Looney Bean

What’s not to love? Friendly mountain vibe, cool customers, great service, delicious treats & coffee. I will not go to Mammoth without going to Looney Bean!

Stopped in on the way out of town and paid almost 6 bucks for a mocha. I was expecting a lot at that price tag. The mocha was overly sweet and tasted like it had chai tea in it-​really awful. It also took about 15 min for them to make it. It is super-​painful watching such inefficiency.

First thing you notice is the interior. Some of it is standard for your non-​mainstream coffee joints: odd assortment of books, a bit of deliberate haphazardness in the furniture layout and potted plants and of course the bulletin board full of local events and grassroots campaigns for various causes. But there is a uniqueness to it that tells you that the Looney bean is its own thing.
Service is awesome, you can tell they care about their business and customers.
The coffee itself is great, at about the same level for most indie coffee shops. They have some extra cool stuff though like cold brew and slow drip. They also bake fresh stuff daily.

This place is scrumptious. A must go while in Mammoth. Not worth going anywhere else! The staff is so helpful and welcoming. Coffee, coffee!!!

Whenever I come to Mammoth, I try to stop by here as many times as possible. Awesome coffee, awesome staffs. They are so kind and good. Two thumbs up.

It’s convenient to have a place to sit, drink an okay beverage, and utilize free wifi while anticipating folding some fresh, warm laundry.
This place gets super busy sometimes, surprisingly enough.

Fast, pleasant customer service and roomy environment. Parking lot easy to navigate and centrally located in this busy town.

It was a wonderful experience! I loved the looney latte, velvet Elvis and the caramelicious latte! Great and fast customer service. The café was nice, clean and cozy. It’s a nice hang out place, they showcase paintings of the landscape that I assume are from a local artist which are wonderful and pleasing to the eye. The fire place and all the decorations give it a nice old town feel that makes you feel right at home… definitely a must if you are in the mammoth area. It’s also decently priced so that’s a plus! I spent 3 days there with my amazing boyfriend and we couldn’t stay away from this place.

Popped in for a hot Americano on my way from the sierras to LA. I was not only pleased with my beverage, but I was also happy to receive smiles and good wishes from the friendly staff. My new pit stop in Bishop!

5 stars for multiple reasons!
Great service, service with a smile! Drinks are great! I just wish they had some descriptions of the drinks. But the baristas are friendly and will answer all those questions. My dad got their mocha! Lots of flavor. I got their looney latte! A little sweet but once the flavors started to merry, it was fine. The chocolate covered espresso beans are such a cute touch! The whipped cream is homemade. And they have a good variety of baked goods, including some gluten free options. The atmosphere is very inviting as well. In the corner of the room they have a fireplace. There is plenty of outdoor space too. And it’s dog friendly. I will definitely be coming back!

Cold brew was strong and flavorful! Just the way I like it. Atmosphere was chill, great for working, writing, or reading. I love their small round wooden tables– a plus!

I love this little coffee chain. They always have such great service and coffee. I had to stop by twice this trip. Also, I would try the breakfast burritos– perfect thing to take on the road before a hike/​adventure. I wish they would have been a little warmer, though.

On our way to Whitney Portal and had about 5 hours to kill. Asked if they minded is hanging out there for the time and they said «not at all». Had a great Americano, muffin, cold pressed coffee and empanada. Nice lounge area too. Thanks again!

Nice atmosphere, good quality coffee. The staff is friendly and helpful. I will come back when I’m in Mammoth Lake.

I make Looney Bean my morning staple whenever I am in Mammoth. It is the ultimate local coffee shop. Tucked away in a strip mall on Old Main, it is filled with climbers and hikers in the summer and skiiers in the winter, planning their day’s adventures. In the afternoon, people hang out using the wifi or sit outside with friends. The lattes are great — I always get a quad latte (four shots) in the morning which somehow I find counteracts the altitude. They have a delicious blueberry bran muffin and my kids love the chocolate croissant. As testament to their local popularity, there is often a line out the door, but it is efficiently worked down. There are a bunch of places to get good coffee in Mammoth now, but this is my favorite.

After spending the night at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge in Yosemite, we needed access to WiFi for work and decided to head into Mammoth over going into Yosemite Valley. Left at 0930, made it by 1025. Looney Bean is the first coffee shop after driving in to Mammoth in a little shopping center on the right. Free WiFi, outdoor seating available, and very sweet staff.
We ordered a 16oz mocha w/​o whip and a 16oz Americano. The cashier was courteous to ask if I needed space for cream, which I didn’t need and also asked if we wanted whip for the mocha (which my husband declined). The place had a steady stream of people coming in for a late Tuesday morning.
Solid 4 stars because my husband and I like our coffee a bit more stout. Easily opportunity for 5 stars on our next visit, when we’ll order an extra shot in our beverages. Nice round coffee, earthy, cacao bean/​super dark chocolate tastiness in the Americano, a hint of nutmeg in the mocha. Espresso was not acidic, not overly fruity. Maybe an Indonesian blend? It was right up our alley.

Hot coffee here is outstanding and so is the cold brew ice coffee. I am only giving ³⁄₅ stars because my last visit they were out of cold brew for the 3^rd time in a row and when asked what time I should come in for cold brew they said «I don’t know» and followed up with «we should have some tomorrow, we might make it tonight». Come on… Don’t have it on the main menu if you’re not making it a consistently available product. Have it be a special or something if you want to pick and choose when you feel like making it.
Ok so cold brew isn’t always available but it is excellent when it is. So I ordered a regular ice coffee and yet again, regular it was. The normal ice coffee was very very weak. Added a splash of cream to it and it turned almost completely white. It tasted like coffee flavored water. I don’t want to give this place a bad wrap because it’s a great overall spot with mostly friendly staff, but that ice coffee wasn’t a good example of quality. My girlfriend for an ice chai tea, and she’s not one for strong drinks and even she said it might be the worst she’s ever had because it was so weak. I tasted it and it was really watery.
I am obviously a very small sample size but I would recommend sticking to hot coffee drinks and their cold brew when available as they definitely kill it in that realm. Their other cold drinks thus far have been pretty terrible.

I checked out this place after learning they roast their own beans and have a variety of brewing methods including trifecta and pour overs. I tried the coffee from Peru, but it had just a slight bitter taste. I wasn’t sure if it was the coffee itself or if they didn’t use quite enough grounds which can cause a slight bitterness. I will definitely come back and try another roast.
I also got a blueberry cream cheese pastry which was heavenly.
The service was friendly. I’ll be back.

Coffee quality: above Starbucks, comparable to Peet’s, not as good as Black Velvet.
Prices: For normal coffee, reasonable ($ 3 for my small). One nice thing about regular coffee is that they have self-​serve refills, which actually makes for great value if you’re going to stay put for a while. But beware: I think the cups are biodegradable, because they start melting and falling apart after a while. The barista kindly replaced mine when that happened. For the specialty drinks, prices are steep ($ 5 for my wife’s small Velvet Elvis).
Environment: Fine for conversing or for studying if you don’t mind low light.

I like coffee that tastes great without sugar and the latte I had this morning was fantastic. The atmosphere in the shop was homey and warm and all the customers seemed content.
The service was fast, but aloof.

I see the Looney Bean every time I drive through Bishop, but had never stopped in. Found out that there was now one in Mammoth proper so my friends and I decided to get our morning java fix there and try it out. I’m happy to say that it’s a delightful coffee shop with a friendly local non-​chainy (even though there’s at least 2) vibe. My friend got a pumpkin latte (made with real purée, not syrup!) and I got a vanilla latte – they were excellent! So much better than Starbucks. We loved our coffees so much we went back the next morning for some more. I tried their Looney Latte, this time, which was basically a vanilla latte with whipped cream and chocolate-​covered espresso beans on top. It was delicious but a little bit too much of a sugar overload for me. I’ll just stick to a basic latte next time :) Friendly servers, great coffee and reasonable prices – if you haven’t been, it’s time to go!
STEPH JUDGEMENT: A delightful local coffee shop that wins on all counts!

I came here twice during my weekend in Mammoth and really enjoyed it. It’s obviously a popular spot as there was a line both days. They’ve got a the typical selection of coffee (and coffee variations), tea, and hot chocolate drinks as well as pastries (and apparently savory food too).
I ordered a nonfat latte the first day tried the regular coffee on both days as well. The latte was pretty good, although not the best I’ve had. I enjoyed the coffee options they had available both times. Some of the specialty drinks ordered by others in my group (like the Looney Latte) looked and sounded really good.
I sampled their almond blueberry cookie as well as the chocolate chip scone. Both were okay although they had a very similar, cake-​like texture that was on the dry side. I think the scone was better than the cookie since I happen to like dry, crumbly scones. The real standout pastry was the strawberry cheese danish my friend ordered. The cheese and strawberry filling was delicious and the pastry portion was soft and buttery. Definitely a winner.
The service is good and the interior is a cozy place. It’s probably even more inviting in the winter time. They also have an outdoor patio, which was pleasant. I would definitely return here next time I’m in Mammoth.