Palm Trees and Grapevines

By Sara Hayden

There are dozens of reason to trek up the hill along Cortland Avenue in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood, and Pinhole Coffee is one of them.

Founded by JoEllen Depakakibo in 2014, the team has since evolved their offerings through delicate tweaks and bold experimentation, ever in the pursuit of the perfect cup and environment to stimulate all the senses.

Pop inside and stay for as long as it takes to savor the bevvie of your choice – say a hot macchiato (Depakakibo’s favorite) or flat white, or perhaps a sparkling Americano or cold brew.

Or go out on a limb and try an original offering, created by different staff members. For something cold, the matcha affogato is a revelation. Made with creamy vanilla ice cream, a beautiful hard matcha shell gives way to viscous sips. The flavor ebbs and flows from floral to sweet to bitter. The gently fruity hibiscus mocha is a heart- and hand-warming pick-me-up. Different menu items are also available shaken and iced with sweetness and froth.

The ritual of drinking a hot (or cold) cuppa is made all the more sumptuous by the cafe’s design. There’s smooth, polished wood furniture that reveal tree rings, and walls that boast vibrant neon lights and tiled wall art and a mural made by Depakakibo’s friends and family. Jazz playing in the background rounds out the sensory experience. Of course, there’s a collection of cameras — a nod to the cafe’s name.

The menu and interior are not the only things that the Pinhole team is known for. In 2022, San Francisco recognized Pinhole Coffee as a certified green business and innovator. A note from the business says, “Just like pinhole photography, we believe that something small like us can produce something bigger. We hope to be an example to our community in order to make drastic changes for Mother Earth.”

With that in mind, Pinhole Coffee uses 100% renewable energy through the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission from sources like sun and wind, and encourages customers to bring reusable cups.

In 2023 Depakakibo opened pint-sized location that requires extra efficient use of resources. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the team came up with the idea for a coffee catering van and purchased a Ram ProMaster, Pinholita.

The Pinhole team’s been working to preserve its Bernal Heights home base. The team has a crowd-sourced fundraiser to preserve the parklet it shares with next-door-neighbor Avedano’s Market.

On the move or firmly planted in place, Pinhole Coffee is a destination worth a visit.

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Pinhole Coffee
pinholecoffee.com
231 Cortland Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94110