Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

This was my first time going to dark horse coffee roasters. We had just grabbed lunch nearby and I decided to get a coffee for the drive back to San Diego. There was no wait. This particular location is pretty small inside so after you order they make you go outside and wait for the finished product. The service was fast and friendly and we were on our way before we knew it. I enjoyed the experience.

Nice quality after lunch coffee in a cute store. Love the open window above the ramp. Consumed our coffee standing by nearby restaurant’s outdoor seating.

This review is about the NEW location at Park & Robinson which is not yet on Google Maps. I noticed the location was open as a replacement to another coffee shop and decided to check it out. I arrived at 3:45 PM, laptop in hand, to order a decaf cortado with oat milk. There was a couple in front of me and a few others in the restaurant. I ordered my drink and waited several minutes which seemed odd given there were no customers. The gentleman delivering the drink to my table informed at 3:54 PM that they were closing at 4:00. There are no signs, no hours, and the cashier failed to mention that when she saw me with laptop in hand. As a vegan, I cringe at paying extra for non-dairy milk, even more when it’s a cortado which uses very little milk. The cortado was super hot indicating the water and milk were scorching when it was made. That came through in the bitter flavor. An unfortunate first experience.

🐶Gus: Treat bowl is self serve. We never take too many tho. Must share. Many good sidewalk sniffs in area. Dad likes the donut snacks and dirty chai here.

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters has an handful of locations in San Diego. The location I have found in Hillcrest appears to be their newest as Google Maps has yet to place it. My cappuccino was presented well. The cappuccino was well crafted, with the right amount of foam and a flavor forward experience. The roast was a bit bitter for my liking. I fully accept this is a matter of personal preference. Setting that aside, the richness was a toned down a couple of degrees as well. In summary, it’s clear why Dark Horse has grown to the size they are. Overall the scores favor another visit. Curious what you might think? If you find yourself in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego, check out Dark Horse Coffee Roasters new location and share your own thoughts. Enjoy.

Great coffee shop in the heart of Northpark! Used to be a regular staple when we lived here a few years ago and happy to say the quality hasn’t changed in two years! Fun vibe with great pastries and donuts! The donuts are vegan and really solid! You can buy beans to make at home as well!

Convenient coffee shop from our place. We go there at least one a week. Staffs are nice. Coffee flavor was good but the bean was lightly roasted, I can barely taste it in latte.

This is going to sound crazy, but literally everything here is good. This is going to sound even crazier, but I love how they offer 8oz hot latte drinks as it's the perfect espresso-to-milk ratio. My recommendations are: iced matcha (no separation!) and the Champ latte (makes me feel like a demi-god).

I'm going around north park exploring all the coffee shops around to find a good fit to get work done. I rate them on coffee, service/vibe, and if it's a good place to work/study. Feel free to follow along haha. Coffee: 4.7/5 Vibe: 2/5 Study/work space: 0/5 I forgot to take a picture of the coffee like I usually do, and the only reason this place is a 3/5 star for me is because I like to go to places to study and work. That being said, the coffee is honestly probably the best cup of coffee you'll get in north park from my experience so far. So if you're a connoisseur, this is your spot, but it's a walk up, not a sit-down, they just don't have the space which is nothing against them. The staff is also very friendly.

Haven't been to dark horse in a couple years and was previously my go to place. Decided to try it again because I was in town. Got a 12 oz salted maple latte ($5.50). Picked it up and it felt light but whatever.. got back to the car to open the lid to hopefully enjoy the foam 2 seconds later. Uhm... the foam is already degraded, not dense with latte art as if I already drank it. What?? That's disappointing. Looks like it has been sitting out for 5-10 mins but I JUST picked it up from the bar. How annoying

Wanted some coffee after lunch and happened to walk by dark horse. Great service, ehhh coffee (to my liking anyway). The person who took my order was very patient with me - I didn't see the chalkboard sign that listed what each drink was hahah so i asked what the champ was (it's honey with cinnamon). I usually like honey and cinnamon but I didn't like the drink at all. I turned right around and asked if they could just make me a vanilla latte instead. No fuss or anything and it was greatly appreciated. I think the coffee they use for espresso is more acidic and I prefer mine to be more smokey and nutty. I didn't think it was bad but it wasn't my cup of... tea? Coffee? To each their own but I don't think I'll be returning. Between this place and Holsem, which is just around the corner, I low key regret not going to Holsem instead.

I'll give 5 stars because of the quality of the espresso drinks alone. That said...don't expect anything else as part of that experience! I didn't realize this was just a grab and go window, essentially. They do have pandemic seating picnic benches that I think are for Swamis next door. The focus is definitely on the coffee itself - top notch cappuccino which was very rich and full bodied at a reasonable price. A little disappointed the coffee is served in a basic Dixie cup with no lid or sleeve, even though I specifically asked for a lid - oh well on the service - grab and go! Parking: park in the garage directly across the street for $1/hr

I usually go to Dark Horse or Holsem before my hair appointment and noticed most of the hairstylists tend to go towards Dark Horse. Maybe I just haven't found the drink for me yet, but Dark Horse is just okay to me. I bought their beans and took them home to enjoy and didn't prefer them over other shops, but I wouldn't say I have an expert coffee tasting palette by any means. I tried one of their vegan donuts and just didn't like it. It was dry and really dense. Could have just been a bad batch, but I haven't been tempted by any of their other treats since that first one. I love that this shop is a window so I can grab & go, and if my dog is with me I don't have to awkwardly try to order as quickly as possible to get my pup in and out of the store.

The coffee here is okay. Tried their cold brew with some oat milk and it was pretty plain. Didn't seem to really pack a punch flavor-wise. The service was very nice and friendly though. I'd give Dark Horse another try with a different drink next time but my first visit here was not anything special.

Delicious coffee and convenient location! I've only been to this location once and it wasn't the best experience, due to a not-so-friendly staff member. Despite that, the coffee was great.

cute coffee shop! was easy to find parking but it was likely because we came early. there are street parking spots available. my boyfriend & i ordered 2 coffee drinks & a bagel with vegan cream cheese (so happy they had the vegan option). their coffees tasted good...nothing TOO special, i would come here for their vegan food options.

I've only been here a few times, very good and the service is also always been good. The last time I came here I think they messed up my order, but I still enjoyed whatever it is I got. I originally ordered a pumpkin cream cold brew, but I think I got a latte with some pumpkin syrup, I'm not sure. Enjoyed it, so I'm not mad. The drink I got from my husband was really delicious, and it was made correctly. It was an iced pumpkin spice latte with oat milk. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and the flavor was enjoyable. I've also gotten just regular I really enjoy it. You cant go wrong with anything you order from here. If the parking gods permit, I will definitely be back!

My Brother-in-law bought me a great cup of coffee in a fine neighborhood of San Diego. Lots of good people in line and the coffee was really good. We also got a bag of coffee for the beach house. Life is good!

Pretty generic coffee that you can get almost anywhere. Also, can taste the milk... off taste to it too... Bot like it's gone bad but like it's going bad from sitting out too long. Also, their dining area doesn't open until 12. There's another coffee place around the corner...

Love their coffee. Good place to pull up and grab a to go cup for a walk in the area. The champ latte was tasty.

Don't judge their coffee by the size of the venue. They might be small, but their Java stands tall. I ordered a "Champ" which is an infusion of cinnamon, milk, a double shot of espresso, and a touch of honey. It's super tasty and not overly sweet. It's a one of the first specialty drinks they created.

DONUTS + ESPRESSO It's a morning addiction. You know when somethings so good you keep ordering it over and over until something breaks the cycle. Nothing has broken my cycle until I run out of "allowance" to fund this current addiction. This place is tucked to the side of a very popular street/area. Yes, an occasional line but quickly comes and goes. Order at the window and get out of peoples way and wait 6ft somewhere on the sidewalk. When ordering, don't pass on a donuts! They have rotating flavors, three per day, but many in rotation. If inquiring about the beans, Dark Horse coffee beans are delicious. I'm a decaf junkie and their decaf Colombia Naria beans are SWP! So smooth. VANILLA LATTE - I find it strange that most cafes are selling lattes well above 5 bucks these days but here at Dark Horse, $4.25 for small, $4.75 for large. They use the typical vanilla syrup to flavor their drinks. But overall, the taste of the (decaf) bean has chocolate and hazelnut profile so even with a naked latte you'd still be able to pull in some kind of light flavor. THE CHAMP - this is their 'honey & cinnamon' latte. One size, large. Honestly, I could do without the cinnamon... it can be a tad overpowering if someone has a heavy dab on the sprinkling. I'd probably order this more than I do the vanilla latte only because honey in a latte is perfect for those with a sweeter liking to their hot beverages. MUST ORDER DONUTS!!! Take note, expect all donut base to be made with that cakey-old-fashion flare. But that base is perfect - the texture is moist and soft and airy yet semi-dense?! Old fashion donuts are my favorite kind of donuts which is probably why I'm obsessing over it. UBE DONUT - Yes, Ube! The Ube was just the flavor of the glaze. It was purple and tasted like a light flavor ube. The glaze was that perfect sweetness on top of the cakes-old-fashion donut base. Highly Recommend. CHURRO DONUT - good but overrated. No glaze, no texture of churro, nothing specially but the cakes-old-fashion donut rolled in sugar and cinnamon. Recommend. EARL GRAY DONUT - interesting. Actually, I think it's my favorite so far. Who would have thought tea flavored donut would be good... well, I vouched for it! Perfect pairing with the cakey-old-fashion base, sweetness of the glaze and then the subtle taste of floral. Highly Recommend. LEMON COCONUT - my least favorite thus far. Why? Although I do love lemon stuff, this tasted like lemon cake and the lemon overpowers the donut and the coconut. It's not bad, it's just my least favorite that I've tried. Can't wait to come back here and try other donuts! Jaba approved. Until the next review...

I love Dark House Coffee Roasters. They have vegan treats from split house bakery and my favorite is the churro donut. The coffee is amazing and I love to grab a coffee and explore normal heights while it's still quiet in the morning.

The barista working had a filthy t-shirt on with visibly gaping holes in it. Unfriendly, "you are interrupting my conversation with my co-worker" vibes as I walked in. Hot espresso pulls collected in a plastic measuring cup... the place feels and looks sloppy. Tossed the bitter espresso shots and drove to a different cafe. Will not be back- where have the standards gone?

PROS: + super friendly staff + Americano + Mocha (with oat milk) + adheres to Covid protocols + quick and efficient + donuts CONS: - North Park parking One of the most reliable place for mochas in North Park. Would highly recommend to my fellow Yelpers :)

Cute small coffee shop There is no seating inside but there's some outside The coffee wasn't too shabby I liked it but the cup was flimsy, hope they can improve the cup product. They also had kombucha for those that like them instead Would come back again for the delicious coffee! I substituted oat milk instead of milk for lactose reasons

This coffee shop is one of the better spots if you like to get a good cold brew. The place is not very big but it is their first original location. Dark Horse Coffee has been around in San Diego for quite a while. They have built a good reputation for solid coffee. They have different locations located throughout San Diego, North Park is their first location. Parking is kind of hard to find but it is free and available on the streets. The workers here are super sweet and I took a little while to decide on what I wanted, but they were very patient and gave me a lot of recommendations. Prices for the drinks were decent as well, I bet cheaper than some places in fact. If you check in on Yelp they will give you a 50 cents discount. So that's what I did! Don't come here expecting fancy coffee, well they do have cold brew they do not have pour overs anymore or any of those fancy mixed drinks. That's just a nice place to get your coffee fix.

I came here with a friend over memorial weekend and we both thought the coffee was okay. I ordered a vanilla latte extra hot and my friend ordered a chi tea latte and both of our drinks weren't hot at all. They were warm but quickly became cold in the weather this past weekend- hello May gray! I also ordered a chocolate croissant and it was given to me without it being warmed so there was hard chocolate down the middle but i prefer to eat mine warmed up so that was disappointing. The place does not have their own seating but we were told we could sit at swamis outdoor tables which was nice for us to catch up. I'm not sure if I'd go again, but I'm glad I tried a new place.

I've got to knock off a couple of stars for this location, unfortunately! After a few pretty awesome oat mocha's this location became waaaaay too inconsistent for me :(. And I noticed a crazy amount of flies in there a few times, yikes... I'm glad I decided to hit up their newer location on 25th. Much better vibe and consistency!

I was waiting in line at the record store for record store day and I needed to use the bathroom because I have been holding it for almost two hours :S I saw many people in line go to this place to get something and relieve themselves. I decided to go too and it's a nice and cozy hipster-esque coffee shop. I don't drink coffee but I got a hot chocolate. It was about the same price as Starbucks which I kind of expected. The girl at the counter asked me what was going on and I told her we are lining up for record store day. She was nice though and kindly let me use the bathroom that they have. Hard working girls here, please support this local small business.

Cute little grab and go coffee shop- but if you're looking to sit down and relax with your coffee this place isn't for you. I was just wanting a pick me up to go so this setup worked just fine for me! Cold brew tasted great.

The salted maple had quickly become my favorite. I go get my haircut in north park and I always make it a point to stop here and grab some donuts and a salted maple. I usually have to order an extra shot but not here it tastes just right at this place. Thanks for serving us in north park.

Dark Horse always makes good drinks and they are always introducing new cool flavors. The coffee beans they sell are good, too, with unique and bold flavors. Funky spot with essentially window service.

Stopped in for a coffee after hiking. The coffee was really good. I didn't try any of their food, but their doughnuts seemed to be very popular. Friendly staff!

I'm in the Golden Hill area and this Dark horse location is way better in my opinion. The people at the North Park location are way nicer and somehow the donuts are better (although I think theyre the exact same.. idk) They're always super nice here, everything is quick and they usually aren't out of the donuts which is why I usually go anyways.

We have been wanting to try Dark Horse Coffee Roasters for sometime. It was a nice and cloudy day, so I opted for a hot latte "The Champ." It had a very nice and smooth latte taste with a hint of cinnamon and honey. It was perfect for the weather and the small size was the right amount to get me going. My boyfriend got the nitro cold brew with vanilla and he said he really liked it, and this is one of his new go-to spots. The employees were sweet and helpful when we were making our selection. The coffee shop is in a cute vintage little plaza, so there was plenty to look around at while waiting for our order. They were sadly not selling their donuts when we went, but we will definitely be back!

Menu is simple with good coffee and there are delicious doughnuts to go with your drink! I got an iced vanilla latte which was the perfect balance of coffee and sweetness. The churro doughnut was the perfect size and super delicious. The coffee shop is super tiny, there's only bar seating for about five people. I also wish there was less plastic being used.

My son and I went to Dark Horse Coffee Roasters in North Park for a cappuccino this morning. It was 11:30am so there were just a few people there. I paid for my order and waited outside for 20 minutes to get my cappuccino. The barista might be new because my son and I watched as he poured the espresso on our cup, finished three cold drinks and them poured the milk on the cappuccino. My son and I looked at each other in disbelief. What was strange for us also is that the cold drinks were for people who arrived after us. The temperature of the cappuccino was hot even though he finished three other drinks before ours so I'm giving it a 2 stars.

3.5/5 Short line around 11:30AM on a Saturday. Pros: -Donuts! Options were vanilla, maple, or churro cake donuts -Really cool t-shirts -- Vanilla Cake Donut ($2.00) Plain glazed cake donut. It was buttery and less dry than other cake donuts I had that day from Golden Donut and Nomad. We only came for the donuts so can't speak to the coffee but loved the vibe and would recommend stopping by!

Just got back from this place and it's so cute! I ordered a vegan chocolate donut and it was pretty good. Not too sweet which I liked and got the Iced Champ. The Iced Champ was super yummy and had just the right amount of honey and cinnamon. Staff here was super friendly.

The coffee was good and the workers were friendly, but it took soooo long to get my coffee that one star gets docked.

LEGIT. COFFEE. This ain't no Starbucks, folks. They are the real deal! I would consider myself a pretty picky coffee connoisseur and always am on the search for high quality coffee. This is definitely one those places! They have everything from espresso to brewed coffee to lattes. They even have non coffee drinks like matcha lattes, chai lattes, etc. I got the cortado and it was definitely one of the best cortados I've had in my life. The blonde roast espresso they have is simply delicious. Delicate balance of acidity and intensity. They sure know what they're doing here. Also had super pretty coffee art :D who could say no to that!

Quick service and pretty good coffee. Would recommend this place for just their espresso as it is pretty good. It's a small shop, no area to sit down, so more of a grab and go place which is perfect for walking around North Park. They have a handful of locations and this one has been the quickest out of them all.

Tasty lattes and cold brew! Great coffee gem. I frequent both locations in La Mesa and north park off 30th street. I love the iced vanilla and champ lattes. Large lattes are 12 oz with 2 shots. Awesome customer service, the staff is great. Parking is incredibly limited but that's expected of North park. There's a large paid parking structure across the street. Reasonable prices. Prompt, friendly service. Must try location

My parents have gone to dark horse many times for years. They went to the original location in Kensington. They were always SO nice. Now they try the north park location. On 12/8 around 3:30 my dad went and ordered a normal black cup of coffee. The lady working there was insanely rude to him. The coffee was cold and he asked for a new cup. She was very rude and said so rudely it'll take five minutes for a new cup. My mom had to go in and ask again. She was nasty to my mom as well. The young man working was polite but she ruined it. They won't go back. Customer service is 90% of the reason people go to small businesses like this. Why pay almost $4 for a cup of coffee when the girl working is rude and condescending.

I can't say enough good things. The coffee is to Die for. It needs no sweeteners etc. I love their cappuccinos, their matcha lattes are great. If you like sweeter tho, they make their syrups from scratch in house. I personally like their "champ" which is cinnamon and honey. The latte art is beautiful. They also have nitro cold brew and kombucha on draft. Oat, soy, almond and whole milk options! Also "skinny" vegan donuts are a must try!

Got an iced vanilla latte. Very good but I'm glad I got it 1/2 sweet. The service was also great and fast.

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters is a cool hole-in-the-wall type of coffee place with most of your coffee options available (except for pourovers, maybe COVID-related?). I decided to roll with an americano, and it was a good cup. I was slightly disappointed that they actually didn't have any kind of seating, since I wanted to do some work, but you take what you can get. Seems to be a solid source of great coffee, so maybe I should just check out a different location for a more holistic coffee shop experience.

Haven't been in for a while and see that prices went up significantly. Not sure about the pricing since I ordered a small Latte, used a .50c off Yelp check in and the cost was $3.75? Don't know how that worked because the listed price is now $4 for a small Latte. Oh well. Tasted good and the person taking my order actually said "hello" which was nice. I usually just get the "do you know what you want?"

If you're looking for a quick pick-me-up, Dark Horse is the perfect grab & go type of spot! It's a small window-type shop that has a few shared outside tables with it's neighboring restaurant right next door, so definitely not a chill and do work kind of coffee spot... more like, you're shopping in North Park and need a quick fix lol. If I need a caffeine boost, I like to go with their cold brew. The Champ is a good latte if you just need something with flavor but something not too sweet. I'm also a huge fan of their Chai, since it's the perfect balance between a sweet and spiced-tasting Chai. Even when there's a line, I always get my drink quickly and I've only had friendly encounters with each of the baristas :)

Highest recommendation. The best roasters. I've tried so many others, hoping to find another source of beans closer to home, but it's been years, and DH still wins. I always drink coffee black, so there's nothing to mask the flavor, and no other roaster is so consistently excellent. Their cold brew is also the best I've had, home-brewed or otherwise. The Truckee location is great--don't miss it if you're ever up there.

Excellent coffee Friendly staff Vegan munchies

A small shop cranking out tasty drinks with huge smiles! I can't get over how friendly the people are there, especially the woman taking my order. She was cute, friendly, super funny and playful. The iced matcha almond milk latte was delicious. Not the best I've ever had but still quite good and a perfect balance of matcha and milk. My husband's iced vanilla latte was very tasty as well. The vegan donuts in the display were super moist and delicious, the maple cake donut being the favorite. Next time we'd pass on the vanilla but still ate it. If you're in the area, Dark Horse is definitely worth checking out.

Coffee good. Early morning workouts, bad. I'll keep this review small, just like the square footage here. Delicious coffee options fill up the menu and I really love the shirts for sale. Almost all of them are based on some pop-culture memory or band. When in doubt, go with the cold brew. It will always get the blood flowing. Dark Horse fills my happy over caffeinated heart.

Small little coffee spot that serves up a mean cold brew and an even better chai. Came here after a workout next door to help get my brain back in order. A plus is that the menu isn't over the top, so it's easy to navigate and choose your caffeine fix without being inundated with a ton of necessary options. For milk, they have oat, almond, soy and dairy, but the oat gave the drink a slightly better creaminess that I hadn't had before. The baristas were friendly and there's plenty to gawk at while you wait. Our drinks were served out in no time, just as the line was starting to go out the door. Definitely worth a stop if you need something to get you up and running before work!

Dropped by today for morning coffee and a catch up session with Jack M. Currently high on caffeine while exam prepping is not a bad gig, right? I ordered the cappuccino with unsweetened soy milk. The cappuccino has a bold flavor reminiscent of what you'd find at awesome random cafes in Seattle (waffle joints, anyone?!) and the foam art is a nice touch. The location is smaller than anticipated, so it could get stuffy on a warm summer day. However, the coffee is definitely worth the hype, along with stellar prices and friendly staff. Can't believe it took me this long to try this place! 10/10 would recommend :)

I'm a huge fan of cold Brew. I've made my own in one gallon containers on many occasion. So I know at least the basics of what it entails. That being said-these folks have the best tasting cold Brew around. No bitterness. No burnt taste. Perfectly brewed, balanced, and bright! Give it a try!

Efficient and friendly service that didn't require me to even enter the location. Just what you want for the perfect coffee-in-quarantine experience. I had an iced matcha latte with oat milk. Best matcha I've had! I almost bought their merch on the spot, I was such an instant fan. Can't wait to return