Denizens Cafe — Restaurant in Portland

Denizens inhabits a space once occupied by a previous business whose owner was petty, snobbish and dismissive, and I was glad to see its demise. I'm even happier to say that its replacement has washed all traces of those bad tastes and memories from my mind, because...damn, this place is awesome!

My wife wanted to visit a coffee shop, and a quick Yelp search brought Denizens to our attention. Only upon driving up did I realize it was in the same location as the aforementioned previous restaurant, which made me hesitate for just a moment, until I realized that it was not a rebranding, but an entirely different establishment. We seated ourselves, and selected a couple of sandwiches to accompany our coffees: a Bright Days breakfast sandwich for my wife, and a Cubano for myself. She also ordered a vanilla latte, while I went with a London Fog (basically an Earl Grey milk tea).

Wow. The Cubano was incredible! I'm generally not partial to ham (or focaccia, for that matter), but a Cubano is a weakness of mine, and this was one of the best I've had, anywhere! Thick stacks of deli meat, mayo and dijon, on a pressed focaccia? Sign. Me. Up! I doubt I would ever be able to order anything else off the menu here; it has forever ruined me for other sandwiches! Similarly, my wife loved her Bright Days, which was correctly made with the minor modifications based on her preferences (egg over hard, add sundried tomatoes).

The accompanying side salad (with balsamic vinaigrette) and house chips that came with my Cubano were also liberally shared, and enjoyed, by my wife and toddler son as well, making everything about our brunch experience here enjoyable for all. And even though my wife loved her vanilla latte, after one sip of my London Fog, she had to order another one for herself, to go, because it was so darn good (and I concur, of course)!

Denizens is a welcome new neighbor in Roseway; they are competent, efficient, friendly, excellent, and doggone delicious...the exact opposite of the space's previous tenant! And now that the stigma has been washed away, not only is this reviewer not just a customer, I'll probably be here frequently enough to be considered a denizen of the restaurant itself, bordering on becoming a squatter! Don't let this one slip...

The Perfect Place Around the Corner!

What a great find! It seems most Eastside neighborhoods in Portland are missing that cozy cafe where they know your name and how you like your food made.

My buddy and I stopped in to this new spot off NE Sandy for breakfast and coffee. The owner, James, greeted us with a warm smile and explained his menu and vision for the cafe. I opted for a veggie breakfast sandwich. It came packed full of eggs, veggies, melted cheese, and avocado on a toasted English muffin. They offer add-ons as well and I went for the roasted/smashed potatoes perfectly seasoned with a little spicy kick! Let's just say it was a breakfast to remember and will be a go-to for future visits. My buddy ordered a Denizen's Bowl, one of the house specialties. It was a rice bowl full of veggies and smothered in sublime house sauce! He loved it! We both had several refills of their great coffee, a local one called Rocky Butte Coffee Roasters. It's an excellent warm up for sure!

The owner let us know they make their baked goods in house too. That fresh focaccia was all too tempting, and the sample he gave us will bring me back soon for a full sandwich! We opted to split a few extras like their dill- heavy potato salad which was great, and a fresh oatmeal cake that was next level yummy! It tasted just like those Little Debbie's I had as a kid only made with real ingredients!

I'm a sucker for these "old-timey" nostalgic feeling cafe's. They even have an old fashioned lunch counter looking out the window! You can't beat excellent food, warm and friendly service, and a squeaky clean cafe I would bring everyone that comes to town for a visit. Great experience overall, we can't...

The Ham and Gouda Hash was a baffling masterpiece of sheer deliciousness!! And the stoneground mustard was to die for!! The shining elements of this cast of flavors were the salt, sweet, sour and savory along with the contrasting & collectively delightful textures of the crisp textures of the roasted potatoes, the softness of greens, and subtle crunch of the pickled onions which all flowed in this synergistic effort and created a purely satisfying experience to just tantalize your brain and make that moment in your life brighter and vastly exuberant. I mean it was so good, it lasted all of 60 seconds and I am unsure if I even took a breath during the engagement I was so locked in.

The Latte (brevia) was a absolutely and perfectly "balanced" ratio of that espresso bite and the creaminess of the Half & Half. Now I generally reserve that "balanced" word for cocktails as I've been a bartender for way too long but this is the FIRST and ONLY time I've had an espresso drink taste...balanced. Bravo Brevia Well done!

Finally, it was truly a treasure meeting James, the owner and fine gentleman who not only provided this experience for me but also shared the journey of the restaurant, some neighborhood history (the mural inside says it all) and his expertise that truly sets him apart from the restaurateurs that do it solely to make a buck. Without this turning into a separate article, James has a background in roasting coffee that he has passed down a generation to his daughter, he has a culinary mastery of his own and in short, really cares about the quality he provides to his costomers.

This is a place where I'd come back over and over until I've tried...