Java Time

I love this place, I love Joe.
I’ve been staying in the «hotel» bit above the café because of work up in Shaver Lake. The only room I’ve experienced (the Bear Den) is small, functional, but very clean and welcoming. I read one other person’s comments re: the sheets — I have to also give a shout-​out to the bedding, because below-​freezing nights + an aversion to running a heater at night = possibly disastrous. But no, winter at Java Time brings you soft, warm sheets and blankets.
I’ve also, of course, stopped in and grabbed a coffee. As a reluctant frequenter of rural coffeeshops and diners, I can tell you with great pleasure that Joe’s coffee is good.
And on that note, let me add that Joe is a lovely fellow — happy to figure out an open corner when the holiday season was packed and always manages to remember my name (and home town and current employment and if I’ve gotten over my cold yet).

Joe and his wife are super amazing people. On route to the Rich Oliver Mystery School my rental car got two flat tires and I was stranded on the side of the dark country road freaking out. I called Joe, who had given me his cell number in case I got lost on the way and he and his wife dropped what they were doing to drive down the road and find me. They brought me hot chocolate and waited by the side of the road with me until the tow truck came and then drove me to the little house and dropped me at the front door. The house was pleasant and comfortable and then breakfast in the morning at Java Time was incredible, as was the coffee. Nothing but awesome things to say about these people and the lodging and food. What a memorable stay and an awesome time we had at the Rich Oliver Mystery School. Thank you sooooooo much!!! My friends and I plan to make the trip an annual one and I look forward to staying here again! Wooohoooo :)

First time to stay at this location done on October 9, 2015. It will not be our last time to stay. Sisters in-​law lives in Tollhouse. This location was better than any place that we have stayed at in Fresno/​Cloves. The room called «The Den» was great. Older location but in good condition. Joe the owner has had the location for over 19 years. He has lived in the area for over 65 years. The coffee shop «Java Time» is only open for breakfast but it too is better than most places.

My fiancée and I stayed here while on a bike tour from Truckee to LA. We had an incredibly positive experience here. Joe, the owner, is incredibly hospitable and great to converse with. Room was very clean and air conditioned. Breakfast is delicious the next morning :)

This is a little late, sorry Joe, but better late than never. My buddy and I stayed a night here on my way up to Dinkey Lakes. We came in late, but Joe made sure we were taken care of. The Cottage was a great cabin for the night. I would highly recommend staying here if you get a chance. It’s a great portal to some terrific wilderness area. The house was very clean and well kept. Joe was extremely accommodating for me and went way out of his way to help us out on late notice. The breakfast in the morning was fantastic as well. It was the perfect send off for 3 days in the back country. So, if you’re headed up to the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness or just heading to Shaver or Huntington Lakes and looking for a great base camp, Java Time is the place.

My boyfriend and I stayed at Java Time for a few days in October and it was truly a wonderful stay. We were in the Bear Den, which was great! Our family had planned a get together nearby and we all had rooms at Java Time– Joe and Betty were so kind and welcoming, it was the perfect kind of hospitality that you miss when staying in larger hotels in bigger cities. I have to say: the beds were incredibly comfortable, too, which was a huge plus after days of hiking and horseback riding. We will definitely be back again!

A true diamond in the rough! Just happened upon this place on my way back from VVR. Betty & Joe are amazing owners who keep old fashion hospitality alive. Rooms are big & clean and waking up to the awesome coffee shop full of fresh baked goods, great coffee, and wonderful breakfast is quite a delight :)

We stayed here 2 nights while at Rich Oliver’s Mystery school. Quiet Comfortable room (Bear Den I think) Not fancy schmancy, but just right for our needs.
The food at Java TIme was excellent, the crowd was fun, and the owners were friendly and very welcoming.

Pulling in late at night to a place like Auberry can be a bit daunting, especially when you know there aren’t a whole lot of accomodations in the surrounding area. That’s why this place is good.
Now, having the owner leave the key under the mat for you to get in late at night to a warm, really comfortable bed, with a really, REALLY functional heater and all the ammenities of a much more urban hotel, but provided in the «guest house» manner, waking up to delicious coffes, pastries, fruits, and breakfast sandwiches and a gift shop full of local crafts and just locals downstairs makes this place GREAT!
I can’t wait to come back in the summertime and take advantage of the babbling water fountain and idyllic outdoor seating area. If the locals are here, you know it’s good. And it is good. Worth more than just stop in Auberry, it’s worth a stay!

Friendly people every time, cozy surroundings and quite possibly the best Peppermint Mocha I’ve ever had.

Accommodations in the middle of «nowhere». We were heading up to Huntington Lake in wintertime and really didn’t want to drive on icy dark roads but we wanted to get as close as we could and not stay in some crappy chain place in Fresno. When zoomed in on google maps to the area where we make that significant turn from the flatlands to the mountains, we found the sleepy small area where Auberry is located. Type «hotel» into google maps and «Java Joe’s» coffee shop comes up! Upon further inspection of their website, this place actually had a little white cottage to rent. We called the after store hours number and got the place for the night. Settled the bill the next morning at the coffee shop around the corner while sipping on a nice mocha. They offered hot breakfasts at the coffee shop that were really tempting but we wanted to get out of there and hit the slopes!
If you are heading up to Sierra Summit ski resort or any of the snow parks by Shaver or Huntington Lakes, this place is a great find. We didn’t have to get up really really early and we beat a ton of traffic coming from the central valley.
The cottage itself was decent accommodations but we didn’t use anything but the 2 bedrooms and bathroom. The kitchen is in large space, but old. The Jack and Jill bathroom style was between the two bedrooms and clean. It actually smelled like bleach. The bedrooms were cozy and felt very «cabin-​y».
I think this place isn’t named «Java Time» but Java Joe’s. ..

When attending Rich Oliver’s Mystery School, you have one choice for lodging, and that is Java Time. Java Time couples as a café as well, hence the name. But, the real charm of this place is the actual rooms they have.
This is probably one of the weirdest hotels (if you can call it that… more like an inn) I have stayed at as they represent an eclectic symbol of the Sierras that takes motel lodging to an uncharted level of «roughing it.» It has all the creature comforts of a modern day motel like satellite tv, heating/​cooling, and even an internet connection, but it feels nothing like modern day. The beds all use sheets and blankets that your grandmother would use. There are utensils in the kitchen (yes, all rooms have a kitchen) but if you use it, you have to clean it. Each room has a collection of books as well, but I didn’t get a chance to read any of them, but the selection varied from children’s books to novels like 2000 Leagues Under the Sea.
The rooms border on «dirty» because of the age of the buildings and the furniture inside, but the place is meticulously well-​maintained and is very clean (as can be). The bathrooms and showers have seen better days and are not made of the best materials, but there are no cockroaches, mold growing, or anything that would make a girl scream, even though it seems like it could potentially house such creepies — that is the charm of this place. It’s so weird!!!
The rooms are not all on the main property. The main property, which houses the café, has three rooms on the second floor: Sweet Bear’s Suite, The Bear Den, and the Cub Suite. These rooms are more of your typical motel type layout, but each room is «accessorized» with cabinisque, homey like tidbits like something you’d find in a Martha Stewart’s catalog except older and probably a lot cheaper (and/​or homemade). I’d say it’s pretty cheesy except that it matches the ambiance of the town of Auberry perfectly. See website to see what I’m talking about.
The rest of the rooms are off-​site and are helluva lot more interesting. A lot of these «rooms» are used for long-​term stays (who the hell stays in Auberry for more than 2 days unless they’re doing the Rich Oliver Pro Camp that’s 4 days???). The Big Yellow House is a big WHITE house that has a detachable garage. This place can sleep 4 people comfortably but probably 12 people if needed. It’s literally a house! Kitchen, living room, front yard, driveway… everything! Weird but cool!
The cottage is just that, a cottage. This is located down the street from the Big Yellow House in a small dirt cul de sac that’s next to the llama field. Yes, a llama field. This place has two bedrooms and a living room that has two couches. It has all sorts of decorations that the Brawny paper towel dude would collect.
The best room is the Barn Bungalow. Yes, it’s literally a barn. A beat down barn. It has a balcony on the second story, which is connected to the attic, which is actually a room that has a bunk bed. The main floor has the bed in the middle of the room and is the squeakiest bed that I have ever slept in. To the side it has a little den area that’s below the ground floor level, so hitting your head on the cross beam looms. But, it is a comfy little place to sit — the love seat engulfs you (probably because it’s 20 years old) — if you like to feel inadequate because anyone talking to you is talking to you from above. Right outside the barn you are greeted by two llamas. That alone is worth the price of admission.
Once again, Java Time aka Daddy Joe’s is the ONLY place to stay if you’re going to be attending Rich Oliver’s schools, but I wouldn’t want to stay anywhere else. After one stay, Joe the owner, knows my name and welcomes me back with smiles each time. They make really good breakfast sandwiches that will fuel you for your day at the Fun Camp! My last stay, I organized reservations for the whole group, but there was a mishap along the way and Joe accidentally gave one of the rooms away. He offered for me to stay at his mother’s house, which is next to the place. While I didn’t want to (and eventually worked it out so we all had a place to stay), I thought the gesture was cute.
I took off one-​star because I do think there is room for improvement, like upgrading the furniture and bedding but like I said, that is part of the charm of this place. It’s old and it’s weird.