Park Avenue Cafe

The park avenue bagel and a hot mocha are the perfect brunch combo. It's a typically bustling little corner shop that has a good atmosphere and a lot of seating for a small place, including some outdoor tables.

The food sucks and is an absolute rip-off. The coffee is okay, but there are far better options within a block's walking distance. (Sesame doughnuts is right next door and does FAR better, then if you feel like crossing Clay St there's In J Coffee, which is honestly the best) The aesthetic of the place is the only real reason to go. Very metropolitan, quiet, and nice park atmosphere if you sit outside.

I really can't be too harsh because some of the issues here are the kinds of quality erosion you see across the board in similar businesses. But it needs to be said that the changes to the food - the introduction of poor quality thawed out frozen produce, the use of filler ingredients, the reduction in portion sizes - are really very bad and absolutely cross the line into not being worth the price. The owner can be quite friendly and keep things lively, but the young seemingly student employees are really pushing it sometimes with their airheadedness and weird awkward energy. A strange combination of not really 100% knowing what they're doing and not really being interested in the job is really apparent. What was once a good neighborhood cafe well worth regular visits is now nothing more than a typical overpriced cafe not worth the time or money. Again, I can't be too harsh because it's not any worse than just a slide into mediocrity.

Such a charming, cozy cafe. I'm not generally a huge fan of cafes, I feel the market is flooded with them, but I'll consider this place an exception. You can tell even without reading it in the menu that everything is made in house. The pasta, the pastries, even the bread for your toast. The coffees are rich and beautiful. The salmon lox is delicious too. My favorite spot is next to the window underneath the Open sign so I get the mix of flora, wood, and a soft neon glow. Such a great place to relax.

Walked in not expecting much, and got exactly that!!!! We got a chicken pesto panini and a Swiss and ham sandwich, and they were bland. The panini bread was not even a panini. And the bread wasn’t even toasted and nothing was melted or warm. Thing to note: we didn’t get any pastries so we don’t know how good those are!

Got too excited since the food here is too delicious. I love the atmosphere with great calming music and the owner is the friendliest person I've ever encountered. Not to mention great value.

Great little breakfast place. Love the teacups and saucers that the hot beverage comes in. Good place to go study or just chat with a friend. They think their Italian, but don’t be fooled

Love this little Cafe!! The environment was lovely, the waitress was very sweet and friendly. We got an Oregon Chai Tea and a Hot Chocolate to drink—they were delicious! The food was great, too. We ordered some potato salad, tomato basil soup, and the day’s special: a freshly made grilled steak sandwich with chipotle sauce, mozzarella, grilled mushrooms and peppers, all on top of a soft ciabatta bun. For dessert we chose the blueberry cheesecake. It was all spectacular! Thank you Park Avenue Cafe!

Cons: they only have a few outlets by the window/display case. I'm sure the building is old and it would be expensive to install outlets, but the cafe is literally next to PSU so it would be worth the cost. They'd likely get a lot more business just having outlets at every table along the walls. Pros: food is really good and the employees are kind as well!

Stopped here a few times when I was visiting a friend and it was genuinely the best iced chai latte I ever had. I didn't care much for the ham and Swiss bagel but going for the drinks alone is worth the stop. My friend really enjoyed their sandwiches though so I should try that the next time I'm in town. The staff were super delightful and gave us shopping recommendations too :). The atmosphere is very relaxing making it the perfect spot to relax and sip on some yummy drinks.

A bustling but homey cafe nearby PSU. They had SO many options for food - breakfast is served all day too! Service is really sweet and they bring out the food and drinks for you if you're dining in. I once came here for coffee many months ago and it was great. This time I sat down and had some lunch with their chorizo breakfast sandwich and it was delicious! I would totally come back again and again:)

Starting to become a regular again after a 10+ year absence. The Affogato was a little pricy for what you get. The breakfast burrito had three strikes against it: cubed potatoes instead of crispy hash browns, folded egg instead of scrambled (so the eggs ooze out), and it's very small. A future pass for me. Lovely atmosphere, that's why I come. The young gal tending the register around breakfast was super nice. But the young guy around lunch sports too much attitude. Owner seems nice and dedicated to his business.

Ahhh. Nothing beats a good cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich! Also, they have free WI FI which is nice if you gotta get some work done. Service is very good. They get your food and drinks out to you in a timely manner. The streetcar is right outside the front door which means this place is VERY accessible by transit via the B and NS lines. When the sun rises over the city and comes through the windows and you hear the smooth jazz music playing as you sip your coffee, I'm telling you. It's a vibe. This place is right by my apartment and I love that. It's a great place to meet up with some friends!

Popped in after daughter's graduation from PSU. Great breakfast bagel and nice atmosphere.

Ive been here 3 x and love it every time ! French dip is delicious and the breakfast croissant was butter n flaky !

I was excited about my breakfast burrito until I found hair cooked into it. So gross.

I like the variety available on the menu and the staff is polite and efficient but every time I order a sandwich about 1/3 of it is bare, just bread on bread. The filling in parts that aren't bare are meager at best.

I had the best coffee of my life here I cannot wait to come back!!! service is warm and kind, good food and great coffee!! I enjoyed the playlist while I was there :)

Cosy-check Scrumptious sandwiches-check Convenient to PSU-check Reasonably priced-check! We are replete!

Been here twice now for breakfast. I ordered some kind of breakfast bagel the first time which was good. This time I got the veggie lox bagel which was really tasty. Also got a cappuccino which was good too. Love that it's right across from the park. This place has a nyc coffeehouse vibe to me, I love it. Prices good, service good, definitely will make a point to come back next time I'm in this area.

Nice place, aesthetic cafe design and location. Their coffee is good quality and rich in taste. However the food lacks freshness and has an off taste. The main reason I subtracted two stars is because of the matcha latte i ordered. I asked if they can sub in oat milk. And received a full cup of whole milk with a small dash of matcha. My friend confirmed it was whole milk. The drink wasn't flavoured and just had a light green tint. Sadly my stomach will suffer.

Let me start by saying, this place has a very European vibe, and it is so cute! The food is delicious. We have had breakfast and lunch here. a everything has been exceptional and flavorful. The service is top notch. Every one we have encountered has been so open and friendly. I definitely recommend this place for a good quick bite to eat.

One of my favorite spots in the city!! Park Avenue Cafe is the perfect environment to get a coffee and do some work or to meet friends. I come here all the time because the coffee is very good, the seating is comfortable, and staff and management are very friendly. I also recommend the fresh fruit smoothie. Overall, I highly recommend!

A decent spot for coffee and sandwiches. The inside was very cozy with many seatings, love the jazz music. Plenty of familiar options to pick from for both drinks and food: paninis, wraps, bakeries etc. The drinks that we got, Dirty Chai Lattes and Cappucini, were 4/5 for me. Meanwhile, the food, Veggie Wrap and Turkey BLT Special, were more of a 3-3.5/5. Pretty generic tasting but they totally tried to fancy it up by panini-pressing them, which was nice, making them warm and toasty. Albeit not being mindblowing when it comes to flavors, I really do appreciate the casual vibe that this place has going on. Lovely staffs too. Come check them out!

Unfortunately this place was a huge disappointment. I ordered a Cobb salad through UberEATS and went and picked up when it was ready. I asked for extra dressing and I got a 3/4 of the way filled ramekin of the worst blue cheese dressing I've ever had in my life. The description said there was blue cheese crumbles on the salad, there was not. The description did not mention croutons which I cannot have, and they were on the salad. Also cucumbers were on the salad which weren't listed. Not a good experience and won't be back.

Very homey down to earth breakfast cafe with consistent food and service. Ill start off with, the food is not amazing but it's good enough to get the job done especially with the price in downtown. They have cute patio seating and plenty of seating inside. This place seems to be a local spot, I've been here twice and have seen some of the same people pop in. They have pretty standard breakfast items and the paninis sound delicious. I'd recommend if you're walking around on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and want a lovely breakfast.

They don't heat their pastries. It's on a nice plate but I wish it were at least a little warmed if I'm paying for a pastry at a restaurant. Overall everything was fine. There isn't much parking. Everything came out quickly and it looked nice but the restaurant has obvious wear and tear; pencil marks on the walls, scraped, dents, etc. i would be more lenient if it looked like a big project was coming but it looked like basic scuffed paint and a shelf that never went up.

Alright, I am all about fair reviews, but this place really did leave a bad taste in my mouth (not literally). It took me a minute to decide whether or not to give this place two or three stars, but ultimately I chose to settle on three stars because I don't enjoy being mean, and there were at least a couple attributes that could be categorized as positive. The highlights: In general, the ambience of Park Ave could be considered cute from the perspective of the typical consumer. I think they are trying to give the impression of a quasi-European eatery with an emphasis on Illy coffee. It was fairly busy, which seemed like a good sign. We ordered the croissant sandwich with avocado and turkey, accompanied by tomato soup and potato chips. The meal tasted fine and the ingredients seemed fresh. Cool cool cool. The improveables: The meal we had was not memorable. Imagine making a turkey sandwich at home; it tastes fine, it does the job, but you're probably not going to sing its praises to your friends or family nor remember it a week later. Unfortunately, the service was quite disorganized. Perhaps we arrived on their first day of work, ever. Our poor tomato soup was almost forgotten to the ether, and our turkey sandwich was shuttled out to us after almost thirty minutes of waiting. I try to have some level of understanding, especially when a restaurant is understaffed, but I am fairly certain the staffing wasn't the issue; it was the capacity of their staff to keep track of orders. Finally, the entire place felt like their was a thin layer of grease film on everything, and there were multiple tables that boasted dirty dishes for almost an hour. Not a cute look. My guess is that the majority of positive reviews here are from college students or folks with low standards. It does not deliver a solid experience, unfortunately. I will come back to reassess, but for now take my first impressions as they are and decide for yourself if this is the right place for your afternoon meal.

Plenty of space for customers while they're ordering. A great variety of snacks and desserts too! Thanks for the friendly greeting!

Nice looking place, friendly person who took our order at the counter, but service at the table was awful. The young man had no idea where to deliver food even though everyone at the restaurant were all given numbers for our tables when we ordered. My meat omelette was a veggie omelette when it came out, and when the young man brought back the corrected order, he just dropped the plate on the table with sliced ham hastily added inside. The omelette was simply inedible at that point because it was cold. My husband brought it back to the counter, the owner was brusque saying that they were accommodating my request for an omelette and it wasn't something they offered. BTW, it was the owner who offered to make an omelette when I asked if they had them. The omelette was remade and was much better hot but not something worth going back for. The whole experience was so disappointing.

Very disappointed with this cafe. I live nearby on park avenue so this is walking distance from me. I went last week for an iced vanilla latte and was excited because of how cute the place was and how legit it seemed (I am a barista) I got my drink and they forgot the vanilla, the bottom of the latte was fullllll of espresso grounds which means they aren't cleaning the porta filters after every drink or flushing out the machine before making another drink so I'm getting parts of old espresso :-/ I decided to try again thinking it was the baristas mistake but the same thing happened only less grounds at the bottom and the forgotten vanilla :/ my sister got a dark chocolate frappe that was extremely watery and foamy :/ sad that I wasted $11 on lame drinks def won't be returning. Giving 2 stars bc the baristas are always very nice :)

Not very impressed with the service at all.... I ordered an Italian soda and the employee asked me if the flavor raspberry was fine... I asked him what other flavors does he have, he said raspberry or orange. I just ordered raspberry, knowing I saw that they had way more flavors.... I will never be going back there. If you have more flavors then that.... You should be offering your customers more then just two!!!

Best coffee I've had in Portland! Service was nice as well, and the general vibe was very enjoyable.

I really like this place. They serve authentic italian coffee (Illy) and they have some non-dairy unsweetened alternatives for people with dietary restrictions (like me). They have a nice outdoor seating in front of the park, it is really pleasant to have a coffee date in there

Friendly fast and delish. Our go to last time we visited Portland. And again this time!!! Plan on trying eggnog latte tomorrow!!!

I have been coming here for a year now (live in the area) this is the third time that I've gotten the wrong order, either someone else's, or my addition to a simple bagel was confused with a whole other menu item. This time, I ordered a breakfast bagel subbing my meat option. I was given a croissant with bacon tomato (?) and egg. I was already home when I realized my order was wrong (my b for not checking before I left due to their history of giving out wrong orders).

10/10 vibes and foods delicious ! Hummus bagel is a bomber but gotta have it for here cuz a to-go would make it all squished like a sando. Park Ave Cafe Breakfast Bagel is top tier with bacon and veggies

Nice cozy cafe with plenty of seating. The coffee is good and the customer service is even better. Sadly the pastries are not good. The croissant I ordered tasted like a Fred Meyer croissant from the 90s. Meh.

Great little breakfast place. Love the teacups and saucers that the hot beverage comes in. Good place to go study or just chat with a friend.

I really liked this little cafe. it's one of my more favorable places to get something quick to eat and some coffee to drink. i like that it's not trying o hard to be hipster but people can still sit outside and get together with friends. the soup was very good and only $4.25. i would go to get it again. thanks!

A an early Saturday morning. I come in and the place has such a nice ambiance. I'm excited to sit down and do my homework. I order a cappuccino and a lemon poppy scone. Both are very good! The reason why I am only giving three stars is because of the way they treated me. When asked "for here? or to go?", I reply "for here" please. They look at me and are silent, surprised that I, a college student, wants to sit down and study. They bring me a paper cup as the rest of the customers in the restaurant all have fancy little mugs. They treated me as a child and had no respect whatsoever. I also saw the couple next to me pull out a hair from their breakfast sandwich (which they still ate?? Yuck!). Would consider returning on a day with better workers at the counter.

I have gone to this place for years. The service and food is always good. None of the food appears to be pre made. Safe/clean and cool place for breakfast or lunch. Lots of seating.

THE PARK AVENUE CAFE BAGEL $6.95- preferred this over the lox bagel. Good amount of turkey. The everything bagel was good. THE VEGGIE LOX BAGEL $9.95- it was fine but couldn't really taste the cream cheese.

Great atmosphere, kind staff, and excellent for a quick bite. I had their breakfast special, which was 2 over easy eggs, english muffin and fruit. It hit the spot; give it a try.

love to come here to study! great food and drinks to keep me going. my favorite thing is the veggie lox. service is amazing as well

great food, good vibe, very comfy, and the ILLY coffee is delicious.

PSU gem that constantly has soccer (or more properly real football) on. Consistent quality and a hidden in plain sight downtown gem!

I've been coming to the Park Avenue Cafe about 5 mornings a week for the past 12 years. (Sorry for the delayed review!) I found this local gem when my boyfriend lived in the same building and I still go there even though it's about 20 minutes out of my way. They're the best and that's saying a lot in a coffee mecca like Portland! Let's just say my PAC grande almond milk Illy latte is the only way I want to start my day. Bagels and sandwiches are also excellent. THANK GOD they've remained open during the pandemic for takeout and delivery! *Only reason I'm not giving PAC 6 stars is a lack of bran muffins!

I love the warmth of this traditional cafe. Baristas and cooks always do their best, the owner stops for a chat with regulars, and I truly enjoy their espresso. The food could improve--not in quality but QUANTITY--maybe a heartier side with the sandwiches and specials? Very clean and there's a bathroom for customers (key hanging by the left side of bar). During a *typical* day during the school year, this place is bustling, but right now, during C19 and the fact that it's summer; it's very quiet with a trickle of people. The outside seating is another reason that Park Ave is my favorite, I often come here with my dog. I hope they never have to close, help keep this place alive by giving them your business instead of S*bucks or D*bros, you won't be disappointed and by choosing local, you are helping our economy pick up again. I hope to enjoy Park Ave for many more years!

Delicious food, relaxed atmosphere. Best croissant I've had in a while. Good place for a quick breakfast.

This is a hidden gem, and one of my favorite lunch destinations. What I like: * Very nice, soothing, quiet atmosphere. * Both indoor and outdoor seating (overlooking a park) * A surprisingly large menu, mainly of sandwiches, salads, soups etc. * Very good food. One of the better sandwich places in downtown Portland. * Friendly people What I don't like: * I wish they have better drink options. I would love to be able to buy a diet soda, or some unsweetened iced tea, have some options, and be able to get refills.

Iced coffee was okay. Quiet enough place for a meeting - large enough that we weren't too loud for the room, quiet enough that we could hear each other. If it wasn't for the barista accidentally throwing a coffee cup at me, it would have been great! (She actually just knocked it off the shelf, but it did hit me before it hit the floor and shattered. Price of doing business, I suppose) We did have a front row seat to several people being ticketed for parking, and were there long enough to see the people come back to their cars and find them. Kind of sad, kind of schadenfreude. Pay your parking, folks!

Food seems to be ok so far but I went in to grab a bite and study and a lady had a very very gassy dog that made the whole area smell like dog poop and she invited it up on the seat next to me. I'm fine with dogs but a poop smelling one while I'm eating? No thanks.

Great cafe near psu full of students, staff, and community members Pros Great reasonable priced food Welcoming environment Big open tables Clean TV Cons WiFi is glitchy Not a lot places to plug in computer Sometimes short staffed

This used to be my favorite spot. key words, USED TO. I live down the street from this cafe so it was always my go to. to be completely honest, it's not all that great it was just convenient. I have supported their subpar coffee 4-5x a week for around 6 months now. Whenever I go I bring my two dogs and we always eat outside. Yesterday I was going to get my morning coffee and breakfast and as soon as me and my dogs walk in door the man was extremely rude telling me no & saying i cant have dogs in there. this came as a surprise to me since i have been doing this for months now and there has never been a problem. not to mention, there are dogs in there everyday while their owenets eat inside. my dogs are very well behaved and sit patiently in line with me- they never bark, cry and have never had accidents inside. after showing Park Ave Cafe so much love and support i'm extremely frustrated they would treat us this way and because of it i will not be going back.

Their food is really good! Especially the Salmon. Benedict & Quiche. But, the coffee is not good. I've been there a few times & every time the lattes taste really watery. So, if you're going for the food I highly recommend! But if you want coffee, I don't.

Fresh, tasty, excellent service. I'm a bit picky with my coffee and this place I discovered has an excellent taste in their coffee beans, and the food is fresh and pure. This place feels like Italy!