Coava Coffee Roasters: Bend But Don’t Break at Portland Cafe

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Coffee Portland

Be like the bamboo. Bend, but don’t break. This Zen-like adage is a common refrain on Fox Sports Radio thanks to kooky L.A. broadcaster Vic “The Brick” Jacobs. The saying also applies to Matt Higgins, a longtime barista who graduated from an illustrious line-up at the original Albina Press in north Portland and founded Coava Coffee Roasters in 2009.


Coffee Portland
Higgins opened in an industrial area in Southeast Portland, sharing the glass-fronted space with Bamboo Revolution, which handled the unique buildout, from the beautiful bar to the communal tables. Maybe it’s his coffee, maybe it’s the bamboo, but Higgins has proven to be quite resilient in cultivating a dedicated following amidst stiff Portland competition.

Coffee Portland
Higgins features a vintage Probat coffee roaster in the café.

Coava has a minimalist menu with only five options, and still coffee aficionados flock.

Coffee Portland
A barista used five Chemex glass brewers, each topped with a steel Kone filter.

Coffee Portland
She prepared Reinelio Lopez from Colombia, Kine, via pourover ($2.50). The descriptors read, “sugar cane, molasses, cherry pipe tobacco.” The cup was nice and earthy, but due to the brewing method, ended up with muddy soot at the bottom of the cup, which reminded me a bit of Turkish coffee.

Coffee Portland
Of course, like any coffee company with business sense, Higgins featured bags of Coava beans right near the entrance, making it easy for customers to buy, grab and go.

Coava Coffee Roasters is part of a new breed of Portland cafe that combines solid coffee with crafty, functional design while still maintaining a clear focus on the beans.

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Joshua Lurie

Joshua Lurie founded FoodGPS in 2005. Read about him here.

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