Crowsenberg’s Half & Half

Such a cute little place. I didn’t get to try any of the sandwiches, which my friend said were tops, so I was a little sad. I got a café mocha. Served in a real mug. I sat at one of the little table and chair sets they had outside. Got to enjoy the day and people-​watch some locals sitting next to me.
There’s not much room if there’s a lot of people waiting, and you have to be tactful sometimes, as the spot where everyone stands to pay at the cash register is right in front of the door that swings inward into the shop. There’s lots of cool, artsy stuff to browse at the bar along the wall, and little trinkets like clever buttons and retro candy to check out at the counter while you’re waiting for your order. Not a bad spot.

The Big Man suggested that this may not be the place to take my out-​of-​town boss. He suggested a quiet, relatively bland place with free WiFi would be better suited for a business breakfast. He was WRONG! (It shouldn’t give me this much satisfaction to write this, but it does!)…
So turns out, my boss is originally from New Orleans, loves hole– in– the– wall spots, and was thrilled to have great coffee, a tasty breakfast sandwich, and some good tunes on the sound system. We sat on stools at a low table, no one felt out of place. The hipster vibe was not overbearing. Hey my boss kinda liked that the server suggested homemade Oreo’s for breakfast! It will give him something to bring up next time he’s in town! Sadly, we will not be able to return to this gem. That’s right… you read correctly. The business has been sold and Crowsenberg’s Half & Half will be vacating the premises in a month. This makes me feel empty & blue as I really love the place, despite coming here once. Please stop in here before they close & let the swell folks know you appreciate what they are doing. I am hoping fervently that the location will not yield another Starbuck$$…That would be criminal. For what it’s worth, get the breakfast sandwich with the egg, cheese, tomato, & onion marmalade — you’ll be a happy camper all day.

This tiny little jewel of a coffee/​sandwich shop is one of my very favorite places to get a bite to eat or a tasty latte. The sandwiches are always interesting and inexpensive, and served with care (and usually a little side greens for color — I got baby spinach on the side with my awesome tofu/​avocado/​tomato/​banana chip sandwich today).
Their soups are always delicious and fresh tasting. The baristas are talented and I love that they carry Courier coffee. The staff and owners are quiet and warm. There are always tempting pastries and deviled eggs. It’s quaint and a little cramped and absolutely charming.

+1– Selection of independent press to read while I am drinking my coffee.
+1– Tasty coffee
+1– Vegan pastries.
Unfortunately I cant give this place many more stars because I am spoiled by places that charge me 2 bucks for coffee and allow at least one refill and generally I can’t actually sit inside because it is too small. However, if you just want a cup of coffee and to be on your way, or if it sunny enough to sit outside, this is the place!

I don’t think I’m hip enough for you, Half & Half! I think I’m too awkward (and not awkward-​in-​the-​good-​way) to come here again. The people who worked here, though sort of less than friendly, did make a nice little drink for me but once I decided it needed some sugar, I had to deal with your crazy little coffee fixings area! It was crazy! There’s this weird bar you have to reach over that proved to be enough of a challenge that I had to give up prematurely because the guy who was waiting for me (who was awkward-​in-​the-​good-​way, by the way) wasn’t very patient. But he’s not your fault, Half & Half, I know.
Oh, well.

Coffee here is very good, courier roasters is the bomb! The food is excellent. I haven’t tried their espresso drinks.
I’d say the only issue I have is this is really more of a counter-​shop rather than a place to sit back and read. I guess most of their clientele are drop in/​out, so it shouldn’t matter, but if I’m looking for a place to meet up with folks downtown, I count this place out because of the lack of seating. The seating that does exist is very odd and quite uncomfortable.
But hey, this place is pretty DIY and a great place to stop in for a cup to go! They even shared their egg salad recipe in the Portland Funbook.

I walked by this place one evening, pressed my face against the glass and knew I needed to come the next day for coffee. I have to say it was one of my fondest memories of Portland. The two guys working were so nice to me, I have a camera flashing the whole time, most times people think I am a total whack job. They let me take photos of them, they may have thought I was a total whack job, but this is why I love Crowsenberg’s! Cannot wait to return to Portland, I can totally see where people visit and end up staying.

This is a very small, cute, casual (very casual) coffee shop with some good food to boot. When I was in there on a Monday morning, at a time I imagine is after the morning rush (if they have one there), the staff was chatting with some bike messengers about getting impregnated…
The coffee was very good, and cheap. Only $ 1 for a cup of coffee «for here» which includes one free refill. They have a good assortment of coffee accoutrement, including cream, regular and soy milk, lumps of raw sugar and various artificial sweeteners. The staff was friendly and not attitudey.
They have the usual assortment of breakfast pastries, and a small menu of breakfast sandwiches. I decided to go with the Hummer. Of course my Midwest upbringing forced me to order «a Hummer sandwich» rather than just saying «gimme a Hummer». The sandwich took awhile to come out, so this may not be the best option if you’re looking for a quick bite on your way to work. The sandwich turned out to be panini-​style, and it was excellent! I would definitely have breakfast here again next time I’m in Portland.

Dude, it is impossible not to love the Half & Half. Now that the Acorn isn’t detracting from the goings on here anymore, Jeff can fully devote himself to making delicious goodies and providing a downtown opportunity to drink Joel’s Courier Coffee. It’s a tiny shop with a lot of heart, and they get five stars in my book just for that. Add super chill staff and a slightly smarmy yet endearing Jeff, and you’ve got a perfect spot to grab lunch and take a breather from the stodginess that might be found nearby. Definitely one of the few places I actually feel cozy in Portland.

Based off some great Unilocal reviews I figured I would pop in here before heading to Voodoo doughnuts. It was Saturday morning and they had just opened so there wasn’t anyone there yet. I was just looking for a good cup of coffee, but the food menu sounded tasty. Half & Half came through with a very good cup of coffee. I know for some people it might be hard to skip Stumptown around the corner or the one up the street… but give Half & Half a try you might be happy with what you find. Good coffee and friendly service in a cozy shop.

Remember when half & half was in «paranoid park»?
AWESOME!!! «no, we don’t make frappuccinos here.»
WOOOOOOOOO!!!
i love half & half and all that it has to offer.
everyone who works here is super nice, fine, foxy and out of control.
i also love whatshisface, that courier coffee kid, he’s really nice.
oh shit, i almost forgot! the sandwiches!!! AMAZING!!! ARGH! i’m so hungry now! damn it!

Something about sitting in front of the Half & Half on a sunny weekend afternoon in those crappy IKEA chairs, sipping a strong cup of Courier Coffee (delivered by bike!!), watching what seems like the whole gamut of Portland’s population wander by brings a calm over me that few things can.
In a city full of crappy big-​business coffee, overpriced lattes, and overly pretentious and/​or sullen baristas/​coffee houses, half and half is an eclectic oasis where the coffee is strong, the food/​pastries are mostly made in-​house and are awesome, and the price is right. Almost everytime I go in there I get a seemingly genuine and cordial welcome and a cup of coffee for a $ 1 (and a free refill!). Tell me where else you can find a good cup of coffee with a refill for $ 1 around here these days? I dont think you can. And dont say Fresh Pot because its $ 1.50 there now (nothing against fresh pot I like that place). Plus they serve beer! and sell red ropes!
Anyway I just feel as if this place is quintessentially Portland (as lame as that sounds). It’s a great place to unwind for a bit after work or people watch at on the weekends. I highly recommend it.

It was too loud in here.
I know, if it is too loud, you are too old, as they say.
It wasn’t the music or the patrons, but the 4 people «working».
The place is no bigger than a postage stamp and could run with one, but they were having fun, so I wrote instead of trying to read.
I have decided now to try to find a bad spot of espresso in portland.
Is it possible?

Unilocal comes through. I’ve heard the raving about this place and I’ve unknowingly walked by it probably a hundred times. Fortunately when I searched for lunch places today, I clicked on the photo for C’s H&H. I KNEW THAT PLACE!
What a great little shop. It’s almost, but not quite, cute.
It’s definitely not a restaurant, it’s a coffee shop with some sammiches and stuff. That’s its category here, but I felt like I should reinforce that. They only had 3 – 4 types of sandwiches and they were all leaning towards the fancy palate. I almost decided to go elsewhere (like I have with Acorn, twice, nothing against them, they’re super cool about it) but I bit the bullet and got the muffeleta (sp?).
The olives were a bit pungent for my tastes, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
And they have deviled eggs for $.75!!! It was pretty mustardy but I didn’t mind a bit. And they have cans of pop (in the RC family, le yeah!) and some other kind of cold drink offerings.
If I was a coffee drinkers (only $ 2 for 20oz, you gotta be kidding) I’d be back.
It IS deffo a hipster joint, but they were still perfectly friendly to me in my (literal) blue collar. Well, one of them wasn’t, but they can’t all be winners.
Wait, I see they have breakfast stuff, too? I’ll be back at least once more, then.
And they DO have beer, I saw the bottles. There are two votes that say they don’t.

Even though I’m not a coffee person, it is still nice to know about small places like this — for mainly one reason — they sell homemade cookies! (Oh and they have chai and other tea options too). Very cute and tiny, this place is next to Powell’s so it is easy to pop in here before making the rounds at the bookstores.
Overall: did I mention the cookies?

Yeah, the coffee was good and the egg sandwiches were really tasty. I am just slightly over the hipster thing, though. While visiting PDX we nicknamed this whole block as «attitude row,» because of the general air pretentiousness. Is that Crowsenberg’s fault? No, it’s not so I won’t dock it any starts.
You will either love the atmosphere or roll your eyes at it.

This place is totally hipster and reminded me of the area in Chicago where I live. Came in here on my way to explore Portland and get some breakfast. I ordered the Honda (egg and cheese sandwich) and a coffee. At first I wasn’t a fan of the coffee, but it grew on me (according to other Unilocalers it’s called Courier Coffee — I am not familiar). The sandwich was good too, and just the right size. I was afraid it might be a bit too large.
They have zines all around to read, as well as daily papers. Looks like they also sell stuff by local artists. Very cool. Was surprised to see deviled eggs for sale — that’s usually something you only find at backyard BBQs.

Some people ask «so, exactly what IS a hipster?» and from this point forward, I will direct them to Half and Half. BECAUSE… because. because (and before I piss anyone off…) THIS is the hipster that I know and love — the modern Bohemians. And the vibe of the store reflected exactly that — homemade oreos, vegan pastries, indie magazines… and deviled eggs.
These are NOT the mid-​twenties coffee-​shoppers who will vehemently claim «I am not a f***ing hipster!» then sweep their bangs to the side dramatically and take a swig of PBR. or in this case, a bite of a deviled egg. Although, I’m sure they flock to a place as cool as Half and Half too.
The coffee is not only delicious, but delivered by bicycle. The service was literally delightful, and I wanted to plant a big kiss on the cute barrista that must have worn jeans half my size. And then their were the deviled eggs. Noticing a theme?

Half and Half is simply delightful. There aren’t many better ways to spend an afternoon than a trip to Powell’s for books, Jackpot for music, Reading Frenzy for zines, and Half and Half for coffee and lunch. Unlike most coffee shops, the food at Half and Half is simply delicious: tempeh reubens, deviled eggs, parfaits, and yummy desert cakes.
Incidentally, they have a great blog on

Who serves deviled eggs?
Who would have thought that a coffee shop would have such incredible, tasty deviled eggs? Crowsenberg’s Half & Half has them and they’re so, so yummy.
I had never tried devil eggs until a few years ago. Boy, have I been missing out! The picky kid in me always thought they’d looked gross. What a stupid fool. I wonder what else I’ve been missing…
This part deli/​part coffee shop also serves sandwiches and homemade pies. How awesome is that? A primo coffee shop that serves sandwiches, pie AND deviled eggs! My friend tried the tempeh Rueben and said it was awesome, but I still can’t get over the fact that this place serves deviled eggs. I thought I could only eat them at parties and take more when no one was looking!
Tip: The owners are opening up a second spot called the Acorn in the Pearl. I can’t wait!