Though right on busy West Burnside – not normally thought of as a pedestrian-friendly environment – this shop’s early Sunday morning patrons appear primarily to be residents – many young – of the immediate neighborhood who walked there.  And as opposed to some other NW shops that aren’t abuzz until later in the day, there’s a healthy volume of conversation early on this Sunday.

The shop is a narrow rectangle with a limited capacity, and no room for soft couches, and yet you get the feeling that patrons don’t miss that amenity nor feel rushed by the crowd.  They are there for the long haul regardless.  Maybe it’s one of the benefits of their youth.

The ordering counter and the well dressed baristas behind it both convey a level of seriousness about what’s available and its preparation.  Sterling Roasters, which owns this shop, seems to have developed a product that’s just right for their patrons.

Today’s conversation focused a good deal on H’s and his wife P’s  upcoming December trip to Ecuador (where his son’s family and two grandchildren are for 9 months,) and Peru, including excursions to Machu Pichu, Lake Titicaca, and the Galapagos Islands, all of which D and his wife R experienced two years ago.  Thus, D’s first-hand impressions, and Q+A on topics like altitude sickness, appropriate footwear for trekking, and transportation dominated.    1951 W. Burnside     sterlingcoffeeroasters.com