Courier Coffee

I wish I could drink the cappuccinos Kate makes every day. Perfectly balanced, perfect foam, perfect size. Paired with one of the house pastries, it’s an entirely delicious experience. Such a Portland staple and the vibes and drinks are as good as ever. Roast their own beans too!

This place is an absolute GEM. Their pastries are right out of the oven, and the coffee is so good. The vibe makes you feel like you are at home, as if you've been in this place for a lifetime. Easily one of the best coffee spots in Portland .

Courier is a “destination” coffee shop. The pastry selection is limited, but unique and fresh-baked on the spot everyday. The shop is operated by spouses, one sees to the coffee side, the other to the Japanese food. Eclectic ambiance, with vinyl music coming from a turntable on the counter. Expect a short line to order and a wait for the limited seating on weekends, but it’s worth it. They roast beans daily (off site, but locally.) Courier is a landmark institution that Portlanders were happy to see survive COVID through innovation and initiative.

Update: the shaved ice: $13 but a large serving with a small spoon, perfect for sharing and appreciating the flavors and sensations. Delicate, layered, and gently sweetened. I really enjoyed it! a proper cappuccino. chill, cozy vibes. i liked it here. good for journaling. lots of natural light. much people-watching. friendly baristas (no saccharine)

My first time at Courier Coffee was an absolutely delightful experience that was made even better by the beautiful, sunny day. Their coffee is the most unique I've tried in Portland, I've never tasted anything else like it. Alongside their amazing coffee, there's pastry options to pair making this is a great spot to relax. The service was absolutely amazing and everything I got was 10/10. I highly recommend everyone in Portland to give this place a try, I'll be back!

Coffee is awesome but the little sushi shared spot is AMAAAAZING! I’ve been eating Inari since I was a toddler and this is “by far” the best I’ve had in 40 years!

I come Courier coffee when I come downtown, but I feel like the coffee has lost flavor, probably because of a change in baristas.　The barista's latte art was totally inept, and it made me feel like I had wasted my money.　The clerk who is always there isn't very friendly either.　I think I will go to a different coffee shop in the future.　It's too bad because I liked the coffee here....

This is BY FAR the best coffee/espresso in Portland. We visited once, and came back everyday. He roasts his own beans and makes all the pastry in house. Pastry is dead on, not too sweet, and flavorful. The interior is quintessential millennium rustic, clean, and fresh (flowers on table, record player in background). You will do yourself a disservice if you do not come here. BTW check my other review I NEVER give 5 stars across the board...this place deserves it.

I loved this Coffee shop. The goal was to go to Powell City of Books but we were a bit early this morning. So we decided to find a coffee shop nearby and stumbled upon Courier Coffee. It was a small and charming place with music that slapped. I wasn't really wanting to be cracked out at that moment so I decided to take the nostalgia route. Now let me first say it wasn't really sweet but boy was it good. It definitely tasted like some really pure cocoa goodness. Man it was a great time. We just played cards and enjoyed the vibe. As we smelled the aroma of coffee wafting all around the shop, we admired all the locals coming in and getting their usuals. The people working here were so chill too. We might have to come back and make it a tradition anytime we come out to Portland.

Been coming here for ages, have always found friendly service, good pour-overs, the best in-house quenelles and salted chocolate chip cookies in Portland, great local art for sale hanging on the wall, and then also something... a little special. The owner always has been a bit of a Japanophile IMHO and had interests in fun foods like shave ice before it was cool (haha see what I did there?). He married an absolutely wonderful Japanese woman and their little girl is starting to get bigger every day. And what does that have to do with anything? As his family has expanded, so have his offerings of Japanese comfort foods! Look at the picture! Wow, this is SO wonderful! All the hand foods of my dreams! I highly recommend everything on the menu! Miso soup will warm you up perfectly on a chilly, rainy day and noraki and Imari will give you the carbo boost you need to keep the fires burning. And..., dango...? Oh, yes, please! Oishi!!!

Quick Summary: - Indoor and outdoor seating (Not many seats inside) - Air conditioning is strong, if you sit near the table with the air conditioning, so not ideal place to eat shaved ice - Coffee is sour - Took nearly an hour to get our shaved iced order Visited in the summer of Portland, so it was the perfect time for having shaved ice. We looked around yelp, and we found this one: Courier Coffee. We chose one of the hotter days of our week in Portland, so we can enjoy the icy dessert. This cafe is located near Powell bookstore. This area has some good stores to walk around and browse, it wasn't really my ideal place to eat outside because of how hot it was outside. Inside we ordered a coffee and the shaved ice, matcha kintoki style. Inside vaguely I remember 3 tables in total. Two were on the right side, when viewed from the entrance, and the other is on the left. The left was occupied, so we chose the table on the right. This table was close to the wall, where the air conditioning was. Something to note for myself in the future, if we're planning to order shaved ice, it's best to not eat near this cooler; it is too cold. It quickly grew unbearable, os we moved to the other table where the window was. This drastically made sitting in the cafe better overall. In the case for ordering; the coffee arrived first and then the shaved ice came afterwards. We were initially expecting we were going to eat the shaved ice and balance out the cold by drinking hot coffee, but the expectations didn't match. The coffee, unfortunately, was sour. My relative thought it was one of the sourest coffees we have tried at Portland (I voted for another). The milk or cream that was added was not enough to soften up the sourness. ...generally all coffee in Portland makes my mouth want to pucker up on how sour it is. It wasn't a great coffee experience. Generally, I noticed that the ordering to food delivery time in Portland takes more time than where I am used to. I treated this gentle waiting time a different experience from home. However, for this case I would like to leave a note that the wait time for our shaved ice took much longer with even this waiver in mind. Maybe it was 45 minutes, but it felt like an hour. It was a hot day, so I was expecting shaved ice to be a popular menu item, so everyone who entered ordered one. The staff was making these in consecutive order, but all was done on one machine. By the time our order arrived, we have finished our coffee and my relative was physically shivering from the cold air conditioning. This shaved ice melts very fast so we ate as fast as we could. Moving away from the air conditioning really worked to make this a better experience. The flavor was good, and while the ice was fast on melting, we were able to eat more than half of the ice.

In a city with a whole lot of great coffee, Courier is my absolute favorite. They are the definition of a hole in the wall, with mismatched seating and what appears to be chaos behind the counter. But the coffee and pastries are fantastic, and the staff is universally lovely. They're only open limited days, but they're absolutely worth a stop.

If you happen to be walking downtown, this is a fun break for the caffeine jolt. However ~ very cramped inside, a couple small, small tables outside. Ice piled high, condensed milk not saturated all the way through. Three mini mochi, not stuck into the mound and two of them easily fell off onto the ground :( A bit nerve racking trying to enjoy the treat outside while quietly watching riffraff causing a raucous passing by. Just in and out unpersonable service.

The baristas were friendly and knowledgeable and I felt welcomed. The most impressive thing is not their coffee but canele. I'd go there just for them. Also I tried canele at Ken's bakery not far from them and Courier Coffee's canele I liked more! The space is pretty small so it's more of grab and go type of place.

Wow, the coffee was amazing. Got myself an Americano and it may have been one for the smoothest I've ever had. Thus a good rating. Not to the not so great... We came about 5 minutes after open. We were told they needed another 5 min. That's ok. But then it ended up taking close to 15 more minutes with groups of people starting to line up waiting with us. Then when we got in they were still not really set up. I was the first to order and my drink still took another 10 minutes. Also, we were excited to try pastries but they only had cookies ready when we got there. When we left around 10 they were just pulling out muffins. The canele we did order once we saw it pulled out they said would need to cool down to really enjoy. Personally I think they should have baked it off earlier so that customers can enjoy it right away.

This was by far the worst matcha I've ever had in my life. I really hate to say this but starbucks matcha would have been better. And the shop was soooo dirty. The tables were all filthy and sticky, not wiped down. And I don't understand the concept of selling maki but leaving them out on a table covered in just one layer saran wrap. I mean at least wrap them individually... Is this not a health code violation in Portland? Anyways, the oat milk wasn't even shaken well so there were white particles floating around and the matcha was very weak. We tossed it out right away. At least it wasn't like an $8 matcha

This place has some really good shaved ice! It's a small counter located in Courier Coffee. They also have small snacks to eat. We got the Hojicha Kokuto Kinaco shaved ice, and it was pretty good. I liked the hojicha flavor and the combo with sweet adzuki beans. It's a pleasant dessert that's not too heavy. It's definitely worth a try.

I came here on a sunny day with a friend and it was the perfect decision to have some ice drinks and kakigori (Japanese shaved ice). I've seen this place before on social media (their shaved ice was everywhere, so I really wanted to give it a try). The inside of the shop is quite small and there's limited seating both inside and outside (only 4-5 small tables total?), so we had to wait for a bit to get seating. Their menu has quite a few interesting drinks and it is definitely heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine/culture, but that's what it super fun. My friend and I got the kakigori and two drinks. Both of the drinks were delicious, but if I had to recommend one, I would recommend their sparkling drinks. The highlight was the kakigori though. It was light, and delicious, and so nice to enjoy on a sunny day. Highly recommend.

This small coffee and tea shop is easy to miss. But don't. We came here for the summertime shaved ice but got tempted into getting cafe beverages and caneles. The cantelope kakigori was fruity, addicting, and very refreshing. The yuzu mint was not overwhelming so it's fine even if you're not a mint lover. The canele pastries were custardy on the inside with a caramelized crust on the outside. They go well with black coffee or espresso beverages. I had mine with a mocha which they made with grated dark chocolate. The bitterness paired well with the sweet treats. Overall, everything was tasty here so my only regret is not getting to try more. The food can run out and they're only open until 3pm so come early if you want the goods.

Got an iced oat latte and my partner got a cortado. Both were so delicious!! The space is a bit small so keep that in mind.

Watch out for extremely rude customers and unhelpful staff. I was with a pregnant woman and others and she had sat down at the table next to the counter while literally placing our order. Another customer and her partner came out of left field and began berating us and kicked us off of the table, so they could sit down. I'm not sure if it's Portland, customers, or Asian hate, but it was extremely distasteful and disheartening that staff said nothing at all. Was forced to sit outside at the neighboring restaurants. Other then that, the japanese shaved ice from Soen was fine. I don't really see the appeal of water/ice imported from Japan. Seems like a waste of carbon for them to ship that out here but I digress. Because of customer base and staff - I absolutely wouldn't return.

An Uber driver highly recommended this place, and it was worth a visit. It's nearby Powell's Bookstore, so you can hit two spots in one trip. Needless to say, their coffee is so good that we bought a pound of Rwanda Rusizi to bring home.

I spent the last few hours of a work trip here, waiting until my flight was a bit closer to departure. I ordered a cappuccino and a matcha latte while I read and people watched. Both were delicious. The staff were very friendly and gave me info on their roasts. I would definitely come back when in Portland again.

Best shaved ice I've ever had, best cappuccino I ever had. Inside is cozy and beautifully homey. Dishware is pretty as well. My only regret is that I ate lunch elsewhere, and only saw they offered food while I was reading the coffee menu. Amazing place and I hope to visit again on this same weekend trip.

I asked my colleague who lives in PDX for a list of good coffee shops, and she did not disappoint! Courier was on the list and it's a gem. Fortunately for me, it was a quick and easy walk from my hotel. The space is small, but there's ample outdoor seating. I wasn't planning on dining, just a drink to go. I ordered my go-to, oat milk latte with honey and cinnamon. That day, they offered canelés and I couldn't resist, so I got one, too. My only regret is not getting more. The canelé was incredible! The caramelized crust, the soft center... wow. Love at first bite! It was my first time trying one, and I have not stopped thinking about it since (and it's been four months now). The coffee was smooth and strong. It was a great way to start my morning in PDX!

Excellent coffee with a simple menu but delicious food. All the essentials for a coffee lover!

Great service and hospitality in this cute little coffee shop but unfortunately there's not much room to sit, but there is room for two tables and seating outside. The drinks are great, and they don't have too many syrupy drinks which is good it's all natural at all local. The great thing about this place is they specialize, and what it seems, Japanese style desserts, and may be a few drinks which makes this place stand out as I didn't know it was Japanese if I'm not mistaken? But the owners really nice and so is the team that works find them over the counter.

I liked the coffee, but what I really liked were the pastries. I really, really, really, really liked the pastries. Mostly the muffins. The first time I went I got this apple one. Today I got a strawberry one. Unless I'm misremembering, they've gotta be the two best muffins I've had in my life by far. The outsides had a sort of dark, slightly crisp, nutty type of feel to em. And the insides were really interesting. This might sound weird, but it almost felt like rice pudding? That's an exaggeration, I'm just not sure how to describe it. It felt wet to me, but in a good way. The chocolate chip cookies are also really good. They're small, but rich. The inside is a little underdone, which I personally really like. Kinda like cookie dough. They also have these little salt flakes on top. That might sound weird, but it's really good. On the other hand, there's not really much in terms of seating. There's one small table that seats two inside, two of those tables outside, and two chairs with no tables you could also use outside. Today when we went all of those were taken, so we had to go walk somewhere else to find seating. And the hours are also very restrictive too, only being from 9-2. I think part of what you're looking for in a coffee shop is being a comfortable place to sit down and hang out, either to talk or to do some work on your laptop. Courier kinda fails at that. But those darn muffins. They're so good that I still feel like they deserve five stars.

This is like legit the best shaved ice I've had thats not in Hawaii. I ordered the strawberry anko mochi shaved ice. It was such good flavor combo and the mochi is really soft and chewy. As for the shaved ice itself, it was actually really fine and good, almost on par with Hawaii shaved ice. The flavor compared to Hawaii was a lot more natural using strawberry's and red bean, but hawaii had more flavor options. Only thing I didn't like was how they only put the flavor at the top, so when we got all the way down there was no flavor left. For the coffee, I myself am not a big fan of coffee in general at all so I took one sip and called it quits haha.

An absolute hidden gem in the heart of downtown Portland!! The most incredible cold brew i've ever had! Joel is usually always on site to help with coffee selections and his skilled baristas to whip something up quickly! Extremely good canelles as well

Causal and laid back coffee shop across the street from Powell Book Store. Small place with a two servers who seem to know most of their customers. I ordered a latte and my husband got a pour over. My latte was a bit bitter but overall good. Bathroom in the back.

I really liked this coffee shop's vibe. It was slow, laid back and with the vinyls playing, felt like to trip back in time to when life didn't move so fast. Ordered a mocha and was delighted at the sight of my barista melting actual chocolate in my cup. It was delish.

All around not a good experience Affordable but no space to sit and the beans were severely over roasted and burnt

Passed on Stumptown in Old Town since the parking meter was up. Migrated to that part of downtown Portland bordering both West End and Pearl District, Courier Coffee Roasters was a pleasant indie cafe find (9/26/19). Minimalist signage, spare counter/table seating inside and bright exterior seating. Constant traffic for coffee to go, chat with regulars, or sit for a bit. I opted for the latter at the counter. There are roasted coffee beans for sale pkus assorted other beverages and food items. What caught my eye were caneles on a cooling rack. Okay a definite park it and hangout mode, especially at one of three counter stools. I got to see cold brew prep, pour overs, and other beverage preps like mocha, macchiato, and cold brew with a giant ice cube. My mocha was a perfect balance of coffee and chocolate, just wished it was a bit hotter temperature wise. The canele was really the star for me ($9.60 mocha and canele total). As two other customers there exclaimed to me, I have to concur. Enjoyed also the brief chat with one of the baristas at the end of her shift. She is originally from Guadalajara and now makes Portland her home. I was revisiting the Rose City after an extended hiatus, it was nice to hear her perspective. Definitely a notable stop for caffeine and quality treats!

Stopped by for Tuna Mayo Roll ($6) and a cup of Vanilla Iced with Oat. Overall this Japanese coffee shop is 10/10.

Great vanilla latte and my husband loved the macchiato. The staff are really sweet and their yogurt pear muffin was lovely with the coffee. I would love to return here and try their other pastries.

Love this place and the vibe. It's quaint and people are super chill. You just feel like you're a guest in their home. The coffee is super smooth and the snacks they offer are just as good. They always run out of the cookies, which happened during this last visit. We've spoken with the owner who roasts the coffee himself and he's so down to earth. I get a couple bags of coffee each time I'm here because we go through it fast and we like to try all the different ones they have. So far I have not been disappointed at all.

One of my brother's best friends said Courier was the best place for coffee in Portland. One gripe: there are no outlets. Second gripe: I ordered the ginger and milk my second time here instead of coffee. The barista said the ginger and milk tasted like chai but honestly to me it tasted like milk with added ginger, and not in a good way. I have #ragrets over that order, but did really like my latte which I had the day before. Service is extremely good and warm and friendly, and I like how cozy it is. Courier has a great location near Powell's, but other than that, I think I prefer Stumptown in terms of coffee.

THE best coffee in Portland. You can tell they understand their craft, plus food and treats are also very delicious.

The Chocolate Chip Cookie was good, not too sweet but with plenty of dark chocolate chip. I love the slightly crispy exterior and gooey center, as well as the flaky salt on top. However, it definitely could have been bigger for its price and maybe warmer. The coffee ground was also good. The guy working on the day was one-maning everything and he did a great job.

Really great! Coffee was delicious. Staff mentioned the Colombian beans underwent a 60 hr fermentation. Don't know what that means really but it tasted great! Also had a canele which was delicious yet small.

Had an excellent mocha with almond milk here on a Saturday morning! And my bf loved the cortado he ordered. Also got some beans to go

One of the best cafes in Portland. All my experiences here have been consistently great. Coffee and and food always made with care.

Great little coffee roaster located downtown. I needed to buy some ground coffee and we found this place wandering around. I can see how some people will call it a hipster hang-out. There were two gentlemen that fit that description inside, and some obnoxious girls ordering, but the young man who helped me was able to describe each of the three roasts they had. I bought the one from Guatemala. Brewed it the next day and it was delicious! The inside is cozy and there's some chairs out in front. Not whole heartedly pretentious, but I can see it being that a peak times.

A small little coffee shop with a couple tables and counter seats, Courier is cozy. It might not be a place to spend hours working in, due to the size and lack of outlets, but it's a central location near Powell's which makes it great for a to-go coffee or meeting up for a chat with friends. The two baristas when I visited were friendly and took their time making each coffee. They do pour overs of different roasts that you can choose from, as well as espresso drinks. We got lattes and cappuccinos. All our cups had the pretty foam art and the coffees were delicious. I'd come back again. I really liked the smallness of the place and the music on the record player.

We were only able to stop at one coffee shop during our short visit to Portland but it turns out we still managed to have the best of the best! We walked over on the recommendation of the concierge at Hotel Lucia and found a variety of freshly baked pastries and the chillest little coffee shop I've ever seen. The fresh blackberry muffin and chocolate chip cookie we shared were excellent but the coffee was absolutely phenomenal!

Specific to Japanese Shaved Ice: Summer pop up in Saturdays starting at noon to 4pm (or until sold out). My friend I walked in and ordered the Blackberry peach shaved ice for $10. It seems that depending in the seasonal fruit used flavors may change, shaved ice starting at 7 with extra charge for ricotta cheese. The wait can be a bit as seating is limited (bar counter seating and 4 tables, a few chairs outside and one person makes the desserts. Even with the wait, the shaved ice is very fresh with real organic fruit and light from the very fine ice and milk combo. Beautifully presented for great pictures too. You can see the hard work and passion behind making the shaved ice and making in house/local products. Note that the door handle is a little hard to open and close, as it is a handleset door hardware, and you have to pull a little bit to open. Really, even with the little of seating and small space- the shaved ice is worth it! Just go a little early!

Japanese Shaved Ice review: They offer this in the summer on Saturdays starting around noon until they run out. They shave the ice into delicate strands, layering the fresh toppings into a giant ball. One is definitely enough for 2 to share. The green tea was our favorite. The green tea flavor was well-distributed throughout and balanced well with the azuki beans. Each hand-crafted work of art takes a few minutes to make. Seating is limited, and you definitely can't eat this without a table. All of the ingredients, including the condensed milk, are house-made.

Environment: It was a very small cafe. I think the area can't fit more than 10-15 people. Staff: friendly Food: I actually got their shaved ice. It was a pop-up store and they open occasionally during Saturday so my friend and I got super lucky! We got the blackberry and peach shaved ice. Ice: it was shaved Japanese style which mean it was thin and light as well as it melts in your mouth right away. Milk: there was some condensed milk in between the ice which was a nice little surprise Blackberry: I saw the lady blend blackberries to turn it more like a sauce/syrup and it was very good. It still had that tartness to it and the seeds so instead of eating individual berries it was all over the shaved ice. Peach: the person cut one entire peach for us and it was freshly bought that morning. It was very sweet and it matched the blackberry part very well. It was $10 and I really enjoyed it. It was super refreshing and not extra sweet. You can share it with 2-3 other people. Heads up, because one person was making it, it will take some time so please wait patiently as one guy did everything! Because it's a pop up store, here's more info on this Instagram: @ssshavedice

Very small, super hipster place. It's what I'd imagine a coffee shop in Portland to look like. The door was a bit finicky as there's a latch you need to push up in order to get in. There is very limited seating so probably not a good place for you to lounge around doing work or catching up with a friend. That being said, the cold brew coffee was great. Smooth and not acidic, it came with a single giant ice cube in a recyclable cup. I also got a pastry which I forget the name of, but it was good. Not overly sweet but a nice pick-me-up for the afternoon. There's a park a few blocks away you can go to sit on a bench and get some fresh air while enjoying your coffee. Overall, great quality coffee in a cozy, hipster cafe.

5 stars: after I explained that I like darker roast with less acidity, the owner of the shop recommended pour-over coffee (Guatemala origin). I added cream and started drinking it. I didn't appreciate the first few sips and thought the roast was too acid for me. However, as I continued to sip, the balance was struck and I started to love what I'm tasting a lot more! Thanks for the great rec! 4 stars: caneles... I went to Courier actually because I was craving for caneles (a dark brown dessert that is crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside). I've only had it once at a Michelin star restaurant as one of the delectables. I thought the outside could've been more crunchy but it was still a very delicious bakery good and totally made my day!

I always look for hidden gems when I travel to new places. Courier Coffee is exactly what I was looking for. The coffee, pastries, friendly staff, and edgy, informal vibe made this the perfect place. If you appreciate quality food and personalized service, you need to give them a try. Syrup made from actual vanilla bean pods, mocha made from just-melted chocolate, amazing fresh pastries baked on-site that morning...it felt like I was being hosted in Joel's working kitchen while he served up snacks. Don't let the lack of commercial packaging or decor make you miss out on this place. It's about as authentic as it gets. They also serve Kakigori, Japanese shave ice, late mornings. I'm bringing the family back for that.

When I had a mocha here.. first Mocha in Portland.. and I don't like sweet.. they ground dark chocolate fresh into the drink.. OMG!! I said.. "ok, I can does now..!" Go here

Nice hole in the wall. Had a Guatemalan cold brew that woke me up for sure. Deep robust finish, real earthy tasting. If I lived in the area I would be back to try their ice cream espresso drink. Small niche in a big city. 10$ for 2 cold brews. Not too bad. But the huge ice cube they use takes us about 1/3 of the glass.

I first spied the maneki-neko sitting on the counter. That then led me to my next question, which was: Is there some Asian ownership at this coffee shop? a HA! The power of observation... (answer to follow) My $4 cappuccino floated me on over to Europe somewhere. Not to mention how perfectly it went with my Pearl bakery croissant! Joel is the owner, and he and his Japanese wife have found a way to keep coffee minimalistic, hipster, and tasty! It's a no frills, bit bareboned, non bougie place that is so beloved, Japan mimicked and opened one just like it over across the Pacific. Yup. Perfect cuppa, at odd-angled Oak St，nearby the Thai corner place. PS Tokyo's Hiramatsu just opened up a Pdx-style pub featuring 10 Portland beers on tap! Sugoi

This small and cozy coffee shop is a great place to stop if you want a quiet spot to read the books you just purchased from Powell's! I ordered a latte, which came with beautiful leaf foam art on the top. The coffee was very smooth, with no bitter aftertaste! The only other coffee I've had that was as good as my latte here was in Seattle. I am definitely planning on coming back to spend a quiet afternoon here!

There are two types of hipster coffee shops: 1. Those selling expensive craft coffee in a basic cafe (not pumpkin spice latte basic) 2. Those selling overpriced craft coffee with the slew of bouge amenities i.e. beautiful spaces designed with Instagram in mind Courier most definitely falls into the former category, with coffee beans meticulously sourced and roasted in-house, simple decor with a vintage record player, and a delivery option available via bike. Coffee-wise it is very good. In fact, so good and so hipster that it is almost expected you drink it black (no milk at the counter or asking whether you want room for cream--I guess that is for the weak, though they were completely non-judgmental and promptly offered me a little flask of milk when I asked). The nuanced flavors of the flavors are interesting and complex, something you can expect to be described with the same jargon as wine tasting. Ambiance-wise I like the local business vibes, but I think it could use something of a step up from its current no-frills theme... Blame Stumptown and all the other shiny posh coffee shops for high standards. At $3 per cup of coffee and $9 for a 1/2 lb of beans, it's pricey but appropriately reflective of the quality and all the thought that goes into the path from bean to cup.