Even people who are not fans of big band jazz have probably heard the song “Take the A Train” at least once. The standard was written by composer Billy Strayhorn based on Duke Ellington’s instructions to him on how to travel to his home upon arrival in New York City. The A Train is the subway line that goes to Sugar Hill, the northern part of the city’s historic Harlem neighborhood. Here in Phoenix, Harlem is not a neighborhood, but instead a coffee house, and the best way to reach it is not by taking the A Train, but instead by riding the B Line to McDowell/Central station.
From that platform, it’s a three-block walk to the west to arrive at Harlem. For those combining the train with the Third Avenue cycle track, the nearest bike rack is found a block to the south at Lynwood Street. If Harlem is not obvious at first glance, it’s because the coffee shop is the daytime counterpart to the property’s principal tenant, Sauvage Wine Bar. While Sauvage owns the night, Harlem is on site Thursday through Monday in the morning and early afternoon, identified by a sandwich board on the sidewalk proclaiming, “This ain’t no lemonade stand.”
The name “Harlem” is not a coincidence. This Black-owned shop celebrates African-American culture from Ellington and Strayhorn to the present while attracting a diverse clientele from the immediate neighborhood and beyond. The menu is simple with just a handful of coffee and tea drinks and a few pastries on display, but the atmosphere of Sauvage, a wine shop built inside a historic home, invites customers to linger in a lounge environment. There is a living room where Harlem operates, as well as a bar counter, a foyer, two back rooms, and a shaded patio outside.
The beverage menu has a listing under “classics” of espresso, cappuccino, cortado, americano, latter, and, of course, plain drip coffee. Underneath, there are several specialties created by Harlem. “Black AF” combines espresso and milk with the contrasting flavors of roasted black sesame and brown sugar. The Jones is a mix of sugar and spice with honey, cardamon, vanilla, and orange bitters. Kinfolk relies on hazelnut and nutmeg for its flavor profile. A similar drink, the Louis has subtle flavor from a bourbon reduction, cardamon, brown sugar, and maple syrup.
These standard selections are augmented by seasonal specials. In spring of 2025, the emphasis was on ube, its bold purple color contrasting with brown coffee, white milk, and green matcha. More recently, there has been a focus on strawberry with summer drinks resurrected for Valentine Day, including lattes made of fresh strawberry and mint with either matcha or hojicha. Both types of green tea are available plain as well, and chai and black tea are also possibilities. All of the drinks are available with whole, almond, or oat milk and can be served hot or iced.
Harlem also offers pastry. Options typically include buttery, flaky croissants; crumbly coffee cake; enormous cookies with oats, coconut, and chocolate chips; and a savory choice of quiche. All can be packaged to go or enjoyed on site amid the bottles of wine that Sauvage has on display. The Roosevelt historic district, the neighborhood that this particular Harlem calls home, is a long way from the Manhattan subway that Billy Strayhorn navigated on his way to Duke Ellington’s place, but it’s a bit of culture and comfort accessible via Phoenix’s own B Train.
149 W. McDowell Rd., Phoenix AZ 85003
https://www.harlemcoffee.co
PHX Rail Food 