Restaurant Reivew
Verrado Coffee Company
Verrado Coffee Company is a nice little stop in Buckeye for a delicious espresso drink. On our road trip from Flagstaff to San Diego, Verrado made for the perfect little place to relax and get a little energy boost before continuing on our journey.
A beautiful outdoor patio, relaxed & friendly staff, and tasty drinks provided exactly what we were looking for: a laid-back, non-chain coffee break.
Food
Coffee at Verrado is locally roasted at Espresso Italia in Tempe. Here you will find all the usual drinks on the menu: iced coffee, espresso, mocha and lattes, chai tea, as well as caffeine free smoothie selections.
The basic Americano and mocha we tested out were decent: no complaints other than the use of paper cups. Coffee tastes different in a paper cup vs. a proper mug. I think mugs fit in better with Verrado's casual, lounge like setting - I am not sure why they only offer paper cups. Paper cups are for pick up orders from a drive-thru or basic chain, not for lounge style coffee houses!
Drinks are a bit overpriced (the norm for Arizona I've noticed). The large Mocha and small Americano came in at about 8 bucks, which is a bit ridiculous for 2 basic drinks. In addition, they have lots of extra charges like 75 cents for non-dairy milk and extra espresso shots.
Aside from high pricing, the espresso drinks were very good, and well worth the money.
Service
After trying out several coffee shops throughout Arizona, I definitely noticed a major improvement in the service at Verrado. Employees seemed more genuine and friendly compared to others, especially in the Northern Arizona region!
Atmosphere
The setting inside Verrado is clean, modern, and attractively designed. There is a whole wall of books to check out during your visit, board games to play, and comfy couches to relax on. In addition, there is a pretty outdoor patio with several covered tables and beautiful desert landscaping. It's the perfect place to enjoy Southern Arizona's mild winter, fall, & spring weather.
As the only drawback, the shop seems to be catering to residents and future residents of Verrado as you will find a bunch of real estate brochures and info about new homes, and thus, it feels a bit like a real estate office. Nevertheless, it's still a classy, attractive place to enjoy a coffee break whether or not you live in Buckeye or are just passing through.
Verrado has a free electric charging station. This came in handy for us as we were able to charge our Prius as we sat relaxing with our drinks. We got back on the road with a complete charge!
Final Remarks
Verrado is a great local hangout for residents of Buckeye, as well as a nice relaxing break for road trip travelers who are looking for something more laid-back than a chain. The outdoor patio is a fantastic place to sip your coffee, enjoy Arizona's sunshine, and admire the pretty palm trees before continuing on your road trip.
