Java Man

A decent place. The drinks I’ve had have all been good, except when I experimented with new things, which weren’t really to my taste. The service has always been good, and there is decent seating. I’ve been there when the lower level was closed, but it was pretty empty so it didn’t matter. I’ve never tried their pastries, but they look kind of generic, so you probably get what you pay for there.

I’ve been going to this Java Man since I was in high school (that was sometime ago) and since then, I have always loved it. The barista is awesome. Makes the coffee well, and you can tell he knows what he is doing. The food /​pastries are a definite improvement from what they have had in the past. Good variety and fresh! I recently took my partner here, and she loves it now too!

Not bad. Way better than Starbucks and a sharp poke in the eye. But not great.

Nice little coffee shop with reasonable prices. Pleasant inside, with yellow walls and a second seating area, down a small set of stairs. Bar stools along the window give a nice view outside, where there is also a pair of metal tables and chairs.
When I was there, jazz was playing inside as I watched the regulars place their orders and chat with the staff. The coffee was OK, perhaps not as strong as at other places. I’d stop in again though. Seemed like a nice place to relax and read for an hour. (Thiswas my first coffee shop stop in Portland, so perhaps my excitement of finally being in Portland made me a little giddy about this place, but I did like it.)

Crappy coffee,

I was in town for a night and this was close to my hotel. I ordered the pumpkin pie latte. I noticed it smelled funny and only took a few sips and then threw it away. Sure enough a couple hours later I was sick. I called the place to let them know and they seemed pretty unconcerned. Beware of rotten food here.

There are many Java Man coffee shops around the city, but I like this one the best. My favorite thing on the menu is their sandwiches. I always get the turkey on a baguette with everything on it. It is very tasty and a good price for the size of the sandwich. If you have a sweet tooth, they have an assortment of pastries and desserts including biscotti, donuts, pie, brownies and cookies (the granola brownie is delicious). Their drinks are cheaper than Starbucks and taste just as good. Although the space is a little small, the staff is friendly and quick. They have a good variety of food and drinks and serve lunch and breakfast. It is one of my favorite places to grab a bite to eat.

Super friendly people run this joint. I was in town for a conference and they made every morning a delight. Great breakfast sandwiches and tasty smooties can be found here for nice prices.

On the same block as the hotel we stayed in, we parked our bums here for a bit while waiting for our friends to wake up.
It was empty when we came in… we ordered two americanos and plopped ourselves by the window and the magazines. The coffees were okay… I would have tried something else from their large drink menu, but an americano was good enough for me.

I’ve stopped in here for breakfast a few times while visiting Portland.
The staff is friendly, the tea and coffee are good, but the breakfast sandwich is just decent (and the egg tastes suspiciously of sausage, even when ordered without sausage).

Friendly staff and good coffee
Conveniently located near the post office so my nugget can use the bathroom at the most inopportune time.

So I’m staying in Portland, and Portland is known for great coffee. I have two choices – Java Man or Starbucks. I did not travel nearly 4,000 miles for Starbucks, so I go to Java Man to check out the local flair and whatnot.
There was no one there, save for the man behind the counter. I get a couple of coffees, which are good, though I’m no coffee snob. I asked for a ham, egg and cheese croissant and a plain bagel with cream cheese. Everything seems okay up to this point except for the lack of friendliness found in most coffee shops. Come on, if you work there, you’ve got to be a bit more cheerful, you have free coffee for christsakes!
So we get back to our room and it turns out I have a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, and the bagel is possibly sourdough? It doesn’t taste plain. I don’t even like sausage, and really, there was no one else in the place, so how could he possibly mess that up? Come on, Java Man! Next time, I would sadly go to Starbucks.

What Java Man lacks in ambiance they make up for in exceptionally sincere and gracious service. And trust me — both are very extreme.
I was instantly turned off by the setting — the large space was dimly lit, the seating felt more like a cafeteria than a coffee shop, and the eerily still and quiet feeling just gave me the creeps.
Enter the ‘barristas’ … an older couple who tag-​teamed my order… playfully arguing the entire about whether the Chai or Thai tea was a better selection for «an afternoon such as this». It was adorable, and they made me forget that I was standing in a desolate wasteland of a coffee shop. I could almost taste the love that my drink was made with — and I love that.
Yep — terrible location, and an interior to match, but with service like that, Java Man is batting above 500.

The north side of downtown has two Stumptowns, Coffee Plant, and Half and Half. The southern half, sadly, is lacking in good Portland coffee shops.
Java Man is the better of the measly selection of coffeeshops in this part of downtown. The coffee isn’t bad, but it’s not great.
Even though it’s not spectacular, it still beats Starbucks.