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Portland, OR

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The Great North

4.6 (96 reviews)
Open • 6:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

The Great North Photos

Business Info

THE GREAT NORTH ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Good for working
Good for kids
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - The Great North

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Reviews With Photos

Iced Matcha Latte - so yummy
Cassie M.

Stopped by on a whim during a visit to this neighborhood and found myself enjoying a very pleasant matcha latte. The area is saturated with cute coffee shops and I'm glad I stopped by at this one. The person at the counter was very friendly and explained the different sweeteners they offer. She recommended getting an iced matcha latte, I opted to get it slightly sweetened with their simple syrup and it was perfect. I love matcha and this one was great!

Shauna F.

5 stars for being one of the only coffee places open at 6a in Portland... And with a friendly barista. Ordered a couple bagel sandwiches, pastry, and coffee. Will be back :)

Kim G.

Bright, light filled coffee shop on a side street in the center of St. John's. They have excellent espresso and coffee drinks and a nice, spicy chai Which I thoroughly enjoyed. Pastries are baked in house and they looked delicious I had just eaten an ocean bun at The Sparrow bakery down the street!p so didn't try any. They had scones, cinnamon knots and cookies. I noticed that they carry breakfast sandwiches made with bread from Dos Hermanos Bakery which I frequent on N. Williams. Knowing the bread is great, I purchased a sandwich to heat up in my toaster oven the next day. inside are a few tables and chairs but since it was a sunny 76 degree day, we enjoyed our beverages outside.

Latte
Andrea J.

Great North in North Portland delivers smooth, bold coffee with laid-back vibes and cozy charm.

Melissa S.

Stepping into this coffee shop- you immediately like the vibe. The wooden plank floor, the antique counter. Also friendly staff who greets you upon entering. They made our dirty Chai teas to perfection. Honestly one of the best chai teas I've had yet! Also, a great selection of pastries . The chocolate chip cookie was superb! I cannot wait to try their cardamon bun next trip! My daughter says it's divine! Also I love the playlist of their music! That's a plus as well!

Iced coffee w house oat milk & house honey & cinnamon syrup with a Petunia's ( v & gf) poppy seed @ blueberry muffin!
Arianna K.

The owners are so wonderful and welcoming! I biked in for breakfast (without a lock) and the owner offered for me to bring my bike inside while an employee also offered me his bike lock to make sure I felt comfortable and was able to relax and enjoy myself. It was incredibly kind! Their house made syrups, sweeteners and milks are I'm vegan and they also carry Petunias pastries which is great! They roast with coava coffee and it is delicious!! 10/10 will recommend and will be peddling back for more!

Menu
Rebecca W.

Lovely shop! Delicious coffee and great food. Service was friendly and quick. Try the Cardigan special.

Kate M.

Beautiful and cozy coffee shop in the heart of St. John's. It's not too busy, but it's not quiet either. Just the occasional coffee drinkers coming and going throughout the day - and if you're lucky, some will come in with their dogs! They play very tasteful music here so either soak it in or bring some headphones. I came here on Sunday and the woman/barista/everything was super sweet, and made the perfect cup of coffee my caffeine-powered body was craving. And in case you didn't see my picture of the beautiful cappuccino: it's beautiful. Aesthetically pleasing, wonderful staff, delicious coffee. What more could you want?

Rosemary holiday latte, drip coffee, Olympia provisions breakfast sandwich

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3 years ago

This is a great coffee shop. The coffee is very good and the vibes are also very nice. I highly recommend visiting.

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3 years ago

Best chai in town , homemade oat milk, vegan & gf pastry options, great work space, good light, really nice people!

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Matt B.

Ahhhhhhh thank you Laura!

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7 years ago

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2 years ago

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

Had the yogurt parfait -- so good! Great, friendly service, good prices and a cozy, friendly place to enjoy breakfast.

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

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Matt B.

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

awesome decor, delicious (unique!) ham breakfast sandwich, local favorite. staff was lovely!

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3 years ago

Love their coffee, sandwiches, ambience and service! Super cozy coffee shop in the heart of St Johns

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4 years ago

Love this place! Great ambiance, great service. I think it's the best coffee shop in north Portland and great location

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Bernstein's Bagels - Everything with holy chiver

Bernstein's Bagels

4.4(182 reviews)
5.2 mi•Eliot, North Portland
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Bernstein's Bagels is more than an eatery - it's a community. We liked the food and the experience…read moreso much that we came here two days in a row for breakfast. Bernstein's is a popular spot - having arrived at the opening time we felt lucky to secure a table. Here is what we ordered: bagel and lox, garden bagel and raisin smear bagel; as well as coffee. Everything was so good that even the picky eater amongst us had no complaints. We also enjoyed conversing with other patrons at Bernstein's. Having quickly deciphered that we are visiting from out of town (probably by overhearing us talk - the tables are very close together) they immediately made us feel welcome and recommended places to visit around Portland. We usually don't talk to strangers, so being pulled into a friendly conversation was a different kind of experience for us, but the one that we enjoyed with gratitude. Overall, this a great breakfast spot!

Bernstein's is a tough place to grade, especially if you're from the place whose bagels, cream…read morecheese, and sandwiches it's trying to emulate. I've been coming here since they were tucked away in St. John's and were the bagel provider for the Portland Art Museum's cafe, and it's produced a love-hate relationship. I love the new place on Russell Street and the coffeehouse aesthetic that fits its corner of Portland far better than an average bagel shop. I love that they've gone through the trouble of learning to prepare bagels correctly and have trained Portland to expect a chewiness to their bagel and a mild tackiness often incorrectly identified as "crisp" on the exterior. I love that they use Nossa Familia coffee--the city's closest approximation to East Coast Italian roasts--and that they attempt lox and capers, tuna salad, and pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwiches. But there's still a whole lot to hate. I hate that it makes me pay $3 for a bagel that cooked to pretzel density half the time (a common overcompensation in this market) before it's touched by so much as an ounce of cream cheese. I hate that buying in bulk scarcely dents that price to the level of competitors who have rapidly gained on the shop's quality. I hate that pork roll (loose, cheap pig renderings mashed into a sausage and sliced), a Kraft single, and an egg on their bagel goes for $15 (!). And I quite frankly hate that I regularly have to include these obnoxiously pricey bagels among the city's best for lack of better options. It encourages newcomers to set even higher per-bagel prices without the quality to back it up--making for angry, disappointed customers--and creates an unsustainable novelty for a product that thrives in everyday available volume. The one $5 bagel in town exists solely because it's using flavors and ingredients uncommon to the medium, but I'm no sure that spot on Sandy can keep up its one-bagel-at-a-time approach forever. Bernstein's has found its place, but not without making certain adjustments along the way. Its lines have given way to advance ordering and easy pickup. Its bagel, schmear, and sandwich menus have broadened as it attempts to give people more for their money. And with competitors entering the market on the East Side at $4 to $5 per plain bagel, offering that same price for a bagel with cream cheese makes them the better point of comparison on their side of the river. Bernstein's can be an above-average to really good bagel for this market, but its greatness relies heavily on just how willing you are to cross a bridge.

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Bernstein's Bagels
Bernstein's Bagels - Holy chiver

Holy chiver

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The Great North - coffee - Updated October 2026

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