ordered the honey vanilla latte with almond milk. There are two sizes only — the small and the a little bigger than small. haha. I had the small and he ordered the bigger one. We paid and it was kind of pricey — close to $ 10 for how little coffee you get so he wasn’t too happy for that. We can order a venti and tall at SB and pay that price.
Anyway, let’s talk about the flavor. My beau’s regular vanilla latte was not good. It tasted flavorless, but my honey vanilla latte was good. Maybe it was the honey that made it better than his. Overall, for the value, I would go elsewhere — but for the atmosphere, I would visit.