Restaurant Reivew
Savaya
Savaya is a local specialty coffee roaster in Tucson with 4 convenient locations throughout the city. Savaya sources organic beans from around the world. This review is for the Oro Valley location, which is conveniently located right across the street from the beautiful Catalina State Park, thus making it a perfect place to enjoy a little pick me up before exploring the gorgeous trails.
Food
The shade-grown organic beans at Savaya are sourced from fair trade farms around the world. 2 different roasts are offered daily on-site and you can order from about a dozen or so selections from their website or in the store. Coffee is imported weekly and roasted fresh daily in Tucson. All coffees are single origin, which is always the best.
The daily coffees are always different with new unique flavors. The coffee is not overly strong, yet still flavorful. It's not the best in town, as Cartel and Exo Roast are much better, but it's still one of the better options especially if you are heading near Oro Valley for the day. They offer an extensive collection of really rare coffees that you can take home with you, although they are quite pricey!
If you are feeling adventurous, they offer the Kafette, a Turkish brewing method. Cold brew and French Press are also available. And if you are not into coffee, try a mug of loose leaf tea or one of their seasonal drinks like the Mexican Hot Chocolate.
Savaya is known for their Turkish Coffee. Making Turkish Coffee involves a special method of preparing unfiltered coffee where the finely ground beans are simmered rather than boiled in a pot (cezve) with optional sugar and served in a cup where the grounds are allowed to settle. The coffee is thicker and strong and said to be an acquired taste. If you feel like trying something new, it's supposed to be very good here.
Service
Service is always a hit or miss depending on the particular barista working. While we had a problem with rude service from one barista on multiple locations, the owner was nice enough to apologize. Service is always pretty quick as the shop is never too busy due to the odd apartment location, so that's a plus.
Atmosphere
The interior of Savaya is quite small, although colorful and nicely decorated. The seating is quite cozy so you can relax for a bit before heading out for the day. It has a nice neighborhood feel being that it is located on-site of an apartment complex.
Additionally, there is a small outdoor patio which is quite nice on cooler days as you get to enjoy a nice view of the Catalina mountains. Also, there are a few trees surrounding the patio so it never really gets too hot.
Savaya holds free coffee classes on the first Saturday of each month. This is a great hands on opportunity where you can learn more about the different brewing and roasting methods and even learn how to pull the perfect espresso shot. Classes are limited to just 10 people, so register online in advance to ensure your place!
Final Remarks
Savaya is a nice stop before visiting Catalina State Park, or a great place for an afternoon caffeine break in between shopping and errands in the Oro Valley area. It is one of the only local coffee shops in the area, and a much better option than grabbing a crappy cup of coffee at a big chain. Savaya is a nice quiet relaxing place serving decent coffee and offering nice views of the mountains, and thus, worth checking out if you happen to be in the area for the day.
