Blue Kangaroo Harks Back to a Simpler Time When Roasters Weren’t Precious About Single-Origin Beans and Simply Roasted Because It Was Fun

Open for well over a decade, it’s a neighborhood institution as evidenced by the long lines on weekends and the “Taste of Sellwood” label displayed on all of the beans.

Coffee Vector Illustrations (Creative Market)
By Neil Ferguson

Blue Kangaroo Coffee Roasters

7901 SE 13th Ave., 503-756-0224, sellwoodcoffee.com. 6:30 am-5 pm Monday-Friday, 7:30 am-5 pm Saturday-Sunday.

Located along a stretch of road in Sellwood-Moreland that’s bustling with restaurant and food cart traffic, Blue Kangaroo harks back to a simpler time when coffee roasters were not precious about single-origin beans and simply roasted because it was fun and helped forge a stronger connection between customers and their coffee. Open for well over a decade, Blue Kangaroo is at this point a neighborhood institution as evidenced by the long lines on weekends and the “Taste of Sellwood” label displayed on all of the beans. Speaking of beans, you can grab a bag of the business’s rich, almost fudgy Mexican Chiapas, full-bodied Farmhouse, or the signature five-variety espresso blend that is a hit in drinks like the spiced-up Cubano espresso con panna or a festive orange mocha. The cafe is simple and unpretentious, with local art adorning the walls, making this a nice place to munch on a pastry while watching the world go by or hovering over a laptop. You wouldn’t even know Blue Kangaroo actually roasts in house—the equipment is tucked away in the back, so don’t expect a show here. But the business’s consistency with beans over time speaks to the quality.

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