Whether you’re getting one to go or debating over your second cup (or third, or fourth, etc. – no judgement from us, your fellow caffeine addicted friends!), Portland, Maine has a whole latte cafes, coffee shops and roasteries to love, and more importantly, where you can grab a good cup of Joe for National Coffee Day.
With an expansive list, here’s just a taste (or should we say sip?) of coffee shops, cafes, and roasteries in Portland, Maine where you can celebrate this National Coffee Day, September 29th.
Pardon another obvious coffee pun (we promise we’ll stop at some point), but the buzz-worthy Buzz Coffee is the Old Port’s only underground “micro cafe”. Originally starting as a coffee cart along the Eastern Promenade, Buzz Coffee put a jam on the brakes and opened its doors to its permanent location in December of 2021, with the coffee cart returning to the Eastern Promenade every once and awhile.
With a trendy tone and a focus toward community, Buzz Coffee brews up incredible coffee with beans from Little Wolf, a high quality roaster with a small, intentional selection built with care, in addition to espresso based drinks, drip coffee, lattes (matcha included), cold brews, teas and more.
Neighborhood: Old Port
Current Hours: 7:30 AM – 2 PM / Wednesday – Sunday
“I think coffee shops are the happiest places on Earth. I hope for Moonday to tap into this aquifer of love and joy and release some of that sweetness into the world.” – Moonday Coffee website
Another coffee cart-turned-micro-cafe, Moonday Coffee now lives in The Black Box of Washington, a unique retail experience using repurposed shipping containers, serving up coffee, traditional chai, and fine teas.
Happy to be apart of Portland’s rich coffee scene, Moonday Coffee resources their beans from Portland neighbors, Speckled Ax. Perfect for the coffee-lover who loves their cup to go, seating is not available indoors, however, on sunny warm days, Moonday Coffee does have a table outdoors to sip in the sun.
Neighborhood: Washington Avenue
Current Hours: 9 AM – 4 PM / Thursday – Sunday
Speaking of Speckled Ax…
With ten years in Portland and three locations, Speckled Ax now roasts both certified single origin organic coffees and small lot, high quality conventionals still using an intuitive and completely manual roasting process that includes a vintage Italian Petroncini fired with local hardwood. Despite their impressive growth, Speckled Ax’s simple objective of roasting coffee that is on par with the best has not changed.
Their newest location adjacent to the Portland Foreside development offers both cups to go and indoor seating. Conveniently located by Portland’s waterfront, including Casco Bay Lines and where cruise ships dock, Speckled Ax on Thames Street is just a short walk from the Old Port and all of Portland’s highlights.
Neighborhood + Current Horus: Three Locations…
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18 Thames Street – East End/ Ocean Gateway
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7 AM – 2 PM / 7 days a week
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567 Congress Street – Arts District
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8 AM – 3 PM / 7 days a week
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`35 Walton Street – Back Cove / Forest Avenue
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7 AM – 1 PM / 7 days a week
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A staple to the Portland coffee scene, Coffee By Design now has four different locations; three sprinkled throughout varying Portland neighborhoods and one in Freeport. Committed to arts, the community and quality coffee since the beginning, Coffee by Design boast 100% traceability, which means they can follow the coffee back to the farmer, or community of farmers, that produced it. Each cup at Coffee By Designs tells the story of the farmer or the cooperative from which they buy.
Coffee By Design’s inaugural coffeehouse on Congress Street in Portland’s Art District first opened it doors in the summer of 1994, quickly bringing the downtown neighborhood together in the name of great coffee, community, and the arts. The coffeehouse received a recent revitalization in the spring of 2016 but similar to all their locations, you can enjoy visual art created by Maine artists.
Neighborhood + Current Horus: Three Locations…
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620 Congress Street – Downtown
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8 AM – 4 PM / 7 days a week
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1 Diamond Street – East Bayside
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7:30 AM – 5 PM / Sunday – Wednesday
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7:30 AM -6 PM / Thursday – Saturday
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`67 India Street – Old Port / Ocean Gateway
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7:30 AM – 4 PM / 7 days a week
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Rwanda Bean Roastery + Espresso Bar
290 Thompsons Point Road, Portland, ME, USA
We never said alcohol couldn’t be included with your coffee serving! At Rwanda Bean Company’s newest location at Thompson’s Point, Rwanda Bean Roastery & Espresso Bar, enjoy expertly roasted coffee in addition to classic coffee based cocktails such as their espresso martini. Occupying the corner space in the historic Brick North building, Rwanda Bean’s Thompson’s Point location is spacious, bright and welcoming.
Known for their incredible work offering single-origin coffee from the high hills of their founder and CEO Mike Mwenedata’s homeland in Rwanda, Rwanda Bean reinvest 50% of their profits to help Rwanda’s farmers and communities.
Neighborhood + Current Horus: Two Locations…
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290 Thompson’s Point Road – Thompson’s Point
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8 AM – 4 PM / Tuesday – Saturday
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463 Stevens Avenue – Deering Center
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7 AM. – 2 PM / Monday – Thursday
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7 AM – 4 PM / Friday – Saturday
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8 AM – 2 PM / Sunday
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A warm counter-serve shop for coffee drinks, Coffee ME Up is just a short walking distance from all of Portland’s bustling spots, including the Old Port, Munjoy Hill, Downtown and Washington Avenue. The selection at Coffee ME Up includes a perfectly extracted shot of Espresso, a well balanced cup of Arabica coffee, a smooth nitro cold brew, and even a delicious latte or two (teas and lemonade available as well). Enjoy outdoor seating during the warmer months, indoor seating year round.
Neighborhood: Congress Street / Downtown
Current Hours: 7 AM – 2 PM / 7 days a week
At Coveside Coffee, come for the eye-catching and Instagram-worthy mural, stay for the fresh baked goods, the charming outdoor patio and backyard, and most importantly, the speciality brewed coffee. Fueling Portlanders for their daily adventures, Coveside Coffee is a neighborhood and family-friendly gathering shop that brews 44 North Coffee, a fair-trade, organic coffee roasting company based in Deer Isle, Maine, and serves pastries from Solo Pane in Bath. Finally find yourself finishing that book you’ve been working on? Feel free to leave a book, or take a book from their Little Free Library out front!
Neighborhood: Woodfords Corner / Back Cove
Current Hours: Tuesday – Friday 7:30 AM – 2 PM, Saturday + Sunday 8 AM -1 PM (Changing in the next few weeks).
Terrarium
98 Cross St N Suite A, Portland, ME 04101, USA
Offering a unique perspective on the cafe experience, green thumbs and coffee lovers are welcome to Terrarium in the Old Port. As Portland’s newest and only indoor plant shop and café, Terrarium specializes in common and rare house plants. You can come browse their inventory or pull up a seat at their cafe and create your own terrarium! Cafe is open with snacks, soups, beer, wine, and of course, coffee!
Neighborhood: Old Port
Current Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 10:00 AM – 6 PM’; Friday + Saturday 10:00 AM – 9 PM; Sunday 9 AM – 4 PM.
Looking for more cafes, coffee shops, and roasteries in Portland? Check out Little Woodfords, Burundi Star Coffee, Bard Coffee, Smalls Cafe, Tandem Coffee and Bakery, Yordprom Coffee Shop, Hilltop Coffee Shop, and Arabica Coffee House.
