City Cast Portland logo

Favorite Coffees Spots in Portland, Plus Some Good Lunch Options

Posted on June 23, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025

Rachel Monahan

Cafe Olli, best sandwiches in Portland

On weekdays, Cafe Olli makes extraordinary sandwiches. (Rachel Monahan/City Cast Portland)




🍕 Bella’s pepperoni pizza had sold out yesterday, which was a bummer: I think it’s one of the best in Portland. The thick crust of a Bella’s pie with plenty of pepperoni is memorable. The pepperoni even comes with a dusting of melted cheese on it. (If you don’t like my pick, maybe revisit the advice of a local pizza expert.)

I made do with two other of my favorite treats for lunch yesterday: a sweet roll from Bella’s (made with mascarpone) as consolation — and a vegetable sandwich from Cafe Olli.

Portland's best breakfast sweet roll: Bella’s

My nomination for Portland's best breakfast sweet roll: Bella’s. (Rachel Monahan/City Cast Portland)

We solicited your recommendations for coffee spots over the last week. Here are some recs from your fellow readers:

☕️ “The Living Room Coffeehouse in Sellwood area is a gem I found recently. Great pastries, coffee, and staff. Slow service but worth the wait of the care they take to make my coffee! The space is massive and so cozy. Really is a book reader’s or group meeting dream.” — Miranda Jean

☕️ “Keeper Coffee is very good and a favorite spot but, in all fairness [best coffee] would have to go to Push x Pull and Guilder. Proud Mary coffee is good too!” — Jeff Guenther

☕️ “I just moved to the area and am a coffee lover — single origin only please! I stopped by Coava and really liked their beans too. Great coffee!”

☕️ “My prejudice personal fave is the one in Powell's City Of Books. Clean, stocked w/ reasonable coffee and munchies, comfy chairs...and BOOKS. Covers all my essential needs.” — Theodore Williams

☕️ “I haven't been to all of the coffee shops in Portland, but the best one to me is Jet Black Coffee. I am not a black coffee drinker typically, but their Water Avenue signature roast is so good it doesn't need anything added. The major plus is that they're all-vegan so they're loaded with Shoofly pastries. Jet Black rules!” — Thomas Vanderpol

In other Portland food news, Dave’s Hot Chicken is testing out a cauliflower burger at all its Oregon locations 🍔

Favorite Portland Meals? Email Me.

Share article

Hey Portland

Stay connected to City Cast Portland and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.
Advertisement image

Food & Drink

See All
Food & DrinkApril 7

Where To Find the Best Deals for Portland Groceries

For the last year, Stumptown Savings’ Bryan M. Vance has been tracking where to find the cheap groceries in Portland. His one-person medi...

A grocery store aisle.
Food & DrinkFebruary 17

Where To Find Portland's Best Dumplings

Dumplings are a comfort food, a Portland favorite, and perfect for the rain. Eater Portland editor Brooke Jackson-Glidden recently shared...

Bamboo basket of xlb dumplings, Portland, Oregon
Food & DrinkJanuary 26

Portland Kids Eat Well and More Restaurant Updates

Portland restaurants offer a foodie take on the kids menu. Kann hosts a Georgia king of barbecue. Rangoon Bistro is moving its original l...

hush puppies and a dip next to a golden colored basket, Parallel Wine Bar, Portland, Oregpn
Food & DrinkJanuary 6

The 5 Portland Restaurants To Try Right Now

January is a quiet month for restaurants and bars, while everyone minds their budgets and their waistlines after the holidays and New Yea...

bar scene at LaVerne's in Portland, Oregon
Food & DrinkDecember 22, 2025

Portland Restaurant and Bar Closings As 2025 Comes to an End

The end of year is filled with celebrations of the best restaurants in town.

a hush puppy from Parallel Wine Bar, Portland, Oregon
Food & DrinkDecember 17, 2025

The Best Things We Ate in Portland in 2026

Portland had an abundance of good restaurants to choose from. As we head into a new year, the City Cast Portland team is sharing a person...

a white table clothed setting with raw shrimp and sauce in one dish and a curry in another, and empty plate
Food & DrinkDecember 15, 2025

December 2025 Updates on Portland Restaurants and Brewers

The Oregonian names the restaurant of the year, as well as the top 10 new restaurants — places like Paper Bridge, Baum's on Oak. And more...

lanterns along the ceiling
Food & DrinkNovember 25, 2025

The Latest Portland Restaurant and Bar Openings

This month, we have a couple of standout additions to the Portland bar scene: Bone Sine and Madame Bar Bar.

red bricked walls line this bar with half a dozen green bar chairs medium brown wood bar

The latest in Portland

Portland's BestApril 1

Your Guide to April 2026 in Portland

Out on the Oregon Coast, April means it’s time to celebrate the puffin’s seasonal return to Cannon Beach, which will host an annual Puffi...

A closeup of a tufted puffin.
Portland's BestMarch 16

Where to Find Downtown Portland's Best Hotel Bars

With the opening of Damian Lillard's shiny new bar at the Benson Hotel, I've been thinking a lot about our city's hotel bar scene. For me...

people sitting curved banquettes and tables, at Abigail Hall, Portland, Oregon
Portland, ExplainedMarch 12

How Well Do You Know Portland?

You can tell whether you’re a real Portland resident by how you pronounce local names. Or can you? Today’s quiz tests your Portland stree...

couch street sign
Portland, ExplainedMarch 10

The Portland Area’s Local Income Taxes, Explained

Here’s a reminder on all our local taxes due today: The Portland Arts Tax, Metro Supportive Housing Services, and Multnomah County Presch...

Cropped shot of Asian woman sitting at dining table, handling personal finance with laptop.
Portland's BestMarch 9

Where To Indulge in the Cherry Blossom Bloom This Year in Portland

The yearly cherry blossom bloom along the waterfront is one of the rare times you'll see a crowd in our city outside of a scheduled event...

cherry blossoms at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon, park bench foreground
Urban AlmanacMarch 3

3 Oregon Wildflowers To Check Out This Spring

There are blooms all around us in spring. But here are three local wildflowers to seek out on your next adventure in nature.

white bloom with three petals
Portland's BestMarch 2

What To Do in Portland in March 2026

There’s plenty to look forward to in March in Portland. But to start, here’s something you may not be looking forward to. This Sunday, at...

view from Mt. Tabor onto an empty reservoir, Portland, Oregon
Portland's BestFebruary 23

Portland Neighborhood Bars That Are Worthy of the Love

What makes a bar a true neighborhood bar?! The City Cast Portland team recently got together to explore why we love our local digs and wh...

cocktail on a table in the foreground, counches, bar in background, Dear Sandy, Portland, Oregon