Pied Cow Coffeehouse
Categories: Coffee & Tea, Greek and Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Southeast Portland, Belmont3244 SE Belmont St
Portland, OR 97214 (503) 230-4866
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 4:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Fri 4:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Sat 10:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Late Night
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
34 Reviews for Pied Cow Coffeehouse
I would have gone for 3 stars, but the memory of many a night in highschool that ended up here pushed it up a level. I mean - nowadays I really only like it on sunny afternoons and off-nights. Weekends fill the place up with youngsters. And I've never liked it for the food, obviously, but more for the way the place is put together. The back patio is shady and easy to chat in.
Really though, as much as I want to be annoyed...places like this DO have to exist for the younger version of me. So I'm glad that it does, and that they're very good at what they do. Nothing wrong with that.
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The staff here is a bit off, to say the least.
Our server was heavily sedated. And not, "Hey man, I'm stoned," sedated.
I'm pretty sure the Pied Cow provides occupational training to recently released mental patients. Serious.
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Ah, yes. High school chats over a chai milkshake and a pack of menthols. We've all been there. There's places like this in every city. I wanted to like this place because it's close and somewhat cozy, but it was too "Hey man, we're funky and chill and don't really believe in good service."
Also overpriced. Also the servers were extremely...drowsy. So I guess if you're seventeen and want to quote Nietzsche all night, you should be fine. The hookahs smelled nice though.
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Katrina W nailed this review - so much so that I'm finding it difficult to evoke emotions that she herself didn't already say so eloquently. Read it. In the meantime, I'll give it a go...
Have you stayed at the Flying Pig in Amsterdam? Many of us have...some of us remember...which is just incredible. We've sat in the pillow lounge area, entranced by a kaleidoscope of red curtains, foreign accents, stained glass, backpacks, and body odor. We were strangely comfortable and terrified at the same time, but embraced it openly knowing it was a temporary indulgence.
The Pied Cow holds this same mystique - a compelling window into La Vie Boheme, yet in a way that has become so commodified that it is now la vie-mainstream. A paradox indeed. Enchanting the first time...but after each return visit it becomes less and less attractive.
My most recent visit was certainly not my first, but it had been a few years. I found the menu ample, but uninspired...and I was disappointed to see that due to only serving beer and wine, all of the alcohol options (save the spiced wine) were cold. Given the space and vibe of the venue, a Spanish Coffee or a Hot Buttered Rum would have been divine.
Two students were doing homework at a table next to us, and we felt like we needed to keep our voices to a whisper. 4 people whispering over beer and cheesecake...Uncomfortable at best.
Clientele walking in would awkwardly drop their voices upon entering, realizing this was a "quite time" atmosphere. And brrrrrrrrrrr! It was Frrrrreezing inside!
What I did not encounter was the poor service I've read about. In fact, our service was probably the highlight of the evening - both people who helped us were exceptionally friendly, quick, and helpful. Definitely a 5-star service experience.
If you haven't been - GO. It's a must. Tasty treats and eclectic atmosphere abound.
However, Pied Cow will never be one of my timeless favorites, in the same way that the next time I visit Amsterdam, I will not be staying at the Flying Pig.
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Pied Cow is an eclectic place that serves wonderful, unique desserts as well good as good espresso drinks and hookah pipe experiences. The atmosphere is relaxed. You will find a mix of people (customers and staff). The restaurant is an old house and it has a very cool covered patio. If you haven't had the chance to go then definitely check it out! In the heart of Belmont it is well worth a visit. I have yet to try the hookahs but they look fun!
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If I were to review this place after my first experience there, I probably would have given it a 3.5. After heading there again yesterday, I would give this place a 2.5 - so I figure that I take the average and there you have it. We didn't do much here - just smoked a little hooka, and had a round of beers... but the service was terrible - we were ignored completely. We headed outside (one waitress knowing full-well that we were out there) and we waited, and waited, and waited... and then we actually decided that if she didn't come out there in 2 minutes that we were going to take off. She had 15 seconds left on that 2 minutes, but I was starting to feel like I didn't even want to be there anymore because I was so annoyed.
We had the blackberry hooka, and it was quite tasty and the heaters were keeping us warm enough, but I didn't get that cute-funky vibe during round 2 that I had the first time that I was there... and I'd say that I had about the same level of drunkeness both times. I'd say that this place has it's moments... but there are places that are much friendlier and cuter in Portland, so adios vaca... until I need my hooka again.
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Kind over overpriced for mediocre food.
The best features of this place are the distinctive decour and patrons. The experience was very enjoyable, however that was primarily due to the company I kept for this meal as well as enjoying the art and scenerey. The meal was nothing to write home about, and was pretty much completely unmemorable.
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I think of The Pied Cow as a gateway to Bohemia. Fun in pre-bar-age college, but even then, it reminded some friends too much of high school. Many years later, it can still be a nice place to take my parents and friends from less urban areas, to give them a little glimpse into the funky/cute/cozy world they imagine I inhabit.
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I've never really really gotten what all the fuss is about. Pied Cow is pretty mediocre, in my opinion. I'm not big on the food. Of course, my opinion may be skewed by the time I ordered hummus and pita and got tortilla chips instead of pita (no joke). Indoors has always felt kind of awkward for me. The wait for service is usually ridiculously long. Yeah, just not that big of a fan. I'm surprised by the votes saying there is no alcohol here, though. Given, it's been some time since I've been here, but I used to frequent this place and they had quite a good beer list with plenty of international flavors. It would be sad if this is no longer the case.
Redeeming factors: If the conditions are right this place can be awesome. Those conditions can be described as follows: Bring about 7 or 8 friends on a warm summer evening and get a table outside. Get a double apple hookah and desserts and sit and talk for hours. Oh, and recommend the chai tea. It's awesome. It's like drinking pumpkin pie.
I repeat, get the chai tea.
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So the menu is yum. The vibe is hip. The garden is fabulous, especially on a warm summer night. However, this is the first place I have visited in Portland where I seriously wondered if maybe I'm too old for the place. Call me crazy for wanting to be acknowledged by the waitstaff within the first 45 minutes of arrival.
I think if I were still in college I would have loved it. If I were even a young twenty-something it would have been great.
As it is, I'm over 30; I've got the beginnings of crows feet around the eyes, and I think that puts me over the acceptable age limit for this hipper-than-thou SE pdx locale. It certainly put me into the invisibility spectrum for the waitstaff.
As you can tell from my other reviews (what? you haven't read them yet?!.) I'm not a fan of the smoking. I can survive in the garden at the PC because it's mostly sweet-smelling hookah smoke. Their fruity hookah concoctions are the equivalent of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill wine. It gets the newbies primed for the harder stuff to come when they're ready to step it up a notch.
In all seriousness, if you go, I highly recommend their ice-cream and espresso concoction. If they can manage to bring it out to you before the ice cream has melted entirely, all the better.
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Inside an old Victorian house, Pied Cow is the penultimate of hip and awesomeness that embodies Portland. It quickly became one of my regular hangouts toward the end of high school when my friends discovered hookah, and the fact that Pied Cow definitely offered superior shisha and ambiance.
Speaking of the atmosphere, sit indoors and look at eclectic decorations of bright paintings and a Hindi-inspired shrine, or outside with a whimsical and romantic/bohemian lantern-laden courtyard with Persian rugs on the ground.
Recently, they've put in a covered porch with heat lamps, so you can sit outside without having to brave the weather.
This awesome place also boasts some pretty good nibbles: The hummus plate is good, and Bernadette's Brownie Boat gives Baskin & Robbin's a run for their money. Try the Mexican Mocha, with hand-ground Mexican chocolate for a rich treat, or the hot mulled wine for something a little more European.
One time my friends tried the Kava...not recommended...it tastes like dirt.
But in all honesty, I highly recommend this late-night awesome Belmont mainstay!
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Give me a Brownie Boat any time of the year, and it's smooth sailing for *this* palate.
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The coffee was good but it was damn near impossible to get enough milk and sugar to get me through the mass amounts of the stuff that I drank. The decoration was super cool. However... there was not one single thing on the food menu that I would willingly put into my mouth.
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The place is rustic, welcoming and has really good qi or chi.
This is one of my favorite places to relax on a nice sunny day.
The place just has the right energy. I've never been served by an inattentive person here. It is the type of service that million dollar investment restaurants would love to say they have.
The food and coffee are always wonderful. Espresso, yummy sweet flavorful with wonderful aroma that remains in your mouth. Not over-roasted bitter crap served at those places where they dream about how they will pile bucks to the stars. No my friend, this is good coffee here.
I highly recommend this place for a snack and a drink.
One warning: Most of their appetizers are large portions, this means that if you plan to eat a full meal soon, your only fooling yourself.
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1) Hooka
2) Sangria
3) Outdoor seating
Doesn't get much better. Has to be the best place Belmont has to offer (besides Wonderland).
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Fantastic place to take a deep breath and relax, om..
Yes, this rustic hideaway is the perfect place to get a fresh snack and rich cup of coffee or a flavorful tea.
It is one of Portland's most recommended and tresured places
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best place to get cake and pie late in the evening. hard to get a seat outside at the hookah bar on a weekend, but easy during the week. inside is warm and cozy
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I wanted to pack this place up in my suitcase and bring it back to the bay area with me. Although, I can't imagine it being anywhere else besides Portland.
Delicious brownie with ice cream, lavender honey steamer, and happy hookah time. The back garden was rather enchanting. The trees, carnival lights, and spires of nearby victorian houses made it feel like a set for a movie.
Great place to linger.
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This place is awesome! I had such a great time at this place on a vacation I took to Portland that I ended up walking two miles to get back to it for a second visit.
This inside of the old Victorian house was really cute. It has a very bohemian feel with its eclectic art, tables, chairs and hanging fabrics. There isn't a very private feel to it when you sit inside, but it seems to be one of those places that you don't mind the open feel even though it has dark lighting and appears that it should be a more secluded feel. I was really impressed with the bathroom. The best part is the pirate ship painting that lights up, classy!
Both times we went we sat outside. There's a large outside area and although there was a sign that said "Wait to be Seated" the server had us seat ourselves when he saw us (which I prefer). There were some tables under heat lamps and some spread through their yard. We chose a larger table since we planned on smoking a hookah.
We ordered our drinks and I was a bit apprehensive when my non-fat vanilla latte (they do not carry sugar-free syrups) was served to me in a pint glass. However, they made me one fine vanilla latte and although I would have preferred a mug, I did not mind the pint glass as much as I thought I would. We also ordered vanilla tobacco for a hookah and the baked brie with roasted hazel nuts to share. The brie was amazing! It was served with apple slices and bread. I have yet to taste as perfectly roasted hazelnuts as they served on that baked brie. We were not disappointed! Our other friend had a slice of pie hat he seemed to enjoy immensely.
The service was good. We first went on Saturday night, and it was slow, but it seems most of Portland is. It was also busy and although it took us a bit of time to place our order, our order came out to us in a relatively timely manner. The next day when we went back during the day it did sort of make me nervous that we had to go to the kitchen door to place our order, but the employees were really friendly and it wasn't as awkward as it seems like it should have been.
Overall, this place is mellow and great for hanging out, the dessert menu is impressive, the quality of the food was great, and the service was good. Five stars for not sucking in any areas!
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The Pied Cow is a long-standing southeast favorite. Occupying the downstairs of an old dimly-lit Victorian building, the Pied Cow offers dessert fare that includes pie a la mode and home made peanut butter cup truffle. You can also get a selection of savory nibbles, too.
The biggest draw is the sizable patio. Smoke your hookah here and eat a sweet treat with it. The Pied Cow also wins by staying open late.
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My favorite place to indulge in sweet confections.
I love coming here in the summer because you can sit outside with your friends and chat it up in the warm Portland summer evenings.
I'm going to miss it this summer.
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Sorbet would seem like a very mundane option with a dessert menu like this but do not be fooled! (try the mango!)
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Miss it...now that I don't live in P-town anymore. Loved it. Romantic, ate here when I had my heart broken by a chef who forgot my birthday. Or something like that.
Can't wait to take my husband here on our next visit. That ought to show that silly chef!
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Oh, peanut butter cup in a teacup, how I love you. Every time I go to this little converted Victorian house on Belmont I get the peanut butter cup with its tiny dessert spoon and o.d. on chocolate. The couches and shabby chic interior make this an awesome date spot. Two interior details of note: A portrait of a young woman in the sitting room that looks like she might lean out and tell you cute secrets, and a ship mural in the bathroom with embedded blinking lights. Quirky, definitely.
Outside the Pied Cow has a romantic yard with tables strewn about and white Christmas lights strung in the bushes. The whole place feels like a bohemian Alice in Wonderland tea party.
They used to serve hookas, but I'm not sure if they still do. Also, be prepared for really, really slow service outside.
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I love their lavender steamer. Divine.
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I positively love this place. It is wonderful to come here with friends or even on a date. The ambiance is fantastic, everything seems so cozy and laid back. The coffee is delicious plus you have an array of foods to try. I highly recommend any of the soups or desserts. Everything is reasonably priced as well! Hookah and kava are available here as well (I have not tried any hookah stuff but the kava is interesting. If you like the taste of dirt, give it a shot).
If you go during the warmer months it is worth the wait to get seated outside! There are tea lights and candles with mismatched tables and chairs to make you feel at home.
I have been here several times with different waiters each time so the service is really hit or miss.
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Years ago, many a nights were spent in the Pied Cow's garden, drinking coffee, eating dessert, and discussing VERY SERIOUS THINGS with my high school buds. Those days of thinking I know everything are long gone, but I still pine for the warm summer nights spent in the garden...
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This place is cool. So cool that the bathroom has a plug-in oil painting and the waiters (could you call them that? more like "the guys who hang out in the kitchen") come around only every ten minutes, or about when they feel like it. But it's in Portland, so of course it's not too cool that you won't be welcome.
The menu is laid-back and hilarious. The interior is cosy, funky, and middle-Eastern in theme (like the menu). Five of us lounged on cushion-covered benches in the corner, starting with warm tea, and then filling up on all sorts of really good hummus plates, salads, and sandwiches. The coffee is good, but one of the desserts we had (the "If You Dare" chocolate cake) was really dry and tasted like it came out of a box. Did that stop me from finishing it off for the group? Hell no. (This says more about me, coffee, and chocolate than anything else, but that's another story.)
Pied Cow is perfect for a tete-a-tete with a friend or a small group.
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Some friends took me here when I cam back for a visit and I really liked it. We sat in the garden and drank tea and smoked a hookah and caught up on old times when I used to reside in P-town. Miss it so much and had such a fab time that night!
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Warm summer night... A Midsummer Night's Dream-like outdoor seating... glass of red wine... chocolate cake... mint or vanilla hookah... so romantic.
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The back patio/enchanted forest is such a great escape from the real world, kind of like a Jurassic Park of coffeehouses. But don't pass up the chance to wander around inside the super funky house where all the yummy goodness gets put together -- no big meals, just great apps/small plates and desserts. It's a great excuse to slowly make a few orders and lounge around, kick back with your friends, and sip a beer or coffee, depending where you want the day to go.
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Holy crap, what are these people trying to do to me with their delicious chocolate concoctions? Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum.
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I want to see the ghost! The rumor is that there is a ghost that inhabits the upstairs, but so far I haven't seen it.
Instead I will settle for the delicious tea and treats. There is something for everyone here - even crazy people like me who don't LOVE chocolate.
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A true original, this isn't your typical java joint. Located in a rambling and beautifully-renovated Victorian home in the hippie-holdover Southeast neighborhood, it serves some of the best coffee in town, in an ambiance that makes you feel like you're visiting friends. The interior decor ranges from traditional seating arrangements in one room to bean bags and low tables in another. But this is a place you want to vist on a sunny day or mild evening, because all the fun is to be found outside, a Bohemian open-air living room with mismatched vintage tables and chairs sitting on Oriental rugs strewn about the lawn. After dark, lights strung among the trees and candles provide a romantic atmosphere. Delicious desserts include French silk pie, six-layer chocolate cake, and an array of pastries, and they also have wine and beer. Who needs Starbucks with imaginative charm like this?
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