After spending two magical nights on Lake Atitilan, I headed back to Panajachel to get a haircut and grab some coffee. I heard there was a great spot in town that was by far the best in the area. And this came from a fellow barista who also owns and runs a specialty coffee shop on the lake.
The most curious thing about Café Loco, however, is not that it’s a fantastic coffee place that roasts its own beans on site. Using a Stronghold roaster no less. No, it’s that the c0-owner is Korean. His name is Diego Kim aka. DJ and he’s married to Alyssa Yamamoto, founder of Hiptipico. They met in Panajachel in 2013, just after Café Loco opened.
Café Loco is on a busy commerical street but relatively far from the lake shore. This means that many people who get dropped off by the minibus to head to one of Lake Atitlan’s smaller communities might miss it. But it also means that it attracts people in the know. The Stronghold roaster is on full display right by the entrance and there is a long bar where you can sit.
I actually went twice, once before my haircut and once after, just before I jumped on the bus to go back to Antigua. The team is completely Korean, which I found really cool. I started off with a Flat White and later had a filter. I would say my only gripe was that they use the same cup size for all milk beverages, which resulted in my Flat White being more of a Latte.
The filter I ordered later was sweet and delicious. There is not a lot of distaction here. A bit of coffee related memorabilia on the walls and some coffee beans and merch for sale. I sat at the bar overlooking the buzz outside and it was instantly clear to me that Café Loco has a very loyal following.
DJ was crowned Cup Taster Champion of South Korea in 2025 and he spends much of his time travelling to producers around Guatemala to find the tastiest coffees and sometimes to take foreign visitors to meet new potential partners. Cafe Loco also has a pretty serious set up behind the bar. There are a custom water filtration system, a three-group La Marzocco GB5, a hot water dispenser, a cold brew mini-fridge and more.
Whatever you personal preference might be, chances are, you’ll find a really outstanding cup of coffee at Café Loco.
