Cafe Portland

Cafe Portland: Portland, Oregon could very well be the home of what is referred to as third wave specialty coffee. With many local Portland coffee roasters within its borders, Portland offers coffee drinkers more options than they might know what to do with.  Affectionately dubbed “PDX”, Portland has hundreds of coffee houses. You’ll read about some of them in the New York Times and all over national foodie blogs.  Coffee in Portland is a serious proposition.  We are here to help you find the right coffee house for you.

If you are looking for a cafe in Portland, you won’t have to look far…

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Cafe Portland | Choosing the best coffee house | What makes a great cafe?

Great coffee , for one.  Any cafe in Portland that wants to really compete will seek out the best quality coffee beans possible.  Portlanders also tend to source their coffee within their local area and with good reason: we have some of the best coffee roasters in the nation right here at home. From the biggies to the more specialized ’boutique’ roasters, Portland has it all.

Variety .  Cafe Portland evolves.  Many cafes are seeking to set themselves apart by choosing to employ the “rotating tap” model of local breweries.  This means they will serve coffee from more than one Portland coffee roaster.  This was a totally alien practice until just recently.  Now, some Portland coffee houses will offer 2-3 coffee roasters or different types of coffees from one roaster to provide their patrons with more than one option. The goal is give their patrons the best coffee experience ever by teaching them as much as they can about coffee.  What better way to learn than to taste?

Excellence .  Walk into many of the upper echelon Portland coffee houses and you’ll find trophies lining their shelves.  The coffee world is exceptionally competitive and those who take it very seriously have competitive baristas on staff who will travel regionally, nationally and if they are lucky, internationally to compete in Barista Championships.  In Portland, being a barista is a very serious career and these folks are professionals.  Not all, of course, but definitely those who are employed at the upper tier coffee houses.  Learn more about these famous coffee shops here.

Comfortable .  By this we mean ample seating: tables and couches, indoor and outdoor seating.  Secured wireless internet is a must for those road warriors, commuters and students who spend hours upon hours at local Portland coffee shops. Play good music and at a decent level- not too low, not too loud.

Food. Offer a few nibblin’s such as bagels and cookies.  You’ll find that most serious cafes do not offer much more than this because they choose to focus solely on the coffee.

Local access .  You’ll notice that Portland has no shortage of coffee houses. Most tend to service those in their immediate neighborhoods and are easily accessed via foot, bike, scooter, bus and car.  You’ll want to have lots and lots of bicycle parking.

Learn more about Portland Coffee Roasters.

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