From the outside, the shop doesn’t draw a lot of attention to itself; it has a quiet confidence. We visit the location on SE Stark Street, it’s the kind of place you could drive past a dozen times before noticing. Once you step inside, it’s clear that the focus is on quality, and that extends to everything, from the espresso to the people pulling the shots.
When we first moved to Portland, one thing we noticed was how much we missed our Los Angeles coffee rotation. It took some time to find places in Portland that had the same appeal. We tried a lot of spots. There were definitely some that stood out. Proud Mary is a full-on experience, with incredible coffee and food to match, more of a place we head to for a sit-down breakfast. Electrica is doing awesome work, but it’s a bit of a trek from our house. PushxPull became the one we kept returning to. It’s the place we recommend when someone asks for a solid spot for coffee..
The experience at PushxPull is always solid. The staff are kind, welcoming, and focused without being stiff. The location works for us. There’s easy street parking, which might not sound like a huge thing, but if you know us, you know we’re in a Jeep that’s built for trailheads, not Portland parking.
Inside, the vibe is cool and chill. Not too curated. Not too chaotic. It’s just easy to hang out there, grab your drink, sit a while, maybe get a little work done, maybe don’t.
About the coffee, PushxPull’s is amazing. They’ve been putting out some really thoughtful specials lately. One that stood out was an espresso tonic inspired by a Shirley Temple. Made with a pomegranate and yuzu grenadine, it had this fizzy, sweet-tart balance, and I found myself returning for it more than once. Their espresso drinks, across the board, are rock solid. Everything is clean, well-extracted, and consistently high quality. Nothing too bright, nothing too muddy, just well-crafted drinks that feel intentional. Their beans are great too. They’ve even been playing with co-ferments recently, which has been fun to see.
PushxPull doesn’t shout for your attention. It doesn’t need to. It’s a shop that knows who they are and leans into its identity. No frills, no fuss, just excellent coffee, good people, and a place you want to spend time in. For us, that’s what makes it a standout. And that’s why it’s a Dusty Apron fave.