One of my go to coffee shops in the Almaden area! A great place for a meet up, to study, or just to grab a quick quality latte to go. Their specialty includes their vanilla bean latte, waffles, and I also hear their banh mi sandwiches are quite the hit! Really cute set up and aesthetic. Keep in mind it's quite small and may be difficult to find a seat at their busy times so just be prepared for that. read more

Spectra Coffee - Matcha latte and Vanilla Bean Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

A really cute spot with a decent number of tables (indoor and outdoor) and wifi for working. It is pretty busy, but if you can snag a spot, it's a fun spot to study or work on a laptop. There are charging ports under some of the tables. The menu is a bit hard to read--some items are on a big hanging letterboard, some are on a laminated printout, others are in a standing letterboard, and some of the items lack descriptions (would you know what an All Nighter drink is without having to look it up?), which made it a bit confusing to order. There are some interesting food options, and the menu is on the limited side which assures me that each item will likely be or a higher quality. The prices make sense for the portion sizes as well. I think the coffee is better than the food--the All Nighter was very interesting, as the coffee flavor was pretty strongly fruity compared to what I am used to with Vietnamese lattes (this item was described as the cafe's take of one). I would love to try some of their other flavored lattes, which they profess are made with house-made syrups. The ube waffle was okay--it isn't better than anything I could make at home with a storebought waffle mix, and is not served with any condiments or toppings. I am curious about their other food options but am thus far not particularly awed. I like that they are pretty coffee-forward and that their drinks are not overly sweetened, and I would recommend it. I plan to come back to try their other offerings. read more

Why would you guys call my name and push out someone else's drink to me??? It doesn't make any sense at all and it's pretty ridiculous. When I got the drink the name wasn't pointed towards me and it didn't help that I threw on a cup sleeve. It wasn't until I got into my car and I was driving away that the drink tasted off, it was definitely the half n half milk. I got home took off the drink and realized I got someone else's drink. I wanna thank Eugene for his amazing cappuccino, although points get knocked off for drinking half n half milk . Oh yeah p.s cappuccinos come usually in 8 oz not 12, if I was Eugene I would've been someone annoyed won't be back :) read more

Spectra Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Updated review about their 2026 Lunar New Year drinks. Very delicious and creative! I like how they went out of the box with some of these new limited time creations. The Pho Spice Latte had delicious warming spices in it, it's not savory at all so no need to be concerned about that. The Jasmine Cold Foam Iced Coffee was very fragrant and refreshing, and you can get the coffee itself sweetened or not. The foam itself is only very lightly sweet. Hope to see more limited time specials in the future! read more

See all

I gotta say their banh mi is pretty fire the price is a bit steep $11 for a banh mi but I guess that's the prices now. The size of the sandwich is big can can easily be a full meal. I could only eat half for lunch. The bread is so crispy without cutting the roof of your mouth. The best bread for banh mi I've had. I'd say it's pretty worth it and would get again read more

Spectra Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

I was intrigued by the lunar new year seasonal menu and I ordered the jasmine cream iced latte. The jasmine cream was a wonderful flavor complement to the latte. Service was super quick! The staff are also very friendly and nice. The size of the drink is on the smaller size, but the quality of the drink is high. The inside has nice simple decoration with a multitude of different types of seating. I come to South San Jose area somewhat often to watch tennis matches, so will probably be back! The only downside is this is in a plaza with Trader Joe's AND Costco so the parking is a little crazy read more

Spectra Coffee - Jasmine cream iced latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Had a hankering for a Latte this morning and I had seen the ratings were pretty solid here so after a little Costco Shopping I popped in. Very friendly service lots of energy in the place, OK outdoor seating for a strip mall. I was having it dine in, but they were behind on washing dishes, so didn't have any ceramic cups for me. The drink was great, I would certainly try them again. read more

Very friendly customer service. Lots of space and tables to enjoy or just do work. Didn't have much speciality drinks just your supply coffee but they they did have different flavors like salted caramel which I got, vanilla bean, honey lavender and they also had banana crème which I also got and tiramisu I believe. They have pastries as well I got the apple croissant which was so yummy! The banana crème was ok didn't really taste the banana as for the salted caramel it was good it even out the coffee and even could a taste the flavor for this drink. They also had pandan waffles as well! read more

See all

Hot take--I don't come here for their coffee/espresso. I've tried it several times and it's just not good coffee in my opinion, it's bitter and just has an unpleasant taste no matter which latte I get (you can skip the matcha as well). However I do regularly come here for their bahn mi's and chai lattes. Their shredded chicken bahn mi sandwich always hits the spot. The pickled veggies are perfect, the bread is fresh, the chicken is well seasoned and moist, and the mayo is homemade. The chai lattes are a little sweet but make a perfect pairing to the sandwich. I especially like to add seasonal cold foams on top, like their pumpkin one in the fall which is out of this world delicious. The parking in this shopping center is not fun. Spectra is located between Costco and a Trader Joe's..so no surprise as to why it can get pretty crowded in here as well. I like to mobile order mine for pick up via door dash to avoid the long waits when it's crowded and there's not enough room to sit. Seating inside and outside gets filled up quickly and stayed filled as most people sitting are students/people on laptops. read more

Atmosphere was chill and the space is really nice to hang out in. I tried the banana latte, and it was a bit underwhelming for me. The coffee itself was still good quality, but I could barely taste any banana flavor even after asking for extra syrup -- it came off more like a vanilla latte. I also had the strawberry ricotta toast, which was just okay, honestly something I could probably make at home. Nothing really stood out on that one. Overall, nice spot. I'd still come back to try something else on the menu. read more

Spectra Coffee - Banana creme latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Great selection of beverages to choose from: drip coffee, specialty lattes, matcha, house-made lemonade, green teas as well as sandwiches, snacks and pastries. I stopped by for a quick tiramisu foam iced latte and it was so so good. They don't serve decaf so instead they suggested a single shot of espresso and that was perfect - the foam was super thick and creamy. $6.95 for 12 oz which seems to be normal pricing these days - sigh. Friendly staff and some space for seating - there was a bit of a wait for my drink although it didn't seem very busy; still worth the wait for me considering how good the latte was. #25-11-12 read more

Spectra Coffee - Tiramisu foam single shot espresso latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Their coffee is excellent - tried a vanilla bean latte - although the vanilla bean flavor wasn't strong, the coffee itself was so smooth and tasty. I had a quiche this time which was good but wish it had been warmer. I've tried the vegetarian bahn me as well and that was delicious! They have been quite busy the few times I've been there but they get through all the orders fairly timely. They also have a reward system to earn points and free food / drink. read more

Spectra Coffee - Interior seating - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

This place is always so crowded and it's tricky to find a seat so I always get my drink to go! The vanilla bean latte is really really good probably one of the best I've had in the area. I love getting one when I need a pick me up or I'm in the plaza shopping and need a sweet treat. The service is pretty friendly, but the wait times for drinks can be pretty long because of how busy they get! read more

This place is cute and aesthetic inside, people are very friendly. The coffee itself was okay, alittle bitter but it was fine. The things I didn't like were that my cup wasn't filled, I know that sounds pretentious but the other drinks I saw while waiting were up to the cap, so I was alittle disappointed. Also, there was an employee that came out of the back eating a piece of baked bread with gloves on, then proceeded to start preparing coffee with the same gloves. So I didn't really like that since I just happen to care a lot about cross contamination in the food industry. Overall, it's a cool place, probably won't come back or recommend. read more

Spectra Coffee - Spectra coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Great coffee but service speed and friendliness could be improved. They have a reward program so make sure you enter your phone number. They also take online orders if you want to skip the line but be sure to check in with the barista when you arrive, they won't finish your drink until you check in with them. read more

Their matcha is on the weaker side, but coffee is decent. The seasonal lychee matcha was super light, I couldn't taste a distinct matcha flavor at all and it was milky overall. Vanilla bean latte was pretty good! It had a prominent coffee taste and wasn't too sweet. I drink more espresso than matcha, so I see myself coming here if it's ever on the way. Indoors is cute and workers are kind. It also looks like a decent place to study at. I went on a weekday afternoon and still, parking lot was busy. It shares space with Costco, Trader Joe's, and other food places. Overall, decent place for coffee. read more

Spectra Coffee - lychee matcha and vanilla latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

This matcha was honestly awful. The color alone was a huge red flag. It tasted like plain milk, like they barely added any matcha at all. Watered down milk pretending to be matcha. Not to mention it was 8 dollars. And this is after they said they improved their matcha powder. Super disappointing overall. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. read more

Spectra Coffee - Terrible - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

This coffee shop was very crowded when we came and the parking lot is also very crowded and hard to find parking as it sits next to both Costco, Trader Joe's, and a local grocery store, among others. So the line to get the coffee was about 15 minutes in itself and by the time we got our tea and coffee it was another 15 minutes. The tea came out much faster than the coffee. And although we asked for less sweet and less ice, it was still sweet. The latte with oat milk was also just basic. They did not offer soy milk. Overall, everything was just fine. read more

See all

Great little cafe, can get pretty busy. Located in the same center as a Costco and Trader Joe's so parking can be pretty tricky at busy times. We first came when my son was a baby so we were up early morning. The cafe wasn't busy then. Fast forward to a few years later and I came back for a solo visit. Had a nice mocha and quiche. Coffee came out quickly and actually had to ask for the quiche since maybe after 10 mins it still wasn't out. By then coffee was cold but everything was still great tasting. Looking forward to the next visit but maybe will reconsider ordering food. read more

Spectra Coffee - Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Cute coffee shop right next to the Costco on Almaden. We ordered on the app, but they didn't call out our name so it kinda got cold before we talked to them. The avocado toast was good with flavorful bread and fresh avocado. It has a nice seasoning (probably "everything bagel seasoning "). They don't offer any utensils unless asked. The matcha latte was ok. Wasn't very hot and was somewhat watered down. At this price point, I'd hope for a stronger matcha flavor. The service was just ok. We barely talked to them. read more

Spectra Coffee - Avocado Toast and Matcha Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Milk Alternatives available for those of us who aren't so great at digesting lactose! Not sure if we got unlucky but it took about 15 minutes to get our coffee. The employee apologized for the wait, so maybe it's not their norm. We ordered the Creamy Mint Latte and Salted Caramel Latte. Both were okay. My partner had the Salted Caramel latte but he wished there was more of a salted caramel flavor. He mentioned that the creamer overpowered and muted the flavors. For my Creamy Mint Latte, I also thought that the mint flavor didn't really come through as much as I would personally prefer. They also had a few snack options like avocado toast. Very curious about the Banana Mochi Waffle! Spectra seems to be a popular place to study if you need a quiet place to do so with access to outlets for charging read more

Spectra Coffee - Menu and Merch - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Had a pleasant experience with the baristas! They were so kind to remake a drink for us without charging. On the menu, it says "banana cream" but it doesn't specify over espresso or matcha. Be sure to specify the drink base you want it with! We ordered the banana mochi waffle. It was chewy with a hint of banana. Perfectly cooked! The pork banh mi was surprisingly good too. The baguette didn't cut my mouth and there was a perfect layer of veggies, and seasoned grilled pork. read more

Spectra Coffee in San Jose is a solid spot if you're looking for something a little different. I tried the pandan latte--it was good, creamy, and had that distinct pandan flavor, though I personally wish it was a bit less milky to let the pandan shine more. The price was reasonable, especially for a specialty drink. Parking, however, is definitely a challenge, so plan ahead if you're in a rush. Overall, a nice place to try something unique if you're in the area. Service is fast and ambiance is pleasant. read more

Spectra Coffee - Pandan Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Great food as usual! I came with a friend cause I wanted to intro him to the incredible pumpkin foam iced latte. So we got: -pumpkin spice foam iced latte - this place makes good drinks but this might be their best creation ever. It's HEAVENLY GOOD. Every sip had me looking to the sky and thanking the gods.... -avocado toast -pesto tomato toast Everything was great. We found nice seating outside as well. Parking: plenty but can be packed since it's next to Costco. Interior: nice and cute read more

Spectra Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Seen this coffee shop for years and finally decided the check them out. On the first trip I had their hot vanilla bean latte with whole milk. It was better than I had expected. Their menu doesn't state its vanilla bean but the guy at the register stated they make it themselves. Vanilla bean is my go to for ice cream and coffee flavors. This tasted great! Took a second trip with the a friend a week later to check out some different options. Avocado toast with everything but the bagel seasoning was perfect! Despite wishing there was some Tapatio to add I thought the dish was well done. I'd seen photos with egg on it and I didn't have that. For the drinks my friend had the ice salted caramel latte and I tried the hot banana cream latte. Friend didn't care for the flavor of their beans and said it was going to give them a headache like Philz does (YMMV). My banana cream latte lacked the main ingredient, banana. It tasted like a plain latte. Imagine biting into a slice of banana bread and not tasting banana, you'd be disappointed too. Best way I could describe the miss. Overall the vibes were ok, afternoon trip had music while the morning visit was dead quiet. Or maybe the music was just in my own head. Lol I will definitely go back but next time stick with the vanilla bean latte. read more

Spectra Coffee - Banana cream latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Cute coffee shop with a relaxing vibe in a busy plaza. Drip coffee tasted good. I added cream and a pack of raw sugar. Caffeine is too strong for me so next time, I'd see if there's decaf! read more

Spectra Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Love supporting local coffee spots and having this gem in between Costco and Trader Joe's to fuel me during my morning errands is the cherry on top! I'm always a fan of places that offer multi use cups/dishes for when dining in the cafe to help reduce waste. This is one of the few places where I'll venture outside my normal black coffee and try something a little fancy too :) read more

Yummy breakfast and snacks and the coffee was good. The place was super busy but had a short turnaround time and the staff were very accommodating. read more

Spectra Coffee - Pesto and egg toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

I've gone here a couple of times, and the espresso hasn't been the best, but the food has been very good, and I've enjoyed their non-coffee drinks! I want to give this place one more try! It's also a very cute place for studying! read more

Had to try the viral blueberry matcha and it's amazing! I love how they use real blueberries in their purée and not just a syrup. Definitely recommend trying it since it is a seasonal item! read more

Spectra Coffee - Matcha green tea latte with oat milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

The seasonal persimmon toast was stunning - complemented by tangy bread, sweet ricotta, delicate honey, and crunchy pepitas. The seasonal banana creme latte was disappointingly lacking in banana flavor, and the espresso a tinge sour. Logistics: - indoor seating and two outdoor tables in the strip mall breezeway - a huge mall parking lot outside but since this shop is squeeze between Costco and Trader Joe's, expect to circle for a bit read more

Spectra Coffee - Persimmon Toast - SEASONAL ITEM, Banana Creme Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Grabbed a banh mi for our hike and wow I was not disappointed! The bread was so crunchy and the meat was flavorful and tender. If you do not want cold cuts, Spectra is the way to go! read more

This coffee shop is super cute! It is a bit small but they do have indoor and outdoor seating. Service was fast and decently interactive. The barista answered my questions about a few of the drinks. We tried the ham and cheese quiche with the mint cream coffee. Both were delicious! read more

After my pilates class, I came here with my friend on Monday around 8am & there was a good amount of people inside. I think it's a good place to catch up on work and studying. Lots of seating indoors and outdoors. I was so indecisive on what to order because I like my coffees strong and sweet but not too sweet... I love pumpkin season so I had to try their seasonal drinks. I was debating between the cold brew or latte & the cashier recommended the pumpkin spice cream cold brew. I went with that & it came in a tiny cup but oh my god it was so strong! I was wide awake after drinking just a quarter Would reccomend this drink if you like something strong and flavorful :) I definitely have to go back and try their other drinks as well! read more

Slowest service in town! 4 people ahead of me and it took 20 minutes to get my drink!. I only come here when it's empty..I will not come here if there is more than 3 people in line. Wish I could take my 15% tip back! read more

I like how they have fun flavors like pandan foam coffee. However, all of the times that I've been here, it took over 10 minutes for the coffee to come out. All the other specialty coffee places I go to don't take that long. They also don't carry decaf.... Which is a shame if I want a late afternoon coffee then I can't come here. Parking is difficult since they share with Costco and Trader Joe's. Pro tip: if your here anyways, stop by and probably go to TJ or the produce market while you wait! read more

Not decaf friendly.. When I searched the address for this location it took me to the crumble address. I had to look through other yelpers photo reviews just to try to find where spectra was located. As soon as I found it I waited for 5 minutes in line which was perfect. As I was trying order a special drink the cashier told me they do not serve decaf espresso. I do not drink regular caffeine coffee because I crash out and fall asleep. Pretty disappointed because I did not know where spectra was located and also they do not serve any decaf espresso at all. Pretty bummed out.. Onto the next coffee shop. read more

The artsy decor makes it a cute place to have coffee, but space can be tight. There is a section of merchendise you can buy, perhaps as souvenirs from San Jose. The coffee is quite a large cup and pretty inexpensive too.There is also a selection of baked goodsand food items. Service is good. read more

I expected more out of this place seeing that the reviews were pretty good. There were a variety of options to choose from including some special drinks. I got the pandan latte, which turned out to be disappointing. I was expecting more of a sweeter drink with a thick pandan cream layer. However, it was a small portion and the coffee wasn't sweetened at all with no pandan flavor to be tasted in the cream. The coffee was extremely strong, so I would proceed with caution if you're sensitive to caffeine. The cafe itself was on the smaller side. Not too much seating but it seemed like a nice place to be in if you have some work to do. Plenty of parking but I can definitely see it full during busy hours since it's in a main plaza. read more

I'm not happy with my coffee from yesterday. I ordered a latte and specifically asked for it to be extra hot. First, it took quite a long time to prepare. Second, when I finally received it, it wasn't hot at all -- it was actually quite cold. I ended up drinking the whole cup in about two minutes because it just wasn't hot enough to enjoy properly. Overall, I was disappointed with the experience and hope this can be improved in the future. read more