Coffee By Design

Walking around an incredible city like Portland gets tiring and needing a little «pick me up,» we happened into Coffee By Design. Inside, we experienced one of the best cups of coffee we ever have. Great local coffee. We came back a few times and even made a stop before leaving town.

At least 15+ choices of coffee bean.
If buy a bag of coffee beans, then the coffee drink can get a dollar off.
The set up of the shop is good to make you feel seats and space are enough.

Excellent ambience, coffee, tea, and staff! Props for sponsoring artwork by local artists. A must-​visit for Joe enthusiasts!

great coffee dark roasted or light roasted and very good cakes and cookies .a little bit expensive

I’m always looking for a quality cup of coffee anywhere I go. I like CBD because of the atmosphere and the friendly employees.
I had the Guatemala cold brew and the Brazil pour over. I was bummed out because both were quite bland. Usually light roasts from this region are full of bright, tasty flavors.
However, the beans were not burnt or bitter tasting, so that’s good.

I stumbled into Coffee By Design while exploring Portland, and I’m so glad that I did! The shop is eclectic and cozy, with interesting art on the walls and the friendliest baristas I’ve encountered in a long time. I ordered an almond milk latte which was perfection (and I have high almond milk standards.) Additionally, the kind barista overheard me say that I’d just arrived in Portland, and she helped me create a written list of places to go and see, including a number of art galleries. She was so sweet and helpful! The staff here went above and beyond. I really wish I could replicate this place and bring it back to Boston with me. Thanks for the excellent service!

Great nice coffee shop. Carries Two Fat Cats pastries that are savory and holy donuts. Good coffee and nice place to hang

The coffee was fantastic– I had the dark roast, black, and a strawberry rhubarb tart. Both were simply fantastic. The wifi works great. This is definitely on the more functional end of a coffee house. Good for brining in your computer if you want do get stuff done, but limited comfy seating if you want to lounge around for a while. I’ll definitely be back.

CBD is such a lovely local coffee shop. I have found that this is my least favorite as i haven’t had the best luck with friendly staff. CBD is great for local art, too!

It’s no secret: I LOVE Coffee By Design. I do. I do. I do. I’m obsessed with their Diamond Street location; and, I think their Chocolate Cherry Kiss flavor (which only comes out at Valentine’s Day) is the finest blend of coffee I’ve ever had in my entire life. Ever.
So, of course, I’m a fan.
For some strange reason this particular locale has eluded me for many years. I think I’m going to it, and somehow I end up at the Washington Street location. Even walking to it the other day, I walked a solid block past it before I realized my error. Why is their fog on my brain when it comes to this CBD?
While I ponder that whilst drinking a London Fog (which was their featured drink the other day), let me tell you what I love about India Street: the layout (I like that there’s front seating [full of light and windows — great for meetings] AND back seating [which seemed a bit darker and moodier to me — great for creativity]); the consistency in their branding; the consistency in their product; the décor (is it just me or does this one seem to have the most «arthouse» vibe to it of all of them? I REALLY liked all the coffee bags hanging up everywhere), and the thoughtfulness of my drinks (when I order a large maté lemon green tea, the staff asks me if I want two tea bags or one for no extra charge… that’s well kind of you, folks!!!).
I guess I must be coming at the wrong times though (11am to 1pm), because I haven’t had the same experience with the staff here that others have. It’s been super busy every time I’ve been, and they’ve been incredibly efficient at producing drinks and getting people through the line. However, they’ve always seemed a bit curt in my opinion. For example, one time I came and when I stepped out of line to look at something on the menu, the girl behind the counter actually stopped mid-​sentence with the customer she was talking with to yell at me to «keep the line orderly and away from the door». It was tremendously awkward and embarrassing. When it was my turn to order, though, she became all sunshine and rainbows towards me when I pulled out my CBD frequent buyer card. I understand the layout here is a bit unique, and they can’t have a glut of people blocking that side entrance, but that could have been approached with a little more tact.
Still lovvvvvvvvvvvvve CBD, though, and highly recommend it. Especially this location if you want that really, really indie coffeehouse vibe!

When I used to work nearby, I’d walk down and grab my usual which is still the white chocolate mocha. I’ll never forget when the barista asked me if I wanted to know what goes into it. Ghirardelli! I definitely remember shouting it out before she did. Oh well, secret was blown that day! On that note, the workers there are so friendly and patient.
It’s really a cozy and relaxed atmosphere in there. There’s ample seating
near the barista area as well as on the other side. They sell donuts from Holy Donut, other delicious treats from Scratch Baking Company. On the wall, you’ll also see other merchandise available for purchasing.
Bring your own mug and enjoy approximately .25 cents off. Sign up for a free Coffee By Design rewards card. Don’t you want a free coffee after your tenth one? I do!

COFFEE! I love this location for so, so, so, so many reasons!
1. The coffee! Duh. I love CBD’s dark roasts (Rebel Blend, Blackout, Alonzo’s Double Dark). The darker the better. I like my coffee to be like the inside of a black hole. Or darker. CBD’s brews are VERY consistent, especially at this particular location. You never need to worry about grounds or weirder stuff floating around in your coffee. I mention this because I occasionally find ‘weirder stuff’ floating in my Starbucks. OK, that only happened twice.
2. The isle of misfit pastries. Better known as the day-​old bin. Better known as cheaper than full price. Why pay full price for a brand new bagel when I can pay $.50 less just a short 24 hours later? And it’s not just bagels — it’s Holy Donuts, croissants (not surprisingly, not so good the second day), cinnamon buns, savory food pockets with spinach and feta, etc. Fortunately we’ve invented a machine called a ‘microwave’ that can send a particular food item back in time to a period earlier in it’s lifespan when it was warm and fresh. At least that’s how microwave technology has been explained to me.
3. The random coffee gizmos they have up for sale that you can peruse while you wait to pay. Of note is a mug that says ‘Here’s Looking At Euclid’. I want this so bad, and one of these days I’m going to pull the trigger on that purchase. I once bought a shirt that had a picture of a squirrel playing a drum. Also, Bodum products galore!
4. The staff. They’re always very friendly, even at 6:45am in the morning when no human being should expect friendliness from another human being. I’m sorry that work puts me in a position to need coffee so early in the day, but CBD always has my back regardless of how grumpy I might be at the Devil’s hour.
5. Nostalgia. 12 years ago I lived a short 2-​minute drive away. This was (obviously) my go-​to stop every morning en route to work. After the staff got used to my coffee habits, they would pour my morning cup of coffee as soon as they saw me enter. There is no better feeling of acceptance, understanding, or of faith in your fellow man (and their faith in you) when your local barista or bartender does this. It leaves you warm and fuzzy inside. Or like Norm from Cheers. It’s also a great indicator that you’re addicted to caffeine/​an alcoholic.
So drop in some day! This will always be my favorite location out of all the CBD locations for all of these reasons!

Went to this location for the first time yesterday after buying myself some early birthday cupcakes at Two Fat Cats down the street. I’ve always been a fan of Coffee By Design, having been to the location at L.L. Bean and also having their coffee at various Portland eateries like Local 188. I was pleased that this location (there are several throughout the city) was right by a lot of great local spots.
I didn’t stay, i just wanted to get a coffee for the road as I was driving back to Connecticut after visiting the family in Maine, but if I had stayed it seemed that I would probably have been quite comfortable here. There was ample seating, lighting was good, bathroom is clean (*you have to ask for the key at the counter to use it, like many other places in town*) and free wifi (pw: locallyroasted).
As always, the numerous awesome-​sounding options overwhelmed me. Do I want cold-​brew? Or a cappuccino? Or a breve? A tea latte? A red-​eye? Hmmm… The long list of flavor shots provided even more options for customizing. I finally decided on a festive Buttered Rum latte, requested less sweet than the typical order, and it was just what I needed and wanted.

Pretty cool Portland coffee joint. I had a latte that was quite good. It was a cold day and really hit the spot.
The service here was excellent. Good vibe. Seemed like a great place for sitting down with your computer to quietly get some work done. I recommend any type of traditional coffee drink. I highly doubt you’ll be disappointed. Is it exceptional, no hence the
3 stars– coffee place– very ordinary

Solid coffee joint.
The atmosphere is great for getting work done or small talk. There is a small couched sitting area in to he front and tables in the back. Free wifi is an obvious plus.
The coffee is also pretty good. We got iced coffee and iced mocha and were happy with both!

We were very excited to find this coffee shop, as we are trying to avoid chain coffee shops. Coffee By Design has a casual vibe, with a lot of seating. I tried their espresso, which I found to be very bitter. A lot of people enjoy that flavor, but I like the darker roasts. My fiancé ordered a cold brew and it was really good, I probably ended up drinking half of his.

It’s a weird interest I have in coffee since I’m not a consumer. My life encountered a brief stint with coffee when I was low in the pecking order at a local office, so for about three years I outfitted my workmates with Green Mountain from the roaster then located on Temple next to the Nickelodeon Theatre. When I left that job I left coffee and turned to tea and have remained there ever since.
Coffee is akin to beer, meat, and vegetables in the world of gourmet food; Portlanders prefer it local, of superior quality, and the pricing isn’t the primary purchasing factor. I’m fascinated by the fact that this town has multiple coffee roasters, all with their own following, and all with enough business to make a living and a lot of folks happy in the process.
The founder of Coffee by Design will be public speaking soon about how to find a nitch and grow a small business. Brava, this one has certainly done well. With a roaster and several retail locations, always busy with clientele that vary from suits to dreads, this company seems to have a good business model for Portland Maine.
My experience today at the India Street location included this query to the baristas — «does espresso have less caffeine than a cup of coffee»? Much discussion ensued after the initial juxtaposed answer from two baristas, concluding with — «by volume» generally yes. I was impressed with the professionalism of these folks, all young by my standards, and their interest and expertise in their craft. Not to mention their fearlessness with entering a discussion when it became clear there wasn’t a ready concrete answer. No concern at offending the consumer by not «knowing it all». Scores points with me.

In my quest to find great coffee i ended up here. Sounded, looked promising. I got a cup of coffee, espresso and beans. The coffee was waaaaay over roasted. very dark, and I think i asked for the medium or light roast. The espresso was inedible. I’m sure the flavor stands up well in milk drinks, but who wants the taste of burning???
Anyway, there’s loads of coffee stuff here. you can buy all the accouterments to make coffee which is cool. Service was good. If you’re looking for dark coffee, this place is your spot. If you’re looking for good coffee with some actual flavor and drinkability, got to Tandem, Speckled Ax, or Bard.

3 things I miss about Maine: laid back lifestyle; charming little town and trails; and Coffee By Design
This is, my favorite coffee place, like ever. I’ve never tried any pastry or food items from them. Just coffee, simply coffee, and absolutely amazing.

I’m having a tough time deciding whether CBD is a tiny shop or a part of a chain. Either way, their cookies are ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. On a cold autumn day, I was enticed by an advertisement outside for their hot Caramel Apple Cider (which also came with a stick of REAL cinnamon!) and I ended up nibbling away at my friend’s chocolate-​chip cookie.
You know how freshly-​baked cookies are amazing because the chocolate chips are gooey and warm? Their chocolate-​chips manage to keep that perfect texture even at room temperature!
They have free wifi and the ambiance is just what you’d expect from a cute little coffee shop (emphasis on little). Come early and grab a seat, maybe you’ll even get some good people-​watching action going. :)