Portland Is Known For Its Coffee, So Which Are The Best Coffee Shops To Go To?

Portland is known for many things: notoriously grey weather, being the home of the hipsters along with their craft beer, bicycles, and of course, good quality coffee. It is one of the places that helped shaped coffee culture in the U.S. from selling coffee for $1 at gas stations to the higher quality cups that go for at the very least four times that price. So when you’re in town, how do you choose which of the countless cafes to visit? Here are some of the best coffee shops that Portland has to offer, though it is not a definitive list by any means.

Cathedral Coffee

Cathedral Coffee is located in the St. John’s neighborhood, which seems appropriate. Students and remote workers alike spend time in this vast cafe that features windows that stretch from floor to ceiling. Cathedral roasts its own coffee blends and gives them fun names like Apple Crumble and Ruby Lemonade.

Sterling Coffee Roasters

Sterling started out as a corner kiosk and grew into a full sized cafe that has become a staple of the area since it opened in 2009. You can find a variety of roasts offered here, as well as some unique options like the espresso flights, which are super fun, and also in-house made syrups for delicious flavored drinks. There is also plenty of merch available for those who like the elegant but cozy aesthetic found at Sterling.

Coava Coffee Roasters

Coava has been around since the early days of coffee in Portland after opening up in 2008. Coava fostered a direct relationship with coffee farmers right from the start, which is how they ensure a quality cup of coffee each time. It’s really inspiring to see how this place grew from one location out of a motorcycle garage to a successful business with locations around the West Coast.

Less and More Coffee

Less and More coffee is located in an old bus shelter that has been converted into a small coffee kiosk in the downtown area near Park Blocks. The cafe serves up coffee lattes that incorporate Korean ingredients. Anyone who is heading to the Farmers Market or students at the Portland State University will have had a drink from here. There are also plenty of non-coffee drinks, like ube steamers, milk tea, and ssuk lattes, which are made with Korean mugwort powder.

Deadstock Coffee Roasters

Deadstock Coffee Roasters aims to take the pretentiousness out of coffee culture, which is why its decor is sneakers-inspired and features roasts named Slow Jamz, Fresh Prince, and the like. There are a lot of interesting blends with names that fit the theme like Zero Chill, a mixture of coffee and sweet tea, and LeBronald Palmer, which is a blend of coffee, sweet tea, and lemonade. You can find this cafe in Portland’s Chinatown.