The Great North St. Johns

The Great North began in 2016 on the belief that the people of St. Johns and North Portland deserved a coffee shop that represented them, and this corner shop on North Burlington Avenue carries that idea on. Sidewalk tables sit under the street trees, a window lettered COFFEE faces the block, and the room is run by what the company calls a gritty, hard working, love every second bunch with no need for a show.

The team makes its syrups, sauces, chai and oat milk in house, and the cafe offers breakfast items, bagels and pastries, with gluten free and plant based options on the board. Beans are roasted fresh to order from Sunday through Wednesday at the company's roastery on Alberta Street and sold in bags here. The cafe opens at six on weekday mornings and at seven on weekends, and it stays open until six in the evening.