Speckled Ax

Came in here at the very start of summer (June 12ish) for a post high school graduation girls trip from boston to get my iced chai fix and I couldn’t have been more satisfied. Had a great chat with the two baristas about the history of the cafe. The two baristas Rachel and Rob were simply the sweetest and silliest duo. Came in a second time on my three day trip just for another chai and their names cause it was all so lovely! Thanks again to Rob and Rachel for a comforting conversation in a new city!

Had the best cortado of my life at this little coffee shop with a funny name, around the corner from the Portland Museum of Art. Nice, friendly service. Not a big place but a half dozen or so tables and some bench seating. They were almost out of pastries that Saturday near noon, so plan accordingly. Highly recommend getting your drink for "here" so you can admire the coffee colors like I did. I'm not in Portland that often, but will definitely return to this spot. They have a couple of other locations also.

🪓 Excellent third wave coffee shop in the heart of Portland. Lighter, flavorful roasts. I tried the 🍁 maple iced latte and was pleasantly surprised. Of note is that their roasts are wood fire roasted 🪵🔥, a rarity. Small, cozy, shop with warm tones, minimalist designs, and very friendly and coffee-passionate baristas.

My favorite coffee in the city! Consistently delicious drip and good pastries to dunk in it :) very cool hipster vibe and yummy rotating drinks. Buying a bag of the coffee is a little expensive but you pay for what you get. The quality is amazing. I always buy a bag when im in town.

The espresso was not bad, a little thin. Very serious feel in the shop and a quieter feel than shops we experienced. Depending on what vibe you're looking for this is perfect for a more intimate late morning meeting!

The first time I went my experience was fine, although the wait for my coffee was rather long. The second time I came with my family and ordered two drinks. The coffee options are shockingly inflexible, for instance, if you want a mocha you can only get their largest size with four shots of espresso. If that’s not to your taste you have to order a “latte with chocolate flavoring.” We ordered the mocha and the chocolate latte. Not only did it take an incredibly long amount of time, when we received our drinks, the mocha was cold, and the barista had made my latte a small without even consulting me on what size I wanted. The price is far too expensive for the quality of service received. If you’re in the area I recommend skipping this one and going to the Navis Café instead, at least they have quicker service and breakfast sandwiches.

stopped in for an espresso. The doppio tasted like a shot of lemon juice - puckeringly sour, quite off-putting. Folks were nice, service was good, Coffee was not

Spent this last weekend drinking coffee in almost every coffee shop around Portland & Speckled Ax was ABSOLUTELY the best that I had. The shop is beautiful and simply decorated. The menu is not extravagant, it simply highlights the delicious coffee. The maple latte is spectacular, as is the cortado. The two baristas I interacted with were the sweetest. Would definitely come back & if I lived in the area, I’d be a regular at that nice high top counter.

Had the best cortado of my life at this little coffee shop with a funny name, around the corner from the Portland Museum of Art. Nice, friendly service. Not a big place but a half dozen or so tables and some bench seating. They were almost out of pastries that Saturday near noon, so plan accordingly. Highly recommend getting your drink for "here" so you can admire the coffee colors like I did. I'm not in Portland that often, but I'll definitely return to this spot. They have a couple of other locations also.

Always a must stop when in the Portland area. My favorite thing they sell is sample 2oz of beans so you can see which roast you like. As someone that uses them for espresso, this is perfect! No matter if it's a drip coffee or a latte, our orders have always come out perfect with great service!

I came to Speckled Ax because of the high reviews, but was underwhelmed by the prices and service. I arrived early on a Monday and the space was nearly empty. I ordered a pour over and waited 20 minutes for it. I make pourover at home and understand that it takes time, but I watched the barista forget about it and start over as she chatted with a customer (who was obviously a friend) about her anti-4th of July party which would only be playing Spanish music. I don't really care about politics, but I do care when it takes 20 minutes to get a cup of coffee that should take no more than 7. The coffee itself was ok, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back for it.

great coffee, cute trendy shop, loved my maple latte. only select options but good coffee + service. they have a few tables for company. if you need a quick morning caffeine fix, speckled ax is worth checking out.

In a city with as much great coffee as Portland... Speckled Ax might be my favorite. The coffee & espresso speak for its self. What makes this place stick out to me is the cool merch they have. Including 1oz bags of beans just so you can try it. They also have single use pour over kits for when you are in a pinch. The baristas have always been great at what they do & they serve it with a smile.

Speckled Ax is a staple of Portland -- I'm not particularly sure why except it's probably the spot for folks who live nearby. It's a small little shop with good seating options. Drinks are default to go unless you tell them for here. I heard the decaf is one of the best decaf beans you can get in the city. Not amazing, not terrible, pretty mid. Staff are friendly and fast.

The most delicious pour over I've ever had. The coffee artists behind the counter were friendly and super helpful, not pretentious like similar spots in Boston. I saved half my coffee just to have it for the ride home the next day!

Best pour over I have had in a very long time--I drink black coffee so o could really taste it. Excellent coffee. Very nice light bright place, nice servers (baristas are not always. When I'm next in Portland I'll go again. I'd bet anything these guys can actually make a dry cappuccino.

Perhaps I should have read the reviews here first before I placed my order. But first off the baristas were great and very friendly, so my review doesn't reflect on them. I did ask about the 'fruity pebbles' so dodged that one, I imagine it would be pretty weird. I got the maple latte and while I was expecting the wood roasted flavoring, I have to say to me the woodsy-ness was overwhelming. It was drinkable but very much not my thing. That may have been the contribution of the maple and maybe not the coffee itself. I tended to walk by here most days when they weren't open so didn't really got the opportunity to try anything else. It is a cute little shop though, so if you think this might be your thing, give it a try! I figure it's like wines and beers and other things, if it's your thing, you'll love it, if not, perhaps not so much. But definitely go check it out for yourself.

11am Monday morning (Memorial Day) large latte and regular latte $14.85. Clean inside. Fairly busy. Plenty of seating. Great service. Coffee was good.

Great little coffee spot I hit a couple of times on the walk into Old Port and the service was always great with an inviting atmosphere. Eco-friendly which I always support but rarely see, even in a city like Portland. Also had a few breakfast options as well but I never got anything other than coffee but the food I did see looked like it was tasty.

I loved my visit to Speckled Ax! One of the baristas recommended their Mexican beans for pour over and it was excellent. Both of the baristas were lovely, making conversation with customers and generally being helpful. I would definitely return.

They were so nice here!! We got there a few minutes before close and they made us coffee even though they were closing shop, thank you!! I got an iced latte with fruity pebbles milk and it tasted kind of like bubble tea. They toast the beans on wood, so the coffee kind of has a s'mores taste to it too, if that makes sense. Wish we could've spent more time here, because the vibes were great.

Came here and got a small maple latte. Waited about 20 minutes for a very small latte that tasted burnt. I can scarf down bad coffee but could not get through more than a few sips. They didn't have any food left either so I was a bit disappointed. Walked over to Mister Bagel instead.

Speckled Ax was one of several coffee shops that I visited during my time in Portland. Before my brother and I headed up to Maine for our vacation, we made a shortlist of quick service spots that we wanted to explore - and Speckled Ax was one of them. We had made tour reservations at the nearby Wadsworth-Longfellow House one morning, and since Speckled Ax is right down the block we thought it was a good opportunity to grab some coffee beforehand. Speckled Ax is located on Congress St which is one of the main commercial thoroughfares in Downtown Portland. At the time we visited, all of the indoor dining was roped off and the interior mainly served as a quick service spot (I did, however, notice a table right outside). The decor was nothing outstanding - very plain and to the point with a light color scheme. The menu had a selection of coffees which included drip, pour-over, and iced. I also noticed a very small selection of food, including fruit. While none of the food looked too appetizing, their iced coffee was pretty good - not overly strong but just enough to wake me up. The service was also noteworthy; there was only one employee working while I was there who had to handle the line and making all the beverages. It's tough when you need to handle multiple workstations on your own but she did a great job. Overall, the aesthetics of Speckled Ax didn't impress me, but the coffee was good and I appreciated the speedy service despite the woman behind the counter working on her own. I wouldn't say this was a standout coffee shop in Portland for me, but I would love to see this place when it's in full swing to get a more accurate picture of what Speckled Ax delivers. Perhaps a return trip when I'm back in Portland will be on the agenda =)

Get the fruity pebble milk in your iced coffee. You're welcome.

These little wonders among the others makes a place special. The service was great and the coffee options where awesome however not a very kid friendly place(no other drink apart from hot chocolate and no stuff to bite on . Not even a regular cookie). There was one option with sea salt but hey, kids dnt know the good stuff yet. I loved the Ethiopian one. Felt fresh and the server took care to create the pour overs individually. Parking is tricky and you'll feel happy if you have parked ur car somewhere else.

Got the fruity people latte and it was not worth it. the milk just had an essence of fruity pepple and it wasn't as sweet as i thought it would be. Also got a maple oat milk latte and you could tell the maple syrup was artificial. the maple did not blend with the latte and the espresso has such a bitter taste.

This was one yummy cup of coffee. So glad we were in an Airbnb so close by! Strong, robust and tasty. Go. Wake up. Go again.

I have been several times and my drinks are always pretty mediocre considering the cost and hype. I also once asked to have my drink made hotter and (because it was lukewarm) and the barista refused and said it was made the way its supposed to be. I found the staff to be pretty pretentious.

Great coffee and a great selection of flavors and milk options and friendly service! I will be back next time I'm in the area!

From the minute I came in, the place was SO cute! The amount of seats/tables is slim. It's probably better to just order to take. I ordered the Chai Latte with skim milk to stay. When my cup came, it was in a speckled porcelain mug! But, here is where it all came crashing down. The first sip I took, horrendous. I paused. I took another sip. Just as spicy & flavorless. It literally tasted like water with spices just thrown into it. I know I ordered it with skim milk, but I ALWAYS order with skim milk and I've never had a problem with it being too diluted. It was such a train wreck, I pushed myself to have a few sips more to make up for that $3.50 I just spent. I couldn't finish it. I left it and left. In the next hour, my stomach had the worst pain... which lasted for 3 days. Clear to say, I will not be returning.

If you're wanting more than a cup of joe you've come to the right place. The Speckled Ax wasn't just about the coffee but the experience. After leaving here I felt like my taste buds not only grew and experimented new flavors but my whole persona just traveled some place else and came right back to Portland. As soon as we walked into this little intimate coffee shop where it's quiet enough to get some work done in your laptop or just read an ebook or listen to a podcast and sip on a tall dark and handsome, cappuccino, espresso or a slow drip. This was such a unique experience trying out different roasts such as my new fave, the Kenya Chinga Bourbon Barrel. Hints of cherry, butter rum and oak. The most unusual combination just worked perfectly and complimented the flavors and aroma of this blend. Smelling this buttery delight and tasting the oakiness just makes you want to close your eyes and enjoy the experience. We came on a coffee crawl to Portland and this for sure will go on the list of our faves. The manager/owner (I think) was so knowledgeable in all the drips, roasts, blends, process. She knew it all, the whole a-z. She even gave one of our friends a quick cappuccino foam lesson. It was epic. She was amazing! Went far above and beyond out of her way to even sell us their local mugs that weren't in stock at the moment. Thank you so much for this growing experience this exceeded our expectations and totally was one of the highlights from our amazing trip.

A delightful experience at this small coffee shop in the center of Portland. We were the first customers of the day and were met with a smile and a friendly personality from the barista. Ordered two americanos to go and she quickly prepared them to perfection. They had plenty of changes due to Covid, so we felt very safe while inside! I do wish they had more food options and that their "medium" coffees were a little bigger.

Due to Covid one of my goals has been getting coffee from across the United States to try and enjoy at home. One of my best long time friends sent me the Speckled Ax advent coffee calendar for Christmas. First of all, the packaging and attention to detail related to the growers where Speckled Ax sourced each bean from was great. For those of you that like to know both where your coffee comes from and exploring different flavor profiles this was the whole package. Each day came with enough fresh beans to grind a full 12 cup pot of coffee. If you perform a French Press or Pour Over method YMMV. Having tried multiple brewing options I have to say that it was fun exploring the different roasts and styles. If you really enjoy coffee Speckled Ax is a company I HIGHLY recommend.

Great spot to get a coffee before or after a tattoo at Broken Crow Collective down the street. Solid latte and cozy inside, with great staff.

Somehow I haven't tried Speckled Ax before, but was walking by today and my husband needed a little pick me up so we decided to pop in. We ordered a large "fast" coffee black and one of their cookies as well as some coffee beans to go. The guy serving us threw in an extra cookie with our coffee which we were *not* disappointed about!!! Service was efficient and with a smile, the coffee was extremely delicious, you can tell the beans are super high quality. The cookie was just the cherry on top - we each ate ours immediately! This is a great spot to check out, especially if you appreciate beans and people who are passionate about supporting the farmers growing them.

Tried this coffee shop because it was near our hotel and it has a lot of high rating reviews. I got a oatmilk latte and it was really bad. Tasted sour and bad.

Poorly managed. Girl said she was working alone (lmao) and couldn't make certain items on the menu??? It's noon on the weekend in a downtown area and white people love a little $8 latte lol. You only have one person working? Is your rent that cheap that you can afford to turn away customers?

Nice staff and lovely space. Bright and clean. Coffee was strong. Not my favorite but a nice cup. I had a quick regular coffee. Nothing crazy. Still worthy of a visit.

The Speckled Ax is a quaint little coffee shop in the heart of Congress Street in Porland. The minute you walk in, you are greeted with hues of browns and oranges with a decent amount of seating. The decor of Speckled Ax is simplistic, yet modern. There are various paintings of axes in black and white, and there is string lighting with modern fixtures, which add a cool flair to the establishment. Much like the decor, the menu is also simplistic with options of espresso, wood roasted coffee, and some aeropress options. I opted for an aeropress over ice, while my husband got a maple latte. The staff was friendly and was able to help me figure out which coffee I might like, and they were prompt, as it was a busy Saturday morning. My aeropress iced coffee was bold, robust, and everything I could want in an iced coffee. The maple latte was also strong, but well-made. As we sipped our drinks, we sat down at one of the small tables and watched as the place consistently had customers coming and going. Overall, the Speckled Ax adds something simple, yet exciting to the Portland coffee scene.

Terrible coffee. Grumpy service. Bad messaging. Poor signage. What happened to serving the customer? Unfortunately Portland, Maine seems preoccupied with navel gazing.

Vibe was good, little pricey for the size of the drink. Cashier was helpful and knowledgeable.

Food was great. We had breakfast sandwich and a bagel. Both were very good. Would definitely reorder both. They are extremely busy at because food was Delicious. The flow ordering is awkwardly set-up, making of payment, customers waiting to order is not conducive for optimum efficiency. If they reposition payment and pickup using retractable lines. Would improve service and experience increase their profits. Give it a try

I really loved visiting speckled ax. Prices are fair for excellent coffee in a casual spot. Only after I ordered did I see they have fruity pebble milk!!! What?!?! If I'm ever back there I will definitely have that in my coffee. I had the Colombian blend au lait and my boyfriend had an iced mocha. Both were very very good and I wish I lived nearby so I could visit more often.

I was attracted by the Fruity Pebble cereal milk that Speckled Ax offered for their coffees. Though I was disappointed by the final product (iced latte with Fruity Pebble cereal milk), I did enjoy my experience at the Speckled Ax. The baristas were friendly and the coffee shop has plenty of seats, including one cozy nook by the entrance with a tree stump table. If the coffee shop is looking to explore more options, may I suggest using either Frosted Flakes or Honey Nut Cheerios to make their cereal milk? My latte took on the signature fake fruitiness of Fruity Pebble and it just didn't work. I applaud the creativity, but I think it could be made so much better with a different cereal.

Yes, I know the coffee here is roasted using locally-sourced tree sap and wood. This seems to produce a much heartier, bolder, richer cup of coffee. Even as a fan of something so robust, I found my cup of coffee extremely bitter. So much so, I didn't finish it. I'm not sure why it was so caustic... my counterpart and I were among the first customers of the day, so it's not like it could have been siting there for very long. Maybe I'm more of a girlchild than I realized when it comes to my java. I liked the atmosphere of Speckled Ax; the appropriate hues of brown were warm and inviting. It didn't take long for the place to get very, very busy either (which they always seem to be) - good on them! I would have stayed longer and tried a different beverage if my laptop had been charged. Unfortunately, the seats by the windows (which I imagine offer breathtaking views when it's snowing! I wonder if "Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg plays in the background during those moments?) didn't have an outlet, so I departed without getting the chance to redeem the experience I had with my unfortunately unpleasant initial cup of coffee here. Also, the Speckled Ax is not in the most convenient location if you don't live or work in the immediate area. I can't see folks from the extreme ends of the peninsula, or even just slightly off, going out of their way to come here given the infamously difficult parking situation. I will absolutely return to the Speckled Ax, but it will be extremely early in the AM before a meeting or a road trip; or, most likely, when I'm walking around the area on First Friday or for the Farmers' Market. As a mid-day caffeine fix, though? Just thinking about the parking is making me frustrated! Please don't misconstrue my three-stars as something negative, because it's definitely not! There are just so many "unique" coffee shops in town now, and their all trying to separate themselves from their competition somehow. And in reality, they can't all be perfect, can they? So, based on my personal tastes, while I liked Speckled Ax, currently it would not be the first place I would recommend to an outsider.

Very nice coffee. Complimentary soda water. We ordered caramel latte and it was quite tasty. Definitely a go to coffee place.

Super cute little coffee shop in Maine. Plus, they have FRUITY PEBBLES milk that you can put in your coffee to make it extra snazzy. There were plenty of seats when I went, but they don't really have pastries or food, so just be aware. Anyway, really good coffee so try it out!

For those who appreciate connoisseur coffee. Not for the Dunkin hit-and-run crowd. If you can sip slowly, feel the warmth, and smell the fragrance without activating your iPhone, this place is for you. If you think those little plastic Kurig containers makes consumable coffee, this place is going to be your eye-opener.

One of the few shops open early on a Sunday morning. Simple design and menu with a few coffee drinks plus pastries to the side. They didn't have it on the menu, but went ahead and asked if they could make a cappuccino. Lady behind the counter obliged as we paid for that ($3) and a medium drip ($3). Not too bad price-wise since these drinks will run you a dollar or so more back in NYC. Cappuccino itself is a balanced bitter that didn't need any extra sugar. The regular coffee comes in a chemistry-styled beaker - with addons available at the station. Pretty good overall; kept us awake until the evening. Atmosphere is nice as there's artwork displayed along the walls and no loud music. Could see it being busy on a normal workday.

It was the strangest thing I asked for a mocha and then I asked to used the restroom this girl named Courtney was very rude said that they had no bathroom which I knew they did and THEN she spit in my coffee! It was the craziest thing?!? I guess she must have been having a bad day but jeez lol. I would say if you don't want spit in your coffee steer clear..

I had a pretty good, but not great latte at the Speckled Ax. There was a slight bitterness so the beans were almost extracted perfectly. In addition, it was a little more watery than I would like. The water to milk ratio was definitely off. In my opinion, it was mainly caused by the cups being too big for the size I ordered. It might have been better if I asked for a larger size that has more milk. If you are visiting and planning a trip to Portland and looking for recommendations, feel free to message me for my itinerary. You can also find the electronic copy through the link my profile.

Amazing coffee - literally the place that convinced me to try black coffee again after years of sweetened lattes, and then fully converted me. Their light roasts are phenomenal, and I love being able to choose how it's brewed. I had my first siphon coffee a few weeks ago, and it was great watching the physics of coffee happen before my eyes. I love stopping by whenever I'm in the area, and BirdDog is a staple in my house (and not just because I have a bird dog of my own ;) )

We stop for a cup coffee, the place was quiet, the service was good. The prices were a little higher for coffee although they do have specialty coffee doing drip. It was a good spot to take a quick break and get out of the heat. It's always fun to try different coffee shops that are not chains in the area.

Charming little place. Really friendly help. We love to search towns we visit for the best chai and so far this is it. Very spicy. Could be a tad sweeter but adding a few packets of sugar made it really come alive.

Came here to study and I really like the enviroment here. It's a modern, nice and cozy coffee shop. It's very different from all the other coffee shop that I have been to in Portland. However, they didn't have a lot of outlets available here for you to charge your phone or laptops, which was a bummer for me because my laptop always runs out of battery very quickly. I was recommended the Colombia Villa Del Rio coffee and I liked it because it had a unique and light chocolate flavor to it. I also got a chocolate chip cookie to enjoy with my coffee. You only see 1/2 of my cookie in the picture because I was too excited to try it out so I got forgot to take a picture of it before I ate it :P hehe.

Fantastic iced coffee. Perfect amount of flavor and acidity for this hot weather. My wife and I were about to share one and changed our minds about sharing after one sip. Walked out with two and extremely happy!

Sick place my friend told me to go to while I was in town. Glad I came and checked it out. Only four stars because while my oat milk latte was amazing, my boyfriends chai was very underwhelming. The ambience was great though, and the barista very nice. Would still come by again for the espresso!