Oblique Coffee Roasters

I I don’t know what the hell is wrong with Portland coffee shops. Most of them don’t know customer service if it hit them in the face. The place is cool. The coffee is not that good, but we would have come back. The owner was not friendly and was actually mean to my wife who was trying to compliment them about the cool place. The owner miss understood the compliment and said «if you don’t like it there are plenty of coffee shops in Portland.» Really, no wonder Starbucks got to where it is now. If you don’t want to deal with customers, maybe you should go work in a basement somewhere where you work by yourself.

Popped into this coffee house on our last day in Portland before our flight. Great vibe from this place walking in and was greeted by a friendly and sociable barista. Coffee is top notch and rightfully so since they roast their own beans. It looked like they also had the bags available for purchase! Shop was easy to miss as it’s a simple Victorian-​styled house so pay attention to your GPS and roll up the street to find stress-​free parking within the neighborhood. Place it very cozy with plenty of seating inside and seemed relatively quiet and easy-​going. Overall, honest business with great coffee that you can quickly visit hassle-​free.

The owner and barista paid no attention at all to customers. The place is void of any good vibes.
MONIN brand chocolate in my hot chocolate is way too sweet and simple tasting. Nothing great as far as staff enthusiasm goes. Positive reviews should be appreciated, hmmm?

I love this place! The coffee is amazing, the owners and staff are kind, the place is cozy, and the service is excellent. It’s the kind of local business that you definitely want to support.

It is hard to get service when one isn’t even greeted!
As I walked into the place, there is but one customer tucked away in a corner reading a book, and two employees– one woman working in the kitchen, and the other, a male hipster, locked into his macbook as he sat near the cash register.
This guy was «working» the counter, looked up at me, saw my veteran logo hat, and then went back to his macbook. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t even look back up. Not a single utterance from his royal hipster mouth.
I got the message. «You aren’t welcome here, veteran,» was the message.
No problem. They take my money up the street at Starbucks. You can take your macbook and your judgmental attitude and swim in all that extra coffee you guys aren’t selling!
I’ll never ever go back into this coffee shop, ever. If you were giving out free coffee, Oblique, I’d pour it on the sidewalk.

My friend and I walk in the mornings and make Oblique one of our stops. I’m to the point where I can almost tell what coffee is brewed by the wonderful smell as we enter. My favorite is the Ethiopian, and I strangely get excited when I see it written on the card.
I like it when there’s a consistency with the staff and the person behind the counter knows our names, as I get to know theirs. They are always kind and attentive. Oh, and they have a coffee punch card, but the don’t tell you about it unless you ask. :-)

Unilocal deleted my previous review which I can’t really understand, since I’ve been a regular customer at Oblique for years. Perhaps the owners saw it, and asked for it to be taken down? Given their antagonistic attitude, I’d assume that’s what happened.
Anyways, again — they roast their own beans, the coffee is good. Not ridiculous quality like Coffeehouse Northwest, Barista, or Heart — but good.
Since the owners have asked, Here’s the last experience that drove me away:
Come into the store, head to the counter to order (place is empty). Male owner is at the computer, next to the register — working on whatever he’s working on every time I come in. I wait for two minutes in silence, no acknowledgement of my presence. Phone rings. Owner gets up from computer (not 2 feet from me). Now face to face with me. I think he’s going to take my order. Still no acknowledgment. Owner picks up phone. Has short conversation. Hangs up. Turns around. Then goes back to the computer. About 3 minutes later, a young woman comes and takes my order. Thing is, I’ve had conversations with the owner before. He’s not very friendly ever, but he knows me. We’ve talked. I guess I just don’t want to pay to be treated poorly anymore.
And neither should you. Hence, a review warning you. And encouraging you to head somewhere that will treat you like a human when you want to pay for a coffee.
That’s what I use Unilocal for. Because I like to spend my money at places and support people who are kind, friendly or at the very least — civil.
Also, for every bad review I post — I have a policy of posting a good review for a business that does a good job.
Check yourself, Oblique, we’re your neighbors and own historic property in this neighborhood too.

They charge you more if you pay with card. So bring cash. Had iced latte. was quite alright, but the people behind the counter were not the friendliest I’ve met. Nice long wooden tables with outlet cords if you want to work here. Lots of flies… was the first thing I noticed when I walked in.

Charming place with great coffee.

Overall, a great coffee house in Portland.
The coffee selection and quality is solid and the ambiance is very relaxing and mellow. It also has great seating options for patrons and groups. There comfy couches in the corners are the perfect spots to go with friends or family.
I can’t speak to their WiFi there, but it seemed like the perfect place to crush work.

Really good coffee. I stopped in and bought some little pound bags for friends across the country and they were blown away when they made the stuff. We are lucky to have this place right in the neighborhood. Ample tables and a unique interior make it a great daytime coffee spot. The roaster is right in the room so this is an added plus.
I did not ask for the wifi password but I did see it pop up on my phone.

Exploring Portland by Coffee: Days 1 & 2 (⁹⁄₁₃ & ⁹⁄₁₄)
I visited Oblique on my first two days in Portland, as it’s a few blocks from my apartment. I hadn’t been anywhere else yet, so I’ve waited until now to write my review to get a better feel for the coffee scene.
Both times I went I had their drip coffee, a relatively fruity Ethiopian.
They roast in-​house, and they do a wonderful job maintaining an awesome community atmosphere while also providing some really great coffee. I really enjoy reading the newspaper on my iPad and abundance of seating, along with some super comfy leather couches made this a place I would likely become a regular (alas, there are too many shops in Portland for me to become a regular just yet!). The owners are super awesome too! They’re really willing to be accommodating and I admire the concept of living above the space.
The memorabilia creates a sense of nostalgia in an unpretentious setting.
Overall, great coffee and vibes!

If you’re going for a good Portland vibe and a work-​friendly space, go here. Also, the first coffee refill is free!
The staff are really laid back, friendly, and don’t bother you if you are hanging and working for a few hours. There is a good selection of seating (big tables to cushy chairs and couches all comfortably mismatched). The atmosphere is totally conducive to getting some writing done.
The restroom has several stylized and kinda creepy paintings of sad-​eyed children, which cracks me up with the kitschy-​ness but, I’ll confess, also motivates me to get the hell out of the restroom, fast. Lol.

To start. The coffee is great.
Then comes all the additional perks… An unpretentious vibe, WORLD CUP SOCCER, and an incredibly helpful staff.
When I was having trouble connecting to the internet, one of the staff came and helped me until we got it working. They also made a great suggestion on the Banana Bread.
If you are in the hood and looking for a place to work, read or just enjoy a good cup of coffee, this is your place!

The building is clean and looks great but this is about all this place has going on. The coffee is okay but they charge 25 cents for using cards and if you buy a bagel they charge you 25 cents then another 25 cents for the cream cheese I have never seen a place with the nerve to charge for butter on your bagel this place is off the list…

This will be my last visit to Oblique. Beyond never having bagels when they open in the morning, the service is awful. I am the only person in this café at the moment, and after leaving a dollar tip on an already expensive coffee, the barista couldn’t even bother to walk it out to me. Can I have my dollar back please?

John and Heather… hello again!
Forgot to tell you how much I loved your sign out front, leaning against the window. Funny…
Guatemalan Cosecha bag of beans…
Brewed today…
Silky, smooth in taste, with a very very gentle citrus note. Lovely meeting you when we were en route to Laurelhurst for a jaunt.
Awesome find! The coffeehouse reminds me of so many small neighborhood coffee hang outs all over the City… rustic and local. Like!
PS Cool tidbit: Portlandia was filmed here. Heather, you are so beautiful on screen!;)

UPDATE: I have taken the rating down to one star in light of the rude response from the owner. I’m not seeing how it is that I didn’t «actually approach [the owners] as human beings.» I wrote an honest review of their business. Also, that’s nice that they live upstairs and they feel that their business is an extension of their home. In fact, I said «For some, this will add a homey feel to the place.» I am not wrong to think that «For others, it will be kinda weird.» I did not even suggest that I am someone who finds this kinda weird! Furthermore, what’s up with the bragging about running marathons, ultra-​marathons, etc. Why should I, or anyone reading this, care? What does this have to do with your coffee shop? I have «look[ed] to the beautiful light of the day» and seen more clearly, «on a personal level,» how this place is to be avoided.
***
As far as the coffee goes, I don’t find much to distinguish Oblique from other places in Portland. The espresso is taken seriously here; you’ll pay a premium price for it, but you’ll probably like it well enough. If you’re into the trend of sparkling water being served with your espresso, you won’t get that here. I don’t think that’s a big strike against the place, but maybe some will.
There is a decent pastry selection. They have something they call «crowns» which look a whole lot like muffins to me.
The atmosphere here is noteworthy. There are a couple of very cushy couches and interesting books to peruse with your drink; the little book on skull art is a winner. Among the decorations are several photos of the owners, a couple, who may very well be there when you are. For some, this will add a homey feel to the place. For others, it will be kinda weird.
This place came to me with a lot of hype, but I found it just okay. It’ll do if you’re in the area, but I’d not suggest going out of your way for it.

Over time I have come to really appreciate the roast that Obloque is turning out. It took me a while of drinking their coffee, and I’m not sure if it was me coming around or the roast getting better. Regardless, I truly appreciate it now. I’ve been sourcing bags for my French Press at home, and I recently stopped back in to the roastery and coffee shop for some espresso. All excellent.
Props to Oblique for roasting up a mighty fine bean.

I enjoyed the coffee and love what the owners have done to preserve the historic building. I sought them out after being intrigued by the sight of the building on an episode of Portlandia and reading about the renovation on their website.
That said, I found the owners less than outgoing and friendly. They appeared more interested in the person coming in to sing later and told me I’d have to vacate my seat. I hadn’t planned on spending an hour there, which was when the guitar man was scheduled to arrive.
Maybe I just caught them on a bad day.