As I was sitting on this really old used couch--comfy in that way that happens from use, reuse of butts depressing it, I was thinking of a time in my 20s living in Chicago of another coffee shop, another season, a different me. In a way, coming here, I think I've come full circle to an idea that the Beats caressed in their thumping hearts of travel with no strings and the big wide open country before them. This is what occurred to me drinking my iced morocan mint tea. It's not an altogether bad place to be--physically or dreamily. A small, comfy, place with alternative music, used furniture, and good conversation with friends. It's a clean, airy environment that I was glad to spend an afternoon whittling away the time writing and catching up on my daydreams. Perhaps, I can recapture the ideals of that former traveling Beatnik even as I grew up--leaving that Toys R us Kids behind. read more

Common Grounds isn't your typical hipster coffee shop and I think that's what I love about it. There are actually comfy couches to sit on, a decent selection of magazines available to read and the drinks I've had have always been well made by the sweet baristas behind the counter. There are more bagel type food options here which I appreciate and am nostalgic for. I love purist coffee shops, don't get me wrong, but when I'm in the mood to get some mid-afternoon reading done this is one of my favorite places to get comfy. read more

They have nice food and okay coffee. But as a whole the place feels very dirty to me. Smells a bit musty and moldy. Also the employees can be a bit unfriendly. The food is very affordable and you get a good amount. It's not bad. I would just usually choose someplace else other it. This is a "hole in the wall" type coffee shop. locals love it. Everyone recommends it. But I don't get what's so great. It's... grimy. It satisfies the homeless looking gourmet coffee drinkers. read more

There's a bus stop right outside of this coffee shop. I always think to myself, oh perfect, coffee before ________. But every time, no matter how much time I allot myself, I always miss my bus because I'm waiting for my coffee to come out! I can be the only person in the shop, and a bus not for another 16 minutes, and I'll still miss it. They must be in cahoots. Two stars because their zucchini bread is delicious and I cannot seem to replicate it at home. read more

This is the best coffee shop in Portland, the white mocha is awesome and the bagels are super good too!:)

My neighborhood coffee joint. Always pleasing. The breakfast sandwich is delicious and big, and oddly has ketchup on it, which is just surprisingly, tasty. Coffee is great and reasonably priced. The best part about this place, is the staff. They always greet me and treat me like they are actually grateful for my business. Of course, I will continue to keep this my neighborhood joint. read more

CG is a neighborhood coffee shop located on the farther stretches of Hawthorne with a cast of regulars from the area. Several deep couches make this a favorite for students and serious readers. The wi-fi makes it good for work, while the magazine rack makes for a good distraction. Outdoor tables in the summer offer a perfect place to soak up the sun. read more

Definitely one of, if not the best overall coffee shop environments on this side of town. In a time when you can spend over $5 on a cup of coffee, this shops $1.50 mug is a win win. The staff could not be nicer, always a great place to stop by. read more

Nothing to dislike. Pastries, coffee, warm, calm atmosphere, huge magazine selection. Good selection of food items left even at night. We went here to avoid falling asleep while waiting for our last dryer to finish up. I sat with a hot chocolate and avoided the drenching downpour and read the new issue of Mental_Floss. I now know the theme song for the Harlem Globetrotters has a name and it's Sweet Georgia Brown. SCORE! And I read an intellectually stimulating article about the Arctic Circle melting. Totally worth $2 (the price of my beverage). The hot chocolate (- whip, + caramel) was hot and yummy. It was cold by the time I was done but that wasn't their fault. A very nice, chill-tastic place. Parking was somewhat of a problem (even on a Sunday night!). No complaints though. And I love that they're open late. Til 10! PM! I can see myself coming here to catch up on the magazine reading I've been missing. I saw NatGeo, Wired, Mental_Floss and a bunch of others...I love magazines but can't really reason myself into purchasing them anymore. Maybe if I had a kindle...but that's another day. My boyfriend read Amazing Spiderman so they have comics too. I would be interested in the wifi setup here. I didn't bring my phone (for shame!) so I couldn't tell you if there was a network available or not. read more

This place is cozy and nice to study in, as it stayed fairly quiet even though it was busy. The barista that I chatted with, was nice and friendly, and steered me in the right direction for the perfect chai latte. I like that they have a selection of chai, and not just one. I had the lemon bar, and it was very good. A little sweet for my palate, but then again I like my lemon bars slightly tart. I would wholeheartedly recommend this place. Give it a Try! read more

I was set to have a coffee date with my dear friend... I told her "you choose the place just try to find somewhere that serves almond milk".. this was her choice. I was pleasantly surprised that they had more to offer than just almond milk! It was busy... but I missed the rush so I was first in line.. My friend went to the bathroom so I was standing at the counter for a while. I had 3 different employees approach me. ALL of them were super kind, super patient and shared their smiles with me. I wish I had their names! Honestly, I would go back just because the customer service was unlike any other. My buddy finally came out and made her order... we got our drinks very quickly. and they were well done and great tasting. They serve Vita Coffee beans, I believe. Plenty of seating... indoor and out. A nice atmosphere and decor. Two bathrooms..mostly clean :). Best thing I noticed... They have a giant extension chord/power strip for people to plug in to. It just yells.."hey, stay for a while". As I was leaving, an hour later, a HUGE rush came in... Line all the way to the door. I bet they got through it before I even got to the car. So besides the almond milk... there are other vegan goodies... granola bars and cookies. They also serve beer and wine for you folks who enjoy your alcohol. read more

A hippie and a hipster's love child. You just kind of want to hang out there for a while. It is clear that is exactly what people are doing. Funky old couches and mismatched chairs for you to relax on. The coffee and food was a solid B. My husband did order me an apple cider drink once that was a little to earth muffiny for me. You had me at cute little fox and chicken logo sticker. read more

It's a good coffee shop. There isn't anything here that I'm crazy about. They make a good Dirty Chai and actually have a variety of chai to choose from. If you're in the area and you don't want Starbucks or Peet's (which are just down the road), I would stop in here. Always better to support local! read more

I loved this place. I felt right at home even though I was a tourist. The prices are very good. I loved the medium spice chai tea! And I loved that they had so many different chai options. I got the egg and avocado sandwich. It was so filling just getting the half! read more

Yo, this spot is mad descent. And cheap. And bustling! There are times when you cannot get a seat in this joint, and believe me, there are a lot of seats! Good for them, glad to see a place that does it well with a nice attitude achieving success. Worth the hike down Hawthorne! read more

After catching dinner with my best friend on a Saturday we both had a huge brain fart - we realized that we both had assignments due for our online courses that night!!! We had to find a coffee shop with wifi ASAP! So YELP helped us out and brought us to Common Grounds were we had some great coffee and wifi. Our barista was kind and in reasonable amount of time got us our breve's. One thing I noticed is that this place has a great amount of outlets, lots of space and good music! Down side was this funny aroma in the shop itself, it was like coffee mixed with something unpleasant but other than that, thank you for saving us in our desperate time of need. read more

I love this place! Probably one of my favorite coffeehouses in Portland. It's quiet and not super central so it's never been super packed from what I've seen. It's cozy and has lots of space, both tables and couches. They also have a more extensive drink menu than many other places I've been. read more

This is the ideal coffeeshop to bring a laptop, book, or art project to work on. Its the only coffeeshop in the area that is open after 7pm, which is what sucked me in. It has become my "third place" bc it is lively, has great drinks and nice baristas. I wish there were more gluten-free options though. read more

Common Grounds Coffeehouse - Soup and herbal tea, feeling chill. Based on the music, they feel the same way - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Great coffee indeed! Haven't been to the theater or tried the food, but everything else is great. My only complaint is that being there on a Saturday night - only one person behind the counter. You'll wait at least 10-15 minutes just to place an order read more

Not the best coffee I've ever had. but, honestly, at that logic, every coffee shop in the world is going to fall under that category except one. Not a place i like to hang out it, but, if I don't feel like walking to albina press in one direction, or Fresh pot in the other, then you bet you're bottom dollar I'm going to common grounds. read more

Common Grounds has three great things going for it: 1) a nifty selection of magazines and newspapers 2) bold coffee that's nevertheless smooth 3) open until 10 pm! Sometimes were in the mood to find a place to sit and enjoy a coffee in the early evenings that isn't Denny's. Too many coffeehouses in Portland close around 7pm or 8pm. CG stays open 'til 10 pm! At last we have a nice, comfortable option. In all other respects its not too much or too little ... it's just right. We'll be back. read more

This place is really nice and inviting. It's comfortable like a living room. The coffee was really good too. I like that the coffee is a dollar with 75 cent refills. I don't know why I like that. I just do. There's a nice selection of magazines to read for those who want to read certain magazines but don't want to pay the newsstand price or get a subscription. My only gripe was that the breakfast sandwich was kinda lame. I'm fairly certain that the egg was pre-cooked as the insides of my sandwich were cold and the cheese wasn't melted even though it had the sandwich press grill marks on it. read more

Love this place. Some strong points: - Good coffee - Good music - Reliable wifi - New York Times - Lots of seats - Generous number of electric plugs - Really good bagel and lox platter Only weak point: - Doors often don't close all the way, which means that sometimes there's a nasty wind in wintertime read more

Just tried out this place with my sister. She lives nearby and this is her current go to. Their names goods were on point. My husband and sister enjoyed their lattes and my hour chocolate was good. read more

Simple, "hippy" ambiance. Decent size place, lots of seating. Great coffee, good food menu. I saw a very small theater in the back but did not attend a performance. read more

If you're looking for neighborhood-y, quality, old-portland feels, this is the place. All of the genuine sweetness, weirdness, cheapness, quality, that this rotting carcass of a city used to be known for. read more

Great music, great people (employees & patrons) Laid back. Lots of day old goodies. My only complaint is that the seating leaves something to be desired. Extremely uncomfortable window seats (no knee room). Too small tables and the sofas could swallow a Buick! read more

You could easily walk by this place. On an avenue that is full of coffee shops, this place is an oasis... never too crowded, always low key to get some work done, and the wooden benches outside are perfect for watching the world go by. Very relaxing and just far enough away from the insanity of Bagdad's buskers and other busy stuff but close enough to engage in it in a heartbeat read more

Since I work just down the street I come here often, since it opened in fact. The coffee quality has settled into a consistent groove since they got their new machine. It used to vary a lot depending on barista, not so much anymore. They've experimented a bit with local roasters but always return to Vita. The espresso is not cutting edge single origin bright/sour second or third or whatever wave we're on now experiments. These thrills can be found elsewhere on Hawthorne when we're so inclined. Rather it is rich and full and satisfying. Successful in an old school way you don't see much of these days. Solid is how I'd describe this place. It's a part of the neighborhood, as comfortably broken in as their voluminous sofas. It's old school coffee house ambiance the journal of the denizens now replaced by the laptop- free wifi erasing amateur literary efforts. Their musical choices are eclectic , varied and good quality. The food is workman like. The menu changes little so I'm bored of the same sandwiches I've been eating for years and don't know what to say about them anymore. The homemade soups are very good, a real winter mainstay. All the baked goods are great. Grab the biscotti when it's freshly baked. The owners have added beer and wine to the menu and have been promoting live music. I haven't had the occasion to sample these offerings as I'm never around in the evenings, but I imagine they'll be comfortable and solid. read more

EvolvedIdeas.net had our business meeting here this morning, and it was wonderful! One of the coolest ambiance, and best coffee, we've had. We loved the banana bread and paninis. It was a comfortable place for us to discuss our new website design plans. Amazing coffee, cool staff, cozy environment with springy couches. read more

Coffee: GOOD. Selection of non-dairy milks: Good. What they have: Almond, hemp, soy (for non-dairy milkses) Sandwiches: Very good. On the negatives: No gluten-free bread options. When they opened shop, they serv'd soup on a regular basis and according to what I was recently told they don't serve it anymore but it's still on their menu list. Service: Usually rangeth from pretty good to awesome, depending on who's behind the counter. Most of the staff is very mellow and easygoing. read more

Brilliant small coffee shop that bustles when busy. Wonderful all round great atmosphere people, owners, & great coffee.

Cute place, I liked all the wooden parlor chairs and the hanging light bulbs. Love Caffe Vita coffee, and the pumpkin spice latte was tasty. Had a vegan cookie, which was delightful. Though, would it kill the barista to smile a bit? read more

This is a nice, quite, cozy coffee shop with lots of comfy seating. Free wi-fi (unsecured tho) and kewl tunes playing overhead. I recently spent a Sun eve here, sipping a latte with my face in my laptop and would recommend it to anyone who wants a nice chill spot to hang. read more

Another great coffee shop in the heart of SE Portland. Great pastries, delicious coffee (try their MATCHA SMOOTHIE.) If you're here to study for a few hours or need to get work done, their seating isn't as comfortable and their tables have just enough room for a laptop and MAYBE a cup of coffee..They do have comfy couches to lounge on, but a little difficult if you need a table to work on. Other than that, they have really good coffee, food, FREE WIFI and friendly staff..Plus their open till 10pm if you got to study late! read more

I have lived in portland for many years. I love scones. After sampling the baked goods around town on both sides of the river, I must give folks a heads up on where to get the very best house-made scones- Hands down,it's Common Grounds Coffee House. Gorgeous baked goods and wonderful coffee, great music and comfy couches. read more

First time here, nice staff! Chai latte (Oregon) was superb! Blew me out of this state...of mind.

We travel from Mississippi to PDX two or three times a year. During every trip--usually on the first morning--we drive over to CG for our Fox & Hen fix. The granola is the best and we always pack granola and coffee back to the South. CGCH is an institution and it should not be missed in your search for a very comfortable coffee house in Portland. read more

Common grounds has the best Vibes! It also has exceptional coffee and even more exceptional food in my opinion! Love this place!

I usually come here and spend hours and lots of money, studying here. I enjoy the atmosphere and the general environment and location. However, tonight the barista decided to run the place like her own living room blaring music to the point where me and my study partner couldn't talk at a normal level but had to yell. And then playing heavy metal music on top of that. Granted Portland is known for its eclectic taste in music, but a barista should be cognizant of the customers needs and comfort. When asked to change the music level she actually snapped and complained and then when a personal friend came in she choose to discuss her disliking of our requests and the type Of customers she considers us. We bought tea, then dinner and then chai lattes. Ad yet she clearly only cares about her personal interest in music than keeping customers for the owners business. read more