Coffee By Design

I was in Portland, Maine for work and had some time to kill. There is a Starbucks near Coffee by Design, but I wanted something different… something more local. Coffee by Design was near our hotel, so I decided to give it a try.
The irony here is that I don’t really care for coffee, but I love the coffee shop vibe and I typically love being able to read or work in the coffee shop. I ordered a hot chocolate with a snickerdoodle cookie. All told, the cost was $ 4.11 which I thought was very reasonable. The cookie was good, but it wasn’t anything memorable or special. The same with the hot chocolate.
The staff was friendly, but there was minimal interaction. They stood talking amongst themselves while I watched them make my drink. The service wasn’t bad, but it would have been nice to have been included in the conversation instead of feeling like a fly on the wall while I waited.
What holds me back most though… Is the space. I was disappointed to find it more café than coffee shop in feel. The chairs were not particularly comfortable and the space did not really invite you to relax, read or have conversation. I found myself finishing my food and drink and moving on to the next place.
There are a lot of great reviews for this place… Maybe the coffee or some other drink is more memorable than the hot chocolate. I would come back here if others were going, but if it is just me, I prefer Starbucks over Coffee by Design.

Always perfect mochas, friendly staff. Interesting art. One goes to drink, read and chat. Want a great espresso, go to C.B.D.

This place is so dirty! You could see the dust piling up on everything behind the counter. The tables were shoved all around in no particular arrangement so it was awkward and unwelcoming. Ordering was total chaos, they were arguing from across the room about who had a register and the guy making drinks had no idea what was going on and kept messing up everyone’s drinks. I had to order my drink from 3 different people, was charged for the wrong thing, got the wrong size after having to remind the barista what he was making (it was just a small latte). It was such an ordeal! Never again.

Super friendly help, nice selection of pastries, hip and funky décor, and good iced coffee served in a Mason jar. If I lived in Portland, I’d go here often.

Friendly staff. Tried an iced French Toast latte. They even have almond milk so I did not have to suffer through my dairy allergy. Happy day! They have several small tables in back to rest your feet after walking around Portland. My husband tried a bottled Capt’n Eli’s blueberry soda since he is not a coffee fan. So, we both ended up being pleased with our afternoon break.

Prompt, courteous service, huge selection of local baked goods… including Holey Donuts. …if you haven’t tried the chocolate with sea salt drizzle… you are missing out, my friend!
Sometimes the lines are long but the wait is worth it for fresh coffee done the way you want it.
A must if you find yourself walking Congress or are in the area.

What you’d expect from an urban coffee shop, but not too expensive. Nice seating area, good lighting, nice music. It’s a coffee shop. Why am I even writing this review? Who am I? Is too a bad thing?

I am not a huge fan of the hot beverages… I typically get white chocolate mochas, but theirs are not good. They use chocolate powder instead of syrup and it tastes much different.
I do like the sweets! They sell Holy Donut here and cupcakes from a local baker, there delicious and convienent if you live in the west end.

Love coffee by design. This one isn’t convenient for me as the parking is tough. Stopped in to pick up a bag of Black and Tan, my favorite coffee

Great staff! Very helpful and knowledgable about the products. I love the local art work as well!

Two and a half stars, really. The problem with this place is that relative to the other coffeeshops in Portland it in no way comes out near the top. I had an Americano earlier in the morning at a different café, and it looked and tasted a lot better. This one was a lot more watery, and had the strength of a weak drip brew. No real flavor to be found in the Americano I got. Also, got my drinks «for here», and still got paper cups. I’d like some ceramic cups please.

I am in for coffee most mornings. I do enough traveling that I like to think I can tell average from excellent, and CBD is excellent. I hope they continue to do great work. The staff is always nice, even at 6:30am when that’s not so easy.

Friendly staff and incredible coffee options. They do a cold brew here which is phenomenal if you’ve never tried it before. My wife and I cold brew our coffee at home so it was nice to see a coffee shop put in the extra effort too and spread the word with a chalkboard explaining the process and rationale. My Iced Americano was good but not great. We’ll keep coming back during our vacation here and are glad we found a nice spot nearby for some good Joe.

Sterile, over lighted space, like a hospital waiting room. Coffee served in paper, even when you stay. Like Starbucks, but local, and uglier. My mistake to bother.

This, or the India St location, make great places to stop in for coffee, and treats. They carry a great variety of coffee that they roast in Bayside. I generally stop in to get a bag for home, but often get a cup and most likely a donut, made by The Holy Donut. Definitely pick up a donut while you’re at it, as they’re well worth it. I’ve always had a friendly experience here, and quick service.
My only gripe is table space, but it’s a small location, and also where they started out. I’d recommend Coffee By Design over Starbucks any day!

I love Coffee by Design.
I just don’t love THIS location (please note: if you’re new to Portland or just visiting, please don’t let THIS CBD dictate how you feel about the place or the coffee [especially since it’s served in so many restaurants, bars, and shops around the city]. I promise, they’re a lovely establishment that believes in community, quality, and customer education… you’ll just need to go to one of their other locations to see that).
Don’t get me wrong: time and time again this place has saved me from serious caffeine withdrawals (especially when my boyfriend lived nearby and we never seemed to remember to buy coffee for his apartment… many a early morn did we truck down in rain, wind, and snow to get some) and boredom, too (they’re ideally located for people who need to gear-​up for the Art Walk or wait for a table at Green Elephant).
However… I have two major issues with this particular CBD and they really go hand-​in-​hand:
1. The staff. Man, they always seem indifferent. I have never had a «warm, fuzzy» feeling with these people. Short, rude, apathetic, inconsistent… that more accurately describes my every experience here. Given some of the characters who call Congress St. their home, I’m sure they have it the roughest out of all the other CBD locations. Still! Segue…
2. The cleanliness. It just always seems dirty here. I definitely would never come here for a meeting or to sit and hang with friends. It’s more of a «grab and go» kind of place, and that works especially great (given the staff) if you’re just getting a cup of coffee with soy milk.
CBD you rock… I just wish this location showcased that more.

As local places go, this is our go to when visiting my folks in SoPo. I have a memebers card even though we only visit twice a year! Staff are always very chill, friendly, and helpful. Ask questions! Have a chat!
Great product, great atmosphere, and good people. Seasonal flavors and quality iced coffee year round.

Back again: Another seven pounds brought back to CA. They toss in a few free coffees because we bought so much. :)
Friendly, helpful people! Wonderful coffee, very hip spot. Door out back is a great way to avoid crowds when leaving. (We parked on an adjacent street to Congress and this led us right to the car).

I popped in here on a Sunday morning. The girls at the counter were helpful and nice. They recommended a great scone and I got the cold brewed iced coffee – it’s amazing! Super smooth. Highly recommended! I also noticed that they have a scrabble board-​so much fun!

I like the variety of different beans here at Coffee by Design. Friendly staff, great location and for coffee I had the Peak Columbia and croissant as well. Both were good and not disappointed.