Skip to main content
Upper Left Roasters
1204 SE Clay St., 503-477-8469, upperleftroasters.com. 8 am-4 pm daily.
Upper Left’s cafe and roaster, located, appropriately, in the upper-left-hand corner of the poshy Ladd’s Addition neighborhood, used to be a windowless dive bar called Ladd’s Inn that was as dark and gritty as the bottom of an unwashed French press. You’d never know it now, though, since the space is light and airy with a “bringing the outdoors in” approach that includes patio chairs, parklets and three walls of paned glass for terrific people watching. Gone also are the former bar’s open mic nights and shag-carpeted walls—traded out for a design aesthetic seemingly inspired by steamed milk and, on my visit, a soundtrack of the soulful country rock stylings of Chris Stapleton. Even the brunch menu is white: You’ll find avocado toast served four ways plus seasonal toast specials and sandwiches featuring…you guessed it. Toast. It’s a total crowd-pleaser in this neighborhood. There’s also a small roaster working in the corner, a detailed list of teas, espressos, convenient drip coffee or pour-over for those who have patience. The dark roasts tend to have the acidic burn of a bright ray of sun piercing through dark clouds for those who like it strong.