I recently spent four months away from Oregon and there were a lot of things I missed about my home state while I was away. I missed the trees, my friends and family, and the lack of traffic, but most importantly, I missed the coffee. Oregon has great coffee, ranging from the small local coffee shops to the big chains.
1. Human Bean
Human Bean is one of my favorite coffee places. They have delicious green tea smoothies and the best white chocolate mochas, but my favorite thing to get at Human Bean is their Rockstar. You can pick whatever flavor of syrup you want and they mix it into a Rockstar. You can even get the Rockstar blended into a smoothie. It is also a drive thru so you never have to get out of your car. Plus, you get a sugar coated coffee bean with your drink!
2. Starbucks
Starbucks is a staple coffee chain in Oregon, just like in every other state. In comparison to other coffee places in Oregon, Starbucks tends to lag behind in quality. However, Starbucks has really delicious breakfast sandwiches. You can also go inside and sit when you are studying or are on a date, which you can’t do at drive-thru coffee chains. The great thing about Starbucks is that you can get your drinks extremely personalized (from the flavoring, to the type of milk, to the temperature, to the amount of ice). Starbs does have its perks, but it is not the best coffee chain in Oregon.
3. Black Rock
Black Rock is the coffee place to go to when you can’t find a Dutch or Human Bean and don’t want to get out of your car to fully commit to Starbs. I am pretty certain that Black Rock has the best blended coffee drinks. They somehow manage to find that perfect balance between coffee, sugar, and ice. I usually find myself at the one in Albany when I am attempting to drive from Eugene to Portland while half-asleep.
4. Peet’s
Peet’s coffee is for those of you who are looking at this list getting grossed out by all the sugary drinks I have mentioned. Peet’s has smooth, dark and delicious coffee. They don’t flaunt their drinks with a ton of sugar and extras. If you are looking for a true cup of coffee at a chain, then Peet’s is for you. My favorite time to go to Peet’s is when I am Christmas shopping and need a mocha to keep me warm.
5. Dutch Brothers
Dutch is my favorite coffee place. I spent the entire four months that I was out of Oregon craving Dutch. If I ever permanently move out of Oregon, I don’t know what I will do. They have Rebels, which are similar to Human Bean’s flavored Rockstar, but in my opinion are better. I also love their iced Kickers and their infused teas. Dutch is also a drive-thru which is very convenient. Especially because the drive-thru is really efficient and they come to your car and let you order and pay while you are in line. It takes a lot of strength not to waste all of my money on Dutch every day.
