Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

Unique coffee spot with friendly staff! Full review /​blog post coming soon. Search The Cappuccino Traveler.

yay! I’m a fan, this place is super good and the prices are better than other places

Very hidden little gem with only a few small places to chill. Coffee that makes you glad to be a human. One cold brew or nitro from black horse will have you getting shit crossed off your to-​do list.
Hope to see them have more of a patio and space one day!

Came here after a waxing at Elixr, great craft coffee, tiny tiny place. The lattes are made just right and they roast their own coffee here. Great spot for a quick one to go.

I’m not a big coffee guy but I must say, the coffee here is really good. They roast their own stuff and really seem to know what they are doing. It also is really cute. The place is tiny but well done. They play cool music also.

My favorite drink here is the champ. That cinnamon/​honey flavored coffee hits you in the face like, bam! It’s like nothing I ever tasted before, and it is consistent at both the North Park and Adams Avenue locations. Love my champ.

Let me open this by stating I am a hard core coffee fanatic. I listen to Bach’s Coffee Cantata. I have tried every brewing method and every kind of coffee except the excrement coffee from some bizarre coffee bean eating varmint.
My standard for good coffee is Pannikin. That shop was the first good coffee shop in San Diego and goes way back long before the Mermaid showed up. The Pannikin has a full city roast. Not too little, not too much roasting. Full city brings out the most a bean can produce. The Mermaid over roasts their coffee which covers up bad beans and doesn’t let you taste good beans.
I asked the coffee counter gal if they did full city. She didn’t know what I was talking about. Ok, you don’t have to have coffee experts on staff to sell good coffee. But, it helps. All of the beans offered were from the Americas except one African, but no Kona nor Jamaican. For my taste the worst coffees are the American beans. They did not have any Indonesian coffees, which for my taste are the best. My favorite blend is Mocha-​Java. That is a mix of Yemen and Java beans. Well, Yemen is in political disarray so Yemen beans are hard to find. You can use Ethiopian in place of Yemen and it makes a good blend. Dark Horse did have Ethiopian. So I ordered a 16 oz. cup of Ethiopian. It cost $ 4.00 or so. It was not all the special for the extra price.
I wish San Diego would get the Dutch Bros. shops. We have so many mermaid shops overcharging for mediocre coffee.
The big plus for this shop is all the women in Yoga pants buying coffee.

I have stopped by twice to hang out. I really like the coffee and have purchased bags of coffee beans on several occasions. The peach melba iced tea is refreshing and wonderful.
However, I gave the place 4 stars because they have a flea infestation problem. Customers should take items to go rather than lounging in the store. I made the mistake of sitting at a table and reading. I noticed a few fleas next to me on the window but did not move. I believe I was bitten by these fleas. I am now sporting some ugly flea marks on my neck.

Bypass the rest and hit this one: It’s the real deal. No brewed coffee, lush French press: first star. Beautifully, economically designed small space: star #2. The design is hip, intelligent, and aesthetically satisfying, with a great balance of wood and metal, industrial and MCM made warm with lots of wood.
Clever, relevant merchandising and fantastic brand concept, star #3. Well done, complimentary baked goods that don’t take over the coffee focus, star #4. Well managed social media, well communicated Google directions in a challenging «olde town» style spot, well thought, precisely focused and impeccably presented menu: star #5. Go there. (I used to own a coffeehouse in Memphis, TN. I’m a coffee geek.)

I’m no coffee expert but this is my favorite spot for a cup when i’m feeling particularly caffeine dependent.
Not a note of bitterness and washes the Vegan Donuts down nicely. Better yet, get a Chocolate Chip Scone.

Had to try out this spot based on the positive reviews. Ordered a 8 oz. latte that was gooood. I also had to try the vegan donuts. I had a chocolate one. The texture isn’t the same as a regular donut but the taste had a hint of cinnamon with the chocolate. It was very good. North Park you got the monoploy on coffee houses. The overall size of this place is fairly small. If you want to study here while sipping on gourmet coffee pick a non peak hour.

I don’t drink coffee, but I do drink iced tea, and Dark Horse makes a fine glass of iced tea.
I’ve also bought coffee for others, and they liked it.
Service is quick and friendly.
Shop local, y’all!

Love, love, love the coffee here. If you’re a coffee lover, you understand the difference between this place and a chain coffee shop.
Their atmosphere is really unique too. A cool place to spend the morning.

Good lord the cold brewed on Nitro is a serious caffeine delivery method.
I swear I could see into the future for about 15 minutes.
Give this place a shot, plus a horse wearing a suit and tie.

Well they DO have an espresso machine and it makes great espresso!
I love coming in for a cold brew Latte with Vanilla syrup. Staff is knowledgable, friendly and helpful.
One the the best places in San Diego for coffee.

Friendly people, and a good, strong cup of pour-​over coffee.
Smallish location, but really friendly folks here.
Offer vegan donuts. Nothing wrong with that.
Street parking. There is a restroom, though I did not check it out.

Dark Horse Coffee
SD: Normal Heights Adams Avenue
10am Thursday 27^th August 2015
Four Stars
It’s a pretty small place with 4 two top tables and a window bench with four bar stools. The place is a bit warm for a coffee shop but understandable in sunny San Diego and for the fact they roast coffee in the back. I ordered a 16oz cold brew ($ 3). It was pre-​poured and pre-​iced for maximum efficiency. The clear plastic cup had a dark horse sticker. The ice was from a standard ice machine. The coffee was excellent. No Sweetener or Milk product needed. The bold flavor with a generous amount of tanginess but absolutely no bitterness. It finishes a long lasting saltiness that sticks to your teeth. My hands were a bit shaky from the caffeine rush.
Note: They do not have espresso at this location.

Simple, no-​frills coffee shop.
Had the cold brew on nitro & a cold brew iced latte, both of which were priced incredibly reasonably, but I only wish they were stronger. Wouldn’t mind coming back if I was in the area to try something else though.

Strong coffee and friendly staff.
Admittedly, I’m very new to the coffee world and I don’t know the difference between a cold brew and a pour over or any other fancy coffee things. BUT, service is good and from what I understand, Dark Horse is a very reputable roaster.
It’s a small location with practically zero parking, but it’s definitely worth whatever trip you have to get there. Don’t expect to find a seat inside, just sip it and enjoy as you go.

UPDATE: THIS IS REALLY STRONG COFFEE. I am super jittery after finishing less than half of my cold brew…
A cold brew and a vegan donut sums up my first trip to this place!
I’m on a mission to try coffee shops all over the place, and this has been on my list for a while! Super glad I came. The cold brew has a great bold flavor but it isn’t bitter like other places I have tried. I can definitely TASTE the coffee, and that’s not something I can say about chain coffee shops.
The vegan donut was really good! It was my first one ever so I’m not sure what it was supposed to taste like. It was very thick! Aside from that, it had a great churro-​like flavor (kinda taste like these cupcakes I make…). Being very sweet was really the only downside, so if you like sweet treats, definitely try the vegan donuts here!