Maya Eat World: A PHX Snack Synopsis

I keep going to local places in Phoenix, taking an obnoxious amount of photos, asking the owners questions, and then not writing articles about them because I don’t have enough to say. Therefore, here is a smorgasbord of some places that I loved recently. 

Yumi’s Coffee

Hi Frankie!

Currently: 3015 N 16th St.

We mainly wanted to go to Yumi’s Coffee because my fourth roommate’s (a Russian Blue cat named Mayumi) nickname is Yumi. She’s 4, has 2 kids that she gave up for adoption, and loves everyone. It’s run by a lovely Japanese woman and her boyfriend (yes, he’s white) currently as a popup in Dig It Gardens on the weekends from 9 AM to 1 PM. 

I got a Yuzu Honey Matcha Latte which they just discontinued… sorry to my Rambutan readers because it was so deliciously amazing. I’d give it five big booms (sorry again). Besides the matcha and coffee and baked goods, the space was amazing. Outdoors, lots of greenery, ample seating for a chat, etc. An oasis in the midst of downtown Phoenix. 

Trolley Coffee Car Co

Currently: 1949 E Osborn Rd

6 AM - 4 PM, M-F

Okay so drinks - we don’t really have a good baseline on what the drinks were like, but the owner himself is definitely worth a stop in. I would love to say I remember his name, but I don’t. I got into the car after and wrote down everything I could remember and his name simply did not make that list. (Guess what? I just stalked them on Facebook and it turns out Trolley Coffee Car Company was first conceived in 2007 by John Logan.) What I do remember is he was wearing the craziest car shirt ever and told me he had 23 more at home, so take that as you will. 

He was in a motorcycle accident, which made him think about life or something (which I believe is a natural reaction for people after they go through a near-death situation and want to reflect and reevaluate on their journey) and drew up the plans for a coffee shop contained inside of an old school trolley car. Once he retired from the construction industry, he decided to gift himself his ultimate dream, a trolley car coffee shop. Never in my life have I thought to myself, you could definitely sell coffee out of a trolley, so I really have to applaud him for his ingenuity. 

The Trolley opened its doors in October and they are so excited to serve the great people of Phoenix, Arizona. You can find it at the address above and at First Friday, driving around (they have crazy lighting so you really can’t miss it).

Hi Helya!

Cheese ‘n Stuff

5042 N. Central Ave

Despite the name giving early 2000s, this establishment has been serving Phoenix since 1949. To give some perspective, this is prime Cold War era and the US Army just got desegregated. Their claim is that they are a New York deli transplanted in Arizona. As someone who has frequented many, many NYC delis, I am sad to say that the claim is incorrect now although it looks like it was true in the past. It’s still a fully working delicatessen though, so no worries on that end. 

The website is beautifully dated in a way that I find endearing, light orange background with Times New Roman font for everything. I actually, upon further investigation, believe it has not been updated since 2009. 

What did we get to try? You’ll never guess - two deli sandwiches. Would I give it five big booms? Yes.