New SLO County cafe serves up traditional American breakfasts with a Mexican flair

Leo Martinez and Oscar Torres met while attending the same church over 10 years ago and have been friends ever since.

Now, the pair are also business partners.

Agape Coffee House , located at 1111 Riverside Ave. in Paso Robles, opened its doors in December and serves American traditional breakfast and lunch dishes with a Mexican flair.

The menu at Agape Coffee House include favorites like chilaquiles, crepes, cinnamon roll french toast, eggs Benedict and more.

“We have options for everyone,” Martinez said. “Whether you want to eat healthy or want more traditional mom and pop breakfast food there is something for you.”

Agape means “the highest form of love,” according to one sign in the restaurant.

For Torres and Martinez, they want their customers to “taste love in every dish” and hope their cafe serves as a beacon of love, community and family.

Torres worked in the restaurant industry and Martinez worked in restaurant management, so opening their own restaurant with their 20 years of combined experience was a natural next step, they said.

The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday, but closed on Sunday to preserve a day for family.

“We are not here to make money,” Martinez said. “We want people to come in and make memories.”

Torres said a lot of remodeling went into opening the restaurant and said the space has all new furniture, paint and lighting. He and Martinez sourced all of the tables and chairs from US based manufacturers.

“It was challenging, but people have really liked it,” Torres said. “At the end of the day, we want people to come in and feel comfortable and find a good family-owned spot.”

In addition to the family values, Agape Coffee House also places an emphasis on using quality, fresh ingredients.

Hardly any of the ingredients at Agape reside in the freezer, Martinez shared, because they are coming out fresh. All of the meat in the dishes is carved and cooked by hand too, he added.

“We put a lot of love and effort in all of our dishes,” Martinez said. “We make them the freshest and best we can.

For more information

Agape Coffee House is open Monday through Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 805-296-3041 or visit the restaurant’s Facebook or Instagram page.