Black Cat Coffee

I love having a neighborhood coffee shop I can walk to! They always have what I’m in the mood for be it coffee, tea or a Batito smoothy! They offer a variety of sweets, quick breakfast snacks and hot soup in the winter!

The food (grilled cheese tomato soup, bagel with butter) and coffee (chocolate raspberry soy latte) were really good, as was the ambiance. My issue with Black Cat Coffee is that the guy who owns the place completely ruined it for me the first time I went in.
I was in town to perform in a really cool, grassroots theatre production right down the street from BC. My friend asked to leave flyers and tried to strike up conversation with the owner who was working that day. He proceeded to condescend to her and talk loudly about how he has no time for anything because he works 70 hour weeks and hasn’t had a day off in however many months. There were sitting, reading, sipping customers everywhere. I was appalled.
I recently sold the business I ran for two years straight and built from the ground up; I know how hard it is to do what he’s doing. I also know that I would NEVER complain about doing it to my CUSTOMERS– especially a new one who hasn’t even purchased anything yet! And I certainly wouldn’t make someone talking about a community-​oriented arts event feel very small and unimportant in comparison to me. As you may have guessed, I left without getting anything to eat or drink– even though I was desperately craving caffeine. I was horrified.
If you check my Unilocal review history, I typically only give out reviews for really positive experiences. But I think this could be a good learning experience.
After talking with a local who is very involved with the Portland community, I learned that my experience with this guy was not the first. after talking with another local of the same caliber, I learned that he’s pretty hit or miss to interact with… but his wife is really wonderful. After learning that the Crooked Mile on Rosemont was closed the next day, I decided to give Black Cat another shot.
Luckily, a woman was working behind the counter. She was very pleasant. That’s when I got the food and drink I spoke of in the opening line. I enjoyed soup, bagel, and latte very much.
Please think about how you are speaking to customers, both regular and new. When you run a business, you are in the eye and spotlight of the community at all times. For better or worse.

Terrible! My husband went to get coffee later in the day and the coffee in the carafe was luke warm. He asked for them to make a fresh pot and they refused and microwaved the old coffee instead. What coffee place refuses to brew a fresh pot of coffee? I can’t believe they made him pay for the old coffee. Epic coffee fail! Don’t go here!

It’s a really fun atmosphere, with big comfy couches and chairs, and very Maine. I came here when I was visiting for an interview before moving to Maine and it was such a good experience that it stuck with me for the year before moving here– Black Cat Coffee made such a great impression on not only my view of Portland. The coffee is good, and so is the ice cream. I do not recommend the chai latte– it is very sweet and has a lot of cinnamon compared to most chai.
Check black cat coffee out if you’re in the area!

Black Cat is the perfect neighborhood coffee shop — and then some! Excellent drinks, good selection of treats, friendly staff, bright cozy space. AND quite literally the best home made ice cream I’ve ever had.

Great little coffee shop. Warm inviting atmosphere. Local art on display. Games and books to read and play. Free little library. Great drinks of course… Homemade treats, Palio muffins, holy donut, union bagel as well as gluten free options. A great spot to hang out in the middle of winter with your kids. Can be very busy on the weekends.

3.5 stars
Black Cat is a coffee shop in Portland that sells baked goods along with good coffee. I had the cold brew iced coffee and it was pretty similar to the kind I’ve gotten at other local and chain coffee shops. I am an avid cappuccino drinker, and I noticed that they don’t have any on their menu! I also got oatmeal, which was fine as well. They just poured hot water over oatmeal and some dry fruit. My friend ordered the Vietnamese coffee and it tasted great. I feel the same way as Christine L. about Black Cat. I’m torn. It’s your typical local coffee shop. However, there are so many coffee shops in the area, that I recommend trying some other ones before coming here. I wish I had higher caffeine tolerance to try them all!

I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and ample room to lounge at Black Cat Coffee. A friend and I went to catch up and occupied the back of the place where a big leather couch and chair awaited us. The proprietor is so friendly and made us feel at home. My latte was yummy and so was the brownie. I had hoped their food offerings were a bit more extensive but now I know it’s not a full service kind of place. I would definitely return.

One of my favorite coffee shops in the area. It is a very cozy place with window side seating. Great place to relax and and get some reading or work done. Very friendly staff and it looked like they have a lot of regular customers.
I’ve tried their vietnamese coffee and a hazelnut latte. Vietnamese coffee was amazing! Perhaps the best outside of a Viet restaurant. Hazelnut latte was a little light for my taste, but it was still very good!

I’m kind of torn when trying to figure out what to write here. To sum it up: this is a great café for many, it’s just not for me.
On paper, Black Cat sounds great: close to home/​school, fun drink menu (mm flavored lattes!), free wifi & outlets aplenty, free street parking, cute little library, local artwork, tasty treats, batidos (blended smoothies), and starting this past April, HOMEMADE ICE-​CREAM!
Between two visits, I tried a chocolate croissant, regular latte, their Honey Exchange sea salt honey ice cream (try this!), and a peach batido (tasted okay). I love the story behind their ice-​cream – after unsuccessfully searching for a dependable local source of delicious quality ice-​cream, Black Cat decided to make their own. They even have a little window open on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 – 8 while the café part of the shop is closed.
Despite all of their greatness, I just never experienced the friendliness that everyone else has mentioned. Instead, I’ve felt rushed to place my order and bounce every time, and that’s definitely no bueno. While it’s a no-​go for me, I’d still encourage others to go check it out for themselves!

Super cute coffee shop. Just a short walk from my new home in Derring Center. Fair prices and a clean shop. Nice selection of baked goods. Great local coffee establishment.

Great seating areas inside, free wifi, and a kind barista. They custom made for me a tea latte. Definitely a great place to hang out and get some work done.

I have been enjoying black cat since I moved off peninsula. It’s quaint and cozy, and close to home. There is bike parking outside, which always makes me happy.
I had an egg nog latte earlier this month. Real egg nog (well, out of a carton of egg nog, that is) was used, not weird flavor syrup! Yum, thanks!

The Black Cat is perhaps the friendliest establishment in Deering. And that’s saying a lot because the Local Press and Pat’s café also have topnotch, authentically kind service. Jenny and her crew really made my family and I feel welcome right when we moved to town last year. I love that we run into neighbors here. They have awesome batidos and drinks, gluten free baked goods (from Bam Bam), good bagels. And lots of toys for the kids. A+!

The atmosphere in here was great! I didn’t have time to sit and stay, but I noticed that they had a few couches to relax and sip your coffee. When I got there at 8:00 AM on a Friday morning there was a line almost out the door! I was shocked to see only two women behind the counter slinging away.
I didn’t see any flavors to add to iced coffee, so I decided to try their iced chai. It looked like they brewed their own chai as it didn’t come out of a box with a name brand on it. I asked for it with soy milk which was an extra $.50. So in total, my chai was $ 3.75, which isn’t too bad! Seemed pretty standard.
I tried the chai and was a little disappointed. I felt like it needed more chai taste. To me, it tasted like soy milk with a little spice. It was refreshing though on a warm morning.
I think I will go back though to try the iced coffee and the bagels! They looked delicious and I heard that they are Union Bagels. Also, I saw that they serve Catbird Creamery ice cream, which is a favorite of mine.

There’s nice people in this world, and «fake nice» people who act nice because they’re in the service industry. I’ve noticed that quite a few of the coffee shops in Portland are staffed by these «fake nice» baristas, but not here at Black Cat. The coffee is outstanding, the service is wonderful, and the prices are pretty reasonable, especially compared to that Seattle-​based national chain.
Parking is pretty easy to find on Stevens Ave., even during Portland’s «rush hour traffic.» The atmosphere is nice; quiet enough to read but comfortable enough to hold a conversation with friends too. The place is decently sized for a coffee shop, so you should not have a problem finding an outlet or a table. Plus, after 9 drinks, your 10^th one is free!
I do love thier coffee, but my favorite part of Black Cat might have to be the service. The barstias I have had during my two visits thus far have been nothing short of friendly. They don’t take your order and go on their way. Rather, they will have a conversation with you. It’s hard to beat that personal touch.

Like bars, everyone has a coffeehouse they most identify with and thus patron. I’ve been checking all the Portlandtown ones out to find the place I fit best at. After some crazy snow, Black Cat seemed like the perfect, cozy place to hide away at and regroup (read: get out of the house to avoid going snow-​stir crazy).
I got the raspberry truffle latte with soy, the friend I was with got a Nutella latte with whole milk. He said his tasted exactly like Nutella in drink form. And mine? It couldn’t have tasted more like Valentine’s Day! Subtle in its chocolatey-​ness with just the right amount of raspberry (which was mellow and not cloying sweet at all — overall, a beautifully created drink!). The kind of jazz that encourages creativity and simultaneously relaxation played overhead, the assortment of baked goods sourced from local places looked fresh and oh-​so-​tempting, the clientele seemed comfortable whether they were working on their laptops or playing with their kids, the staff seemed very friendly, and the location seemed ideal for locals (I can’t imagine tourists coming out of their way to find this place, but sometimes I like that exclusivity in this town). Overall, I really liked this place. I can see myself coming back to work, drink a coffee, and even snack on a bagel.
But a big, big thing irked me here. And that was that the steamer is used for all milk types (and maybe this is done everywhere, but I’ve never seen it happen until today and I’m usually very astute about these things). Meaning: after my friend’s drink was made (remember he had whole milk), I watched as she she then used the same nozzle to steam my soy milk. If I had been in a hardcore vegan mood, this would have been enough to turn me off from ever coming back again. It makes me wonder if the batidos (a Latin American drink made from milk, ice, and fruit/​other flavorings) is made in the same blender regardless of which milk is being used. Something for them to consider in the future is to separate where milk and soy milk drinks are made.

Black Cat is one of my new favorite coffee shops! I’ve had their regular coffee as well as a latte and both were A+. They have a lending library — so you can take a book and leave a book! Adorable and interesting concept. Some other shops do it but Black Cat’s library is pretty extensive for a lending library. It’s more of a neighborhood coffee shop with the schools nearby, but it’s a great vibe.
They also offer lighter fare food as well as soups and bagels. I had an everything bagel with chive cream cheese and it was delicious. They also do something that I have never seen before, with frequent buyers cards — you can either bring your frequent buyer card with you or file it in their little filing system right by the register! Obviously they aren’t responsible for the card but this is a clever and convenient system.
Hit up Black Cat for your morning cup of coffee!

What stands out most about Black Cat Coffee is the friendly service and cozy atmosphere.
They serve pastries from some of the best local businesses, including gluten free options. (I would imagine some are vegan as well — I know some Holy Donuts are vegan) These vendors include Standard Baking, Holy Donut, Bam Bam Bakery, Our Sweet Tooth Cupcakes, and Union Bagels. I would imagine that most of these are delivered fresh daily, or every other day.
They also serve Matt’s Wood Roasted Coffee, which is a special treat. I can’t speak for the quality of the batidos, as a previous reviewer did, but I would say the coffee’s delicious enough that you don’t really need to get into the fancy stuff.

SERVICE: ⁵⁄₅
FOOD/​DRINKS: 3.5÷5
LOCATION: ⁵⁄₅
ORDER: Coffee batido and morning bun
I couldn’t wait for this coffee shop to open up. This is what Steven street needed! Cute, spacious and clean. There is a children’s corner, small library with board games, and free wi-​fi.
The coffee batido is their version of a frapp but it was a bit too watery for my taste. Keep in mind that they were teaching a a new employee how to make my drink. It may have been that the new employee didn’t it make it right. It would’ve better if it was stronger.
The morning bun is a pastry but it wasn’t as flaky and soft as I would like it to be. It was still pretty good!
Although the coffee and pastry wasn’t the best, the overall service and location of this place is great! I support small family businesses and you should too! :)