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This is primarily a roaster with a retail café operation hidden inside. It's located along Redwood City's Middlefield Road, amid a heavy population of Mexican restaurants and other local Latino culture. And this place fits the neighborhood mold: the staff are extremely friendly and want to speak Spanish with you as a way to welcome you into their culture. There are several rooms to this place - one that displays cups, the main entrance that displays large bins of beans, and an extensive back room. This rear area contains their humble coffee bar setup, a G. W. Barth Menado roaster, workspace for post-roasting operations (they roast Tue & Thu), and a collection of large burlap sacks for sale - with or without coffee. At the coffee bar, they use a single-group, red Rancilio to pull shots with a medium brown, even crema in paper cup. It's a slightly large pour, with a mild pungency and tobacco flavor. The roasting is still a bit dark for our general tastes, but you have to admire a long-standing, local operation such as this one.
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