Penelope’s Coffee and Tea

We came here for a quiet Sunday morning coffee, I didn’t expect it to be so gourmet! They were fast and friendly, and serve gourmet pour over coffee like at Philz, except without the wait and rush. I always loved Philz coffee but have given up on going back since they are always packed with a long wait. Not here! The place is relaxed and they also have a variety of baked goods, Greek coffee and breakfast sandwiches. I am reluctantly writing this review since I am hoping to keep this a secret.

This local coffee spot is owned by the same owners as their next door neighbors, sandwich monkey. I have been here a few times with friends but I have never had a noteworthy experience.
The ambiance: love their ambiance! Very trendy interior design. However, I do not feel as if this coffee shop is as «cozy» as I would like. The concrete walls and floors give it a «cold» feeling that I do not like in a coffee shop.
The product: their coffee is so-​so. They do have a few luxury brews, but they are not anything spectacular. Then again, this is FC and I can’t expect everything to be blue bottle and Lavazza grade, but I do hold my coffee to a very high standard. As for Penelope’s, I would much rather save a few and French press my own coffee at home.
Other items: they do offer breakfast sandwich/​burritos for a very low price. I have not tried one yet but I will definitely try to if I ever come again. I expect that the sandwich would be good (being that they also own a sandwich shop. They also have a yogurt bar which is nothing special… I have noticed that they have been carrying a wide selection of baked goods. Again, never tried one but they look great?
Overall: okay but only bc it’s in FC

I usually go to coffee shops in San Francisco, but decided to give another area’s shop a chance. Made a quick search and found that this place uses a bee house coffee dripper which I thought would be good as I predominantly order manual brews. I got the Guatemalan FTO. The coffee was over extracted, had a tar mouthfeel and a finish of beef jerky or a minty beefiness. The roasts are DARK, if it says medium, it’s a dark medium. The smell of the brewed coffee is pungent and gave me a headache. If you’re looking for a decent cup or are used to lighter roasts, I’d stay away. The upsides is that ambiance is nice, offers free wifi, there’s plenty of parking and the service is good at the cashier.

Fast wifi. Decent selection of teas. Lots of parking. Comfy seating.

Coffee (²⁄₅): The first time I came, I ordered a pourover coffee. Compared to other coffee shops, the coffee wasn’t made with the same amount of scrutiny in terms of weighing the coffee, weighing the water, and timing and it unfortunately showed through the taste of the coffee. Knowing full well that pourover coffee can be hard to make and can be technical, I gave Penelope’s the benefit of the doubt and ordered a latte the second time I returned. However, the latte tasted predominantly of milk and the espresso did not come through at all.
Service (⁵⁄₅): The people who work here were very friendly in describing their different drinks and options. We were greeted both times with a smile and a genuine feel of hospitality.

Chill coffee shop. Comfy couches indoor and outdoor seating as well. Free wi-​fi a must and they don’t disappoint here. Plugs everywhere. Yogurt bar was interesting but I needed coffee. I ordered the regular Greek coffee per the barista’s recommendation. My understanding is that greek coffee has more positive attributes due to higher concentration of antioxidants but has less caffeine over regular coffee. I could be totally wrong tho. I enjoyed it but next time I’ll try the mocha or white mocha greek coffee or one of the various tea options. I liked that it was served in a small demitasse cup for dine-​in rather than a plastic cup.
The breakfast sandwich was standard, it’s not trying to do anything unique. It wasn’t great but not bad either. The décor was cute, I especially enjoyed the column with the word «coffee» in multiple languages.
Overall, it felt like a nice shop to get a coffee and relax and enjoy the free wifi,

This is our go to coffee spot. We love it. The service is wonderful. They are quick and very friendly. The coffee is fantastic. I get the Guatemala every time. Coffee nowadays is so competitive but this place is so good. We pass on so many other places for Penelope’s.
The fresh yogurt and breakfast burritos here are also really good.
We come here often and will continue to do so. Well done!!!

I went in for a cup of tea. I had the English Breakfast. It was really good. I could drink it right away unlike going into Starbucks and getting a cup so hot you have to wait to drink or else burn the inside of your mouth.
I will be back. Oh and staff was careful to get my order right.

Pour hot Greek coffee in a plastic cup for a in room dining customer without ask made me feel surprise.
No aroma, only plastic smell at all.
Bad experience.

This place is awesome. Everyone who works here is extremely friendly, making me feel welcome and inclined to come back. There is plentiful seating for groups and for individuals, and there’s a nice stream of people coming in and out.
I’ve gotten the iced green tea both times I’ve been here and it’s perfect and made to order — I always ask them to steep it for a few extra minutes. The breakfast burritos are really cheap, and make sure you ask for the safari sauce — it’s a spicy mustard type sauce that really adds flavor!
Five stars, would come here every day if I could.

I’m no coffee aficionado so this is for ambiance and the capacity for a coffee shop to give me a place I can happily and easily get work done.
1. Healthy snacks: yogurt bar. Check!
2. Seats: bar, couch, outside, inside. Check!
3. WiFi: free. Check!
4. Power: plugs everywhere, even at the bar seating. Check!
5. Environment: calm, non-​annoying music. Check!
Penelope’s, you stole my little working-​on-​weekends heart.

This is my go-​to coffee shop when I’m too lazy to make my own brew.
— if you want a strong drink, order the greek coffee. I can never finish it because I start getting the shakes after consuming ¾ of it. The flavor is mildly bitter.
— the beans used are of decent quality
— good place to study/​read or hangout. There is also outdoor seating.
— I never tried their tea nor food except their chocolate biscotti, which compliments my coffee well.
— staff is consistently pleasant

It’s a good new coffee house that hidden in a nice neighbor. This is my first time being here and won’t be the last too. I came here for an iced latte, my friend got an iced black coffee and we both loved them. They also have a yogurt bar inside the store which allow you to add three different toppings on greek yogurt. Healthy! Definitely recommend this place for an afternoon little gate away.

Loved my first time here! The décor is beautiful and they have some pretty unique teas and coffees. They also have these cute looking white chocolate peanut butter cups and biscotti cookies. I had the iced Greek mocha coffee and it was so good! A little bit bitter, a little bit sweet. Perfect!
+ décor on point!
+ coffee is delish!

Super cute and clean with great staff!
I paid $ 4 for a small latte x2 shots.
They also have a yogurt bar and lots of good snacks!

Really cute place with a variety of teas and coffees that are different from every other tea/​coffee house. Their granola for the Greek yogurt is really good too. I want some for my house.
Great service from anna (?) margarita and their boss explained their Greek coffee.

I’ve been here about 4 – 5 times since my prior review. What brought me back was the passion, dedication and compassion of the owner, George. My husband and I also love our coffee from local Mom & Pop shops!
There’s still a bitter taste to the espresso that comes out when not enough «sugar» is added (flavoring, chocolate, etc) to a mocha. My thought is this: first, I think there’s a lack of consistency with the baristas. Your espresso drink will never taste exactly the same as you had it the last time you stopped by. One example of this was on the second return from the last review, my husband and I ordered an iced mocha medium and they tasted different (made by 2 different baristas because they had forgotten we ordered 2 and not 1). His had more chocolate and tasted better than mine. Second, I still think there may be a roasting, heat or filtration issue with the espresso which is causing the burnt taste. I wonder if doing a pour over with the espresso would remove that taste?
I’d still drop by to pick up a coffee if I happen to be in the area and need a coffee. OH! The one thing I do love is their biscotti! So good and made locally!

I’ve been waiting to try this place out, with much anticipation, because I’ve wanted, for a long, long time, for Foster City to get a decent coffee shop.
I went on a Sunday to grab a quick few cups of coffee for myself and my family. Except for a few customers it was pretty empty. I wanted to see what they could do so I ordered three Greek coffees, 4 ounces each, and got them to go. I’ve had Turkish coffee before, and from what I understand, it’s similar to Greek coffee: condensed and strong. I’m not sure what happened (maybe it was because I got the coffees to-​go) but they were really watered down. They weren’t strong or good tasting, and everybody, especially me, was pretty disappointed.
Even if their coffee was really that mediocre and this wasn’t just a fluke, which I’m sure it was, I would come and hang out because I like the space a lot. And, their chess set. They had a cool chess which I kind of geeked out over.
I’m really hoping next time is better.

Everything about this place is great! Delicious food and great coffee. SUPER friendly staff. Cool interior. Puppy friendly on the patio! They brought out water for my little Ruby. :)
This place is EXACTLY a what Foster City needs more of. We’re so glad we don’t have to go San Mateo for coffee anymore. We love Penelope’s Coffee!

I stumbled on this hidden gem while walking around getting my oil changed. It has a very clean and modern feel, a great ambiance, and wonderful coffee. They have a nice selection of delicious pastries, I had a warmed bear claw. Coffee was strong! Just how i like it, I was introduced to a new version of coffee where they boil the water with the grinds and wait for them to settle in your cup, it was great! They also have pour over coffee which I will try the next time I come by.
Overall this has got to be my new favorite spot to get coffee and relax.