Great Places in the Foster Powell Neighborhood

The Foster Powell neighborhood located in South East Portland, affectionately known as FoPo, is the only triangle-shaped neighborhood in Portland. The area is beginning to see a resurgence with vibrant new shops and restaurants popping up, so I mapped out a few of them went exploring.

But First a little Portland History

This land was originally farmland owned by pioneer homesteader Phillip Foster who arrived in the Oregon Territory in 1843. The Fosters also owned land in Eagle Creek and if you love living history experiences, I highly recommend visiting the historic Phillip Foster Farms site.

If you would like to learn more about the history of this neighborhood, I found a really informative article HERE.

Tea and Coffee Shops

Yoonique Tea

There are lots of places in Portland to try boba tea, but Yoonique Tea just might be my new favorite. Located on SE Foster in the FoPo neighborhood, this cute tea shop serves up a great rose milk tea that’s not overly sweet with just the right amount of rose. Bonus points for serving my drink in a sturdy re-usable cup…so very Portland!

Whether you call it bubble tea, boba tea or pearl tea, I always order mine without the tapioca pearls. *Unpopular opinion –> The last thing I need in my tea are gummy surprises that pop when I chew them. I know, I’m in the minority with this, but what do you think? Are you on team boba or team no boba?

Fun Fact: If you are a cake decorator, you may recognize this building as the former location for the Decorette Shop. I used to come here in the late 90’s to purchase unique chocolate candy molds.

Refuge Coffee

I stopped into Refuge Coffee House for a Rose Latte which was made just the way I like it. What can I say, I’m a sucker for rose-flavored drinks! The service was great, the prices ($3-$5) were great and the employees were very friendly. Bonus points for mugs that color coordinate with their decor!

Carnelian Coffee

Carnelian Coffee has a very 70s rock hound vibe that reminded me very much of being inside an eccentric Great Uncle’s man cave with rock collections displayed throughout. Even the lighting has an amber cast that completes the aesthetic.

The menu at Carnelia Coffee includes a selection of fun rock-themed drink specials. We decided to try the Thunderegg, named after Oregon’s state rock. We ordered it two ways: iced with half-and-half and hot made with oat milk. I preferred the iced version, likely due to the milk choice and not the temperature. At just $3-$5 per drink, you can’t go wrong.

Places to Eat in the Foster Powell Neighborhood

Portland Mercado

While there are many restaurants in the area, I always seem to return to the Portland Mercado. This Latin American food cart pod is a great place to have lunch on a sunny day. My favorite thing to order here is a #13 Cubano from the Havana Station cart. It’s seriously so good. You won’t be disappointed. For more details about Portland Mercado you can read my full post here.

Shopping

Wild Mountain Wax Co.

Step inside Wild Mountain Wax for a perfectly curated PNW shopping experience. Besides hand-poured candles you will find locally sourced culinary ingredients, household items and gifts on display. It’s a really cute store with the best outdoorsy color palate. I loved all the artfully designed packaging! If you’re kinda outdoorsy and kinda bougie like me, you’re bound to find something you like at Wild Mountain Wax.

Foster Outdoor

Planning for an adventure? Foster Outdoor is a great place to find both new and previously-owned clothing and outdoor gear for camping, backpacking, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and paddling. I was impressed with the amount of merchandise they were able to fit in this space. It’s a lot bigger than it looks. Bonus Points for their new location in the historic Phoenix Pharmacy Building.

Red Castle Games

Besides an amazing selection of games, Red Castle Games is also home to Red Castle Cafe where you can order coffee, tea, energy drinks, beer, cider or chose something to snack on from their bar menu. While you’re here, look for a new game to buy or wander over to the gaming area and test drive a game from the free-use game library.

It Needs to be Said

Even though the area is starting to feel more cleaned up and welcoming, Foster is still very much a busy road with a few ramshackled buildings and homeless tents here and there. There was still noticeable trash and graffiti in the alley ways. Did this stop me from enjoying the good parts? Not really, but I wanted to make sure to paint a complete picture of the area.