Fourth Estate Coffeehouse

This place is now under new ownership. There’s no more breakfast or lunch, cocktails or Stumptown.
There’s baked goods and quiche made off site and coava coffee roasters (mediocre). A charming ambiance as not much has changed to the physical space as before but a really big missed opportunity for the new owners.
Get some more food options! The previous owners were pumping out awesome food in that tight space! You can too! There’s really no other reason to linger. I really want this place to be awesome!

No more breakfast. Man, the Farao breakfast was the BEST.
However, a basic latte is still amazing, and it’s a great space and location.

So Bummed!
I returned today after they closed their doors for remodeling, to find out they don’t serve their awesome breakfast anymore! They’re just another St Johns coffee shop. Mocha was decent, but nothing I would return for. Hopefully they bring breakfast back because St Johns needs a good spot again.

Came in today hoping for biscuits and gravy. They said they are no longer serving food! I hope they change their mind. I hope I misunderstood.

New owners. No mo breakfast, but beyond better coffee. The manager Jeff is way rad and makes a damn good mocha.

FINALLY! Good coffee has come to St. John’s. I went here once before and wasn’t the biggest fan. New owners are long time coffee dudes in Portland. They don’t have breakfast anymore but the coffee is 4000 times better.

If you like your expensive coffee average and angsty, your food served sloooow, and the atmosphere smokey — literally, because there is NO venting in this illegal kitchen, then you have found your dream match.
Skip it, it will be just a matter of time before they either go out of business because of clueless management or the food inspector shuts them down.

This cute brunch place is definitely off the beaten path, and that’s exactly why we chose it! We ordered a vanilla latte, breakfast poutine, and Idaho Benedict. The latte was perfect and not too sweet. It was large enough to share. The Idaho Benedict was the favorite. Everything complemented each other perfectly and the sausage gravy is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had. The poutine was good too, however the gravy wasn’t hot enough, so the curds didn’t melt. The flavors were good, but the food was warm, so it was just alright. Everything is made to order so it’s super fresh, and is worth the wait.

Cozy little café w lots of food options. Met my sister and her baby here and we really enjoyed our coffee and the warmth of this cute place. The staff is very welcoming and I like that basic coffee is serve yourself. We also shared a yummy bagel but all the food being served looked very tasty if only we had more time. Pretty sure they have a parking lot too.

Came to Portland for a seminar and we stayed about a half mile away from here. My friend and I came here to get coffee and breakfast for our group of 5 people. We were there at 7:45am, but were told we couldn’t order food items until after 8:00am. So, we just ordered Americanos and my friend got a Stumptown Coldbrew (in the bottle). Prices were good, I think they were under $ 3 per Americano. The Americano was good, but the coldbrew was a bit too acidic for my liking. I’d come back for coffee/​Americanos, but it was a little strange they don’t sell breakfast foods until after 8:00am on a Saturday.

This is a real 5 stars of you’re looking for an intimate breakfast/​brunch spot. It’s not good for groups, but it’s small and has a nice modern but simple décor, plus all the wonderful sounds a good coffee shop should have. I would consider this an ideal date spot.
I ordered the Idaho benedict and a cappuccino. I almost want to use the word «phenomenal», this meal is so good. The biscuit is light and crispy on the edges, the hidden bacon adds an extra delicious crunch, and the housemate sausage and sauce are just really amazing. I don’t even eat sausage but I don’t regret this choice one bit. It’s not your standard benedict with hollandaise, but it is probably the best benedict I’ve ever had. Perfect temp, made fresh to order and relatively quick. Zero complaints.
As for the cappuccino… also delicious, but I wouldn’t rank it anywhere near as high as my food.
Love this spot, I highly recommend it!

I was in Portland for the weekend and came here to get some coffee before a morning seminar. I ordered a cold brew coffee. The cold brew was pretty good and came in a cool glass jar. The people working there were really nice too and the café was pretty chill.

Excellent food! I was very surprised at how they made the food behind the counter, yet it was very gourmet. The chicken chillaquiles were amazing! Very spicy, but confidently the best I’ve ever had.
The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the music playing was good.

Amazing! Great people great food. The only criticism I have are personal preferences. I ordered the Idaho Benedict and I will ask for the bacon to be done a bit more. My SO ordered the breakfast bowl. Mine was better :) his was great too though. The place is small so not great for big groups or kid friendly. It also takes awhile for your food but it’s well worth the wait and the coffee is good. A great atmosphere to enjoy your morning.

While it can take a while to get your food as everything is made fresh from scratch as soon as you order it, it’s worth the wait. The coffee is excellent as well.
Upon my visit my girlfriend and I ordered and were informed shortly after they had ran out of biscuit, which was part of both of our orders. We changed our order and I was given another espresso free of charge. I definitely recommend the Croque Madame, and hope to come back some day for the Idaho Benedict.

I walked in and grabbed a menu. A gentleman let know (very politely) that breakfast would be starting at 8 am, it was 7:45. I ordered a veggie breakfast bowl. I do need to say that the deal here is that everything is made to order so being in a rush is an exercise in frustration. Having said that, if you have a wee bit of time to spare, please do give this place a shot. Every item in the bowl was fresh and had great flavor. The things that were supposed to be crunchy were and the things that were supposed to be soft, were. Nice variety within the menu. The breakfast bowl was amazing. Perfect portion, seriously fabulous taste and good coffee. They even have hemp milk which seems to be hit or miss in this neighborhood.

I just had a sandwich that changed my life. Seriously, this thing was so damn good, I’m a happier person. The world seems a brighter place; people nicer. This is a magical, powerful sandwich.
Stockholm Syndrome: open face smorrebrod — griddled rye bread, chicken liver pâté, smoked salmon, tomato, cucumber, hard boiled egg, pickled onion, sour cream, roe, and magic.

Ok, but not great. I had the Idaho Benedict, which is essentially a biscuit and sausage gravy with fried eggs and bacon. The sausage has an unusual texture that was a bit off putting. The gravy had an unpleasant aftertaste, it was either of burnt bacon drippings or rancid bacon grease. Either way it was unexplainable since mine was the first order of the day. The biscuit was good and the Stumptown coffee was great.

Got biscuit and sausage gravy. I thought there was too much sausage and not enough gravy. I also like my gravy thicker than it was here. The biscuit wasn’t fluffy enough. And overall the flavor didn’t excite me. I didn’t bother finishing my biscuit because I found it so plain. I’d rather go to Gravy on Mississippi.
And now that Richard who works there has personally messaged me on Unilocal to … I don’t know his point other than to complain about my review and shame me into giving better reviews.
Any way, now I have no intention to go and try this place again. Which I was planning because so many other people love this place.

I stopped by Fourth Estate for Brunch with the wife. Sight unseen, I had no idea what to expect. Not your average location for a breakfast. Far more Café than restaurant.
Doesn’t matter. The food was well prepared and with a fresh taste. The staff were helpful and friendly. The price was not greasy-​spoon low or boutique high. As Goldilocks would say «just right».
I was quite happy with my omelette, and The Lovely Wife™ quite enjoyed her Benedict.
As we live in St. Johns, we will be back. Even if you don’t, this place is recommended.
Check it out, sez me.

Really cute place and my 4 stars is more for the amazing looking dish my husband and our friend got because sadly as a vegan with nut allergies there weren’t a whole lot of breakfast options for me (which was a little odd since we found this place on Unilocal search for «vegan»). But the staff was friendly and the bagels are vegan and they had hummus so I had that and it was pretty good! The orange juice was delicious so I was satisfied. The dish my husband and friend got was called Croque Madam and had mornay sauce with an egg on top of a Swiss and ham sandwich. Judging by their reaction it was killer.
The place is cute with fun little art on the walls and an open feel. My friend who lives here will definitely be back, and we are happy we stopped in on our trip (we are out of towners)!