On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Mt. Tabor, Southeast Portland, Hawthorne
Loading...
First of all, if you don't arrive at Albina Press by 9:00am sharp, you won't get a good seat. It took me a few attempts of trial and error, to figure this out, but once I did - I always score a seat. And I'm not the only one. Every time that I'm at A P, there's a silver-haired man, who's sitting in the same seat. I figure he's either the owner, has stock in the store, or lives there.
Once you're safely seated, and your Mac (the cool computer in SE Portland) is plugged in, feel free to order a great latte. Linger a bit over your "brew," before you begin perusing the free wi-fi service. A word of warning, however, is warranted: don't check out any porno sites in public. I casually glanced at someone's screen, and quickly looked away. I enjoy gazing at naked flesh, as much as the next girl - but save it for the privacy of your own abode. All morning, I kept comparing my middle-aged tusch, to a sultry redhead's bodacious booty.
Remember, boys and girls: "Big Brother" may not be watching you - but "little brother" (or "sister") is.
Albina press is a bright, modern space. It is not coffee shop cozy, but it is coffee shop chic. They serve Stumptown coffee, and the baristas are friendly. WiFi is free, which makes table turnover an issue when the entire Eastside is there (yelping, of course). They rotate local art that is actually affordable to working folks.
It's like they're a coffee shop, in Portland. What's not to love?
Tucked away just past where the Hawthorne current spills out onto SE 50th avenue, is this very spacious cafe. So I did not have the misfortune of trying to get a particular drink to go and getting denied or charged extra. I drink the cheaper drip coffee in a mug, and I'm usually there to stay in for a spell. Lucky me, the simpleton :)
I can understand, having read the reviews before me everyone's disappointment with how their interactions went, but as far as the purpose I need it to fill, it serves. And it sounds like they want to do business in a very specific way and be distinguished, but that understandably has come onto conflict with people who find out by surprise. Good coffee, just a few pastries but the lemon...lemon-something muffin i had was good enough though. If you like to sit in and are patient enough to wait for a seat, it hasn't ever taken me long.
If you're going to drink your coffee in-house, make sure you use their ceramic mug instead of your own personal cup. They charge $1 for an 8oz cup of coffee and $.50 for refills, but they'll ONLY do it on their ceramic mugs. I travel with my own mug and didn't think twice about using it when I was posted up there for about an hour the other day. Mine is a 14oz mug, and they charged me $2 to fill it and another $2 for a refill. There was no sympathy from the barista about the fact that I was drinking in-house and was basically paying $4 for what is otherwise $2.50 worth of coffee simply because I used my mug instead of theirs.
I'm not as motivated to go back now.
Also, the laptop brigade is in full effect here, so finding a seat, especially near an outlet, can be a real hassle.
Albina Press (the Hawthorne Incarnation) brings another awesome coffee shop to the mecca of awesome… Read more »
I've looked around, tried a few cafés here and there, and finally settled on Albina!
They have a very comfortable environment, lots of great seating, free wireless, and very friendly staff. I'm not much of a coffee drinker but their tea is delicious, and so are the pastries. They have very nice outdoor seating, and big comfy couches. I've buckled down for hours on end here to get through projects and been absolutely as comfortable as could be.
I highly recommend this café!
I am always on the lookout for bright, airy coffee shops that stand out from the usual cavernous hole-in-the-wall, so I can't believe I forgot about the Albina Press, which is even in my neighborhood. (It is possible I blocked it from memory after seeing an unfortunate apartment upstairs last year that we were spurned from for not being Portlanders.) This place feels really nice, and even when it's crowded there seems to be enough space to go around. The coffee is really good. It can be kind of hard to concentrate with all the bustle, so bring your headphones if you want to work.
While I do like the coffee and I live in the neighborhood, I'm irked by the difference in cost between drinking my coffee there and taking it with me. How come I can get a 8 oz mug with a refill for $1.50 if I stay, but to fill my 16 oz travel mug, it's $2.25.? No one could adequately answer this question for me. I hope the manager takes a look at yelp once in a while since this seems like a not infrequent concern.
Love this new local coffee shop--I'm a Mt. Tabor resident. Great place to hang our with my wife, a friend, or a small group of fellow-employees for a meeting. Excellent coffee--haven't tried much of the food yet.
My only downside occurred this morning (July 2, 2009) when I walked in for a cup of coffee and some good conversation with a friend. I was confronted by walls of nude art. I know--this IS Portland, and people do enjoy freedom of expression. In my case, I'm beyond the need or desire to see this kind of artistic expression in public--too distracting from our conversations and meetings, for one thing. Morally, less than appropriate in a public restaurtant, for another. I'm just glad that it will only last a month before a different set of art graces the walls. I'lll be back after that time, but not before.
As an educator and a small business owner in Portland, I think my perspective is sufficiently broad to accept a fairly wide range of artistic expression. But this display goes over the edge for me. Call me old and out of touch if you will, but that's my opinion.
See you next month, Albina, hopefully with different art! I'm still glad you're in the community.
kae
I am not a coffee drinker which makes it interesting that I was in a coffee place, and even more intruiging is; why would I Yelp a coffee place not being a coffee person?
Tea. Black tea. Black tea with sassafras root to be exact. Served as an iced tea by a friendly barista to top things off. It was like a perfectly refreshing root beer without the annoying sugary aftertaste and foam to deal with (sometimes foam is cool).
Just my two cents.
great spot; good coffee; really cool space
1) great coffee: 12oz latte was great. baristas know what they are doing. serving stumptown.
2) beautiful space: lots of light, nice wood bar with stools, interesting art, wide open space (you can see across the place; gives a sense of depth), couches tables, big windows. picnic tables outside. nice
3) eclectic crowd
4) chill atmosphere, music is good and not too loud
5) good study spot - free wifi, comfortable, not too noisy - other people are working there
overall: one of my favorite places to get coffee. (i also like crema on 28th)
Here's what you're getting yourself in for... one dollar cup of stumptown, with fifty cent refills. Great baristas who know what they're doing and make it look good too. Free wifi. Nice street to sit outside on.
The table setup is a little odd and sometimes finding a power outlet for you old powerbook that only has 10 minutes of battery is tough, but you're having a great one dollar cup of stumptown in a clean, nice place... who cares!?! Highly recommended.
I just found a new favorite hangout, and here's why it works for me:
The music isn't so loud that I'm unable to think.
They serve Stumptown coffee by competent baristas.
The lighting is very good.
The WiFi is quick, strong and dependable.
There are plenty of electrical outlets for all.
There is no funky, smelly, highly suspect furniture.
The tables don't wobble.
No small children running around.
I can sit here and write until 4 o'clock when the Sapphire opens and I can make the subtle transition from caffeine to alcohol in the blink of an eye and still have great wi-fi.
The only complaint for me was the quality of bake goods. The croissant I had was completely inedible. Had that day old Costco taste to it. I don't know about anyone else but I'd be more than willing to shell out the extra for one from the Pearl Bakery or Petite Provence.
I love this place. The coffee is great (except for the iced coffee, which is really sour), the staff is always nice, there are always many clean tables available, they have two wireless internet connections (to keep everyone surfing along at a good speed), and they have the best window seats. The bars up against the windows along with the bar that runs along the barista island even have little hooks to hang your bag on. I love Albina Press.
Nice space. Socially adequate staff. Good coffee. Not great coffee as The Press is so frequently touted as. It's actually not difficult to get a pretty good shot of Hairbender in Portland. There's a plethora of shops serving Stumptown on Good machines with PID's. So really for me, the quality of the milk makes or breaks a shop. I had (in succession) a pretty damned good espresso, and a not very good at all cappuccino. And this has happened a few times. At both Presses.
This is a pit stop worth making, but don't expect a holy experience.
We are spoiled rotten here in Portland, as proven by a mere 4-star review of Albina Press. With so many incredible options and the fear of "bad" coffee out of the question, we are truly able to pick and choose. We can hunt down the coffee shop that fits our precise need, whether it be lightning fast internet, a certain type of soy milk, or selection of vegan baked goods.
Albina is a fantastic meeting place, the open space and wide array of seating options fill the void left by some of the more quaint shops around town. This is obviously known by the staff who keep the music low and the "for here" glasses readily accessible. I was comfortable sitting and working for three hours, knowing that I was not taking up one of the precious tables, or God forbid, hogging the only plug.
So why 4 stars? Because today the specific need was a savory snack to hold me over. My stomach lining had to suffice.
Went back on an early Sunday morning and snagged a better seat and stayed a few hours, so my experience was slightly better.
But I still don't much like this place due to similar but slightly different reasons as below, don't care enough to write em out.
I'll be hopping back to the Rocking Frog, thanks much.
okie-doke. had high hopes for this place. by the reviews the coffee is awesome, i might not ever… Read more »
There's nothing that you need more in 90 something degree weather besides a cold iced tea.
Albina Press has that and the Mint flavor one is pretty Minty. This place is spacious and they have wi-fi which equal people with laptops rejoice to be here.
Next time I'll bring my laptop so I can fit in :) and test their Wi-Fi so they can gain another star.
Open space.
Big windows.
Couches.
Outdoor tables.
Iced Toddys.
Decent music.
4 stars.
Fans of cold processed coffee stand up and be counted!!
Me! Me! Me!
Less oils, less acids. Better on the tummy.
yes, they make it here for their iced coffee. Also known as "Toddy" coffee - for the easy container for soaking the grounds and carafe that it drains into.....
they made my delish iced coffee a little stronger than I make it at home - so I got quite the buzz... should have tried one of those yummy looking cookies to go with it- oh well, there is always next time, 'cause I'll be back, the place has a very lovely open feel.
Dude behind counter: Is that coat from Forever 21?
Girl who wants coffee: Um, it's actually from Target. Man I love Target.
Dude: Looks good.
Girl: Thanks, I like it.
And with that, WHAMO KABBLAMO, presto pasta, blip blip, I love this coffee shop. I am not a hard person to please. Give me my coffee without an attitude, I will most likely like you just fine. If you give me coffee with a compliment, just a simple one to start an especially long Wednesday, I will love you and the area you work in. As in, send nauseatingly enthusiastic notes to friends, call my mother at 1 in the morning to tell her I've found the coffeehouse of my dreams, write KIM V + ALBINA PRESS 4-EVA in swirly letters on my desktop calendar, envision throwing parties in my beloved's warm and clean space, maybe having our neighbors The Sapphire Hotel over for Sunday-afternoon boardgames. That kind of love.
And even when the introductory pangs of new love have worn away and I've downgraded to calling Albina Press just a great friend, full of good coffee at reasonable prices in my part of town, I'll still pull on my coat on a random blustery morning and feel that shiver of rememberance to make Proust nod his head in recognition.
This location is fairly new, but every time I've been in it's packed. It's a large, open space with lots of light and none of that claustrophic, too hot feel that lots of coffee shops tend to have. Friendly baristas and good music (if a tad loud) not to mention tasty pastries and prompt service.
They also provide a space for local artists to promote their wares. Good times.
Insanely good lattes.
The quality of the food in general is lacking, however, try the ginger molasses cookie... best damn cookie I ever ate.
Same great French press coffee and espresso
talented baristas who care about what they're doing & have mad skills
awesome new space and location
Tables, couches, good flattering light fixtures, a wooden bar with extra-high stools that overlooks the sexy baristas who work there
The coffee bar is in the middle of the space. You can walk completely around 360 degrees (where else can you do that? huh? huh?). You can see everything they're doing from any angle, and watch as the reddish brown espresso flows from the 4 group Linea with LED lights.
Great windows that bathe the space in natural light.
The original Albina Press (N) is only blocks from my house, but I'm tempted to spend a few days a week at the Hawthorne location because the space is just so damn comfortable. I know this place is gonna be popular in a few months, or maybe weeks. Get here while its not too busy and they still have lots of time to chat with ya. Next door to the Sapphire Hotel (great drinking/date spot) and a few blocks from Mt. Tabor park. Great hood, great location. Best coffee in this area for sho.
When I woke up this morning, it was latte weather. I was deciding between a few usual coffee haunts, and I remembered that I had noticed a location of Albina Press on Hawthorne, closer to my new apartment than the location in north portland. Done and done.
I love the design. It is wide open, spacious, but feels comfortable and cozy. The chairs are comfortable, the layout is good, and the music isn't too loud and intrusive. There's no way to go wrong with Stumptown coffee and baked goods from Crema.
I sat arond for awhile eating my zucchini muffin and drinking my latte, reading magazines that have been piling up for a few weeks and enjoyed my brisk autumn saturday morning. Thank you, Albina Press for being an integral part of it.
Mmm hmmm, they went and did it again. The *new* (sparkly) Albina Press kicks some major coffee booty in Portland, once again. A fine new Stumptown coffee-scented shop - the new one pays homage to the old one--with expansive white walls (functioning as art gallery, of course), old wood floors - and a TON more space. Oh, I love it. Really nice environment, next door to Sapphire. And it goes without saying that my special treat of a mocha was creamy, smooth, rich, and complex.
A minor disclaimer in that I should mention a friend of mine happens to date one of the baristas there, but I would have loved it anyway even without that 6-degrees connection. Go in and have Matt or Billy brew you a cup that puts all other coffees to shame. Mmmm. Yummy.
p.s. I know the Albina Press can be known for being a tad on the coffee shop snobbery side (ok, more than a tad) but I am willing to overlook any signs of pretension to savor that perfect cup. I saw no pretension, just a beautiful new coffee shop, on a great Portland Street, with people who love good coffee.
This spot on upper Hawthorne (upper being up hill not northern) is a great spot for coffee, friends, chilin', studyin' and soakin' in the best of the eclectic neighborhood.
The coffee is Stumptown (the shop is not), and the baristas here make Stumptown beans what they are supposed to be. Strong, flavorful and worthy of the name. My girlfriend is a latte snob, no one makes them like a Albina press barista.
The decor is mostly rotating shows of hit or miss art, but the rotation keeps it fresh and more often than not good. The architecture and style of the building is open and inviting, with a lot of areas to sit. Want a cozy living room? couches in the front or back fit the bill. A row of tables make good for spreading out in a study session or the bar seats along the windows make for good people watching. The garage door in the back during the spring and summer provide fresh air, light and a breeze. Wonderful.
in the food court, bagels and a few pastries are about it...but you didnt come for the food did you? Always friendly and knowledgeable about coffee the staff is great.
And sitting up on the higher end of Hawthorne, the Albina Press holds court and sets the precedent for good coffee in the area. it is a bit off the path of usual Hawthorne walking/window-shopping outings but make the hike up, its not steep and its worth it.
Good cappuccinos, I guess. But when I asked them to put my coffee on ice, the barista yelled at me: "No! We don't do that! It f****s up the coffee." Two other attempts to get decent service met similar obnoxiousness. I don't care how good the coffee is: the service here leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
My money -- and the Stumptown espresso -- is just as good elsewhere.
Couches, bar, tables, windows! Great place, love the atmosphere. It is a classy atmosphere, rather than "with character", but still great. Let's just say that having this kind of place around makes it seem like an ok reason to live in SE.
I am the artist of all the "nudes" The reaction is a great example of the theme/point/feel of the show. The power of the stereotype image to provoke a response in the viewer, There is two true "Nude" images , actually 2 works with the same 1963 calendar naked girl ( an image that is more a naked pose of your mom in her youth than any salacious imodern image from penthouse or some other similar source. My other point is that dude most of the images are mannequins... plastic..... see the seams in the torso? not stretch marks. The fact that image is so strong that it stirs hidden sexual stirrings and/or "too distracting" and "not appropriate". I can confirm as an artist this response is just as much fun as making a sale. Thanks, Ken PS great coffee, very nice staff and atmosphere. The commitment to art is to be commended. THx, Greta
If I was going design the perfect coffee shop, I'd start with a great wide open space with big windows and comfy seating. The baristas would be friendly and chatty as they me my latte, able to foam even nonfat milk to the point of perfection. They wouldn't smirk when I asked them to throw in a couple of Splenda (don't be a hater) and the art on top would be rivaled only by the local art hanging on the walls. If I was feeling really over the top I'd put the baristas right in the middle of the space so you could watch the coffee porn from any angle. And finally, I'd put this coffee house of my dreams within walking distance of my house and they would invite the neighbors in for free drinks before they open (that was last week!).
The weekly Sunday coffee stop landed at Albina Press on Hawthorne this morning, and was a perfectly enjoyable time. My latte was topped with thick, creamy foam, and the BF's coffee was only $1, including a refill, and brewed in a French press. Delicious all around. The atmosphere at this Albina location is open, airy, with a really cool setup of the espresso bar- a huge area that is in the middle of the store, so you can watch all the coffee magic and mystery taking place. These guys definitely know their coffee and espresso, and the place practically oozes coffee snobbery, not necessarily in a bad way. The people are friendly enough and not afraid to smile like other some baristas. Cough, Stumptown, cough. The art hanging on the wall is really cool as well. We sat here for a few hours and enjoyed some great peoplewatching- mostly seemed to be neighborhood regulars with some Hawthorne tourists mixed in. Although, this place is far enough east on Hawthorne that it doesn't have the dirty hippy tourist vibe we all LOVE so much. We should be able to color-code words for sarcastic emphasis.
I didn't sample any food items here, but they looked tasty, and the place is clean. This review should really be a 3.5 star review, because it really lacks a defining vibe or feel that a truly great coffeehouse comes to possess. Maybe in time- this seems like a newer location- Albina will season itself into a great coffeehouse. For now, though, it is a solid choice for settling down with your laptop, book, or friend for an enjoyable time.
Fabulous coffee/espresso drinks and tea selection, and nice wide open space with lots of windows and a decent amount of outdoor seating. The place is kind of segmented so that there can be a family with kids running around in one section and people studying quietly in another part of the cafe. Only drawbacks are the lack of non-sweet snacks (what they have are excellent pastries from Crema) and the occasional blasting of the music (beware of sitting underneath the speakers). But overall, I totally love this place!
Neighborhood: North Portland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
I'm obviously invested. Also, a Virgo. It's…
What's better for my first list than the places…
As summer winds down (as of this writing) I find…
Trying to find a regular place for me to diggity…
Exactly how much do I need to order to stay here…
