We've been fortunate enough to frequent our neighbors to the north over the last few years. During his touring years, Portland was a frequent—and favorite—stop for Casey. It was on one such tour that Ally flew up from LA, and we passed our first couple of days in Portland together.
Portland holds a special place in the specialty coffee world. Whereas the Bay Area and Seattle are the oft-recognized strongholds of the Second Wave coffee scene of the 60's and 70's (i.e. Peet's and Starbucks), Portland helped usher in the Third Wave movement.
While it takes a village to make a scene, we often view Stumptown as emblematic of Portland's—starting in the 90's. But if the scene took off back then, it's only continued to flourish. It seems like every year one could make a new list of the hot new shops and roasters in town. This is made all the more fascinating by Portland's relatively small size (compared to the large cities of the West Coast).
And so it's worth noting here that, as with all of our guides, this guide is not intended to be a Who's Who of specialty coffee in Portland.
What we seek in the places we recommend is more than aesthetics or craft. It has a lot to do with the ethos of a space. The establishments we included in this guide may not all have stellar latte art (or even espresso, for that matter), but based on our experience, we can assure that you'll find a warm, welcoming atmosphere with people who put care and focus into the quality of the food, drink, and character of the space.
We hope you enjoy!
Ally & Casey
Featuring:
Stumptown
Milk Glass Market
Maurice
Coava
Barista
Sweedeedee
Never Coffee Lab
Courier
Just a head's up! You'll be asked for your shipping address but not any payment info when you download the guide!
Travel has been a huge factor in developing our passion for coffee. Since we met, finding and visiting coffee shops has always been a highlight of our travels. Especially when on short trips, stopping into a roaster is a great way to get a taste of the local culture and pick up some tips for other good spots to visit.
Our guides are a way for us to share places we've visited and enjoyed. Rather than comprehensive, they're intended to provide little glimpses into larger environments that hold any number of possibilities and will appeal to you in myriad ways, should you make the trip!
Be sure to check out our guides for Japan, Barcelona, Portugal, and New York, too!
We hope to inspire, add a few spots to your itinerary, and make sure no trip goes without delicious coffee :)
Ally & Casey
