Pachamama Coffee's Sacramento City Guide: Local Gems and Coffee Culture by Leah Berg 🇺🇸
Born and raised in Sacramento, Leah Berg leads the East Sacramento location of Pachamama Coffee. “The weather is usually amazing & there's always good food and coffee,” Leah says about her hometown and California’s capital. “I think that’s what Sac does best.”
Pachamama Coffee's city guide to Sacramento, California
Leah Berg is cafe lead for Pachamama Coffee’s East Sacramento location. Photos courtesy of Pachamama Coffee
Filter: What do you like to do for fun around Sacramento?
Sacramento has such amazing food and coffee so I’d say I enjoy exploring new food spots and just trying new coffee. I’m also a very active person and have played different sports over the years so typically I like playing beach volleyball, tennis, pickleball etc. I love going on walks near the Fab 40’s in east Sacramento when the weather is nice out as well.
Filter: If a good friend came to visit, where would you be sure to take them?
Ryujin Ramen House 100% no matter the season. I’ve tried so many ramen spots and this is my favorite by far. The Coconut on T Street has amazing Thai food that has never disappointed me as well.
For a nice morning stroll, the farmer’s market is so fun to go to. I always find something I like from a small local business, or even just trying new food from the food trucks. In the summertime, Gunther’s Ice Cream is my favorite place to take someone for a nice refreshing little dessert. Maybe if it’s someone who’s never been to Sacramento, I’d take them to Old Sacramento. If we want to go to the beach, I absolutely love Carmel or Point Reyes.
Filter: What do you like to do to escape the city?
I actually live outside the city so finding things to do isn’t very hard for me. If you like hiking, going up I-80 towards Lake Tahoe, there’s a great little city called Auburn with lots of amazing hikes along the North Fork American River—a classic is the hike to the Lake Clementine Dam (must stop by Pour Choice Coffee in Auburn before going to the hike).
Another fun thing I do in the spring/summer season is go to Harry Crabb Park in Roseville and play beach volleyball with friends. This park is great because it has 4 sand courts, pickleball courts, tennis courts, a baseball field, soccer field, barbeque picnic area, and a cute little kids’ water play structure so whatever you do, it’s so enjoyable especially with good weather.
Filter: What touristy things around Sacramento are worth the hype?
Some great touristy things to do around Sacramento are go to Old Sacramento for the fun culture and explore the roots of Sacramento while going through the hustles and bustles. It’s next to the yellow tower bridge, where you can also take a walk across and get to a little trail next to the Sacramento River. Old Sacramento is also a short distance to DOCO, another touristy complex with lots of food and lots of activities.
The Golden 1 Center is where the Sacramento Kings play so of course we have to show the tourists where we light the beam haha. There’s also a local spot called Sauced BBQ and Spirits and it’s a locally-owned rustic chill eatery. The Crocker Art Museum is a great place for tourists to go if they’re lovers of fine art. Sacramento is full of great artists & they’re easy to find.
Scenic view of Burney Falls, a favorite quiet spot near Sacramento
Filter: Where are your favorite quiet corners there?
McKinley Park is such a peaceful park to just lay a blanket down & enjoy nature. There’s also a beautiful rose garden as well that you can walk through and I really enjoy that walk on a nice Sunday with my husband. Another fun thing to do is set up a hammock & bring some books if you have some time on your hands. There’s a waterfall up north that I enjoy going to called Burney Falls as well, which is nice to walk down & really just admire the nature & beautiful waterfall.
Filter: What's another coffee shop around there that you really admire, and why?
Scorpio is one of my favorite coffee shops. Every month, they serve coffee from a new roaster around the world & I think in that way they stand out. They have an amazing variety of food and I love the different taste experience you get when you come in because of the diverse specialty coffee.
Filter: What makes Sacramento feel like home to you?
I was born and raised here in Sacramento and it’s all I’ve ever known. What I love most about Sacramento is that if you drive 2 hours one way, you get snow and mountains. If you drive 2 hours the other way, you get beaches and sunny weather; it's the best of both worlds.
Sacramento is a great place to live because the weather is usually amazing & there's always good food and coffee. I think that’s what Sac does best.
Filter: How did you end up in the Sacramento coffee scene?
Originally, my dad is from Ukraine and my mom is from Russia. My parents initially lived in Oklahoma and had my two older sisters, and then my dad got a job offer in Sacramento and they moved here. I was born here as well as my three younger siblings. We’ve moved around a few times to cities near Sacramento like Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Fair Oaks, and Roseville. I never spent much time in the heart of Sacramento until I started working at Pachamama.
I first found out about Pachamama in 2019 when I attended a latte art competition that Pachamama put together at the midtown location on 20th Street. Little did I know I’d be working there a few years later. I was in between jobs and was changing my career path when I had a friend tell me about Pachamama and that I should apply. Soon after, I started working here and never left because of how much I loved it. I loved the people, I loved the coffee, I loved the fact that we’re farmer-owned & with confidence I can say I’ve always felt taken care of. Working here has taught me so much about coffee and I love exploring other coffee shops with this knowledge, knowing what I’m looking for when I walk in.
Filter: Can you share about your role at Pachamama?
I am the cafe lead for our East Sacramento location which is our oldest location. My role is to create a positive work environment, construct a flow that works best for all the baristas, and oversee this location to make sure everything is running smoothly. I think our East Sacramento location is one of my favorites (not to be biased). We have such amazing customers who make the job so easy; it’s near a wonderful neighborhood, near hospitals, and also very close to Sacramento State University. This is also the location where we host multiple community events each year celebrating Pachamama’s founding heritage—like Dia de Los Muertos—with live music & vendors. What makes it rewarding is really just building that relationship with the customers, and making them the best cup of coffee that I can for them. I have made quite a few friends with my customers & lasting memories which I think not many people have the privilege of getting/doing at their jobs.
Pachamama Coffee's East Sacramento cafe interior
Filter: If you could move to any place in the world just for the coffee scene, where would you move, and what shop would be the biggest reason?
I would like to move to Italy!!! My husband and I were blessed to be able to go to Italy in September of 2023, and I wish I was joking when I say we went to at least four different coffee shops everyday. The life and culture in Italy is very different and I adapted quickly and fell in love. They love all things coffee and start their morning with a croissant and espresso. The coffee shop that made a lasting impression that I want to go back to someday is called Torrefazione Cannaregio in Venice, Italy. The ambience, the taste of the coffee, and the people, all was unforgettable. We sat right outside the shop, next to the canal, and I wish I was able to stay for hours. I will go back one day.
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Pachamama Coffee is a farmer-owned coffee roaster with 5 cafes and a pop-up location in Sacramento, California.
Pachamama - Midtown Sacramento
Pachamama - East Sacramento
Pachamama - Davis Cafe
Pachamama - Placerville Cafe
Pachamama - The Cooperative Cafe
Pachamama - Davis Farmers Market (Saturdays)
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