Spearhead Coffee — Restaurant in Paso Robles

I’ve visited Spearhead Coffee twice now, and both times the wait was surprisingly long. On my most recent visit, I stood in line for about 15–20 minutes just to place an order, and then waited another 10–12 minutes for my drink. I completely understand that independent coffee shops take a bit more time than big chains like Starbucks or Peet’s—and I actually prefer local spots for that reason. But the wait here felt excessive and, unfortunately, just not worth it.

I ordered a medium iced triple-shot Solstice Latte, and I was genuinely disappointed with how it turned out. The drink—which includes almond-infused honey, cardamom, and ginger—sounded unique and promising, but the final result was milky, underwhelming, and lacking in flavor. It didn’t taste balanced at all, especially considering the amount of espresso I expected from a triple shot.

I ended up driving just a few minutes down the road to another coffee shop and ordered a very similar drink (this time with gingerbread syrup) and the difference was night and day—better flavor, better balance, better experience overall.

I even called Spearhead afterward to express my disappointment and request a refund, since I didn’t want to head back in given how busy it was and the time I had already spent waiting.

One other note: their system for handing out drinks could really use some improvement. They don’t consistently call out names—just drink types—which leads to confusion, especially when the shop is busy. Only mobile orders seem to get name calls, but in a packed café, that’s not the most efficient method.

I want to like this place because I support local coffee culture, but based on both visits, I’m not sure...

Nice people, great atmosphere, fantastic coffee!

Spearhead Coffee popped up near my house in 2014 at a time when Paso Robles desperately needed a decent and affordable coffee shop, and it was immediately obvious that Spearhead was going to fill that void as Paso's new coffee shop. So I began skating 5 blocks every morning to get my morning joe at this new cool place, with it's modern decor, friendly service, and most importantly, great coffee; and pretty soon, the place started becoming more than just a coffee shop for me. Every single time I go in there, I see at least 3-5 people I know starting off their morning at Spearhead, and I can think of plenty of people I know now that I actually was introduced to at Spearhead. It's a nice open space with plenty of seating, small tables in the back if you prefer a more private, quiet start to your morning, and a large table with plenty of seating in the main area if you are in a more social mood. I've since moved to the other side of town, but I still make a point to stop in regularly for the great coffee and to say hi to whoever I run into. If you are visiting Paso, it's a very short walk from the Paso Robles Inn, and the perfect place to meet some locals for some tips on how to spend your trip. It's also right next to the downtown park, so you can grab and go for a nice morning walk around our beautiful downtown. It really just boils down to this: Nice people, great atmosphere,...

I wish I can give Zero stars. We had an extremely racist encounter with the barista. First off when we got to the counter the girl was just giving a blank stare and I had to say hello. Then we ordered and asked for an americano with steamed half and half on the side. She acted like it was absurd and said she had to charge it like a latte. I asked her why and said "because it's labor intensive to steam half and half" . I have never heard an excuse like that in my life. I have no problem paying extra if she had just said milk is extra. But to give an excuse that steaming milk is more labor intensive is dumb. Just say milk is extra and have a good attitude and maybe smile and my experience would have been perfectly fine. The entire time she was not making eye contact and looked miserable to be serving her. Then we sat down and the next customers she started smiling and being friendly. I have visited this coffee shop on multiple occasions and by far this experience was horrific. Clearly she had a problem with us being brown since she was very friendly to the guests behind us. I really would like to speak with the owner regarding this racist experience...