Civil Coffee

Alex and Alan Morales, born in Chihuahua and raised in Los Angeles, came to coffee through Handsome Coffee Roasters and three years of working a cart, and the 1920s Figueroa storefront they took in 2015 was the first place they could put all of it down at once. They named it Civil because they wanted somewhere that stayed approachable.

• Long work sessions
• Brunch and coffee
• A date
• Meeting a group

Roasts in-house

Civil roasts every coffee on the menu itself, and the whole lineup is Mexican — lots from Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca, roasted weekly on Fridays. The brothers opened in 2015 pouring Coava and Heart; the program has since gone all in on coffee from home.

Roasts its own directly sourced Mexican single origins and pours Portland guests like Coava and Heart, with bar work shaped early on by Handsome Coffee alumni.

Charisse Cardenas, a Highland Park local, designed all 1,500 square feet of it: floor-to-ceiling marble, hand-laid Mexican stone tile, and a generous patio built for lingering. Marble on the walls of a neighborhood coffee bar is a decision, and this one was made by somebody from the neighborhood.

Charisse Cardenas, a Highland Park local, designed the 1,500-square-foot room inside a 1920s former dress shop: hand-laid Mexican stone tile underfoot, a floor-to-ceiling marble wall, and a low walnut bar with a mirrored back — kept low on purpose, so the baristas meet you at eye level. Broad windows and high ceilings keep it bright and airy, and a shaded patio runs off the side.

Design — Charisse Cardenas

• 1920s storefront
• Marble & walnut
• Mexican stone tile
• High ceilings
• Shaded patio