Coffee Rush in Chanlder

The first coffee shop on my list is Coffee Rush in Chandler, AZ. It's located on the South-East corner of Ray and Dobson. You'll see a sign for a Sprouts Farmer's Market in the same complex. The address is 1949 W Ray Rd, Ste 40. I'll be honest, based on their website, this wasn't on the top of my list. But, my phone (with gps) is broken, and since this cafe was on the same road I live on, I thought it would be the easiest to find.

I pulled up to a rather dated looking business complex. My heart started to sink a little. I was afraid this might be one of those struggling cafe's, with no patrons and employees that seemed half excited to see someone to break the monotony, half annoyed that you made them move. I was completely wrong though. This cafe is located next to a "lake" (at least what Arizonan's call a lake, more like what I would call a big puddle) which was really nice AND they have an outdoor patio with misters. There were quite a few people outside just chatting in the patio, and even more inside. This shop is located on the corner and it almost made me feel like I found one of those hidden cafe's the locals always go to.There was some lights hanging over the patio as well and I could just see how nice it would be in the evenings and at night.

The interior was nice as well. Decorated with taste and looked really nice. It felt very down to earth. I was greeted by the barista as I walked up to the counter. I told him I'd never been there yet and instead of getting the typical roll of the eyes, he asked if I would like a little tour of the menu and have him explain it a little. Ummm yes! I work at a cafe so I usually know what everything means, but this gave me the additional few minutes to look over everything and become aware of what they were offering. I finally decided on a Tiramisu Mocha, which sounded unique and delicious. I asked him if it was good and he replied with "It's pretty popular." Which made me wary because I tell people that when I don't like something. He then recommended swapping some of the mocha for white and adding cinnamon. Umm yes again! As he was making it I looked over at their bakecase and noticed they had pecan and walnut baklava.... wow. So I ordered the pecan and my total came to just a little over $5. Which is what I would have paid for just the drink at a Starbucks. He told me to make sure to let him know how I liked it and I assured him I would. I figured I would grab a straw, take a sip, and go.

But I decided to sit down. Which is kind of odd for me because I was alone and in an unfamiliar environment, and I usually bolt the first change I get. Maybe it was the woman sitting at a table knitting, but I just felt comfortable there. So I sat down and enjoyed the baklava and the drink which I liked very much. I noticed a lot of dad's stopping in to get coffee with their little girls, which reminded me of when my dad and I would do that.

Over all I LOVED this cafe and will definitely be going back. The coffee was good, the service was incredibly good, and I liked the fact I could sit outside in a relatively peaceful area. They also have a great punch card if you decide to visit. Over all I give this place a 8.5, just falling short in the area that I didn't see any place for music and that is something I'd really like to find.

If you've visited this shop, what is your impression?