Tandem Coffee and Bakery — Restaurant in Portland

Delicious baked goods - everything looked and smelled so good it was hard to decide what to get. We got a few things to go (more on those later) and had the malted iced coffee and chocolate horchata pie in the seating area outside. I didn't taste much malt in the coffee but the pie was pretty good, even though it was 10am and I was sated from having just had breakfast 30 minutes beforehand. The horchata topping was light but I'm not a big cinnamon fan so I was more interested and reveled in the chocolate cream filling, which was deliciously creamy and chocolatey. Perhaps the topping should be malt flavored instead of the cinnamon? Overall it was not too sweet and a treat for both the eyes and taste buds.

To go, we got the chocolate chip cookie and the chocolate fennel cookie. Both cookies are not too sweet and even a little bit salty. The chocolate chip cookie was especially salty, which I realized about halfway in because it's not that noticeable at first and then it is. The fennel cookie had a subtle anise-like flavor and not too overpowering like anise cookies can sometimes be. We also got the pistachio olive oil cake which was very moist and not too sweet.

The best thing we got, I think, was the loaded savory biscuit which we had for breakfast the following day. I didn't expect to like it because I've never really liked biscuits but it was the best biscuit I've ever had, ever! This epitomizes why I have to try everything at least once even if I've not liked it before because I believe there has to be a version out there that even I would like if it is a food that many others like. This biscuit is buttery, crispy on the craggy edges like a cookie, and filled with a slab of cream cheese and pepper jelly, which gives a hint of sweetness and also tastes like red peppers to nod to the 'savory' in its name. Since the biscuit is 'loaded' (again, it's in the name) I couldn't fit the whole thing in my mouth and had to remove the top, which is like a cute little hat, and eat that separately. The top has flakes of salt on top and the cream cheese is mostly on the bottom half so it's like eating two types of biscuits. Both are delicious but I think the cream cheese makes it.

One of the best bakery experiences I've had in a very long time. Thank you Tandem!

There is some parking to the side and a line to the street to get in but it moves...

Today was my first day in Portland. I’ve not left a Google review before but I work in a business where they carry massive weight and we strive to do right by every customer’s experience. That being said, I moved here yesterday and woke up excited to go here because I knew they accepted dogs outside. I had my 5lb. dog (service) in my arms and walked in to a look of complete disgust by one woman in a cream colored turtle neck sweater who took my order for a biscuit and a black coffee- I was obviously not welcome so I ordered the quickest things I could. She told me I had to keep my dog outside and I kindly said that absolutely I would have my coffee and scone outside with my dog and apologized. I paid and took everything I could hold outside except my cup of coffee. I tipped as well even though I felt completely unwelcome simply for having a little dog in my arms. I went back in to retrieve my cup of coffee quickly from the downward counter where she said she would leave it. (I was too ashamed to even ask for sugar before that.) And another woman might as well have spit on me with the look of disgust she had on her face while telling me that my dog, which was still in my arms and I only came in for 5 seconds to get my coffee, reiterated that she (my dog) should never have come back in to the establishment. It’s my first day here. My very first culinary experience and I work in an industry that deals with humans every day. I’ll never go back here and I will never, ever, accept this kind of humiliation again. Imagine you’re a tourist or new to the city and don’t know all the rules, but you’re kind and smiling and you get humiliated at a busy local place that you were told was a good one to take your dog and sit outside - which I was going to do in the first place. Shame on you two ladies. However, you won’t scare me away from my move here or take that joy away. Don’t go here if you want a mediocre biscuit and plain black Kuerig coffee. The hype is not real. I recommend many of the other roasters in the city I visited today instead. I did not take writing this review lightly and I insist that it be...

Beneath the guise of exposed bricks and rustic aesthetics, Tandem Coffee and Bakery in Portland, Maine, parades itself as a beacon of artisanal coffee and scrumptious bakery items. Yet, upon close inspection, the truth of its dreary offerings quickly seeps into the palate like over-extracted coffee.

First, let's address the architectural eyesore masquerading as 'industrial-chic.' With a façade as inviting as a prison wall, it’s as if the designers were striving for a dystopian coffee shop ambiance. The resulting structure is as warm and appealing as a snowstorm in April.

Onto the coffee, the lifeblood of any self-respecting coffeehouse. Tandem's brews are so tragically average they should come with a disclaimer. Each sip is a woeful testament to the countless beans that made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of mediocrity. If Tandem's coffee was a symphony, it would be played entirely out of tune, serving as a grim dirge for what could have been a delightful coffee experience.

Their pre-made sandwiches are an epicurean travesty. One can only wonder if the soggy bread and uninspired fillings are a cruel social experiment testing how far people will go for convenience. The sandwiches, it seems, have taken on the building’s charm – unappealing, cold, and utterly forgettable.

But the true pièce de résistance is Tandem's staff, a gaggle of painfully cheerful individuals who seemingly mainline their own middling coffee. The level of feigned enthusiasm displayed borders on insufferable. A simple order turns into an over-extravagant theater performance, leaving you wondering if you've walked into a coffee shop or an overzealous improv class.

In short, Tandem Coffee and Bakery is a disappointing ode to the art of coffee and culinary creativity. Its attempts at charming customers are as artificial as the saccharine smiles of its staff. Much like a tandem bicycle, it’s a quaint concept on paper, but in reality, it's awkward, cumbersome, and you're likely to find yourself longing for a solo...