Trailhead Coffee

2016 is a year of expansion for me. I’ve always prided myself on the fact that I love and spend time in a large majority of the neighborhoods that Cincinnati has to offer, but 2016, the goal is to go deeper. Find more gems. Get out of my neighborhood more. Well great people of Unilocal,while doing so, I found an absolute gem of a coffee shop. Trailhead Coffee in Newport is awesome! It’s a coffee shop in a bike/​bike repair shop. Think Collective Espresso smack dab in the middle of a bike shop. The music playing was perfect for the mood and my barista, Eric, was very friendly. He asked about my plans for the day/​weekend, we talked about our dogs, and he told me how he also works at Cheapside. He was a genuinely good dude and made the experience more pleasant.
As for the coffee, they do pour overs and Chemex pours and the coffee was delicious! My go to in this setting is to have the barista pick whatever their favorite coffee is on the menu for me. I can’t quite remember which one he chose but it was mind blowing for sure! So if you’re ever in Newport and need to feed your coffee addiction, you have to give this place a try!

If you’re looking for quality coffee where the the baristas know about the beans and flavours, can give you good recommendations, and most of all can make good coffee in a variety of styles and methods, this is the place.
I saw someone say that Cincinnati is a good place for coffee, but I was dubious until we found this place.
Prices are exactly what you’d expect for good coffee ($ 2.5-$ 4 depending on style and bean variety).
They don’t really have any food. Maybe a few slices of pie.

To be clear, this isn’t a coffee shop so much as an espresso machine in a bike shop. Im sure that’s a great idea for the cycling crowd, but it comes up short if you just want some good coffee. GF and I got a couple mochas. They were barely 8oz and cost $ 4 a piece. We both agreed they were too bitter. If you need some bike gear with your coffee, great. If you’re just looking for coffee, there are better places nearby.

Great coffee and cool spot. Right in a great bike shop too. Inside/​outside bar seating. People are real friendly.

A real treat. Coffee here is art. It is taken seriously here. Baristas know their craft. Coffee snob heaven. They also have limited, local Brown Bear Bakery bites. This is the one and ONLY place I will forgive for not offering heavy cream or half & half. The coffee is that good.

Awesome local coffee shop. Incredible baristas. Great treats to snack on.
The shop:
Probably one of the most interesting coffee shops in the entire city as it is inside Reser Bicycal Outfitters. It is a small shop with seating for ⁷⁄₈ people indoors and another 4 when the garage door/​window is open.
The coffee:
They regularly carry the best coffees around. Currently they are brewing Wood Burl Coffee Roasters from Dayton, Ohio. Wood Burl continues to roast different stuff, but there is usually an assortment of 3 – 5 different beans. I recommend you ask the barista what’s good because they have a good pulse on what’s freshest/​best that day.

Out of nowhere, this amazing diamond in the rough comes to NKY. I find myself driving 30 mins out of my way for just about anything they are pouring. My vote — best espresso and coffee in NKY 2015.

It’s great to have a place that rotates premium roasters. They were out of their mainstay Stumptown espresso, so we had the pleasure of trying Woodburl Coffee. It was absolutely delicious. Paired with the granite bar and open window, it made for a delicious treat.
The fact that it’s in a bike shop can certainly be a double edged sword. Not sure I would venture in on a very busy day if I didn’t have other business in the shop to attend to. But on a slow weekday it was great.

They really care about using the best beans in the absolute best way to showcase their flavors. I have only ever seen that in one other coffee shop, which is nationally reknowned Peregrine Espresso in DC. Trailhead had fantastic coffee, prepared excellently, and great people — you need to check it out.

Artfully made coffee using Brown Bear Bakery products. Seriously yum. Not too sweet and very tasty. Love the Grizzly with Salted Caramel.

Best almond latte I have ever had. The price was right to. Skip Starbucks when this place is open

The pour over coffee is excellent. They use a Chemex device which is a much thicker paper and filters the coffee more thoroughly for a fresher flavor that needs no cream or sugar.
The espresso drinks are crafter on the top end La Marzocco Strada with the manual paddles and some crazy hop-​ups that, as Joe will describe, allow him to make sure the shot is channeling correctly for the best expression of the beans.
The coolest part is the Campagnolo tamper. Seen nowhere else.

Barista is supper knowledgeable. Beautiful outdoor seating with hanging bike rack. House espresso features Stumptown Hair Bender. Joe has an eye and taste for extreme detail. Great spot.