Courier Coffee — Restaurant in Portland

I'm a barista in Los Angeles and wanted to hit as many coffee shops as I could while I was here. I planned to hit up Powell's and needed some coffee before, so me and my girlfriend saw Courier and decided to stop in. Everyone serving was super friendly, and I got a pretty standard hot almond milk mocha. The barista took her time making it (in a professional way, not in a slow uncaring way) and WOW. What a deep rich flavor. I saw them using actual (I assume dark) chocolate chips and what a difference it makes! Absolutely one of the best tasting espresso drinks I've ever had. Smooth as silk and yet had a very wonderful bitter dark chocolate flavor.

The decor is minimal I literally only saw coffee equipment and a dope record collection. It's clear that this place puts coffee before everything else and I respect and appreciate that. Wish I lived here so I could...

I rate exclusively on the drinks. This place has strict Covid protocol (you must wear a mask even though you are outdoors and there's a plexi barrier.) Kinda stupid, but I don't mind erring on the side of caution.

The decaf was genuinely interesting. Very floral, tea-like quality (think jasmine) without dominant acidity. It's not what I would normally choose for a milk-based espresso drink, but it works well as an americano.

GF said "delicious, very very good" about her oatmilk latte. She thought it was very "full-flavored" but I thought the oatmilk was too noticeable (but I normally think that of oat).

Four stars from me is a very high rating. I would only give five stars to maybe five out of thousands of coffee...

Very small, super hipster place. It’s what I’d imagine a coffee shop in Portland to look like. The door was a bit finicky as there’s a latch you need to push up in order to get in. There is very limited seating so probably not a good place for you to lounge around doing work or catching up with a friend.

That being said, the cold brew coffee was great. Smooth and not acidic, it came with a single giant ice cube in a recyclable cup. I also got a pastry which I forget the name of, but it was good. Not overly sweet but a nice pick-me-up for the afternoon. There’s a park a few blocks away you can go to sit on a bench and get some fresh air while enjoying your coffee. Overall, great quality coffee in a cozy,...