Good Coffee
· Portland, OR ·
First Impressions
Portland has no lack of good coffee; there are so many amazing roasters and cafes throughout the city, each with their own strengths and niches. But few rival Good Coffee in their architectural beauty and all-around, well...goodness. The space is so clean and inviting, just walking through the door is enough to thoroughly lift your spirits (+1 during winter's SAD-inducing glumness). The perfect balance of bright white tile and marble, light wood, and deep green plantlife centers you and evokes a simple kind of cozy within. The staff are wonderful and work between both locations, so there's a familiarity and consistency across both cafes that is really nice. They value good coffee and good conversation, so, while there is plenty of space to get work done, you should really go for the community. Good perfectly balances top quality coffee and genuinely friendly service. Their open, smiling baristas are never too busy to get to know their customers; they remembered my name by my second visit.
I first stepped into the 12th St location on a wet January afternoon, heavy rain dumping buckets outside. The thoughtfully designed cafe space and great conversation I was having with Jimmy quickly had me forgetting the miserable cold outside, and after they closed, they were kind enough to let me stay a little longer while the rain tapered off. Their lineup of roasters is wonderful. They feature local greats Heart, Roseline, and Coava, but also have a few offerings at a time from Grand Rapids' Madcap Coffee. Song Tea & Ceramics rounds out the drinks menu and they have a nice assortment of light foods. Portland makes it difficult to rank cafes, but you'd be missing out if you came through the Rose City and didn't spend a few afternoons holed up at Good Coffee. (Pro Tip: If you love the Scandinavian-esque minimalism of the space and the warm kindness of the staff at Good Coffee, you should also check out Tea Bar PDX. They have a beautiful space just down the road on Division, and another location in the NE, off of Killingsworth.)
Photos owned and copyrighted by 
Good Coffee and Sprudge contributor Joanna Han and yelp user James and Caleb Durham, and Trotter.
