You can go to any town in the US and find a Starbucks, but if you are moving to Salem Oregon, you’ll want to know about our local coffee houses. Each has their own ambiance.
French Press. A newcomer to the Salem Oregon scene, this coffee house just happens to have some awesome crepes to go along with your drinks. With an elegant Eiffel Tower theme, this place is typically busy. Just a fair warning the Kona is wonderful BUT strong. For those of you like myself that aren’t regular coffee drinkers…go easy on this blend.
Ike Box Coffee House-The Ike Box is also on the coffee house scene. I LOVE the interior of this building. The owners did a great job of preserving the architecture of the original building and for that I thank them. Not everything old needs to be torn down and “updated.” The Ike Box supports the owners non-profit program called Issac’s Room. At-risk teens are welcome to come and just hang out here. They have rooms for them to come and just have a safe place to be, to learn skills and gain confidence. I just love the idea of supporting a local business owner that has good coffee (they tend to make it sweet so keep that in mind when you order), great atmosphere, AND tries to help some of our troubled kids at the same time. If you haven’t been here. Go.
Clockworks-Brand new to the cafe scene in Salem, this local place is a non-profit that will focus on arts. Poetry readings, live music, classes…this local hangout is perfect for those wanting something new, different, and dabbling in the arts culture of Salem Oregon.
Coffee House Café-This is Salem’s laid back coffee house. For those of you that want a really casual down to earth atmosphere, this is your coffee house. It has Wi-Fi, and if you are looking for a place to hang out with friends in a down to earth atmosphere this is the place for you. Once a month, Emerge Oregon, occurs at this cafe. It is an opportunity for emerging artists to share their work with fellow artists.
The Governor’s Cup-This coffee house is easy to miss because there is just a tiny sign to let you know it is there. This is probably one of Salem’s older coffee houses and the interior kind of reflects that. I guess I think that is part of it’s charm. They roast their own coffee there and you will smell like coffee if you happen to go there while they are roasting. Not necessarily a bad thing if you like the smell of coffee. Be warned that if you sit down at this coffee house you are expected to order something. One of the big complaints by the Willamette students that frequent this coffee shop is that they will be asked to leave if they don’t order anything. If you want to hang out, that is what the library is for. If you want to hang out at a local business, please support them and order something.
So if you are looking to move to Salem Oregon and want to know…where do I go to get some coffee, consider checking out these LOCAL places to get some good coffee. Each of our local coffee houses has something to offer everyone. Whether you are a hippie, intellectual, tech geek, college kid, yuppie…we have a coffee house here that will work for you.