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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Desserts, Bagels [Edit]
Neighborhood: Southeast PortlandDelicious iced tea.
Pumpkin spice syrup!!
Comfy atmosphere.
Friendly baristas!!
Impressive assortment of pastries.
CHEAP!
This is my favorite coffee shop in Portland, hands down.
Thought I haven't spent much time here (two visits), I can say I'm a fan of 3 Friends Coffee House. The service is laid back, but very friendly, the coffee/espresso is great and I like their variety of deserts with the gluten-free options. Clean, spacious, stylish and that the same time not pretentious.
This place just has a good attitude. That's why I like it. It was my neighborhood coffee place when I first moved to Portland a year ago. I moved recently, but I still crave the cozy atmosphere of this place and I often come down to SE just to go to Three Friends. Here's why...
First off, the staff is just wonderful. Always friendly, hard-working, and laid-back, even during the busy times- and it can get pretty darn busy in there. And- in my opinion- they have great taste in music. Second, it's just so relaxed in there. It's kind of like a big living room dropped into a coffeshop. It's a big enough place that there is almost always a place to settle in. People are sittin' around at the tables, couches, and overstuffed chairs, just doin their thing. Third, they offer a wide variety of yummy things to eat and drink- a big loose-leaf tea selection as well. Not pretentious at all, they seem to agree with a philosophy I wish more places had- that it's cool to be nice!
I love when I have the opportunity to cross the river and visit with friends at Three Friends. I don't know how you'd replicate the feel of the cafe on the West side of the river -- it's really a product of the East side culture.
Everyone is really nice, the atmosphere is cozy and most of the relationships you observe are very familial, maybe because the couches, padded chairs and old building make it feel like you're at somebody's house (sort of). The artwork they display is often very interesting and the music usually is some sort of indie/local/alternative pick by one of the servers.
They serve Stumptown Coffee and DragonFly Chai, really the best local sources of coffee and chai in town. The cafe is a well-known gay hangout (it's partially gay-owned), but I'm guessing a lot of people from the neighborhood are frequent customers. It's a very diverse crowd, for sure.
They also serve sandwiches, loose-leaf teas, pastries and a variety of bagels. Take advantage of the outdoor seating on a nice day -- it gets excellent light.
I started trying new coffee shops when I came here, and this was the first coffee shop I came back to during my time here in Portland. There iced mocha (the standard drink I've been using to compare different shops) was done well.
The atmosphere reminds me of someones basement, but not in a bad forgotten storage and leaky pipe way, more like a neighborhood hangout type basement. Although I can't say I cared much for some of the artwork.
What boosts this to five stars was that the first time I went in I didn't have cash, and they didn't take credit cards (although they have a little ATM type machine it was no help to me) but they were willing to write up an IOU. It turned out that I did have a secret 5 bucks in my laptop bag so I could pay, but it was cool that they were willing to do that anyways. Very friendly staff, and a good place for people watching, a wide variety of Portlanders come through those doors.
I LOVE YOU
and I'm so glad we found each other...
How can I resist your invitation to stop by
and have a 12 oz Cafe Mocha....
I was surprised when I realized 12 oz = GIANT...
and you aren't kidding when you asked ,
"Do you want whip cream with that?"
You really meant it...
and that's what I got....
a total giant deliciousness of strong espresso
and sweetness of creamy whip cream....
Seemed like you can read my mind too...
and presented me with the bagel menu on the chalk board...
How could I say no for a jalapeno cheese bagel ...
with cream cheese...
It's toasty and just right for my belly....
You made my Saturday morning ten times much better...
and I didn't even complain...
When you told me that you accept cash only...
and of course my love and devotion...
Seems like we will have a date...
Every Saturday morning....
We will share this cherish moment....
Till then....
This place is nice because it lacks the pretension that lots of coffeehouses around these parts tend to have. The building feels lived-in and homey, and the staff and owner are SUPER nice. And there are picnic tables out front, which I have a little soft spot for.
Sure, the internet could be a bit more consistent...but whatever.
Food & coffee - good. And everything tastes better when you feel well-charmed.
Gotta love this place, The most friendly servers and Niclos is the perfect host/owner too. This is a place I love to hang my hat at. The stay factor is awesome It's kinda like a being in your house and the library combined.
I had the tuna sandwich,honestly... one of the best I've ever had. I can't wait for the next time I'm there for my next sandwich.
Of all the coffee shops I frequent in Portland, Three Friends has the most diverse clientele. That diversity, in combination with it's coziness and good hours (open til 10 in a city that shuts down early!) will make you want to be a local here.
In contrast to the swarms of hip 20-somethings that dominate most other places in southeast, Three Friends tends to host a healthy blend of locals. It's fair share of young Portlanders coincide with families, local characters, and the Radical Faeries that meet here every Saturday morning.
Three Friends serves Stumptown coffee, a vast selection of tea, bagel sandwiches and vegan treats over their long low wooden counter that is a relic from its days as an old hardware store. There are plenty of comfortable couches, board games, and one computer at your disposal.
If you're really lucky, their barista oldies cover band Good Times Great Oldies will be playing a show on the evening you visit.
Beware of being in the bathrooms, though; Three Friends is supposedly haunted and I think the dark hallway by the bathrooms must be the most haunted spot.
This was our second stop on our hunt for a new coffee shop for the evening and it satisfied a number of desires.
1) A comfy couch to sit and edit photos and blog
2) Nice baristas
3) Interesting sugar free syrups
4) Free wifi - you know Starbucks charges right?!? As if !!!!
5) A hot latte brewed to perfection
We walk in and a 20 something guy comes running in and plants his left hand on the counter to propel himself gracefully over the ledge to land effortlessly other side. He asks what he can do for us in a very pleasant and not out of breath at all voice. I don't know whether or not to cheer and congratulate him on his landing or act like I didn't see it. I glanced around and everyone was normal so I said in a low voice "so that was cool.." . What kinds of sugar free flavors do you have? He turns around to this decorative wooden bar back of sorts and pulls out these hidden cubbies. Like six of them full of syrups. He starts naming them off and after the fifth one I was so excited I could hardly help myself. Normally their are only a couple to rattle off and I get uber disappointed (Starbucks again).
Anyway, I had a white chocolate and macadamia nut latte on a comfy black couch and happily edited photos.
Three Friends? It's more like a family. When I walk in to this place I might be alone, but when I leave I feel like Norm from Cheers, and I barely know anyone's name. Friendly, great service and the coffee is divine as well. The only downside is the food could be better, but it is a coffee shop afterall.
Three Friends is a cozy little coffee shop on the somewhat busy 12th ave. The rough wood floors, couches, and bar against the window all make for a nice environment. Occasionally jazz bands will set up on the tiny stage and provide pleasant background music. The coffee is served in large glass mugs, and the sandwiches are really yummy.
Somehow, the wi-fi here is some of the fastest I've come across, maybe because there isn't anyone on it. There is always a space to sit at Three Friends, and it's a great spot to put in a few hours of work away from the hustle of most coffee shops. When the sun is out, the outdoor tables are perfect in mid morning.
I am a sucker for friendly service, and every time I go to Three Friends I end up wanting to hug the person behind the counter. Come to think of it, I tend to want to hug the people waiting in line, too.
I used to go here every week when I was working with an organization around the corner. Laid back and friendly (and very queer-friendly) with free wifi and good coffee and menu.
Love this place really laid-back gay-friendly (and partly gay-owned) great place to go to on saturdays for radical faerie's Saytrday coffee, or just pick something up to sit down and read or use the wifi, which i agree is super fast on a slow afternoon
Fantastic nice homey feel...most days it is pretty quite and laid-back let's you sit back and enjoy… Read more »
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