at a place I checked out online before our trip...
Bison Coffee House is Portland's only Native American owned and operated coffee shop. The owner is Loretta Guzman, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe of Fort Hall Idaho. Bison's beans are from local roaster Heart as well as from several Native American roasters.
You cannot miss the presence of the huge bison head as you step into the shop, which is also filled with Native American art and decor.
All baked goods are made by the owner herself. The ambiance in here was really chill. It was not like the stereotypical hipster coffee shop with its reclaimed wood, Edison lightbulbs and sterile decor. Everything in this shop, according to the owner, is meaningful.
Our drinks - house coffee for TC (doctored with cream and sugar), a mocha for Bert (in black cup) ad a macchiato for me.
TC enjoyed her coffee, which was milder tasting than ours. My roast was pretty strong for the macchiato. I actually wasn't too fond of it, but drank it anyways since I knew it was only the the first for today. Bert thought his mocha was just okay and that it tasted "thin".
Across the street from Bison is a marijuana dispensary. There are tons of them in Portland. I'm not too thrilled about these types of shops. I see them all over the place nowadays, luckily not in my area, at least not yet.
The shop's feel was welcoming and laid back. If we ever make a return trip to Portland, we'd revisit Bison...
Please take the time to check out this video featuring the owner who explains why she chose the bison for her shop's namesake:
Articles:
"Bison Coffeehouse stands out" Portland Observer, Oct. 3, 2016
"Welcme to Bison Coffeehouse, Portland's only Native American-owned coffee shop" PDXMonthly, Dec 28, 2016
Bison Coffee House
3941 NE Cully Blvd
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 288-3941
www.bisoncoffeehouseo=.com / fb page + reviews from you know where
Now for donut stop #2...
2 comments:
Interesting background, your post plus the links are so informative. Too bad the coffees weren't perfect; you need to try a pastry next time!
Thank you Cathy. I appreciate that you take the time to not only read my post, but the links as well. I do like the background of why the owner opened this shop. It really resonated with me. Yes, had I known she made the pastries herself, we would have bought one. We were already sugared out and needed to pace ourselve (we hadn't gone to Pip's yet).
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