Courier Coffee Roasters

My $ 4 cappuccino floated me on over to Europe somewhere. Not to mention how perfectly it went with my Pearl bakery croissant!
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 beets on tap! Sugoi

When my husband and I came to Portland for vacation, our daughter told us we couldn’t go to Starbucks because there were so many good coffee shops :). She was right. I actually went to Stumptown and didn’t care for it, so I was a little leery. But yesterday we were walking thru downtown and just happened upon Courier, so I had to give it a try. I got the darker roast coffee pour-​over, and it was really good. My husband saw the barista making a mocha and decided he had to have one. Plus, the barista was super friendly. He gave us recommendations for breweries and restaurants. I wanted to go back today but we came by and they were closed already. Maybe next trip…

Just in terms of coffee, straight up you can’t beat Courier. When I worked downtown I went here ALL the time. The beans are worth every penny, too. Run by some of the nicest people I’ve met around town, and truly passionate about coffee and ethical business.

What a neighborhood! Powells Books, Living Room Theater and Courier Coffee! I went for the canele’ (enthused over by a friend), enjoyed it with a mason jar of Jasmine Pearl’s English breakfast tea then went back for seconds of both while a friend was smiling her way through a capuchino (with a foam heart, of course!), a canale’, an Americano and one of their chocolate chip cookies. She was quite comfortable with the idea that it might very well be the best coffee in Portland, although she makes no claim to be widely experienced. The shop is a stark, very bare bones sort of place, and it would have been nice if someone had wiped away the dried spill of coffee on the table, but we weren’t complaining to the very pleasant and accommodating staff on the other side of the busy counter. No question that this will be the place to stoke up on caffeine and carbs before a film.

I don’t drink coffee, but I’m reviewing their tasty ass cookies! For just $ 1, you can get one of these delectable salted cookies. They are unique in flavor, and made in small batches, so you should get there before lunch time if you want to be guaranteed a cookie.
I love how Portland this place feels – it’s hip, non-​corporate feeling, and very homey. Baked goods are made fresh. Caneles for $ 2. Cookies for $ 1. That’s dope.

Best mocha I’ve experienced in Portland to date. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, this place is off my beaten path.
Drinks are made with care and a record is usually spinning on the turntable. They make canelé the ‘real’ French way in the copper mold, and with rum, which was evidenced by the large bottle of Myers Dark on the shelf.
Do yourself a favor, get over to Courier Coffee and order a coffee and a canelé. You won’t be disappointed.

With all the amazing coffee in Portland, it’s hard to narrow it down to what constitutes a good cup of coffee, but my pour over at Courier could be categorized more or less as an A-​OK experience. After having some seriously outstanding coffees at Coava, Heart, and Stumptown, the coffee at Courier was simple and straightforward. Seating was a challenge here, and there weren’t a lot of areas to stand either. It certainly did the job in keeping me caffeinated, but I probably will make the trek to either Barista or Stumptown next time.

I don’t profess to be an expert in French cuisine by any means, but Courier has one of the best canelés I’ve ever tasted. It’s about 3 inches tall with a super delicious vanilla custard center that is springy (for lack of a better word) and encompassed by a crispy caramelized exterior. They go for $ 2 a pop, but totally worth it.
Courier’s mocha is made with actual bittersweet chocolate chunks. Sounds great right? Until you realize that the chocolate chunks just stay in a melted goop at the bottom of the cup, leaving most of the beverage with just a little of the chocolate flavor. Probably why it’s advertised for not being all that sweet.
Final verdict: come for the canelés, not the coffee.

This is the kind of place I don’t want to review because I don’t want it to get so inundated I can’t go anymore. But it was a wonderful experience and they deserve the hype.
I have been trying different cold brews around town for years. My top 2 so far have been Umbria (brown sugar simple syrup!?) and Cup and Bar (I just really like their flavor, kinda grassy and smooth but fresh and rich too… a bold contradictory caffeine experience). But hold the phone, I just tried Courier.
Had you told me it was at SW 9^th and Oak, that doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s near Thai Peacock (another fave) and Sizzle Pie off Burnside near Powell’s. The IPRC used to be in this block too. So I love the location. They have remarkable neighbors.
It’s a bright space with stools and a bar. One whole wall is windows, I love that, especially downtown for people watching. Water Ave Coffee, Umbria on 12^th and Cup and Bar also have a full window wall. Top marks for that.
I asked if they took cards because there’s no sticker on the window. The guy said yeah. I ordered a cold brew and we chatted about local cold brews (I’m collecting data for this super meaningful project haha), comparing and contrasting other good and bad options around town. I’m a bit of a connoissame (? The female version) for cold brew and iced coffee.
Music was vinyl which was accessible to patrons. I like that.
When I asked about leaving room for cream and looked around for the station to doctor my drink he told me they keep their half and half in the fridge. Imagine that. It was Sunshine Dairy half and half too.
The coffee concentrate came from the fridge, I think, so my drink was nice and cold before adding ice. I like that.
My drink arrived in a hot cup (why hot?) ecotainer (+1 for a display of environmentalism) with one giant cube (+1) like a fancy cocktail. I felt the cup to see if it was hot with ice (like hot coffee being iced or a shot of espresso with ice?) or cold in a made for «hot» to go cup. It was cold in a hot to go cup.
He asked if I wanted simple syrup, after I creamed it and took a sip. Honestly, I could have drank it just creamed and I’m not a sugar-​sparer. It was so smooth and rich. It reminded me of Stumptown on nitro in its smoothness. But even nitro Stumptown retains a bit of bitterness. This was not bitter at all. But I decided what the hell, I’ll sugar it like I normally would. Then he offered «the regs» or vanilla simple syrup. Of course I opted for vanilla. And I saw vanilla beans in the bottle!
I find a lot of cafes don’t use a standard simple syrup recipe so sometimes the Ss is super rich (Umbria) and sometimes it takes a lot of seconds of pouring to feel like there’s any effect. This I only added a splash and it was rich and velvety sweet. I also had the bonus. of small vanilla flecks.
Gd people. Courier knows cold brew.
Also I heard tell about those chocolate chip cookies. At 705 on a weekday, they were warm and $ 1 apiece. They were wrapped in a parchment bag and survived the trek up Burnside to work. They aren’t the best cookies I’ve ever had but they’re warm and comforting and taste homemade.
One gripe: the 16 oz cold brew is $ 5 and that feels a little excessive. I’m used to Starbucks prices and I drink a cold brew at least 2 – 3 times a week and never pay more than $ 4 for a 16 oz. However, this was an artisanal experience.
Overall, this won’t be my every day place but gd they make a fine cold brew.

Simple. No frills. Straight up good coffee with a spot to take a seat. Ambiance is quiet and plain. Go early to be welcomed by freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in the air. Which, by the way are 5 stars. That’s what straight-​from-​the-​oven gets ya ;)

So I’ve been coming here for a couple of years, and it’s time to update my review. Joel, the owner, remains a master roaster and his coffee is hands down my favorite (with Sterling and Water Avenue close seconds). Drinks are still made to order, the cookies are still killer, and the record player turns as ever. I took my out of town parents here last fall and they’re STILL talking about the café mocha. Hats off for that.
That said, this place seems to have slipped in its teenage years. The menu of beans is no longer kept up to date. The walls are grungy and need a good scrub. Also, the ventilation seems to be have broken a few months ago, so dress for humid Florida weather and prepare for off smells despite the freezing rain outside.

When it comes to coffee, I am very very particular. I grew up in Seattle when coffee and coffee houses meant something… (That’s the end of my rant). I like places that feel unique and not the manufactured commercialism that seems to invade everything these days (that’s the end of my second rant).
This place is great. The vibe is great, the staff is knowledgable about the coffee they offer, the artwork on the walls is unpretentious. Is everything as well-​finished as a shopping mall? No, but that’s the point.
Coffee was good too. And at $ 3 it’s cheap for this quality.

3.5
They’re kinda cool/​unique in the sense that they’re super low tech — no cashier, no ipads with square machines, just a simple clipboard and calculator.
(Perhaps this has changed? I hope it hasn’t haha)
Their ‘for here’ coffees were served in Mason Jars.
Their coffee + latte wasn’t too shabby either. It’s not the best I’ve had but it still meets Portland standards (which is very very high).
Not a huge fan of the space (it seemed a bit messy/​unorganized) but I suppose it matches the vibe.

This place is right by my work and I wonder what took me so long to check it out.
Hands down one of the best iced lattes I have ever had. Chill ambiance, friendly staff; the place offers limited seating but it feels rather cozy instead of crowded. I have yet to try the pastries. They look delicious!
Not sure why some people are hating. A tad snobby? Maybe. but that’s how we roll in PDX so embrace it.

My girlfriend and I were referred here by a local. Supposedly it’s a «locals only» type of place. Overall, I thought the coffee was delicious. My girlfriend got an almond milk latte and I got a cappuccino. Like I said the coffee was good but the store had nothing to show for how good their coffee is. But hey maybe that’s the look they are going for. The coffee house was drab. There was nothing on the walls except two or three little paper cranes.
My only wish is that they liven up the place with a little pizzaz.

Wow, this ended up being my 500’s review! Well, this place definitely deserves it!
This was the first coffee shop during our Portland trip, and I gotta say, the barista served one of the best tasting Americano I’ve ever had and he spent a good 15 minutes describing all of intricacies of the coffee, how much water he puts into the Americano and the types of coffee beans that are used. When we asked about the city, he even brought out and went over maps and traveler guides to the city (granted, it was written in Japanese) since both my girlfriend and I had the textbook visage of bewildered tourists. This coffee shop represented Portland at its core, with excellent coffee, relaxed and hip atmosphere and very kind people. If it weren’t for the fact that I do not have a single relax-​bone in my entire get-​up-​and-​seize-​the-​day mentality, I wouldn’t have minded studying in this coffee shop for at least an hour.
My girlfriend tried the latte and loved it as well. This place deserves a 5 star for all the right reasons. Maybe I’ll try their freshly-​baked goods next time as well.
Coffee: 5 stars
Service: 5 stars
Ambiance: 5 stars
Price: idk, my GF paid for it, but from the looks of it, not too bad.

My biggest is regret is not following the Asian Barista Girl’s advice and trying out their Sea Salt Chocolate Chip cookies.
…Oh the regret of a glutton.
On a relevant note, the cappuccinos and lattes are superb. A testament to Portland’s Coffee Culture and how serious they take it.
Reminding me of home… A nearby café recreating a cappuccino with a bitter sonata. Hosting homeless people who claim prime real estate (dark corner alleys) in the downtown fold. Discussing pressing matters like the volatility of crack (and weed prices) as of this morning.

If I only rated the coffee (and specifically, coffee with single large ice cube for a summer day), it’s 4.5 stars. However, $ 4 for a single size (12 oz) iced coffee is simply not justifiable for a small spot with limited seats. Paying for hipster wages? Cmon, Couriers… great product, make it affordable for the ordinary folks like the ones you hire behind the counter. I can pay $ 4 for Blue Bottle’s New Orleans cold brew in San Francisco but $ 4 for your product implies you just want to come along for the ride. And don’t pour iced coffee to me in a paper cup with a lid like I’m a second rate citizen for not choosing to stay but go at your hipster mecca.

Great coffee! Not remembering which of the two pour overs I tried recently, but both were fantastic. Pretty extensive offering of quality beans.
While the coffee is good, I’m not hugely fond of the space (nice and sunny, but too warm and a bit small with mostly bare, white walls and rather small white tables), so usually get my coffee to go.

This is really one of my favorite coffee shops. I really really love their giant ice-​cubes in their cold coffees. It’s a very small location but it’s cheap and very good, and they have amazing service. The staff is always very friendly and the baked goods are cheap and out of this world. Get yourself one of their sea salt chocolate chip cookies and enjoy the wifi by a window. Listen to some vinyl records they play on a traditional record player.
They really do know a lot about coffee and are extremely welcoming, and for this I keep coming back. It’s a great place to get a lot of work done and not feel like you’re taking up too much space. It’s a beautiful tiny location across the street from Powell’s, a great pit stop for any visits downtown or excursions through the food carts.