This morning was a Cinnamon Raisin bagel and a large cup of house coffee. Which by the way cost more than my usual Sausage McMuffin with egg, hashbrown, coffee and The Arizona Daily Star.

As I walked in the door I noticed a sticker on the front window FREE WIFI. The sign said to inquire within about how to get free WIFI and it guaranteed the bagels to be low tech.

So you can add Bruegger’s at Naranja and La Canada to your list of free wifi spots and the bagels and coffee are very good, if you can afford it.

The coffee is very good all by itself. Here is what you can expect to find:

• Clean atmosphere and environment
• Great Bagels and Bagel Sandwiches (breakfast included)
• Indoor and Outdoor Seating
• FREE WIFI

Refills are full price. Again, not the place to get your coffee if you are on a budget. But every now and then I want a crisp bagel and a house coffee and they are just down the road.

You can see all of the coffee shops in Oro Valley (at least the ones I’ve found so far) on the Oro Valley Coffee Shop Map

Located to the right of the front entrance to the Fry’s shopping center in a Truck, yep a truck, a coffee van stand.

I’ve been back three days in a row now to sample this wonderful coffee. The price of a large cup of mild dark roast is $2.00. The cheapest cup of coffee yet on your rounds of large coffee with the exception of McDonald’s.

Elixer Coffee is a must stop if you are going to be in the Target/Fry’s shopping center at Oracle and First between First and Pusch Ridge Lane. For the entire menu of options I’ve provided you with a look at the menu the day I was there.

I hear the “Starter Fluid” will get your day moving no matter how late you were up the night before.
Here is the menu with prices on the day of this post.

Click on the menu for a larger view.

If you are like me your eyes don’t focus well till you have had your morning coffee so I’ve put the large menu behind this one.

Can you imagine how much I have enjoyed doing this series of post on where in Oro Valley you can go to get a good cup of joe.

I’ve got a couple more posts in this series. One more trip back to some early posts on Desert Rain and Tully’s.

You are very right. Any excuse to go back for another cup of coffee.

You find them located on the Oro Valley Coffee Shop Map as well.

In Oro Valley it is located at the corner of Oracle and First Ave. right behind the Bank of America and beside Sally’s Beauty Supply. You can easily find it on our Oro Valley Coffee Shop Map.

Its Starbucks

Is there anybody left in the United States that doesn’t know what you can find at Starbucks?

• Featured coffees of the day (Robust, Mild, Decalf)
• Every combination of coffee drinks you can imagine
• Vanilla Steamers (sugar free option) and Iced Teas (for those that don’t drink coffee, yes they do exist)
• Lots of powders and creams to shake in for your own specialized cup of java
• Indoor and Outdoor Seating
• Lots of sweets and goodies to get your caffeine into your system quicker
• The prices are on everything (I like that)
• You can by all kinds of coffee and Starbucks related coffees and everything coffee related
• FREE WIFI I know that’s a must for many coffee drinkers these days. They need an outlet for the jitters created by the caffeine and sugar infusion. “Hey Mom, look how fast I’m typing!”

I’ve always been a fan of Yukon, Sumatra, and the Breakfast Blend. They are pretty strong for me so I always have them leave me plenty of room for cream (Half and Half). And they actually leave big pitcher of Half and Half as well as milk in a variety of fat percentages.

I like all of the coffee shops in Oro Valley and can easily find a reason to stop at Starbucks when I’m in the area.

If you know of a place in Oro Valley to get a great cup of Joe then leave a comment. I’ll check it out and add it to the map.

Checking out Coffee Shops is a wonderful hobby.

The easiest way to find a place is to click on the name in the legend of the map at the bottom. It will take you right to the location and open the description balloon on the marker. I’ve indicated the shops providing FREE WIFI connections.

It’s A Grind is located on Oracle near the intersection of Oracle and Magee in the same building as ScottTrade in front of Sprouts. I’ll be adding the location to the Oro Valley Coffee Shop Map post.

It’s A Grind Amenities

• Coffee in Air pots (Mulitple selections)
• Half and Half with sweeteners and shakers for flavor
• Full selection of specialty drinks
• Price of a Large Cup of Coffee $2.11 including tax
• Indoor and outdoor seating
• Free WIFI
• Lots of sweets for the sweet tooth
• Convenient parking

I chose the mildest brew over medium and strong. I got the end of one pot and the start of a new one. The end was dark and a little bitter, the new one much lighter overall a pretty strong cup of coffee for a “mild” brew. I wonder if the spoon will standup in the strong one or just be eaten off at the handle.

I wasn’t there long but my overall impression was favorable. It was nicely decorated inside and had a pleasant atmosphere. I’m not a fan of getting the coffee in air pots (just personal taste) but much better than coffee pots on burners (Yuck) I prefer the Starbuck and Tully’s approach to storing their brewed coffee in large stainless steel containers.

The sweets behind the counter were wonderful to look at, but again a minor annoyance. No prices on any of the selections. I like to know what feeding my sweet tooth is going to cost me.

Stop by and give them a try. It just might be the break you need from the Daily Grind : )

This is the second post in my series “Oro Valley Where to go for a good cup of Joe”. I haven’t actually written that post yet. The first in this series was Oro Valley Desert Rain Coffee.  Both are now located on the Oro Valley Coffee Shop Map

Tully’s is located at the Fry’s shopping center on the NE corner of La Canada and Lambert. This is where we buy most of our groceries since it is close to home and convenient to the gas station, Walgreens and on the way to the office.

We had lunch with some friends that live across the street fromTully’s a couple of weeks ago. I already knew they considered Starbucks too strong for their taste. They are retired, but that’s not unusual for Oro Valley, or Tucson for that matter. They mentioned they had been adopted by one of the ladies working at Tully’s. They make their way over there every morning with their coffee cups in hand. There is always some special treat for them and the staff is warm and friendly.

I decided to check it out.

The staff is warm and friendly. The house blend is strong and robust. The flavor is Rich and I have them leave room for me to add half and half. There is a flat panel TV on the wall with news 24/7.

Tully’s isn’t a starbucks, and it isn’t a locally owned specialty shop like John Hall’s Desert Rain Coffee. Tully’s has its own website Tullys.com where you can learn more about the company and the coffee drinks they brew.

Tully’s supports great charities and is involved in the communities where it has stores. I like this store. It smells good, it has a great cup of coffee, the atmosphere is inviting and did I mention the staff is warm and friendly.

The Scoop on Tully’s Coffee Shop

Here is the scoop:

• use your Fry’s card when you purchase, every time you have 5 cups you get the 6th one free. (I’m at 4 right now)
• A regular house blend large cup of coffee is $1.76
• There are plenty of good pastries to go with your coffee
• There is free wifi
• It’s a great place to read the paper
• There is free wifi : ) yes I know I already said it

Right now I’m just rinsing out my tully’s cup from the day before and bringing it back in for a refill. Hey, I’m getting ready for retirement even if it is a couple of decades away.

However, I’ll let you know I’m shopping local Oro Valley stores to find my own coffee mug to take with me to Tully’s when I stop to get a good cup of coffee. Maybe I’ll see you there.