Such a nice casual neighborhood coffee house. Great for grabbing beans to grind at home (Trailhead Coffee Roasters), special coffee treats and grabbing breakfast or a lunch sandwich. My favorites: + the acai bowl (cold fruit slushy with sweet crunchy granola clusters and banana on top), + the protein in a cup: scrambled egg with vegetarian patties and sliced tomato and cheese (and I'm not even a vegetarian!) If you're lucky you'll get to run into the coffee roaster as he delivers the beans via his distinctive branded bicycle. Ralph and the crew do a good job of making their place have a sense of community and including you in it- from greeting you by name when you become a regular to having photos on the wall of neighbors and their kids & dogs. Not always the fastest busy morning coffee option, esp compared to the over-staffed Starbucks down the block (three people at the espresso machine- really?), but You always feel better for having stepped into Destino. read more

My boyfriend and I came here maybe 5 times during our recent trip to Portland. The first time we came it was because I was craving pancakes. However after we ordered we realized the food was a lot better than we had expected. Instead of pancakes, I ordered French toast and it was probably the best decision of my life. I don't know what syrup they use here, but it is AMAZING. We ordered it three more times during our visits. We also tried different items on the menu each time we visited: classic breakfast sandwich, potato bowl, egg scramble, etc. We were never disappointed. They have a veggie sausage option to add to most/all of the plates and it's really good. The service is friendly enough, the location is in the cutest neighborhood, and the atmosphere is really calm. I'm glad we started most our days here with good food and a calm ambiance. read more

My 12-year-old son says they have the best pancakes in town! We love coming here for coffee or a quick lunch. I even came to work here once when my home WiFi was down, and the atmosphere was great! There is an energetic vibe while still being quiet enough to work or chat with friends. A neighborhood gem! read more

Cute, nice and yummy... and this goes for the food/beverages as well as the staff! I had a little business meeting scheduled and the other party suggested Cafe Destino, as they had been there repeatedly. I had never stepped foot into the place, but got there early to acquaint myself with it. I was invited to settle in before ordering (thanks Cafe Destino People!). There were about 10 little tables and some counter seating by the window. (I think there might have even been some outdoor seating options on the side.) Additionally, there were a couple of comfy love seats, which I sampled for a moment. The patrons were an assortment of people of all ages - some computerizing with headphones, some reading the paper, some with kids, some chatting... pretty much exactly what you would expect from a good neighborhood coffee shop. The menu seemed pretty extensive for a coffee shop, but I was not all that hungry. There were interesting tea flavors and some nifty looking pastries. I opted for a medium dark blend loose leaf Yerba Mate (sp?) and a hazel nut caramel roll, which the staff heated up with pleasure. Mmmm... good stuff and a solid match. The whole place, including the rest rooms, was as clean as a whistle. It was generally a place of comfort and I would be more then happy to go there again! read more

Two years ago I loved this neighborhood cafe, but lately I've found the pastries are smaller and not as tasty as they used to be. I've been unimpressed by the sandwiches lately as well. The two stars are for the friendly women who get up super early to be there and the Trailhead coffee. Maybe Destino has switched to cheaper products to avoid laying people off. It's worth stopping there for coffee but skip the food for now, tip generously, and hope they see better days. read more

I am utterly heartbroken that I have to sit and write this review. When I was a kid in middle school, I lived right across from Cafe Destino. My mom and I would walk over on Saturday mornings and enjoy warm rich coffee, fluffy fresh pastries, and the best panini I've ever had. The cafe always had a decent crowd filling the place and there were fun books and toys to occupy the kids. But today, on a whim, I returned to Destino. I hadn't been there in at least two years and I wasn't even sure if it would still be there, but I was craving the good food from my child hood. Cafe Destino was still there but it was lacking in everything that I had once known. The cafe was sorely empty, with only two other customers there. Of the two employees I could see, one looked angry and annoyed, and the other looked spacey and completely out of it. The menu of delectable panini's, and other breakfast treats had been changed. Everything i'd used to love was gone from the menu. I still held out hope though, and ordered a sandwich called The Olive that sounded very similar to a panini I used to eat there. I also bought a side of the house salad then considered buying a pastry to finish things off. The pastries looked old and stale, but I was still going to pick one when I realized that from the other side of the display case there was no door or anything to protect the pastries. I was horrified to observe two big fat flies buzz into the case and crawl on the pastries at their leisure. To say the least, I did not buy one. But I did buy a quiche because they were kept in a sealed fridge unit. *big sigh* the food was... Lack luster. Boring. Tasteless. Uninspired. It was a crappy cold sandwich I could have gotten in better quality at subway, with the exception of the olive tapenade spread which was decent but still not great. The Focaccia bread they used for the sandwich was dry and hard to chew. The feta tasted old and fell right out of my sandwich so fast and easy there was basically no point to having it in there. The quiche I ordered was reheated in a freaking microwave! (Why not use an oven I ask you?!) it was served to me burning hot in some places and ice cold in others. And finally the salad I ordered was completely forgotten. I had to remind an employee about it, then when I did get it, it was not even worth the wait. If anyone at Cafe Destino reads this, please know that it kills me to write this review. I loved you guys! I'm still rooting for you. I hope you improve. But it will be a very long time before I consider going to your restaurant. What a disappointment. read more

Great Italian style coffee. Friendly staff. Superb pies and food at a reasonable price.

Went to meet a friend. Got a chai latte. Dude at the counter was super nice. Saw a two-year old trying *really* hard to squeeze between an empty chair and the wall. Reflected on the fact that probably when she hits three she'll figure out to move the chair. Aah the heady independence of late-toddler-hood. But I digress. Great atmosphere, bright and comfortable, super pleasant, I could have sat there all day, but I had to go to work. read more

There was a time I enjoyed Destino, back when they served Trailhead coffee. I am not in the neighborhood as often as I used to be, but I popped in after an appointment up the street and was disappointed to see they'd changed their beans to Caffe D'arte. That is never a good omen. When I asked the barista about the change he told me it was because the owner-roaster of Trailhead is "really pretentious" and that D'arte is "still really good." Neither of these are accurate statements. He continued to speak poorly about my favorite coffee roaster in a gossipy, unprofessional fashion. I ordered a cappuccino anyway (why?!) and got the bitter, scalded drink I was expecting. I don't know what is happening at Destino, but it's not the friendly, tasty place it used to be. read more

Mocha was lukewarm. Friendly factor was as well. Their bagel with 'the works' used to be sooo good. Sadly, with the changing of owners over the years, this cafe has lost some of its identity and character. Nevertheless, we'll still support them or Fly Awake (around the corner) any day over Starbucks. read more

Perfect neighborhood stop. If you are sick of Big Box coffee....this is your place. I love the sandwiches too. I can skip a pickle & some chips in exchange for service with a smile. read more

Really good coffee. Really good lox bagel. But $10 (!) for a bagel with creme cheese and a little lox? That's way too much. Several dollars more than any other place in town. read more

Sadly, Cafe Destino is under new ownership. The food is the same and the interior is slightly more chic, but the lost stars are because the service has gone from cheerful and friendly to rude and distant, and there is no more live music to enjoy on Sundays. Bad move, guys. read more

As much as I'd love to head down to my neighborhood coffee shop, I find that I like to go a little further in order to avoid the Dave Matthews background music, dog paintings, and mediocre coffee. The baristas are incredibly nice and it it kid friendly, so in that case I give it one star. read more

Give me a break... $7.79 for a small tuna melt panini sandwich with NO sides - no handful of chips, no pickle, no nuthin'. Austere interior with hard chairs and stools and sunlight glaring through the window. Ugh. read more

When in this neighborhood and looking for a quick and friendly coffee purchasing experience I go here. Their espresso is acceptable (but definitely not great) and the people working here are generally really nice. On the rare occasion that I eat eggs, I get their greek bagel and it is always extremely delicious. They also have jammers from Florio on Sundays, which are world rocking if you like that sort of thing. I recently tried their ice blendy green tea smoothie thing (great description of a drink I can't name right?) and it was quite tasty. Unless I'm totally craving coffee I think I might just order this instead from now on. It would be cool if they were open later though. Why do all the coffee shops in Portland close at 3? Don't they know I need coffee at like 5 or even 8 sometimes? read more

I pop in here frequently as I work nearby and the staff always greets me by name (even though I don't remember theirs) and usually remember my order. The coffee is good and the service rocks. They frequently filter art work so it's nice to check out whatever is up next. Great place to go! read more

The food was good, the coffee was good too. I ordered the pumpkin latte. It was so good. Made with real pumpkin and spices. Also had a cafe at lait, and it was good. Coffee quality is good. Very neighborhood place. Pleasant environment to sit and enjoy some coffee and breakfast. The pastries are delicious, so are the breakfast sandwiches. The staff is friendly and helpful. The only difficult thing was parking, but I managed to find a spot on the street. read more

Love the location! I would much rather support this coffee shop over Starbucks next door. The service is good and friendly. Over all the food quality is good but does not compare to the over all quality that Portland is known for. I do encourage people to support this local business. read more

I first heard of Caffe Destino when I spotted a buddy of mine, who's pushing 3, wearing a Caffe Destino toddler tee. The idea of a coffee shop advertising itself on the backs of little folks who can't drink coffee yet is inordinately amusing to me. Caffe Destino tends to keep pretty early hours (it's pretty much a breakfast and lunch kind coffee shop, i.e. not the kind that stays open until well in the night with the PBR and the sammiches), so until recently I'd only ever walked by it, stumbling out the door of the County Cork or on my way to pick up foodstuffs at Wild Oats. However, the other morning I managed to finally catch the place while it was open. I had my usual green tea (note to loose tea snobs: it was indeed bag tea), plus something called a "protein cup." Scrambled egg, tomato slices and veggie sausage all served in a quaint little teacup. The tomato slices were the sad, bland kind of tomatoes you sometimes get in the winter, but the egg was tasty, and I'm always a fan of veggie sausage. I only wish I'd thought to order a bagel alongside it -- I love me some starches to go down with my proteins first thing in the mornin'. Prices were nice and low, the barista was friendly and cheerful, and the atmosphere is pleasant and quiet, with huge, beautiful windows and lots of natural light. read more

AIGHT. Saved only by their Borgia, which is essentially a mound of orange flavored coffee with crazy orange sugar on top. Good god, I could mainline these fuckers. read more

Often too busy there to find a seat but a good grab & go option for coffee & sandwich. Staff is pleasant and appreciative.

A must-go place for a cup of coffee and a Marco Bolo sandwich when I'm in Portland... it's so good, I'm actually willing to overlook the hipster-pocalypse and slightly grumpy wait staff. Deee-licious. read more

Excellent coffee. Great food options all day. Prompt, courteous, and friendly service. A great neighborhood coffee shop!

Good espresso, decent hot chocolate. Pastries are original and tasty, but not a great selection. Nice space to hang out in and service is always friendly. read more

We love this place. So much better than Starsucks across the street!

I'd been a regular for years, but sadly have moved far, far away--I miss Café Destino!! Europe may have good coffee, but nothing beats the friendly, laid-back atmosphere of this little neighborhood coffee shop. I find the food, coffee, prices, etc. on a par with or better than many other Portland locales (you never know how lucky you are to have so many choices until you move away), but for sheer hang-outiness (!) this is a great place. The coffee is good, there's free wi-fi, the café is bright and airy, and the people are fabulous. Go and enjoy--Support your local coffee shop!!! read more

Nice People, awesome coffee, and cute little atmosphere. They are now serving Trailhead Coffee, and stay open till 5 p.m. If you live in the neighborhood, and want a quaint place to enjoy a cup of joe go here.. as opposed to the Starbucks across the street! Oh, the pastries are to die for! read more

I really like their coffee, the prices are good and the atmosphere is happenin'. The wait times can be a bit long but I don't mind since I know the coffee is going to be great when I get it and the girls there are always so nice. read more

The coffee was awesome, brilliant and wonderful. Not had such smooth, tasty coffee in a long time. That being said, the breakfast food sucked big time. We ordered the bacon, egg & potato bowl. The egg was way over cooked - like rubber. The bacon was cut up in little pieces and burned beyond recognition. The potato's were hard, crispy and VERY dry. The whole dish in fact was so dry, we had to consume lots of water. read more

I had a really horrible experience at Cafe Destino last weekend, and I want to get my story out there to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. I am severely allergic to peanuts, and after ordering the yogurt/granola breakfast and eating over half of it, I started to feel extremely sick. Long story short, I ended up in the hospital overnight because Cafe Destino was not transparent about their ingredients, and I had absolutely no idea that I was eating peanut butter until it was far too late. Transparency, especially when it comes to serious allergies, needs to be a VERY high priority. So a warning to anyone who wants to know what's in their food before they eat it: DONT go to Cafe Destino. I really hope they changed this after I told them the situation, but I am never going back. To top it off, their service was not good in the first place. My iced tea had 2 ice cubes in it, as well as my friends iced coffee. Had to go back and ask for more. I have never written a yelp review but I thought this situation was serious enough to do so. read more

Great Breakfast, tasty coffees! The veggie sausage was delish in my protein cup. This place has a beautiful, friendly atmosphere. It is a fun neighborhood cafe and we will definitely visit again! read more

A relaxing place with good coffee and friendly staff. The barista took the time to talk to me about Portland, as I was visiting, and remembered exactly how I took my drink when I returned the next day. I highly recommend this place as an authentic alternative to all the hyped places you may hear about. If you want the good coffee without the pretense this is the spot. read more

My favorite: Mexican Mocha with Almond milk, hot or iced! Always stop here before heading to my hair appointment down the street. Always great customer service and it is the perfect environment for studying, catching up with friends, or hanging out! read more

Stopped here to grab a quick coffee and lunch on a busy Saturday. I had seen Starbucks and planned to stop there, but when I spotted this just across the street I thought I had to give the local cafe a shot. It didn't turn out to be a quick bite and the coffee was just okay. I was glad breakfast was still on the menu but they were out of ingredients and didn't say so until I had already paid. I hate to say it but Starbucks would have been a better option for me today. Maybe I'll give it another shot and update soon but then again, there are so many great cafes in Portland. read more

I go here for two reasons: A) it's convenient and B) it's very toddler friendly. Staff are cheerful and nice and tend to remember you. Food seems on the mediocre side, I've had some of the pastries which are about as good as Starbucks. This is not where I go when I crave really good espresso, it's okay. But like I said I come here to meet up others with tots and the kids can run around in the play area without us getting dirty looks. read more

Be prepared to wait! I have been going to this coffee place for several years as I 1) support local businesses 2) it is in my neighborhood. However, anytime I arrive with 2-3 people ahead of you in line it is 15-20 minutes minimum to get a coffee drink. To boot the friendliness seems to be fading, no smile, no small talk, no feedback that your order will be up soon. Time to move on to somewhere else.... read more

Baileys and Coffee! Outstanding. Also a wonderful Grilled Cheese Sammich. Pastries were good and on one of my last visits, they had pie! I would recommend this place to anyone in the neighborhood. It's even worth the drive just to read the paper and drink Baileys with my coffee! read more

I love this place! OK, so it is not the hipster magnet that Stumptown is but Destino's has great coffee, a lovely selection of pastries, and a consistently friendly staff, with free Wi-Fi. I can take my parents here and they feel comfortable, I can take my friends here and they feel comfortable, I can take my kids here and they feel comfortable. I cannot ask for more from a neighborhood coffee shop. read more