Cafe con Cajeta

August, 2025. Guanajuato Centro, MX.

Adventures that end in Café con Cajeta

On a motorcycle ride from Leon to Guanajuato Centro, my husband, Kevin, entered “curvy road” into REVER to select our route, and the adventure began. REVER is an app he uses regularly. That day, however, he forgot to tick the box for “PAVED curvy road."  What might have been a comfortable 60-minute ride turned into 3 hours, 7,000 feet of elevation and 2-3 foot washed out ruts on Mexican dirt paths. 

Even so, the arrival in Guanajuato in mid-afternoon was magical. In the 16th century, Guanajuato was a silver mining village colonized by the Spanish. The descent into town offered stunning views of its unique baroque and neoclassic architecture. With arched bridges and cobblestone everything, the city presented a welcoming feel of European grace.  We found ourselves cruising underground mining tunnels-turned-roadways before turning on to the main square.

Like most Mexican cities, the town square is the center of local culture, and offers an endless array of restaurants, cafes and coffee shops. Kevin’s first objective on arrival is always to assess the local espresso. 

The state of Guanajuato isn’t a major coffee exporting district, but local growers are reverent as they describe the unique terruño of their mountains; the precise PH and minerals of the soil, the perfect sunlight and humidity and the ideal rain needed to cultivate the most flavorful coffee cherries. Community roasters honor the bounty of their local soil, and we found no end to coffee shops and cafes to feed a caf-fiend's desires. So, we wandered from square to square until we earned an afternoon siesta. 

We found a 5th floor room with a balcony overlooking the main square. In classic Mexican style, there was neither elevator nor air conditioning, and after hiking the stairs in our leathers, we opened the French patio doors to welcome the afternoon breeze and enjoy the mariachis from the square below.

Dinner in Guanajuato, is where the true adventure began.

After years of a certain confidence that I don’t care for mole, I discovered that I love Mole!  (I now capitalize the M – in respect.) The waiter encouraged me to disregard my historical bias and to trust him. He explained that he too had suffered bad mole in his life. He understood my fears. But Mole is an art that is perfected only by extraordinary chefs who slowly develop the deep rich heat of the peppers and then balance them perfectly and subtly with cacao. This chef was an artist of staggering brilliance. His Mole was like nothing we’d ever tasted before, and we fought over who got to lick the plate.

Feeling fully satiated and mollified, we declined dessert. Our waiter stared politely down his nose at us as he nearly whispered, “But Señora, you MUST at least try our Café con Cajeta." With the magic of the Mole, we quickly capitulated. Although not a major center for coffee exports, Guanajuato is a top dairy-producing state, and “Café con Cajeta” is the pride of its coffee connoisseurs.

We quickly learned that the magic is in the milk. Rebuffing the vaca (cow), this local specialty features caramelized goats' milk, blended with espresso, a little sugar and Mexican-grown Ceylon cinnamon sticks. Pure Heaven. Café con Cajeta is absolutely creamy, indulgent and sweet enough to pass for dessert without the heaviness.

The depth of both the Mole and the Café con Cajeta was a clear reminder that rich flavor takes time and care. What began as a bumpy ride into the mountains ended in a deeper appreciation for patience and process. At Truebrew, we bring that same approach to every cup. From carefully sourced high-altitude beans to slow roasting that brings out every subtle note, we believe great coffee is made by honoring where it comes from and never rushing the journey.