Papachay’s Coffee Roasters

he coffee is very good. It is worth coming here and give it try. When I arrived, the owner was chatting up with a customer on coffee preparation, so that was interesting to listen up on.
A downside to the place is that there is no place to work so it is very different from starbucks/​peets etc. There are a couple sofas for seating, but definitely no table as the other rooms are taken up by coffee bean roasters.
Park on the street near the coffee shop!
Either way, good coffee. I might stop by again to get a lb of beans before I leave for the east coast.

Stopped by based on positive reviews. First of all, super nice people! Max’s mother-​in-​law was at the store, and despite language challenges (my Spanish sucks), she was so sweet. She called Max so I could ask my questions and place my order.
I really really really hoped their coffee would match their niceness. Sorry to say I was disappointed. They offer only Full City and French Roasts, which are way too dark. The Full City beans I got looked a bit over roasted and slightly oily. From the taste of my pourover, the quality of their green beans is good.
Bottom line, fans of third wave should pass. Fans of Starbucks and Peets dark roast beans should definitely give this local business a try!

Papachay has to be the BEST, BY FAR COFFEE AROUND! Stop by and see Max in the am for a cup and see for yourself. Been drinking Papachay for the last 8 yrs and there is nothing that comes close to its quality. It’s a must for the early eye opener. Enough said it speaks for itself…

I am a big coffee drinker and I have to say Papachay coffee is the best coffee I have ever had. Its true organic coffee from Peru that puts Starbucks to shame. From the smell of the freshly roasted coffee to the taste of the freshly brewed coffee everything is amazing. Plus the owners are very kind, humbly couple who will keep you entertained with their stories of their farm in Peru. I totally recommend it. Free cup of coffee with the purchase a bag. Price is equivalent to other coffee places and plenty of parking space.

He sells at the Mountain View farmer’s market. This is my go-​to coffee and I usually buy a bag there every week or two. Unfortunately, I missed it this week and now I has a sad. Need to find somewhere else where I can buy it.

I saw max on his bike delivering coffee. I had only observed that in Portland, OR before and was glad to know it was available in the Bay Area.
I called max and he was extremely nice and came to our software company right away. He brought two large bags of Italian roast for our espresso maker and two large bags of French roast for our drip machine.
We are high end aficionados and normally drink Stumptown coffee, but Max’s coffee blew us away! It was thick, creamy and had beautiful color when we pulled a shot. It had a Carmel sweet taste and left us wanting more. Highly recommended!

Okay, hooray for Papachay today I say. I like to go here in the morning and get an excellent cup of coffee. I discovered this place while driving down old county, and I am very glad it is here, so that I do not need to go to starbuck’s anymore. The nearby starbucks is always crowded and there’s no where to park, or its a hassel to park. Papachay has parking on the street all over the place, and there’s almost never a line to have to stand and wait in. I can just drive up, park, get a cup of excellent coffee and out the door in like 5 minutes flat!
One thing I also like is that if you want cream, they don’t just ask you that, and then leave like a fourth of the cup empty for you to fill with cream. At other places, they do this and then I basically just get shorted on the coffee since they leave way more «room for cream» than I need. At Papachay, they ask if you want cream, and then they let you add it mid-​way during pouring your coffee, and then they top it off with coffee after you add your cream. Talk about service! Where else does this happen?! Hooray Papachay!!! Love it!

Papachay’s sells Peruvian coffee, sourced yearly from Peru. didn’t see menu, just asked for a brew. am sure they roast the beans somewhere, didn’t inquire where.
storefront is just an hole in the wall. expresso cart outside on sidewalk when they do mobile sales.
brew: pour over from thermos (3)
–french roast with a herbal taste.
–coffee great, lids and cups were leakers, so beware when u sip.
drips:
–cars drive like .#&@.heartell drivers too busy texting to watch the road
careful crossing the road…

Home-​style, organic home grown beans from Peru… brilliant! Personal, custom experience.

I just stopped by here for the first time today because it’s in my neighborhood. Totally blown away by the flavor of a plain, unadorned cup of coffee! I’m so glad I gave into the whim for an extra cup of coffee today.
Had a chat with the owner, learned Papachay means «hey buddy» in Quechua. Also that he’s got 30,000 pounds of beans in the back room.

Whoa– you want strong coffee? Purchase some coffee here. You’ll be AWAKE after a cup of these Peruvian magical coffee beans.
All the coffee beans are roasted per order and in small batches. Max, the owner, brings the harvested beans up once a year from Peru and stockpiles them here for the Peninsula’s pleasure (or anyone who orders from him for that matter).
As a coffee connoisseur these days– I highly recommend trying a cup or a bag of coffee from Max! I will not pass him up if I’m ever up that way and it’s still early in the day!
** Sensitive to caffeine? Be warned, this coffee is STRONG ** BUT– incredibly flavorful and delicious!

Papachay Full City ROast is my new favorite. So Fresh. It’s speCtacular. Glad I found this place. I will never go back to crappy coffee. Thank yOu Max!

First, CALL before going over to make sure he is there. Max goes to Peru to get coffee beans, so the shop could be closed. This is a place to buy great coffee beans, and to get a Fantastic value. Coffee tastes do vary for different folks. I happen to like dark roasts, where you get hints of caramel and chocalate in the final cup of coffee. I don’t like beans that taste more acidic, and «winey» as I call it. Go buy a pound of beans and judge for yourself!

Great place for coffee beans! The beans are roasted in small batches so it’s always fresh. I have been averaging 5 pounds of beans/​month for two people — it is that good!
The owner is very friendly, and he will gladly give you a tour of his place.

Like wandering into a holodec in the Peruvian mountains. To stumble in here on a morning summer bike ride while the shop opened, the smell of small batch fresh roasted Peruvian beans, to meet the owner, grower and creative force and take inspiration from his energy, the gate, the lumber yard near by and the train passes like ideas and plans of the future and progress and change. Starbucks is so very far away from here

This review is from my hubby and then me.
The Hubs has recently become a coffee aficionado and has been on the hunt for a local «dealer» of beans. He’s been frequenting a place in RWC but today ventured closer to home and stopped by Papachay’s. Best. Decision. Ever.
Meet Max. Owner, super cool, knowledgable, passionate about coffee. He explained everything the Hubs needed to know about his coffee and how it gets to be as delicious as it is. Organic, grown on his family farm in Peru and sent to San Carlos directly, small batches — you can’t go wrong.
Try his coffee — the Hubs brought home a delightful iced coffee after buying a pound and it was fantastic!

If you like to buy local, then this is the coffee purveyor for you! Personable owners, WONDERFUL coffee. Pick up beans at their roastery in San Carlos, or find them at the Mountain View Farmers’ Market.
Pro Tip 1: It is SOUTH of Home Depot and Ducky’s on Old County — kind of near a glass shop (and actually, not all that far from Devil’s Canyon).
Pro Tip 2: This is not a coffee SHOP, per se. It’s all about the beans.
The coffee is strong and rich in flavor, but not bitter. Works great as pourover.

I just started seeing the building signs recently even though the owner has been here like 6 years. After a quick lunch we decided to get some caffeine before going back to work. This is more of a wholesaler/​retailer than an actual coffee shop. However we were brewed some anyways and it was solid. Got a pound of Peruvian city roast to go. We got a quick tour of the facilities and saw some pictures of the plantations the owner fell in love with when his motorcycle happened to break down there during his travels. Crazy cool stories that you’d never get if you dont start talking to business owners!

I first experienced this coffee while on the job at Genentech. I drink the decaf blend as a latte everyday.
Recently I started at a biotech in San Carlos and as I was riding my bike to my new gig I happened to look up at the building I was passing and noticed the Papachay sign. I recognised Max, the owner, who was outside doing landscaping.
I stopped and he invited me in to see his place of business. I picked up some coffee for home.
Today I served the coffee at brunch to some one who’s never had Papashay coffee before. The response was favourable! The coffee was described as nutty, sweet and non acidic.
I highly recommend Max’s coffee and he’s a nice guy as well!

Cool store tucked away on Old County Rd. in San Carlos. They were very friendly and gave me a cup of coffee as soon as I walked in. They showed me some pictures of their fields in Peru. I bought 2 bags of whole beans for $ 20. The cup I drank was really nice. I look forward to having my coffee over the next couple weeks.