Gold Bar Espresso

The ambiance was nice; a warm and calming feel to the place. The environment is really conducive to getting work done or having a nice conversation with friends. In terms of service, everyone there was helpful and knowledgable about the teas and coffee drinks. I usually ask for recommendations whenever I visit places and Gold Bar did not disappoint! A must try if you are a local or from out-​of-​town!

LOVE Gold Bar. I sincerely appreciate Karen and Dennis for embracing and encouraging such a community oriented ‘business’. Gold Bar is my neighborhood coffee shop and it feels a little bit like ‘Cheers’ — where everybody knows your name. I often go here, even though we have a high end espresso machine at home, just to say Hi and smile at all my coffee friends! So stop by, enjoy good coffee, strike up a conversation, or just sit on the patio and chill. This is a great spot to do all of the above and more!

good food. i like it. try itGreat job guys really prescient the job blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Greeted with friendly staff EVERY time I visit here. Amazing espresso and coffee! You MUST visit here opposed to Starbucks across the parking lot. Tell all of your friends after you try this hidden gem!

This is our neighborhood coffee shop. Dennis and Karen are stellar people who know coffee, genuinely love their customers, and pull a mean shot of espresso! You won’t be disappointed!

Best coffee in Tempe! Also amazing owners! I had to move out of Tempe but I will make a point of driving back there to get my mocha at Gold Bar.

Neat little bit o’ Gold mine of a place to sit and enjoy coffee and treats.

Gold Bar is MY Gold Standard for coffee shops. Well run by the husband and wife team of Dennis and Karen. You’ll not find a more friendly couple on this planet. The staff is equally pleasant and so on top of preparing your drinks just the way you like them. I love the feel of the place. Cozy and comfortable with a mix of furniture with character without the annoying piped-​in music you find elsewhere. The WiFi is great and free. Add to all of that great food items and you have a little bit of Heaven on earth. Check out the Gold Bar Facebook page!!!

I’ve visited Gold Bar a few times over the last couple of weeks, but I find myself hunting for other options. The coffee itself is pretty good, and the prices are competitive. But here are a few reasons why I won’t be back:
* Sometimes it’s hard to get the owners’ attention so I can make a purchase, because they’re so focused on interacting with their personal friends. I’ve had to wait in line while they watch videos together.
* Too much clutter. There are so many knick-​knacks, coffee gadgets, books, etc. everywhere that the employees are forced to do food prep on tables in the customer seating area. At least two tables near the front door are always filled with food inventory, baskets, platters, plastic wrap, etc — whatever is needed for prep the staff is working on at the time.
* The more I visit, the more I realize that the place is filthy, really filthy. Tables are often sticky even after they just open, and the floor is a disaster. Worst of all, there is a vent cover so thick with dust right above where they prep food and drink orders that I can’t help but think dust is dropping into the consumables.

I am a major fan of this coffee bar and would return more frequently if it weren’t so expensive. I understand that businesses have to balance price/​service/​overhead etc but as someone who doesn’t drink milk their prices for milk alternative are the highest I’ve ever seen. When I go in for a specialty drink I budget $ 6 which is really a lunch at that point. I treat myself rather then this being my normal quick coffee spot.
Their regular brewed coffee is reasonable. If you are sitting in the shop they discount your coffee for using their mugs, then I was informed that if I wanted a refill to go they would charge me a dollar for a paper cup. Needless to say I finished the coffee and ordered my refill in my mug.
Their pricing is just a little confusing. Otherwise their pastries are great (get the ones baked locally) and the Chai Totti is AMAZING.

Gold bar has always been a family for me! They have wonderful baristas and delicious coffee– try the toddy!

Great cozy coffee shop. In my opinion, this is what a coffee shop should be! Love it!

I finally found a place that I can really focus and feel comfortable. The staff is super nice too! Oh, the coffee is golden! I just LOVE it here!!!

This place is amazing. And I am not saying that lightly! Let’s start with the appearance: calm and soothing ambiance with great lighting.
The service: Karen is the sweetest more friendly and helpful woman! Everyone here is so friendly!
The drinks: oh my gosh. The best carrot cake, white chocolate mocha and their new ice cream coffee combo!
I love this place so glad I stumbled upon it

Gold Bar has been a rallying cry for years in Tempe against the homogenized corporate vibe emanating from, among other places, the Starbucks a few doors down. It’s on the smaller side and feels very intimate. It’s a lower-​energy scene than Xtreme Bean across the street (though they sometimes have live music), but a great spot to read, work, or hang out — the best for miles around, I’d say. If you’re looking for something fun to do, they have a stack of games in the back.
You can’t go wrong with their chai, mochas, or black coffee.

So there is a Starbucks across the street I hung out at once — if I’d known about this place I would have walked across the parking lot. This place has a much mellower vibe than Starbucks. You don’t come to this place to be seen — just to hang out and chill and not obsess with the BRAND of your coffee. That said, the barista here seemed way too artificially blissful — like a Stepford wife or something. I should have asked her to put a little of what she was having into my drink. Going to the bathroom here is fun — you sort of go through a maze that takes you past the kitchen and into the back area of the store. Well kept up bathroom — so that’s a plus. Lots of parking — same mall as Starbucks, Johnny’s Burgers & Dogs, Subway, Kicks Frozen Yogurt, Seams To Be Alterations, Ross Dress For Less, and a bunch of other businesses.

For these two main reasons, delightfully smooth yet robust flavor & welcoming & productive culture, this is my favorite spot in the entire valley (closely tied with Echo Coffee on Thomas & 68^th)! Beware: they have a «sit and enjoy your drink» culture, so although it is easy to get in and out (plenty of parking, easy line etc) they are not AS FAST behind the counter as Starbucks. Give them an extra 1.5 minutes and you’ll have a better drink though!
Smooth coffee blend, no pride baristas that think they’re cooler than you because they can pull espresso, great at tailoring for your taste; for powdered chia, some of the best (multiple flavors; typically vanilla, spiced, apple pie, raspberry, etc), and are skilled in dirty chia, great for the connoisseur and the never-​drink-​espresso-​ers!
Great options for alternate milk, typically including almond, rice, soy, etc.
Karen & Denis have a heart for people and the community and pick baristas that do the same! Good wifi, great tables for comfort and productivity! Good amount of power supply, lots of outdoor seating, and dangerously tempting neighbors including a Chef’s Store, Ross, Nellos Pizza & others!
Did I mention the great baristas?! Morgan literally remembers my me, my drinks & my work stories & asks me every time she’s there how «such and such» meeting last week went while she’s making my beverage! Ashley knows that I have 2 – 3 go-​to drinks and can always nail the flavor I want, even if I throw her a curveball on ingredients! Erica, Rachel, Angelica, etc, they’re all great!

My first time at Gold Bar was on a blind date. While the date didn’t work out, my love for Gold Bar continued, and would still, had I not moved out of state.
This place was always great for meeting and hanging out with friends, either for the live music, board games, or space to chat or get some work done. The drinks were always delicious, and my favorite was always the chai tea. The pastries and treats were always tasty, and I always loved the employees, who were always friendly and helpful.

A cozy coffee shop just right for studiers and small group hangouts.
I’ve stopped in here multiple times for three reasons:
1. It’s not Starbucks (no offense, I just don’t like their coffee)
2. Free WIFI
3. Lots of tables to do work
The coffee here is OK too, but it’s a tad on the expensive side. Maybe we can set something up where I buy one drink, and you let me do homework here for the week?
I’ve had their iced latte and chai, both tasty, but nothing spectacular. Still, I really like the feeling of sitting in this place. Some of the tables have their own old-​timey lamps on them and the baristas are friendly. Overall, the atmosphere is inviting and it’s a good place to people watch.

My husband and I were on a search for a place to bring out laptops while the grandparents watched the kiddos for a bit. I know, it’s not the most thrilling use of a kid-​free Saturday afternoon, but at least we ordered a coffee — caffeine after 2pm is a little edgy?
Ok, so maybe not, but at least we ventured some place new rather than Starbucks. And apparently ordering caffeine after 2pm is normal behavior for young folk these days because nearly every table and chair were taken. There is not a ton of seating because the place is very compact, but you can also perceive it to be cute, charming, quaint and comfortable. There is a small living setup with an old bookcase, books and board games hidden around the corner. This is where we able to find a table. There are also tables outside for the overflow.
The menu was good — coffee and flavorings with an impressive bakery display that I pretended did not exist because I am not Day 6 of a sugar-​reduced diet.
There was a friendly girl working the counter, a clean bathroom, and free wifi. Everything was looking like a five star review until the coffee was a little more than half way gone… the caffeine put me in «work» mode, my head was down, I was working ferociously… and then the wifi dropped.
I immediately blamed my stupid computer but then I looked up to see that everyone’s computer displayed the same «cannot load webpage» message. The internet stayed down so I left, and my table was immediately overtaken by young hipsters.
I enjoy the offbeat path so I would go back to this place, just probably not during the peak hours so that I could ensure a place to sit.