Four Great Coffee Shops in Portland, OR

The Pacific Northwest abounds with great coffee shops. Here are some unique favorites.

Costello's Travel Caffe, 2222 NE Broadway, Portland, OR.

A travel-themed coffee shop? The idea seemed kind of hokey to me when I first heard about it. But there's genuine community at Costello's, and it's genuinely focused around world travel. The cafe hosts foreign language nights where native speakers and new learners can congregate to practice non-English tongues, and on the wall, a couple of television screens show street footage of cities and towns in other countries -- footage taken by the owners on their journeys. Pastries and lunch fare are well-crafted, and the foam swirl drizzled into my cappucino lasted for over an hour of slow sipping. Under $10 for coffee and lunch. 7AM to 9PM Monday through Wednesday, 7-10 Thursday and Friday, and 8-5 Saturday and Sunday.

Marina's Kafe, 814 NE 28th Ave, Portland, OR.

A tucked-away, homey coffee shop on 28th and Sandy, Marina's boasts some of the best panini sandwiches I've ever had. (Try the grilled vegetables and cheese. They're amazing.) A full menu of coffee drinks are available here, plus deli food with a Greek bent and homemade cookies and baklava. The price is a bargain, too -- I can get out of here with a square meal for less than $7, and browse the charity-sale used book shelves on my way out. Open from early morning to late afternoon, Monday through Saturday.

Sweetpea Baking Company, 1205 SE Stark St, Portland, OR.

This bakery and coffee shop specializes in vegan baked goods - and indeed, all of those sugary confections are made without eggs or dairy products - but they also usually have something to satisfy people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities, and anyone with a sweet tooth. Furthermore, they're offering soups and salads now, so even if "sweet tooth" doesn't describe you, you can still partake. Sweetpea sells gourmet cakes, cookies, muffins and breads, all dairy-free and several wheat-free, and maybe it's the cheerful atmosphere or the sugar rush, but snacking in here, I didn't miss a thing. Expect to spend $5 for coffee and a treat. Open 7am to 8pm Monday through Friday, 9am to 8pm Saturday and Sunday.

Rocking Frog Cafe, 2511 SE Belmont, Portland, OR

Located in a truly venerable house on Belmont, this coffee shop has gone through many owners and purposes - it was once an esoteric bookstore, then it moonlighted as a coffee shop under several different names, and now it's the Rocking Frog. It retains loads of atmosphere, artsy tables, some extraordinary books for reading in place, a fireplace, and a nice selection of inexpensive coffee drinks and pastries. Open 7 AM to midnight - you can make yourself at home, sit back with a book, melt into an easy chair, and just stay for a while.