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The place itself is pretty small but the muffin and cortado were good. Service was nice! There is limited seating inside. The yogurt oat muffin was nice and warm, super tasty!
We took a last-morning stroll through downtown Portland and, on the walk back to our hotel, realized we wanted something warm and a short pause. That's how we ended up at Courier Coffee Roasters and it turned out to be the perfect pit stop. The shop itself is small and unassuming, but the moment we walked in it felt inviting and calm. The staff was genuinely wonderful. My partner ordered an Americano and was asked which cup he preferred, two different styles. He asked if they were the same size, and that simple question turned into the most endearing moment. Since the barista didn't know, she checked the bottoms of the cups for size markings (no luck), then filled one with water to see if it would pour evenly into the other, and finally put them on the scale. Verdict: same size. The curiosity and genuine desire to give us a real answer was just lovely. I ordered a hojicha tea, which was very well prepared and hit the spot. My partner said his coffee was smooth and really good. We also grabbed a pear muffin, nicely done, with generous chunks of pear (skin on, which I loved). My partner ordered a chocolate chunk cookie, which disappeared quickly. There was a record player on the counter with a mellow morning album playing, adding to the relaxed feel. The whole space and everyone working there felt warm, friendly, and welcoming. If you live nearby or are visiting like we were, this is a great place to slow down, warm up, and enjoy genuinely good coffee, tea, and hospitality.
I think the other reviews covered a lot of the basics so I'll just add a little here. Courier is an excellent spot for coffee lovers. I think they really nail the espresso grind. The inside cafe is small but the intimate atmosphere and vinyl records playing are super comforting. The shop was very to the point and had some awesome postcards and stickers for sale. Staff are nice but you better know what you want!
I loved this Coffee shop. The goal was to go to Powell City of Books but we were a bit early this morning. So we decided to find a coffee shop nearby and stumbled upon Courier Coffee. It was a small and charming place with music that slapped. I wasn't really wanting to be cracked out at that moment so I decided to take the nostalgia route. Now let me first say it wasn't really sweet but boy was it good. It definitely tasted like some really pure cocoa goodness. Man it was a great time. We just played cards and enjoyed the vibe. As we smelled the aroma of coffee wafting all around the shop, we admired all the locals coming in and getting their usuals. The people working here were so chill too. We might have to come back and make it a tradition anytime we come out to Portland.
This is my favorite coffee spot in Portland. The first time I visited, I asked if they could explain what a cortado was. I recieved a whole breakdown, a little history, and what to expect. I ordered one, and it was one of the best cortados I've ever had. My partner loved it so much, it even inspired him to get his own espresso machine to start learning how to make cortados. Every time we come we are extremely happy and impressed with the quality of coffee delivered. Their matcha latte is delicious. Super rich and flavorful. The food is fantastic. I've tried the miso soup and salmon onigiri. Both passed my expectations. You can tell the quality of the ingredients and level of expertise that goes into everything they make. The space is very small, and seating is limited, but I've seen them bring people chairs outside when there's no space left. Very nice people.
Quick Summary: - Indoor and outdoor seating (Not many seats inside) - Air conditioning is strong, if you sit near the table with the air conditioning, so not ideal place to eat shaved ice - Coffee is sour - Took nearly an hour to get our shaved iced order Visited in the summer of Portland, so it was the perfect time for having shaved ice. We looked around yelp, and we found this one: Courier Coffee. We chose one of the hotter days of our week in Portland, so we can enjoy the icy dessert. This cafe is located near Powell bookstore. This area has some good stores to walk around and browse, it wasn't really my ideal place to eat outside because of how hot it was outside. Inside we ordered a coffee and the shaved ice, matcha kintoki style. Inside vaguely I remember 3 tables in total. Two were on the right side, when viewed from the entrance, and the other is on the left. The left was occupied, so we chose the table on the right. This table was close to the wall, where the air conditioning was. Something to note for myself in the future, if we're planning to order shaved ice, it's best to not eat near this cooler; it is too cold. It quickly grew unbearable, os we moved to the other table where the window was. This drastically made sitting in the cafe better overall. In the case for ordering; the coffee arrived first and then the shaved ice came afterwards. We were initially expecting we were going to eat the shaved ice and balance out the cold by drinking hot coffee, but the expectations didn't match. The coffee, unfortunately, was sour. My relative thought it was one of the sourest coffees we have tried at Portland (I voted for another). The milk or cream that was added was not enough to soften up the sourness. ...generally all coffee in Portland makes my mouth want to pucker up on how sour it is. It wasn't a great coffee experience. Generally, I noticed that the ordering to food delivery time in Portland takes more time than where I am used to. I treated this gentle waiting time a different experience from home. However, for this case I would like to leave a note that the wait time for our shaved ice took much longer with even this waiver in mind. Maybe it was 45 minutes, but it felt like an hour. It was a hot day, so I was expecting shaved ice to be a popular menu item, so everyone who entered ordered one. The staff was making these in consecutive order, but all was done on one machine. By the time our order arrived, we have finished our coffee and my relative was physically shivering from the cold air conditioning. This shaved ice melts very fast so we ate as fast as we could. Moving away from the air conditioning really worked to make this a better experience. The flavor was good, and while the ice was fast on melting, we were able to eat more than half of the ice.
Been coming here for ages, have always found friendly service, good pour-overs, the best in-house quenelles and salted chocolate chip cookies in Portland, great local art for sale hanging on the wall, and then also something... a little special. The owner always has been a bit of a Japanophile IMHO and had interests in fun foods like shave ice before it was cool (haha see what I did there?). He married an absolutely wonderful Japanese woman and their little girl is starting to get bigger every day. And what does that have to do with anything? As his family has expanded, so have his offerings of Japanese comfort foods! Look at the picture! Wow, this is SO wonderful! All the hand foods of my dreams! I highly recommend everything on the menu! Miso soup will warm you up perfectly on a chilly, rainy day and noraki and Imari will give you the carbo boost you need to keep the fires burning. And..., dango...? Oh, yes, please! Oishi!!!
I work near by and always enjoy their latte's and assorted sushi. Everything is high quality and fresh. I love the vibe and the employees are always kind and accommodating.
If you happen to be walking downtown, this is a fun break for the caffeine jolt. However ~ very cramped inside, a couple small, small tables outside. Ice piled high, condensed milk not saturated all the way through. Three mini mochi, not stuck into the mound and two of them easily fell off onto the ground :( A bit nerve racking trying to enjoy the treat outside while quietly watching riffraff causing a raucous passing by. Just in and out unpersonable service.
Wow, the coffee was amazing. Got myself an Americano and it may have been one for the smoothest I've ever had. Thus a good rating. Not to the not so great... We came about 5 minutes after open. We were told they needed another 5 min. That's ok. But then it ended up taking close to 15 more minutes with groups of people starting to line up waiting with us. Then when we got in they were still not really set up. I was the first to order and my drink still took another 10 minutes. Also, we were excited to try pastries but they only had cookies ready when we got there. When we left around 10 they were just pulling out muffins. The canele we did order once we saw it pulled out they said would need to cool down to really enjoy. Personally I think they should have baked it off earlier so that customers can enjoy it right away.
I came here on a sunny day with a friend and it was the perfect decision to have some ice drinks and kakigori (Japanese shaved ice). I've seen this place before on social media (their shaved ice was everywhere, so I really wanted to give it a try). The inside of the shop is quite small and there's limited seating both inside and outside (only 4-5 small tables total?), so we had to wait for a bit to get seating. Their menu has quite a few interesting drinks and it is definitely heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine/culture, but that's what it super fun. My friend and I got the kakigori and two drinks. Both of the drinks were delicious, but if I had to recommend one, I would recommend their sparkling drinks. The highlight was the kakigori though. It was light, and delicious, and so nice to enjoy on a sunny day. Highly recommend.
The baristas were friendly and knowledgeable and I felt welcomed. The most impressive thing is not their coffee but canele. I'd go there just for them. Also I tried canele at Ken's bakery not far from them and Courier Coffee's canele I liked more! The space is pretty small so it's more of grab and go type of place.
An Uber driver highly recommended this place, and it was worth a visit. It's nearby Powell's Bookstore, so you can hit two spots in one trip. Needless to say, their coffee is so good that we bought a pound of Rwanda Rusizi to bring home.
In "Coffee City" Courier carved out its own Portlandia coffee niche! Really delicious "bitchin-tasty" Canelli and macchiato. Canelli is moist and yummy inside and super crisp on the outside winner winner winner. The Mexico, roasted coffee beans made a very deep robust, medium rich, slightly bitter, but well balanced, sweetness, and acidity macchiato. I noticed they have different coffees, depending on the season from around the world. Cozy coffee bar, small café, and rad-cool-dope hipster vibe. Winner winner winner. Love the vibe, the music on record playing vinyl "old school" LP 45 - way cool! And the people serving it up "bitchin" were friendly and knowledgeable. Winner winner winner. Also have some Japanese finger foods and smoked salmon that need to be investigated on the next stop. I like good coffee often and a sweet treat occasionally, and the coffee, desserts and peeps were all winner winner winner for me - coffee, Portlandia style! read more
Courier has became a favorite coffee shop over the years. It's tiny and they're always busy. I love the Japanese food menu - kakigori shaved ice for the summers and they're always doing norimaki, inari and Onigiri. It's the perfect snack to go along with some of their great tea or coffee. I don't love coffee black normally, but I like theirs on its own. Seating is limited but if you can snag a seat inside, you can hear their music - they have a record player and my mom loved the jpop old album from the 70s/80s that they had on today. Staff is awesome and friendly. I love this spot and wish they had longer hours in the afternoon for shaved ice. read more
10 months ago
This is a lovely coffee shop with some Japanese flare! They roast their own beans, so coffee is super fresh! The Japanese-style food is delicious with rice balls. My kids were particular fascinated by the working record player at the counter. The staff was super nice and even explained to my kids how the record player worked. It blew their minds how a song would be one this one giant disc! And it's fitting to have Powells bookstore a block away. read more
8 months ago
We took a last-morning stroll through downtown Portland and, on the walk back to our hotel, realized we wanted something warm and a short pause. That's how we ended up at Courier Coffee Roasters and it turned out to be the perfect pit stop. The shop itself is small and unassuming, but the moment we walked in it felt inviting and calm. The staff was genuinely wonderful. My partner ordered an Americano and was asked which cup he preferred, two different styles. He asked if they were the same size, and that simple question turned into the most endearing moment. Since the barista didn't know, she checked the bottoms of the cups for size markings (no luck), then filled one with water to see if it would pour evenly into the other, and finally put them on the scale. Verdict: same size. The curiosity and genuine desire to give us a real answer was just lovely. I ordered a hojicha tea, which was very well prepared and hit the spot. My partner said his coffee was smooth and really good. We also grabbed a pear muffin, nicely done, with generous chunks of pear (skin on, which I loved). My partner ordered a chocolate chunk cookie, which disappeared quickly. There was a record player on the counter with a mellow morning album playing, adding to the relaxed feel. The whole space and everyone working there felt warm, friendly, and welcoming. If you live nearby or are visiting like we were, this is a great place to slow down, warm up, and enjoy genuinely good coffee, tea, and hospitality. read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
I think the other reviews covered a lot of the basics so I'll just add a little here. Courier is an excellent spot for coffee lovers. I think they really nail the espresso grind. The inside cafe is small but the intimate atmosphere and vinyl records playing are super comforting. The shop was very to the point and had some awesome postcards and stickers for sale. Staff are nice but you better know what you want! read more
2 years ago
I loved this Coffee shop. The goal was to go to Powell City of Books but we were a bit early this morning. So we decided to find a coffee shop nearby and stumbled upon Courier Coffee. It was a small and charming place with music that slapped. I wasn't really wanting to be cracked out at that moment so I decided to take the nostalgia route. Now let me first say it wasn't really sweet but boy was it good. It definitely tasted like some really pure cocoa goodness. Man it was a great time. We just played cards and enjoyed the vibe. As we smelled the aroma of coffee wafting all around the shop, we admired all the locals coming in and getting their usuals. The people working here were so chill too. We might have to come back and make it a tradition anytime we come out to Portland. read more
This is my favorite coffee spot in Portland. The first time I visited, I asked if they could explain what a cortado was. I recieved a whole breakdown, a little history, and what to expect. I ordered one, and it was one of the best cortados I've ever had. My partner loved it so much, it even inspired him to get his own espresso machine to start learning how to make cortados. Every time we come we are extremely happy and impressed with the quality of coffee delivered. Their matcha latte is delicious. Super rich and flavorful. The food is fantastic. I've tried the miso soup and salmon onigiri. Both passed my expectations. You can tell the quality of the ingredients and level of expertise that goes into everything they make. The space is very small, and seating is limited, but I've seen them bring people chairs outside when there's no space left. Very nice people. read more
Quick Summary: - Indoor and outdoor seating (Not many seats inside) - Air conditioning is strong, if you sit near the table with the air conditioning, so not ideal place to eat shaved ice - Coffee is sour - Took nearly an hour to get our shaved iced order Visited in the summer of Portland, so it was the perfect time for having shaved ice. We looked around yelp, and we found this one: Courier Coffee. We chose one of the hotter days of our week in Portland, so we can enjoy the icy dessert. This cafe is located near Powell bookstore. This area has some good stores to walk around and browse, it wasn't really my ideal place to eat outside because of how hot it was outside. Inside we ordered a coffee and the shaved ice, matcha kintoki style. Inside vaguely I remember 3 tables in total. Two were on the right side, when viewed from the entrance, and the other is on the left. The left was occupied, so we chose the table on the right. This table was close to the wall, where the air conditioning was. Something to note for myself in the future, if we're planning to order shaved ice, it's best to not eat near this cooler; it is too cold. It quickly grew unbearable, os we moved to the other table where the window was. This drastically made sitting in the cafe better overall. In the case for ordering; the coffee arrived first and then the shaved ice came afterwards. We were initially expecting we were going to eat the shaved ice and balance out the cold by drinking hot coffee, but the expectations didn't match. The coffee, unfortunately, was sour. My relative thought it was one of the sourest coffees we have tried at Portland (I voted for another). The milk or cream that was added was not enough to soften up the sourness. ...generally all coffee in Portland makes my mouth want to pucker up on how sour it is. It wasn't a great coffee experience. Generally, I noticed that the ordering to food delivery time in Portland takes more time than where I am used to. I treated this gentle waiting time a different experience from home. However, for this case I would like to leave a note that the wait time for our shaved ice took much longer with even this waiver in mind. Maybe it was 45 minutes, but it felt like an hour. It was a hot day, so I was expecting shaved ice to be a popular menu item, so everyone who entered ordered one. The staff was making these in consecutive order, but all was done on one machine. By the time our order arrived, we have finished our coffee and my relative was physically shivering from the cold air conditioning. This shaved ice melts very fast so we ate as fast as we could. Moving away from the air conditioning really worked to make this a better experience. The flavor was good, and while the ice was fast on melting, we were able to eat more than half of the ice. read more
Been coming here for ages, have always found friendly service, good pour-overs, the best in-house quenelles and salted chocolate chip cookies in Portland, great local art for sale hanging on the wall, and then also something... a little special. The owner always has been a bit of a Japanophile IMHO and had interests in fun foods like shave ice before it was cool (haha see what I did there?). He married an absolutely wonderful Japanese woman and their little girl is starting to get bigger every day. And what does that have to do with anything? As his family has expanded, so have his offerings of Japanese comfort foods! Look at the picture! Wow, this is SO wonderful! All the hand foods of my dreams! I highly recommend everything on the menu! Miso soup will warm you up perfectly on a chilly, rainy day and noraki and Imari will give you the carbo boost you need to keep the fires burning. And..., dango...? Oh, yes, please! Oishi!!! read more
If you happen to be walking downtown, this is a fun break for the caffeine jolt. However ~ very cramped inside, a couple small, small tables outside. Ice piled high, condensed milk not saturated all the way through. Three mini mochi, not stuck into the mound and two of them easily fell off onto the ground :( A bit nerve racking trying to enjoy the treat outside while quietly watching riffraff causing a raucous passing by. Just in and out unpersonable service. read more
3 years ago
Wow, the coffee was amazing. Got myself an Americano and it may have been one for the smoothest I've ever had. Thus a good rating. Not to the not so great... We came about 5 minutes after open. We were told they needed another 5 min. That's ok. But then it ended up taking close to 15 more minutes with groups of people starting to line up waiting with us. Then when we got in they were still not really set up. I was the first to order and my drink still took another 10 minutes. Also, we were excited to try pastries but they only had cookies ready when we got there. When we left around 10 they were just pulling out muffins. The canele we did order once we saw it pulled out they said would need to cool down to really enjoy. Personally I think they should have baked it off earlier so that customers can enjoy it right away. read more
8 months ago
I came here on a sunny day with a friend and it was the perfect decision to have some ice drinks and kakigori (Japanese shaved ice). I've seen this place before on social media (their shaved ice was everywhere, so I really wanted to give it a try). The inside of the shop is quite small and there's limited seating both inside and outside (only 4-5 small tables total?), so we had to wait for a bit to get seating. Their menu has quite a few interesting drinks and it is definitely heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine/culture, but that's what it super fun. My friend and I got the kakigori and two drinks. Both of the drinks were delicious, but if I had to recommend one, I would recommend their sparkling drinks. The highlight was the kakigori though. It was light, and delicious, and so nice to enjoy on a sunny day. Highly recommend. read more
The baristas were friendly and knowledgeable and I felt welcomed. The most impressive thing is not their coffee but canele. I'd go there just for them. Also I tried canele at Ken's bakery not far from them and Courier Coffee's canele I liked more! The space is pretty small so it's more of grab and go type of place. read more
An Uber driver highly recommended this place, and it was worth a visit. It's nearby Powell's Bookstore, so you can hit two spots in one trip. Needless to say, their coffee is so good that we bought a pound of Rwanda Rusizi to bring home. read more
3 years ago
This place has some really good shaved ice! It's a small counter located in Courier Coffee. They also have small snacks to eat. We got the Hojicha Kokuto Kinaco shaved ice, and it was pretty good. I liked the hojicha flavor and the combo with sweet adzuki beans. It's a pleasant dessert that's not too heavy. It's definitely worth a try. read more
3 years ago
This small coffee and tea shop is easy to miss. But don't. We came here for the summertime shaved ice but got tempted into getting cafe beverages and caneles. The cantelope kakigori was fruity, addicting, and very refreshing. The yuzu mint was not overwhelming so it's fine even if you're not a mint lover. The canele pastries were custardy on the inside with a caramelized crust on the outside. They go well with black coffee or espresso beverages. I had mine with a mocha which they made with grated dark chocolate. The bitterness paired well with the sweet treats. Overall, everything was tasty here so my only regret is not getting to try more. The food can run out and they're only open until 3pm so come early if you want the goods. read more
Watch out for extremely rude customers and unhelpful staff. I was with a pregnant woman and others and she had sat down at the table next to the counter while literally placing our order. Another customer and her partner came out of left field and began berating us and kicked us off of the table, so they could sit down. I'm not sure if it's Portland, customers, or Asian hate, but it was extremely distasteful and disheartening that staff said nothing at all. Was forced to sit outside at the neighboring restaurants. Other then that, the japanese shaved ice from Soen was fine. I don't really see the appeal of water/ice imported from Japan. Seems like a waste of carbon for them to ship that out here but I digress. Because of customer base and staff - I absolutely wouldn't return. read more
2 years ago
This was by far the worst matcha I've ever had in my life. I really hate to say this but starbucks matcha would have been better. And the shop was soooo dirty. The tables were all filthy and sticky, not wiped down. And I don't understand the concept of selling maki but leaving them out on a table covered in just one layer saran wrap. I mean at least wrap them individually... Is this not a health code violation in Portland? Anyways, the oat milk wasn't even shaken well so there were white particles floating around and the matcha was very weak. We tossed it out right away. At least it wasn't like an $8 matcha read more
I spent the last few hours of a work trip here, waiting until my flight was a bit closer to departure. I ordered a cappuccino and a matcha latte while I read and people watched. Both were delicious. The staff were very friendly and gave me info on their roasts. I would definitely come back when in Portland again. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
Causal and laid back coffee shop across the street from Powell Book Store. Small place with a two servers who seem to know most of their customers. I ordered a latte and my husband got a pour over. My latte was a bit bitter but overall good. Bathroom in the back. read more
I really liked this coffee shop's vibe. It was slow, laid back and with the vinyls playing, felt like to trip back in time to when life didn't move so fast. Ordered a mocha and was delighted at the sight of my barista melting actual chocolate in my cup. It was delish. read more
Passed on Stumptown in Old Town since the parking meter was up. Migrated to that part of downtown Portland bordering both West End and Pearl District, Courier Coffee Roasters was a pleasant indie cafe find (9/26/19). Minimalist signage, spare counter/table seating inside and bright exterior seating. Constant traffic for coffee to go, chat with regulars, or sit for a bit. I opted for the latter at the counter. There are roasted coffee beans for sale pkus assorted other beverages and food items. What caught my eye were caneles on a cooling rack. Okay a definite park it and hangout mode, especially at one of three counter stools. I got to see cold brew prep, pour overs, and other beverage preps like mocha, macchiato, and cold brew with a giant ice cube. My mocha was a perfect balance of coffee and chocolate, just wished it was a bit hotter temperature wise. The canele was really the star for me ($9.60 mocha and canele total). As two other customers there exclaimed to me, I have to concur. Enjoyed also the brief chat with one of the baristas at the end of her shift. She is originally from Guadalajara and now makes Portland her home. I was revisiting the Rose City after an extended hiatus, it was nice to hear her perspective. Definitely a notable stop for caffeine and quality treats! read more
Love this place and the vibe. It's quaint and people are super chill. You just feel like you're a guest in their home. The coffee is super smooth and the snacks they offer are just as good. They always run out of the cookies, which happened during this last visit. We've spoken with the owner who roasts the coffee himself and he's so down to earth. I get a couple bags of coffee each time I'm here because we go through it fast and we like to try all the different ones they have. So far I have not been disappointed at all. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
Got an iced oat latte and my partner got a cortado. Both were so delicious!! The space is a bit small so keep that in mind. read more
3 years ago
Excellent coffee with a simple menu but delicious food. All the essentials for a coffee lover! read more
One of my brother's best friends said Courier was the best place for coffee in Portland. One gripe: there are no outlets. Second gripe: I ordered the ginger and milk my second time here instead of coffee. The barista said the ginger and milk tasted like chai but honestly to me it tasted like milk with added ginger, and not in a good way. I have #ragrets over that order, but did really like my latte which I had the day before. Service is extremely good and warm and friendly, and I like how cozy it is. Courier has a great location near Powell's, but other than that, I think I prefer Stumptown in terms of coffee. read more
5 years ago
4 years ago
This is like legit the best shaved ice I've had thats not in Hawaii. I ordered the strawberry anko mochi shaved ice. It was such good flavor combo and the mochi is really soft and chewy. As for the shaved ice itself, it was actually really fine and good, almost on par with Hawaii shaved ice. The flavor compared to Hawaii was a lot more natural using strawberry's and red bean, but hawaii had more flavor options. Only thing I didn't like was how they only put the flavor at the top, so when we got all the way down there was no flavor left. For the coffee, I myself am not a big fan of coffee in general at all so I took one sip and called it quits haha. read more
2 years ago
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