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    Denizens Cafe

    4.8 (56 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 2:00 pm

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    DENIZENS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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    Esther D.

    Oh my gosh!! The German apple pancake- phenomenal!! The chai tea excellent & my friends drip coffee & gluten free breakfast sandwich both delicious. Friendly staff.

    Jason V.

    Denizens inhabits a space once occupied by a previous business whose owner was petty, snobbish and dismissive, and I was glad to see its demise. I'm even happier to say that its replacement has washed all traces of those bad tastes and memories from my mind, because...damn, this place is awesome! My wife wanted to visit a coffee shop, and a quick Yelp search brought Denizens to our attention. Only upon driving up did I realize it was in the same location as the aforementioned previous restaurant, which made me hesitate for just a moment, until I realized that it was not a rebranding, but an entirely different establishment. We seated ourselves, and selected a couple of sandwiches to accompany our coffees: a Bright Days breakfast sandwich for my wife, and a Cubano for myself. She also ordered a vanilla latte, while I went with a London Fog (basically an Earl Grey milk tea). Wow. The Cubano was incredible! I'm generally not partial to ham (or focaccia, for that matter), but a Cubano is a weakness of mine, and this was one of the best I've had, anywhere! Thick stacks of deli meat, mayo and dijon, on a pressed focaccia? Sign. Me. Up! I doubt I would ever be able to order anything else off the menu here; it has forever ruined me for other sandwiches! Similarly, my wife loved her Bright Days, which was correctly made with the minor modifications based on her preferences (egg over hard, add sundried tomatoes). The accompanying side salad (with balsamic vinaigrette) and house chips that came with my Cubano were also liberally shared, and enjoyed, by my wife and toddler son as well, making everything about our brunch experience here enjoyable for all. And even though my wife loved her vanilla latte, after one sip of my London Fog, she had to order another one for herself, to go, because it was so darn good (and I concur, of course)! Denizens is a welcome new neighbor in Roseway; they are competent, efficient, friendly, excellent, and doggone delicious...the exact opposite of the space's previous tenant! And now that the stigma has been washed away, not only is this reviewer not just a customer, I'll probably be here frequently enough to be considered a denizen of the restaurant itself, bordering on becoming a squatter! Don't let this one slip away, folks!

    Espresso Bar Menu
    Jeremy E.

    The Ham and Gouda Hash was a baffling masterpiece of sheer deliciousness!! And the stoneground mustard was to die for!! The shining elements of this cast of flavors were the salt, sweet, sour and savory along with the contrasting & collectively delightful textures of the crisp textures of the roasted potatoes, the softness of greens, and subtle crunch of the pickled onions which all flowed in this synergistic effort and created a purely satisfying experience to just tantalize your brain and make that moment in your life brighter and vastly exuberant. I mean it was so good, it lasted all of 60 seconds and I am unsure if I even took a breath during the engagement I was so locked in. The Latte (brevia) was a absolutely and perfectly "balanced" ratio of that espresso bite and the creaminess of the Half & Half. Now I generally reserve that "balanced" word for cocktails as I've been a bartender for way too long but this is the FIRST and ONLY time I've had an espresso drink taste...balanced. Bravo Brevia Well done! Finally, it was truly a treasure meeting James, the owner and fine gentleman who not only provided this experience for me but also shared the journey of the restaurant, some neighborhood history (the mural inside says it all) and his expertise that truly sets him apart from the restaurateurs that do it solely to make a buck. Without this turning into a separate article, James has a background in roasting coffee that he has passed down a generation to his daughter, he has a culinary mastery of his own and in short, really cares about the quality he provides to his costomers. This is a place where I'd come back over and over until I've tried everything...twice!

    Yummy focaccia, but what the heck is Dynasty brand sriracha?
    Andrew A.

    Friendly service. The Up-N-At-Em' breakfast sandwich was delicious, the Gouda cheese oozing with each bite. The problem with English Muffin sandwiches is that they're messy. The side salad is a nice touch. Coffee with cardamon was very good.

    Ariel G.

    Delicious coffie, pastries, and breakfast sandwhiches! Small space, but tolerant of littles HA! So glad we stoped in, and can't wait to return to try more goodies. Thanks James!

    Tasha B.

    Food was delicious with really great flavors and service was incredible! Coffee refills are free!!

    Elisabeth A.

    Like damnnnnn that was a good meal. Wowza. So glad we found this joint! Both the hubs and I were drooling over our dishes. I got the Roseaway Hash & hubs got the Turkey dip. So many flavors!!! All fresh & thoughtfully put together. I did not want this meal to end.

    I forgot the name, but it's the first breakfast sandwich on the menu! (Made vegan)

    They can veganize most of their breakfast sandwiches it seems. I got their most basic version (with egg, cheese, protein and their special sauce) made vegan and really enjoyed it!

    That cake!  Wow!

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    2 years ago

    Fabulous focaccia sandwiches! Not a large space but at lunch today was fine. Friendly service and we will return.

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    3 years ago

    The food is so good! The homemade focaccia is amazing. The service is great. Nice old timey diner feel.

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    MUSE Cheesecakes

    MUSE Cheesecakes

    5.0
    (10 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    After drooling over their Instagram, I knew I had to go. To my dismay I arrived at something that…read moredidn't look like it was a cafe or even opened. I wasn't even sure I was at the right place, thought they were still transitioning from one location to another. Until someone who shared the kitchen popped out. I was told that I should order online and come by for pick up, and was strongly urged to do so because these cheesecakes were really good. When I saw that they were doing a contactless store front, I knew I had to go. This was my opportunity to try it. I texted the owner to ask if the flavor I had my eye on was available. I was halfway there before the owner responded that they had one slice of pandan cheesecake left. There are multiple forms of payment with a card reader, and various apps to pay with online which made this a breeze. The owner Kiana, even popped to introduce herself which I thought was so nice! The flavors here aren't your typical strawberry, chocolate, peanut butter cheesecakes, even though she does offer some variation of them. There's pandan, ube, lemongrass, ginger mango, passionfruit, matcha, guava, pineapple raspberry, and I heard she even cooks up something with the pickle brine from the other business that operates in that kitchen. I thought this would be one of those situations where the food won't look like the picture. The pictures are obviously styled, they look stunning. Nope! The food looked just like what was on Instagram. I am a long time lover of cheesecake, dare I say it's my favorite of the cakes. The condensed milk ube mirror glaze was a lot thicker than I thought it would be and held its form. It wasn't runny and goopy. Loved that it wasn't a sticky mess. The crust was very very thick, I've always wanted more crust on other cheesecakes. On the description, it says it's "jasmine scented almond shortbread cookie crust" slightly saltier than most crusts I've had, but still very enjoyable. I've only had the traditional graham cracker crust and I'm afraid this almond shortbread crust has ruined all other cheesecake crusts for me. I have been disappointed at a lot of places using pandan, because the flavor just wasn't there, not Muse cheesecakes though. Pandan was present indeed. I would have loved if it was a little stronger, but I think that would have overpowered the cheesecake. Each component of the cheesecake are so different and complex on its own. They come together in delicious harmony to make this beautiful slice. I grew up with a lot of Vietnamese food and pandan has a very special place in my stomach.. heart! I've never seen jasmine used outside of tea and condensed milk outside of Vietnamese iced coffee. Kiana definitely has a way with these ingredients and she's a cheesecake goddess! I really can't wait to try the calamansi, Ube, and whatever else is getting cooked up in this delicious kitchen.

    Muse cheesecakes make my heart sing and gets me doing a happy dance. I first heard of Muse…read morecheesecakes through instagram. She offers durian cheesecake. Whaaaat? Yep, you heard me right. Durian cheesecake!!!! I am Vietnamese-Cambodian and durian is my jam. I love its pungent goodness in all forms -- pure and un-doctored straight from the prickly shell, ice cream, smoothie, topping on mashed avocado dessert and now.. CHEESECAKE! ohhh my goodness. My heart. I have returned so many times and buying extra slices (possibly buying out her supply for the week...) to share with my family and friends, who have all raved about the cheesecake from here. Durian isn't her only flavor though. She has so many creative flavors and I've noticed she's had comfort flavors from different cultures. To top it off, the owner, Kiana, is a wonderful lady. She is a one woman team and is kicking butt at her game from what I've gathered in the short time I've known her. She could be dead tired, but always has a smile on her face. I almost forgot to rave about her TARO BURGER on a vegan bun. I don't know how frequently she makes them, but if you see it being offered, do yourself a favor and get it. The portion is quite large so be prepared for leftovers. Unfortunately for me, my carnivorous sister gobbled the other portion of my burger right up and didn't even miss her meat. It comes with a vegan mac salad on the side. I am not one to enjoy mac salads usually, I think it's due to the mayo (not a mayo fan), but I actually liked this version. I forgot to take a picture of the burger before it all got inhaled. Sad face.

    Photos
    MUSE Cheesecakes
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    Matcha NY
    Ginger Mango NY

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    Ginger Mango NY
    Hawthorne Asylum

    Hawthorne Asylum

    4.5
    (199 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    A visit to Portland is not complete without a visit to some food carts! This was our first time to…read morethis spot in particular and I loved how many options there were, with the large community tables in the center! They had the World Cup game playing too so this was the perfect spot to hang out. They also had bathrooms which is a bonus! There was a good variety of different types of food, so it was nice that we could all pick different things. Big fan of the vareniki from Pelmeni Pelmeni in the middle section! I appreciated that the vendors used beepers too so you could still wander off and order other things while you wait.

    I was visiting Portland for the first time, and my friend took me here. It was the end of the…read morenight, right before they closed at 10. And it was slightly raining. We didn't think we would make it in, but I had hoped so because I HAD to see "the best food truck park." So glad we made it. I ended up getting a delicious burger slider, but while we waited, we saw Hawthorne Asylum still open and decided to get a drink. We walked in and the decor was sooooo cool. The old plane parts. The lighting. The seating. I absolutely love it. We walked up to the bar and were greeted by a friendly bartender. I asked her for a couple recs between ciders so I got the drier one. They had heaters outside to sit and have our drinks and food. I'm just sad I couldn't spend longer there. Excited to go back!

    Photos
    Hawthorne Asylum
    11/27/2024
    11/27/2024
    Paloma

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    Cheese & Crack Snack Shop

    Cheese & Crack Snack Shop

    4.6
    (760 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $

    I'm not someone who craves ice cream, but damn, Cheese & Crack's soft serve sundaes have a hold on…read moreme. Their namesake sundae is a classic for a reason: the ganache is super fudgy and well-distributed, the toasted marshmallow is delicious, the cinnamon cookie bits add some nice texture. Don't be intimidated by the line out the door on a warm evening -- it moves quickly and the cashier is amazing at finding you among the crowd to deliver your dessert.

    I went to this place two days in a row to try more sundaes has a bit of a line but it goes pretty…read morequickly. The cheese and crack sundae has toasted marshmallow, chocolate, and cinnamon cracker crumbs. Omg the cinnamon crumbs are so good, that with the ice cream was really yummy (I'm a simple girl what can I say). The chocolate hardened into a chocolate shell and it was kind of only on the bottom of the cup so that was a little disappointing. The toasted marshmallow didn't add much, but maybe I'm biased bc I don't rlly care for toasted marshmallow ‍ Overall, the entire sundae is mainly a ton of vanilla ice cream. It's a big portion that I shared with someone else. Second time I went, I got the banana pudding sundae which was soooo good. I shared this with my friend and it was plenty. They give a good amount of banana pudding and you can tell it's quality. I saw bananas, the bread/wafer part, and it pairs nicely with the ice cream. Prob my favorite thing from this place. My other friend got the pbo which was also good. They layer oreo and peanut butter pudding so you get it all throughout the sundae which is nice. She also got an everything cookie which has literally everything in it. It was texturally interesting and not too sweet! Overall, good flavors and quality ice cream. The portions are a bit big and I wish they had half or even quarter sizes since these came in huge cups. At a certain point, the vanilla ice cream becomes flavorless bc there's so much of it but the sundaes were still pretty good!

    Photos
    Cheese & Crack Snack Shop
    Banana pudding soft serve, cornflake soft serve
    Banana pudding soft serve, cornflake soft serve
    Charcuterie board

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    Charcuterie board
    Sweet and Salty PDX

    Sweet and Salty PDX

    4.5
    (19 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    So I've been going to sweet and salty for about a year now and absolutely nothing has changed. I…read morethink that's the best review I can give. They definitely have new and inspiring ideas but the quality and the flavors haven't changed a bit. Elbe (the co-owner) is also the Mastermind / Chef and comes up with crazy ass recipes that just smack. I could talk all day about their sweets but the absolute bomb for me is their chicken salad. The chicken salad sandwich at sweet and salty is -hands down- the best chicken salad sandwich in Portland period!!! It's got big chunks of chicken and a little sweet from some cranberry, some crunch with celery and Walnut and then some peppery spice that smacks you a little bit, but not too much. They keep it real simple and have a great white bread they put it on and, frankly, I can't get enough. I usually get one once a week or so depending and it never gets old. So one year and going strong. Definitely check them out!!!

    We randomly found this place as we were looking for a sweet treat to ends our lunch with. The place…read moreis nice and small. It looks like they make everything in the back and seems to be a small mom and pop operation. They had a variety of cookies and other small treats to choose from. I decided to go with the Oreo cookie and smores one. Both were delightful. The cookies had a nice soft chewiness to them and were the perfect way to end our lunch.

    Photos
    Peanut Butter & Jelly Pop Tart
    Peanut Butter & Jelly Pop Tart
    Mixed Cookie Catering Platters
    Mixed Cookie Catering Platters
    Reese's Pieces Chocolate Cookie

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    Reese's Pieces Chocolate Cookie

    Denizens Cafe - desserts - Updated July 2026

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