Upper Left Roasters
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We decided to try Upper Left on a Sunday afternoon and were elated to find such a bright and open space. The large windows allowed a lot of sunlight to enter the establishment as well. There was plenty of seating available inside and outside on their patio. The service was delightful when taking our drink orders. The raspberry danish latte on their seasonal menu sounded scrumptious but the raspberry and the acidity of the coffee tasted a bit too sweet and tart for our liking. The black sesame matcha latte was also met with disappointment; the matcha tasted more like a steeped green tea with no earthy or umami notes. The black sesame helped deepen the flavor profile but I would not order it again. My friend's iced latte was my favorite out of the drinks that I sampled so perhaps I should order one of their classic coffees next time instead.
I was meeting an old friend to catch up, and he suggested Upper Left. I hadn't been in a while, so enthusiastically agreed. In a world where all coffee joints more or less run together, it was refreshing to see something that has more of a distinctly local flavor. The building is light and airy with a very large patio, extremely well laid out both on the exterior and interior, with plenty of places to sit and chat, eat, or work. The food menu, Weill, not expensive, offers a little bit of something for everyone. My friend opted for toast with butter and honey and a small hot chocolate made with almond milk. I, having just come from a lunch meeting, just had a large mocha. Placing the order was fast and accurate, and when the drinks were prepared, we were called up to retrieve them. While we were fetching them, a mere feet away, somebody delivered the toast to the table! We were quite surprised by that and a bit delighted. Definitely not expected. Sadly, no pictures of either food or drink this time - the toast evaporated before I had a chance, and to be honest, I find pictures of plain white paper cups pretty boring. Perhaps next time. The location is right on the edge of Ladd's Edition, just south of Hawthorne at the intersection of 12th and Clay. It's a delightful neighborhood, one that I often aspired to live in before I settled in where I am currently. Highly recommended, I'll definitely be back soon
Clean, bright ambiance with friendly staff. The seasonal toast (romesco) was insanely delicious. No notes. Coffee was good too, was hoping for a mug for there instead of a togo cup but they were busy so I understand. It wasn't clear to me that the table number was only for the food, not for the coffee, which I realized was on the counter inside waiting for me while I was outside. Will definitely come back.
Definitely one of my regular spots in SE. I really love that you can watch the coffee being roasted here in the shop. The drinks are definitely above average and I appreciate that we have more than one choice for espresso based drinks. I usually opt for the single origin choice. The bathrooms are clean and don't require a code. Always a plus! My main challenges with the shop are that their prices are higher than average for the area and street parking can often be a challenge. When I have the disposable income to enjoy a cup here and when I can find a place to park, I really love the hip atmosphere and the amazing outdoor patio they have available. Definitely check it out and savor that single origin for all it's worth.
I am a visiter in town and who doesn't love a new coffee spot to check out. Street parking is the only thing I can find but it's free since it's in a nice neighborhood. I wanted their popular breakfast sandwich but it was sold out so I tried their turkish breakfast. Man that was super yummy! I love the greek yogurt aspect of the dish. It was a chilly march so i got me a hot vanilla latte. Smooooooth espresso to say the least. I enjoyed reading a book and a great time there. Bookmarked and saved.
Another great breakfast at Upper Left! The avo toast was perfect & my almond milk cappuccino really hit the spot. Yum!
Upper Left Roasters is the perfect neighborhood coffee shop. Plenty of seating, welcoming staff and delicious coffee and food. I cozied up with the Maple Brown Sugar Latte and a book and had a great hour to myself. I would love to come back and try some food because everything I saw looked amazing- especially their Romesco Toast!
Pros: friendly service, delicious hojicha iced coffee, great aesthetic, indoor and outdoor seating, free street parking in neighborhood, roasted whole beans for sale Con: Saturday morning around 9:30am expect to wait 30min + for a breakfast sandwich. Drinks they can make quickly but you'll be waiting for your food!
Nice working cafe with great coffee and food! Came here on a Friday morning and the place is pretty busy but people come and go. There are plenty of tables and the place is clean. The background music is loud so not ideal for any virtual meetings. The drinks are very smooth and there are alternative milk options. The food is superb and made to order. Staff here are friendly and service is quick.
2 months ago
Great ambiance, great coffee and nice customer service. This spot was recommended to us by the staff at LARDO! One thing for the manager, clean the overhead lighting and the ac ducting, especially the one over the food prep area. Make it better! Good wishes! read more
Great, relaxing and open atmosphere with plenty of seating. The staff was friendly and drinks came out pretty quickly, especially given how busy they were. I had an espresso and a pour over--the espresso was very good and the pour over was excellent. My friend's seasonal iced latte (a coconut and lime concoction) looked awesome and she very much enjoyed it. We also had breakfast here. I had an open faced BLT that was very herby. The bread was a real standout here, but the whole thing was great. My friend had the avocado toast with no egg and also really liked it. Will definitely be back. read more
2 months ago
Upper Left Roasters has become one of my favorite coffee spots in Portland. I ordered a latte and the Turkish eggs, and both were excellent. The Turkish eggs come with two poached eggs in a Greek yogurt sauce with sourdough on the side. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and dipping the sourdough into the runny yolk and creamy yogurt sauce was probably my favorite part. Everything was really flavorful without feeling too heavy. The latte was also great smooth, good coffee flavor, and nicely presented with latte art. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the service was quick. I got there around 8:30 in the morning, shortly after they opened, so it wasn't very busy and both my food and latte came out fast. I've been here before when it's been busier, but the atmosphere is always relaxed and a nice place to start the morning. My only complaint is that I wanted more! The Turkish eggs were delicious, but two eggs weren't quite enough to fill me up. I could have easily eaten another serving. Definitely a spot I'll keep coming back to. read more
We decided to try Upper Left on a Sunday afternoon and were elated to find such a bright and open space. The large windows allowed a lot of sunlight to enter the establishment as well. There was plenty of seating available inside and outside on their patio. The service was delightful when taking our drink orders. The raspberry danish latte on their seasonal menu sounded scrumptious but the raspberry and the acidity of the coffee tasted a bit too sweet and tart for our liking. The black sesame matcha latte was also met with disappointment; the matcha tasted more like a steeped green tea with no earthy or umami notes. The black sesame helped deepen the flavor profile but I would not order it again. My friend's iced latte was my favorite out of the drinks that I sampled so perhaps I should order one of their classic coffees next time instead. read more
2 months ago
I was meeting an old friend to catch up, and he suggested Upper Left. I hadn't been in a while, so enthusiastically agreed. In a world where all coffee joints more or less run together, it was refreshing to see something that has more of a distinctly local flavor. The building is light and airy with a very large patio, extremely well laid out both on the exterior and interior, with plenty of places to sit and chat, eat, or work. The food menu, Weill, not expensive, offers a little bit of something for everyone. My friend opted for toast with butter and honey and a small hot chocolate made with almond milk. I, having just come from a lunch meeting, just had a large mocha. Placing the order was fast and accurate, and when the drinks were prepared, we were called up to retrieve them. While we were fetching them, a mere feet away, somebody delivered the toast to the table! We were quite surprised by that and a bit delighted. Definitely not expected. Sadly, no pictures of either food or drink this time - the toast evaporated before I had a chance, and to be honest, I find pictures of plain white paper cups pretty boring. Perhaps next time. The location is right on the edge of Ladd's Edition, just south of Hawthorne at the intersection of 12th and Clay. It's a delightful neighborhood, one that I often aspired to live in before I settled in where I am currently. Highly recommended, I'll definitely be back soon read more
3 months ago
Clean, bright ambiance with friendly staff. The seasonal toast (romesco) was insanely delicious. No notes. Coffee was good too, was hoping for a mug for there instead of a togo cup but they were busy so I understand. It wasn't clear to me that the table number was only for the food, not for the coffee, which I realized was on the counter inside waiting for me while I was outside. Will definitely come back. read more
Definitely one of my regular spots in SE. I really love that you can watch the coffee being roasted here in the shop. The drinks are definitely above average and I appreciate that we have more than one choice for espresso based drinks. I usually opt for the single origin choice. The bathrooms are clean and don't require a code. Always a plus! My main challenges with the shop are that their prices are higher than average for the area and street parking can often be a challenge. When I have the disposable income to enjoy a cup here and when I can find a place to park, I really love the hip atmosphere and the amazing outdoor patio they have available. Definitely check it out and savor that single origin for all it's worth. read more
1 month ago
I am a visiter in town and who doesn't love a new coffee spot to check out. Street parking is the only thing I can find but it's free since it's in a nice neighborhood. I wanted their popular breakfast sandwich but it was sold out so I tried their turkish breakfast. Man that was super yummy! I love the greek yogurt aspect of the dish. It was a chilly march so i got me a hot vanilla latte. Smooooooth espresso to say the least. I enjoyed reading a book and a great time there. Bookmarked and saved. read more
3 months ago
3 months ago
Upper Left Roasters is the perfect neighborhood coffee shop. Plenty of seating, welcoming staff and delicious coffee and food. I cozied up with the Maple Brown Sugar Latte and a book and had a great hour to myself. I would love to come back and try some food because everything I saw looked amazing- especially their Romesco Toast! read more
7 months ago
9 months ago
Pros: friendly service, delicious hojicha iced coffee, great aesthetic, indoor and outdoor seating, free street parking in neighborhood, roasted whole beans for sale Con: Saturday morning around 9:30am expect to wait 30min + for a breakfast sandwich. Drinks they can make quickly but you'll be waiting for your food! read more
Nice working cafe with great coffee and food! Came here on a Friday morning and the place is pretty busy but people come and go. There are plenty of tables and the place is clean. The background music is loud so not ideal for any virtual meetings. The drinks are very smooth and there are alternative milk options. The food is superb and made to order. Staff here are friendly and service is quick. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Should become your new local coffee shop! Came here a few days in a row while visiting a friend because it was so good. Food was unique and tasty and coffee was good. Plenty of seating on both weekends and weekdays, though does fill up. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Worked from here one morning and WiFi was good. Lots of windows and good lighting. read more
11 months ago
I met up with a friend for lunch here so I could take a virtual meeting before and after seeing her. I picked this place from Googling "places to work," and was a little disappointed because of the noise and crowd. They are BUSY! I had to keep myself muted throughout my meeting. If you're looking for just a place to hang out and eat/get some Chai, I do recommend this place though! The lox toast was delish! The service was alright, nothing to call home about. read more
To be sure, this is a special place for coffee. Warm, welcoming and a casual ambiance. Fantastic service. My go-to coffee to brew at home is the Ethiopian Abyssinian, but I've never had a bad brew or bag of beans from this place. read more
I came here with a friend to catch up over some brunch and coffee and it was such a cute spot! Located in a neighborhood and somewhat near a busy street, it has a perfect mix of both bustle and peace. The shop was a lot more spacious than I thought it would be, with both inside and outside seating (outside seating would be beautiful on a warmer day). There was also plenty of inside seating for groups and individuals to chat or study. The only thing I would note though, is that although there is a lot of seating, it was also pretty busy when I went so most of it was taken. My friend and I each got a drink and their food, out of the many options that they had. Everything that we had was delicious. Typically, I reach for an avocado toast, but I tried the Turkish eggs here and they were DELICIOUS. It was the first time I had them and I would 100% come back just to have them again. I highly highly recommend trying this place out. :) read more
TL;DR - Top 3, if not top, coffee shop in Portland, and I've tried them all. More info - I lived in Portland for a month and am a pour over coffee and cappuccino addict. Portland has the country's best coffee in my opinion (and I also lived in Seattle), and Upper Left is at the top of the list. Their anaerobic processed pour over was out of this world, ALL of their espresso drinks are outstanding (even the decaf), and the service is very friendly (unlike many Portland coffee shops). Their roasted beans are light/medium roasted for the most part, adding to the flavor of the coffee. When I lived here I tried over 20 coffee shops - mainly for cappuccino- and Upper Left was consistently one of the best. Water Ave and Heart were the other top shops. We were traveling from Seattle to California and opted to buy beans here instead of Seattle. read more
A great cafe for getting some work done and enjoying some fine, loose leaf tea! Always friendly service and and a great selection of teas to choose from. Haven't tried any food yet, but I'm sure it's just as good as everything else that they serve. read more
2 years ago
nice little coffee and light food spot! very chill and casual ambiance! first spot i stopped by after arriving portland bc in need of a coffeeee. cold brew was pretty good and i ordered turkish egg (?) which was decent also. read more
3 years ago
Came here to do some work. Only the side tables have outlets. The music was veryyyy loud. For the cold brew with sweet cream foam and I'm pretty sure the cream foam was just whipped cream. read more
3 years ago
Ube lattes here are amazing! Would recommend. Has a strong ube flavor. It's a bit loud here, so I wouldn't recommend it if you have to focus. Even with noise cancellation on my headphones, their music still bleeds through. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
First stop on our Bike Food Tour: quintessential, iconic, everyday coffee roasted in-house! WW2 showed our soldiers what coffee should taste like and that made quite the impression and influenced cities like Portland how to roast and drink coffee. When you walk in here, smell the rich and complex aromas, when you drink your first sip, when you have a deep satisfaction of drinking Java gold, life is good as it should be. A must try if you're visiting. A must on your list of you're local. The only thing I would recommend is to ask for EXTRA hot if you like your drinks scalding like me. read more
Out of towners excited for the Portland coffee scene distracted by an Ube Latte and Vegan Adobo Avocado Toast (that we then made not vegan by adding a poached egg ). It was...awesome. The foods and drinks were awesome and just like described. The Ube syrup is made in house with a house condensed coconut milk. The baristas were cool AF, helpful, honest to point us in a direction we would be pleased with. Daughter was able to enjoy a couple poached eggs herself and thoroughly enjoyed them. And the venue is great vibing with great music for this child of the 80s. Would recommend to visitors and townies alike! read more
5 years ago
I came here for the first time early Sunday morning with my boyfriend & family. The smell of coffee roasting infiltrated us as we walked up which was mouthwatering! There's a very modern feel to the coffee shop and it overlooks a street with beautiful autumn trees. You can sit inside, but only if you have proof of vaccination, otherwise you must sit outside or take the coffee to go (yes they enforce this!). The americano was good, but had a slightly bitter aftertaste, so I'm assuming they use a light roast. I tried some of the maple turmeric latte and it was subtle with mostly maple hints; I did not really taste the turmeric. Beautiful coffee art! The baked goods looked dangerous and I hope to try one soon. Overall good coffee, trendy coffee shop, and pretty expensive. It is worth checking out if you're looking for a new coffee shop to try! read more
1 year ago
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More info about Upper Left Roasters
1204 SE Clay St
Portland, OR 97214
Ladd's Addition, Hosford-Abernethy, Southeast Portland
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(503) 477-8469
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https://upperleftroasters.com
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Ask the Community - Upper Left Roasters
Is there a GF bread option for the toast?
Yes, and a really good one! They have delicious GF bread.
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