Mayorga Coffee Roasters, Several Area Locations along with Hospital and Airport Kiosks

[DinerGirl]

Has anyone else had a bad service experience at Mayorga Coffee in Silver Spring? I was just there with a group of friends to hear a band, and the female manager (is her name Candy?) is just one of the most rude individuals I've seen in food/beverage service in a very long time. I don't know how her retinas stay attached with all the eye rolling at customers who want to, oh, I don' t know... ORDER and PAY FOR a cup of coffee. But, I guess since it interrupts her really important conversations with fellow co-workers and friends that stop by.... well, ya know. I can see how that would be an inconvenience. I feel like everytime I go there, and she's working, the place is a disaster. No one's paying attention, the place is dirty, the bathrooms are a disaster, and the service is sloooooooow and most of the orders that get brought out are incorrect.

I've heard from other folks in the area that they've had bad experiences there, too. Please tell me I'm not hallucinating, and that they need to send a management trainer there, and soon! There aren't a ton of alternatives for decent coffee in SS/TP.

[bookluvingbabe]

Has anyone else had a bad service experience at Mayorga Coffee in Silver Spring?  I was just there with a group of friends to hear a band, and the female manager (is her name Candy?) is just one of the most rude individuals I've seen in food/beverage service in a very long time.  I don't know how her retinas stay attached with all the eye rolling at customers who want to, oh, I don' t know... ORDER and PAY FOR a cup of coffee.  But, I guess since it interrupts her really important conversations with fellow co-workers and friends that stop by.... well, ya know.  I can see how that would be an inconvenience.  I feel like everytime I go there, and she's working, the place is a disaster.  No one's paying attention, the place is dirty, the bathrooms are a disaster, and the service is sloooooooow and most of the orders that get brought out are incorrect.

I've heard from other folks in the area that they've had bad experiences there, too.  Please tell me I'm not hallucinating, and that they need to send a management trainer there, and soon!  There aren't a ton of alternatives for decent coffee in SS/TP.

Yes.

I even called the manager about it once and never received a response.

Alas I have a morning meeting there once a month so I just suck it up. The coffee is at least decent...

Jennifer

[rbh]

You could try calling their main office. I think I've only been to one of their cafes; but I love their coffee, and usually go up to Rockville to buy beans at their roasting plant. There, they've always been very pleasant. I've gotten the impression from their newsletters and such that the owner's focus is still on roasting and selling great coffee (and not so much on the cafes) - if you just look at their mission statement, there's nothing about their cafes. As such, perhaps a few complaints directed at that level will help make them aware that there are issues at the cafes they should address.

Edited February 25, 2006 by rbh

[bioesq]

You could try calling their main office.  I think I've only been to one of their cafes; but I love their coffee, and usually go up to Rockville to buy beans at their roasting plant.  There, they've always been very pleasant.  I've gotten the impression from their newsletters and such that the owner's focus is still on roasting and selling great coffee (and not so much on the cafes) - if you just look at their mission statement, there's nothing about their cafes.  As such, perhaps a few complaints directed at that level will help make them aware that there are issues at the cafes they should address.

Mayorga's owner is expanding the business, and recently received concessions in the Pittsburgh airport. Notwithstanding, he offers an outstanding local product worthy of support. I've been buying his Cafe Cubano, and it's a beautifully well-balanced dark roast that makes the early morning hours almost tolerable.

[Gastro888]

The coffee is outstanding. When I have some quiet time, I like to enjoy a cup of the daily roast in their lovely shop. I also like their cheese plate - it's decent, serviceable and hits the spot when you want a light nosh.

However, I agree - the service is rather piss poor. This one time (not at band camp), I ordered a cup of java to go and paid for it with my credit card. After looking at the credit card and noticing my last name, the server then proceeded to harass me about my ethnicity, aka the "Where are you from?" line of questioning. I felt this was INCREDIBLY rude on his part. (PM me if you don't get why this is rude) Yes, I couldn't talked to his manager. Yes, I could've lodged a complaint with the main office. I didn't. I decided to fight fire with fire. He kept on pestering so I think I replied "America" or "My mother's womb", to every question I can't remember now.

I would stop going there if they didn't have such good coffee. Damn it!

[mr food]

Sams Club in Laurel sellls 2.5 pound bags for $13. Best price I've found and they have several different varieties (including the Cubano which is excellent). Beans are so fresh and oily they clog my burr grinder.

[LizH]

I have to say I didn't really like the coffee the few times I have been. After a trip to Miami I ordered the Cuban coffee that I so enjoyed all over Miami, but it could not compare.

I have found the three times I have gone the coffee was worse then the last time I went. It always seemed more bitter then smooth. I like the idea of this being a local place, but the product was really not that great.

[bookluvingbabe]

It just gets worse--they have stopped serving breakfast food on weekdays. Now it is just bagels and muffins.

Plus someone has BOUGHT Blair Mill Road and turned it into a private street and is charging $2 a shot to park.

How can you buy a public street and turn into a private parking lot?

Sigh...

Must start looking for other alternatives that are open at 7 am.

Jennifer

[kcl]

It just gets worse--they have stopped serving breakfast food on weekdays.  Now it is just bagels and muffins. 

Plus someone has BOUGHT Blair Mill Road and turned it into a private street and is charging $2 a shot to park.

How can you buy a public street and turn into a private parking lot?

Sigh...

Must start looking for other alternatives that are open at 7 am.

Jennifer

You're right, the parking over there has gotten to be a pain. I think the parking lot you're referring to is about to be turned into a condo development, because the parking lot you refer to is now closed to the public and has a trailer-office set up.

I park over at the Kennett street garage which is sandwiched between 13th and Newell streets. Kennett runs parallel to East West Highway and you have to jump over some chains and walk through the sketchy rent-a-car lot, but you'll get there eventually.

With the new Gallery restaurant in there and the upcoming condo development, they really need to build a better thoroughfare from the public garage to the Blair Mill arts center.

[hillvalley]

So last weekend I took Nick Cho up on his offer . Had a blast. Learned a lot. Drank a lot of espresso, most of it pretty bad. Now that I have a real taste for it, where do I go to get the good stuff? Is there any in DC? Where are your favorite places, and why do you like them? [Murky coffee has its own thread. Starbucks need not apply] ...help

Mayorga Coffee - the Silver Spring location has amazing chairs and sofas that allow for time to fly by with a great cup of cappuccino.

[porcupine]

Yesterday at the Mayorga in Rockville a tall skinny guy made the best latte I've had in a year. The coffee was smooth with a nice acidity, the balance of coffee to milk was perfect, and it was just the right temperature.

Espresso drinks are like cocktails. First, you have to find an establishment that stocks the right ingredients (in this case, a dark-roast that isn't burnt), but then you have to find someone who's able to actually make the drink well. And that's the hard part.

So if you're in that shop find the tall skinny guy and have him make your drink.

[blakegwinn]

I grind and french press our coffee every morning. For the last year I was in DC, I always used Mayorga coffee beans. Usually the Kenyan, Colombian, Panama Hartmann or Ethiopian. When I moved to Jersey for a year and a half I had Mayorga beans shipped to me. Since moving to NYC I thought I would try to find some good beans here that I wouldn't have to have shipped all the time (since I live in a walk up and having them shipped to work is a pain). I have tried 5-6 different NYC coffee brands (including oren's daily, irving farm, porto rico and a few others) that I have found through various research or recommendations, and nothing has come close to toppling Mayorga. The last chance NYC has is Gorilla Coffee, and if that doesn't pan out I am switching back to Mayorga. All of their coffees have a strong COFFEE (not roast!) flavor without ever being too bitter or acidic. Mayorga beans just make the best cup of coffee you can get in my opinion.

[Beto]

I grind and french press our coffee every morning. For the last year I was in DC, I always used Mayorga coffee beans. Usually the Kenyan, Colombian, Panama Hartmann or Ethiopian. When I moved to Jersey for a year and a half I had Mayorga beans shipped to me. Since moving to NYC I thought I would try to find some good beans here that I wouldn't have to have shipped all the time (since I live in a walk up and having them shipped to work is a pain). I have tried 5-6 different NYC coffee brands (including oren's daily, irving farm, porto rico and a few others) that I have found through various research or recommendations, and nothing has come close to toppling Mayorga. The last chance NYC has is Gorilla Coffee, and if that doesn't pan out I am switching back to Mayorga. All of their coffees have a strong COFFEE (not roast!) flavor without ever being too bitter or acidic. Mayorga beans just make the best cup of coffee you can get in my opinion.

Gorilla does a very good job. You have plenty of excellent options up there with local roasters:

Gimme Coffee

Coffee Labs Roasters

Gillies Coffee

and

Stumptown Coffee will be opening a Brooklyn-based roastery soon.

[MichaelG]

Has anyone else had a bad service experience at Mayorga Coffee in Silver Spring? .... I feel like everytime I go there, and she's working, the place is a disaster. No one's paying attention, the place is dirty, the bathrooms are a disaster, and the service is sloooooooow and most of the orders that get brought out are incorrect.

I've heard from other folks in the area that they've had bad experiences there, too. Please tell me I'm not hallucinating, and that they need to send a management trainer there, and soon! There aren't a ton of alternatives for decent coffee in SS/TP.

It's 2009 now, and i find the service at the Silver Spring Mayorga to be great. Perhaps a change of management, or new improved baristas? I used to get poor service of the "I'm way too cool to serve you" style at the now defunct Bethesda Mayorga, but don't get that at all at Silver Spring.

I've been quite pleased with Silver Spring since I started going there regularly a few months ago. Also, if you have young children (which I do), it's a super friendly place to take them, complete with kid friendly musical activities several days a week (compliments of "Miss Belle" and/or "Mr. Don"). Parking is still a complete disaster. Couple of public garages in the vicinity, but all about a 5-10 minute walk. Closest parking I've found is across Georgia on Selim Rd (more like an alley). You can cross Georgia either up by Montgomery College/East-West Hwy. Or use the metro/train bridge, which doesn't look like it will collapse for, oh, I'd say at least a few more months.

But the coffee is great, and these days staff is super friendly. My new favorite local coffeehouse (especially since the sad demise of Kirsten's).

Michael

[bookluvingbabe]

It's 2009 now, and i find the service at the Silver Spring Mayorga to be great. Perhaps a change of management, or new improved baristas? I used to get poor service of the "I'm way too cool to serve you" style at the now defunct Bethesda Mayorga, but don't get that at all at Silver Spring.

I've been quite pleased with Silver Spring since I started going there regularly a few months ago. Also, if you have young children (which I do), it's a super friendly place to take them, complete with kid friendly musical activities several days a week (compliments of "Miss Belle" and/or "Mr. Don"). Parking is still a complete disaster. Couple of public garages in the vicinity, but all about a 5-10 minute walk. Closest parking I've found is across Georgia on Selim Rd (more like an alley). You can cross Georgia either up by Montgomery College/East-West Hwy. Or use the metro/train bridge, which doesn't look like it will collapse for, oh, I'd say at least a few more months.

But the coffee is great, and these days staff is super friendly. My new favorite local coffeehouse (especially since the sad demise of Kirsten's).

Michael

I've been back in the Mayorga groove for a while now (back on the Executive Committee of my congregation means early morning meetings there...) and I've been pleased with this version. I've been paying to park in the garage off of what used to be Blair Mill. The coffee is good, the service is decent and the music isn't as loud as it used to be. And the full breakfast menu is back. I did see Kirsten's was gone but having only experienced truly dreadful coffee there, I don't lament its passing much.

[blakegwinn]

Gorilla does a very good job. You have plenty of excellent options up there with local roasters:

Gimme Coffee

Coffee Labs Roasters

Gillies Coffee

and

Stumptown Coffee will be opening a Brooklyn-based roastery soon.

You can get stumptown a few other places and it is good but also kind of pricey. They trick you with those not quite a pound bags. Thanks for the suggestions though. I will definitely try a few of these.

[bookluvingbabe]

Silver Spring location--closed.

New Takoma Park location--scheduled to open on Jan. 25th. 314 Carroll Street.

[Heather]

Silver Spring location--closed.

New Takoma Park location--scheduled to open on Jan. 25th. 314 Carroll Street.

Excellent. TkPk desperately needs a coffee shop.

[soapy]

The mayorga has set up shop in the drifting nomad/savory cafe location. I hope it does better than the last two coffee shops.

Any word on what is going to happen to the old mayorga location? Is it going to be sold or will it stay in business?

[Heather]

Happy to hear that Mayorga is open, but that location is a loser unless you're on foot. It will be hard to draw the folks driving by who might want a cuppa on a whim, because there's nowhere really close to park.

[xcanuck]

Happy to hear that Mayorga is open, but that location is a loser unless you're on foot. It will be hard to draw the folks driving by who might want a cuppa on a whim, because there's nowhere really close to park.

And isn't that why they claim the SS location failed? Sounds like they're moving from one bad location to another. It's a real shame that they couldn't open in "downtown SS" - a (relatively) independent coffee shop would be greatly preferable to the chains currently in operation.

[darkstar965]

I had a meeting in Rockville earlier this week. After it ended, being kind of tired, I thought caffeine might be a good thing (though I'm the kind of person who half kiddingly thinks the supposed connection of caffeine and sleep loss is a myth).

Anyway, I have never known of any good, very good, great or life-changing coffee in Rockville. Undaunted, I took out the smartphone and did a quick search, finding this place.

Mayorga Coffee is a bit of a conundrum but, more plainly, it just not so great in terms of the product itself.

Reviewing the 20 or so posts above from 2006 to 2010, I'll first update everyone.

Though my experience was at the Rockville (King Farm) location, I can confirm that:

- Silver Spring is still closed and, based on other observations, I'm guessing it's likely to stay that way.

- This is still a locally owned company with some number of locations fewer than 5.

- Haven't a clue whether the Takoma Park location, ill fated in the eyes of one poster upthread, still survives?

My bottom line: an excellent place to hang out, work or read but not a place if coffee is your thing.

What I Liked

- Nice people. Two average/shorter height hispanic gentlemen were staffing when I was there. One grey haired. One not. Both perfectly friendly and nice. No nasty woman as reported a few years back (go figure!) or tall maestro latte maker. They've moved on.

- It's a local outfit roasting within a few miles of the shop. Of course have to like that given all the North Carolina beans we have flooding our area (not having any roaster specifically in mind or anything )

- The venue itself. Maybe the best around in terms of the calm and number of leather sofas and chairs and overall seating options. One of the vapid Yelp posters (all of whom seem to LOVE this place) wrote it's a good spot if "you're looking for a coffee shop like on Friends." Uh, yeah, guess I'd agree with that.

What I Didn't Like

- The coffee. Sigh, I so wanted to be wow'ed by this place. They feature just two drip coffees each day. A standard Cafe Cubano and then a rotating daily special. I ordered the latter, a Peruvian "Andes" (which struck me as a made-up name--isn't there a Chilean brew by that name also? ) It wasn't made (ground or brewed) to order. Rather, it was dispensed from a warming pot. Not good. Bitter. Flat. Scaldingly hot when served.

- The espresso drinks. Nearly the entire menu is about espresso drinks so I figured I should try one to better appreciate things. My standard order with a first visit: a cappuccino. No way to sugar coat this. It was bad. Very bad. First, the weight of the cup was my first sign something was off. It was heavy like a latte. Like the drip coffee, it was served at way too high a temp. Taste was way off. The milk overwhelmed whatever the espresso was and, as insane as this will sound, I detected notes of candy corn ground mortar & pestle style with low salt potato chips. I really did. I kid you not. Sipped repeatedly to be sure.

- The baked goods on display. Didn't order a pastry or muffin but these were every bit the equal of any over-sugared, trans-fat-laden monstrosity ever seen on a Starbucks shelf.

- Packaged beans. The display with beans for sale concerned me in two ways small and large. Small was the generic names like "Sumatra Blend" or"Brazil Carnival" without any specific provenance or bean characteristic information provided. Of larger was that the bags all had dates on them. Not roast dates but, rather, sell-by dates. Some of these had late April expiry dates. April, 2013!! Huh?

I had a familiar feeling about Mayorga and its crown logo when I first walked in. I asked the cashier about it, certain I'd seen the marque in Florida. He didn't think so and told me about it being a small Rockville company, etc.

Well, a little noodling and searched reminded me where I'd seen this brand. Pretty much everywhere because they decided their business was mass-market wholesale several years ago. Mayorga has a big wholesale business through mass-market retailers including Costco up and down the east coast. Whole Foods. Airports. Etc, etc.

Sigh, it is what it is. A very comfortable place to take a break...and order tea or water.

[JoyS]

The Takoma location is indeed closed, as of about 2-3 weeks ago. As with King Farm, their muffin/pastry selection was rather lame.

It was a rare occasion to get well-made espresso drink at that location or former Silver Spring spot. Of all their beans, Roastmasters Blend is pretty good (not bitter, silky texture) when made at home on grind-and-brew Capresso machine.

[darkstar965]

The Takoma location is indeed closed, as of about 2-3 weeks ago. As with King Farm, their muffin/pastry selection was rather lame.

It was a rare occasion to get well-made espresso drink at that location or former Silver Spring spot. Of all their beans, Roastmasters Blend is pretty good (not bitter, silky texture) when made at home on grind-and-brew Capresso machine.

Yeah, clearly their hearts (and $) aren't in providing great product at retail.

[DonRocks]

Yeah, clearly their hearts (and $) aren't in providing great product at retail.

I stopped getting Mayorga at the Tenleytown Marvelous Market when I discovered Modern Times Coffeehouse a few doors down.

It's not a bad product; something akin to M.E. Swing's, both of which I'll gladly purchase before Starbucks.

Still at a quandary when it comes to buying Whole Foods - can someone reply to this in the Shopping and Cooking thread? South or Central American whole beans from Quartermaine is generally my coffee of choice there, but they often don't have them, forcing me to buy "Red Line Blend," etc.

[porcupine]

What I Didn't Like

- The coffee.

Despite what I wrote upthread 3 years ago, I have to agree with you.

[mtureck]

Taste was way off. The milk overwhelmed whatever the espresso was and, as insane as this will sound, I detected notes of candy corn ground mortar & pestle style with low salt potato chips. I really did. I kid you not. Sipped repeatedly to be sure.

Hmm...I thought it tasted more of hand crushed candy corn with sea salt potato chips. We will just have to agree to disagree.

Sorry, couldn't help it.

I envy your palate.

[Jeff Heineman]

, as insane as this will sound, I detected notes of candy corn ground mortar & pestle style with low salt potato chips. I really did. I kid you not. Sipped repeatedly to be sure.

Maybe they were mouth ground and they were going for the coffee version of Kuchikami no sake.

The first sake, kuchikami no sake, (口噛みの酒) or "mouth-chewed sake," was made by people chewing rice, chestnuts, millet, and acorns and spitting the mixture into a tub, where the enzymes from saliva converted the starches to sugar. This sweet mixture was then combined with freshly cooked grain and allowed to naturally ferment.

From the New World Encylopedia

[darkstar965]

Hmm...I thought it tasted more of hand crushed candy corn with sea salt potato chips. We will just have to agree to disagree.

Sorry, couldn't help it.

I envy your palate.

Maybe they were mouth ground and they were going for the coffee version of Kuchikami no sake.

The first sake, kuchikami no sake, (口噛みの酒) or "mouth-chewed sake," was made by people chewing rice, chestnuts, millet, and acorns and spitting the mixture into a tub, where the enzymes from saliva converted the starches to sugar. This sweet mixture was then combined with freshly cooked grain and allowed to naturally ferment.

From the New World Encylopedia

mtureck: thank you. literally laughed out loud. if we ever 'hash it out face to face,' (good) coffee's on me

jeff: and here I'll write about him versus to him as with mtureck above. i'm sorry, but you'd never, ever, ever in a zillion years see a response like that on yelp, chowhound, urbanajera, egullet, etc, etc. I mean, what's the google search term that yields that tidbit? Answer, none. For reasons only known to jeff (I don't want to know), he actually knew that. Some pretty rich stuff and the most amazing thing? After I cleared the tears from my eyes I reconsidered it more seriously and thought "damn, he nailed it--that's actually closer than my lame korn/chip thing." Nicely done. And...only on dr.com.