Marino Cafe — Restaurant in Portland

First off, their drinks are great. My coconut hot chocolate was amazing. Marino's is one of the few places around where you can perform as a musician. I would say that they tend to have more acoustic guitar singer/songwriter type of performances, but honestly I haven't been to very many shows there. I just like that Marino's opens itself up as a place for performers (musicians/guitar players) to play at. There are guitars hanging on the wall, they have a simple P.A. (microphone and speakers) which kind of looks like a home stereo that has been modified to allow for a mic to go through, but it totally works and the sound is great. The place isn't huge, but if you are just starting off as a singer/songwriter, this would be a great place to consider performing at. Will the coffee shop pay you for performing? Probably not, but you could always sell your CDs and stickers on a side table. The booking process for me was very easy, and the performance was casual and included not only my friends and the other musicians, but some other people who just happened to be there too. I haven't been playing out very much lately, but I would most definitely consider returning to Marino's for not only a good cup of hot chocolate but also...

I've been going to Marino's for years and it still continues to grow on me, each visit to the coffee shop is better than the one before. The atmosphere, the customer service and of course, the coffee and food, is just all so great. The place has a lot of personality and will not be like any other place you've been to before. There's a stage inside for music/belly dancing events (there are albums inside too, if you want to look at past events). Many of the pastries/cakes are made by the gals that work there. The panini's are delicious, too. The whole interior of the shop is cozy and relaxing. The owner, Dario, greets every single individual that comes in and treats them like family. As a result, this is how all the workers treat customers as well. It's a beautiful thing to see. As a longtime fan of Marino's, this place has done a great job of serving up some great coffee and food and creating a comfortable and fun place for people to come together. You will always see people sitting outside, especially in the evening time (the late hours are another bonus) sipping on coffee and having a great time. I would...

Had to finally give up on this place.

Came here in Summer of 2023. Had an amazing iced Americano. Raved to friends about this place.

In the last 7 visits I’ve successfully obtained a coffee once.

First 3 failed attempts I stood on the sidewalk looking at the hours in the window which said they should be open.

The 4th attempt the hours had been removed.

5th attempt they were actually open but could not make coffee because the espresso machine was down. Asked for cold brew instead and was offered cold drip coffee “because it’s basically the same”. (It’s not)

6th time. Actually got a coffee! So happy. They were open. Machine working. Thought we were turning a corner.

Nope. 7th time, no ice. No iced coffees or Cold brew. Hot only. Wasn’t in the mood for hot. So I left.

Side note: My friend sent me an excited message when he saw they were actually open. They had no lids so he had to drink most of his coffee in a hurry before getting in his car. (I tried going a day or two after this and they were closed).

I love your coffee, but I just can’t waste anymore time / gas trying to...