Lovecup

I want to LOVE this place. But I just like it.
Lovecup is a quaint little coffee shop/​bistro located next door to my local kids consignment store. SO, as a mom of two, my little ones and I are often nearby and we’ll stop in to Lovecup for a treat.
Here’s what they do right:
1) Kiddie ice scream scoops for $ 1! What a deal!
2) Good coffee
3) Sandwiches/​soup taste and smell delicious
4) Quaint feel, cozy and unique decorations
5) A few toys for the kids
Here’s why they didn’t get 5 stars:
1) Often times — they advertise ice cream but they just don’t have any or they only have one flavor. They advertise certain kinds and then it’s like they’re always out.
2) Although the place offers kiddie scoops and a few toys, I’m not sure they actually like kids being there that much. Which is understandable in a place that small — but i guess with the location — I wish they would capitalize more on inviting kids in and being excited that they’re there.
3) Hours are a little strange, sometimes they’re closed in the middle of the day (understandable for a one man show of a business — sometimes you have to do an errand, etc)
4) Overall friendliness vibe could go up a few notches.
The reality is — I’ll still come back because of the location and the hope of a $ 1 scoop being available!

Quite possibly the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. Owner was great. Can’t wait to go back.

First of all, the owner was super friendly and the place is very cute (important!) We were looking for something to split and we decided on the curry chicken salad. With two almost tennis-​ball sized scoops of salad on top of spinach greens, along with two wedges of homemade bread, it was perfect as a light lunch for two. I’m not usually crazy for curry, but this was perfectly seasoned and loaded with cranberries and almonds. It wasn’t heavy on the mayo, which is a plus in my book! Give this place some love :)

Perfect neighborhood coffee and sandwich shop.

I NEEDED a grilled, roasted-​veggie sammich. It’s a PREGNANT lady thing.
I had no idea that the neighborhood (Sellwood) just west of my neighborhood (Ardenwald) was grilling up that exact thing. Oh, and it came with apple slices.
I had a bottomless glass of honey-​lavender tea and a peanut butter cookie. I got to chat with the lady behind the counter about her baby that was visiting with her baby-​daddy. They were super nice. The chip-​toothed, crazy haired other-​guy-​behind-​the-​counter was a jovial, busy presence in the modestly busy little shop.
I sat for an hour and a half enjoying my lunch, the open doors, the ceiling fan, and the parade of locals getting their Lovecup fix. This is a very friendly neighborhood place. I’ve only been once before for ice-​cream. Yes, they have ice-​cream!

love this place so far!
i went here for the first time today in hopes of a quick lunch and drink before perusing my new neighborhood! i haven’t had the coffee yet but it smelled delicious so i’m sure i’ll be back! had a GREAT turkey sandwich (actually half but it filled me up) with red pepper aoili sauce. it was GREAT. handsliced thick turkey, crispy bacon, sauce, on great (tasted super fresh) bread. it came with avocado but i left that off. i’m sure it was good too though.
great service, great atmosphere, will definitely be back!

Just reviewing the sandwiches here. Good sandwiches given the space /​equipment they have to work with. Definitely rivals Grand Central, but I think Grand Central takes the cake on sandwich quality alone. There is a lot to be said for the charm of this place though.

That chai milkshake really is a yes. Hell yes. Knowing that this place makes such wonderment in a cup will probably be the end of me.
The first time I was here the guy working was a bit grouchy. But the second try he was much nicer. He put Carmel on my whipped cream on my milkshake. (this place really is going to kill me) he was also really nice to my friend who brought her kid. Second visits service bumped it back up a star. Everyone has off days and I was glad to see that the guy wasn’t grumpy all the time!

I stepped into this miniature but well-​stocked café on a Friday afternoon after having to decamp from another neighborhood café due to flimsy wi-​fi. I was greeted warmly and genuinely by the guy behind the counter, who proceeded to make my americano and told me to go ahead and sit, that he’d bring it to me. Without paying first! WOW.
I sat and checked the wi-​fi integrity immediately, and all was good. The wi-​fi actually belonged to the Black Cat Pub across the street, but was plenty strong enough to get the job done, and no password needed.
I then spent the next hour or two getting some work done, drinking a great americano — first at a table inside, then moving out to a picnic table in the public courtyard, since I saw that they were closing at 4.
Same guy comes out to tell me that I can hang there as long as I liked, but I needed to pay so that he could close up. I did, and did, and aside from there being no outlets near the picnic table, it was grand.
I will definitely have to return and try some of the tasty food.

Yes, this is a shop of Lilliputian dimensions. Just two people are working here — preparing coffee drinks, dipping ice cream or fixing sandwiches, so you may have to wait for your turn and exhibit some patience.
Quircky atmosphere. They were playing songs from that one stoner Beach Boys album, and one of the staffers was wearing an ancient bowling shirt. He looked like he could have stepped out of Laverne and Shirley.
Ahh, but the patience pays off in obtaining a truly delectable Panini!
I know a sandwich’s bread usually just plays a supporting role to the contents on the inside. But I have to tell you Lovecup uses a most amazing and incredibly soft bread in their Panini.
I ordered the Turkey Panini. Most excellent. Besides the wonderful bread, the red pepper aioli on the inside was absolutely delicious. The Panini also had bacon, avocado and turkey. My Panini was toasted perfectly with the contents inside heated thoroughly.
What was pleasing too were the slices of green apple that came with the Panini. At first, I was a bit perplexed as to what the little plastic cup that came with the sandwich contained. So, using the cup’s contents as a «dipping sauce «I dug into it with one of the apple slices. The sauce was a cream cheese spread with cranberries. The spread was okay, though I didn’t like so much the unfamiliar spice (s) in it.
Bonus points for the picnic tables outside between Lovecup and the building next door. Sitting at one of tables, you are protected from the chilly spring wind but the sunshine still floods down upon you, warming the long winter away.
Needless to say, I had a very good lunch today.

I don’t understand the love for lovecup. There is nothing wrong with it, but I’m not exactly sure what’s so special about it either. Its a coffee shop that makes sandwiches, but its too small to think you’ll be able to consistently get a table. Maybe that gives it a sensation of slowness or quaintness that I just don’t have an appreciation of.
I go for the coffee which is on par with the other Sellwood options.

Instead of getting to work in a timely fashion this morning, I found myself driving around Sellwood, listening to the Jackson 5 at top volume, with all the windows down, looking for graffiti, AGAIN. At 7 am.
Somewhere near 14^th and Tacoma, the most delicious smell wafted into my car, and then into my nostrils, and I screeched to a halt in the middle of an intersection.
*sniff… sniffffffffff… Where was that coming from?! Ah, yes. My beloved Lovecup! I’ve neglected you! It’s been far too long, lover! I made a beeline through the New Season’s parking lot, nearly swiping a delivery truck on the way.
Me: «I smelled you from 3 blocks away.»
Owner: «Coffeecake. That’s why I had the door open.» YES!
Somehow this place manages to be more cute upon every visit. Just when you think it’s reached Total Cuteness Limit, there will be some new, adorable painting, display, pastry, or cleverly-​worded menu item to delight you.
While I did not try the cake responsible for my minor traffic infraction, it sure looked delicious. I was feeling a little more spicy than that so I went for a jalapeño bagel (Kettleman’s) with big, fat slices of tomato and, like everything there, prepared with a Whole Lotta Love.

I love the Lovecup.
After moving into an adorable little office about three blocks away, this is my new favorite coffee place. Cute, wifi-​happy, GREAT service, and full of fabulous coffee and munchy options, I couldn’t be happier to have it close by. It also embodies one of my favorite features of Sellwood: everyone coming in and out was really friendly. I’m looking forward to stopping for ice cream in the summer.
Pleased to be in the neighborhood, Lovecup.

Went bicycling out the Springwater Corridor trail the other day, which involved riding down the riverfront and then cutting through Sellwood. It was cold and windy and kinda rainy and by the time I was heading back home I was getting seriously hungry, and decided to poke around the south side of Sellwood.
Lovecup was the perfect antidote to my hungry and cold. Nice cozy atmosphere, very friendly staffer, and way way yummy tuna sandwich. Everyone should eat here. Seriously.

My little pregnant butt had a taste for a nice BLT. Unilocal to the rescue! Lovecup is in one of my fav. little towns, Sellwood. It’s as cozy as it gets. I think I counted 5 small tables with a couple chairs each. From what I read, local artist are displayed on the walls. A nice display of pictures/​postcards on the tables. I am quite shy, so I was a basket of nerves ordering my food. With the few people there, it felt very personal to me. I’m sure if I become a regular, I can get use to that. The wonderful gentleman, possibly owner, gave great service. A rarity in Portland.
BLT and a cup of roasted red pepper soup. Wow. The BLT with avocado was amazing. It had an amazing amount of Bacon with fresh lettuce and tomato on a wonderful toasted slice of bread. The website says they use farm-​direct, fair-​trade and organic products. The roasted red pepper soup was new to me. It was a perfect compliment to a typical rainy day in Portland. I was tempted to go back for more soup after picking my daughter up.
I would definitely return for more. The menu is small but just right for a relaxed lunch, coffee, or ice cream. I can’t stop thinking about the soup.

Lovecup has become a post-​pediatrician tradition for me and my baby mama (lovely wife). It’s a perfect place to stop in for a hot drink and a delicious bagel sandwich on a sunny/​rainy/​overcast/​snowy day.
The place is tiny, but ridiculously charming. It’s got a great neighborhood feel to it. The staff seems to know the regulars really well and it’s super kid-​friendly. There’s art on the walls, branches hanging from the ceiling, and (on occasion) sunlight beaming in the window. It’s been a great discovery for us.

I dropped in Lovecup within my first month of moving to Portland. I live in Eastmoreland and was told by another prof at Reed to check out the adjacent, more commercial neighborhoods of Sellwood and Moreland. So on the first visit, I just moseyed in, picked up a menu and moseyed out. Cute, standard coffeeship fare, a bit dismal, friendly barista, but nothing that made me want to stay and stick around.
I didn’t return until months later, when I had a craving for a bagel sandwich and happened to take a glance at the menu again. I ordered the egg, bacon, and cheese to go. Kettlemen’s bagel, nice thick bacon and they even topped it off with my request grilled onions on the house. Very satisfying. So satisfying in fact, I kept having cravings for an egg, bacon, cheese bagel every morning after. Ended up trying one at an actual Kettleman’s bagel shop and immediately felt like I played myself for not just going back to Lovecup. On the most recent visit, I discovered the bacon, avocado and cream cheese bagel and now I’m hooked on that one! Very good bagels, tasty coffee. The owner is very sweet and sociable.
I just get the feeling that I’m gonna be a regular. I love the space: cozy, cute, and artsy. It’s never too busy when I go in. The place is lighter and brighter than I remember because of the Chinese paper lanterns. It just suits my off-​the-​beaten track, eclectic shabby comfort vibe that I like in my coffee shops. Yay Lovecup so happy to have finally ended my search for MY nearby hidden gem.

And the winner for most evocative business name is… lovecup!
Sitting outside with a coffee and a brownie in the early morning I got to see a steady stream of Sellwoodians arriving with their friends and dogs and be greeted with cheery sincerity by the proprietor of this super charming café and bakery.
I stopped here because I’m a sucker for a friendly coffeehouse and this one had a sign beckoning cyclists, which happened to be my mode of transit that morning. I just needed a little sustenance while I gathered strength of will to finish a long ride and was completely smitten by the whole look and especially the feel of lovecup. The pictures in frames hanging from the ceiling, the Hobart mixer churning away in the front window, the novel-​page-​of-​the-​day on the side of the espresso machine — everything makes me look forward to a visit when I can stay awhile.
The baked goods were mostly still in process as it was early morning, but what I had was top notch. On a subsequent stop I just had a shot of espresso and completely lost myself reading the page of the day from ‘Tender is the Night’, not realizing a line had formed behind me.
Now I can’t ride through Sellwood without at least cruising by lovecup to see if they are open. If that’s not love, well, it’s at least obsession. And that’s almost the same, right?

Wow, thank you Unilocal application for helping me out in the middle of Sellwood (totally not my stomping ground) and finding this place for me. This is an adorable little place, and I do mean little. There’s only three tables and just enough walking room to come in the shop and to turn around and leave when you’re done. I came in looking confused and the employee immediately jumped up and gave me a rundown of everything they had to eat. I decided on pumpkin bread after a good few minutes of debating on whether I wanted that or the homemade scone. And then, he asked «Do you want me to heat that up and put a little butter on it for you?» YES. After so many room temperature pastries in coffee shops this week, the warm, buttery bread was like watching television in color for the first time. So yummy.
I also got half of my dining partner’s bagel sandwich. Avocado, bacon, and cream cheese. The bacon was sizzling hot and the avocado and cream cheese were all melting together and making a green and white swirly mess and it was just so good.
Between the mismatched salt and pepper shakers on each table, the bicycle specials, and everything being still in it’s baking tin covered in plastic wrap, this place has got to be pure Sellwood. I wonder why I only come here once or so a year.

Lovecup is such a great neighborhood coffee shop. The inside of Lovecup is small but on a nice day the outside seating area is ideal for reading the paper and enjoying one of their fresh baked goods.
Always different types of scones and coffee cake made fresh from scratch. The smell of brownies permeating through the shop makes it nearly impossible to leave with only a drink.
When I am need more than a sugar rush of pure goodness I go with an equally delightful bagel sandwich. If you are not feeling like a pure bagel delight then the salads are also very tasty.
Love you Lovecup