The Red and Black cafe is perhaps the greatest stronghold for anarchists and other political activists in Portland. The cafe is a prime place for people-watching; spending a few hours here, you will see some of the most colorful collections of tattoos and piercings in the city, as well as some of the most creative outfits. There is live music most evenings, but during the day the cafe is mostly dominated by laptop users. Beware! If you are formally dressed, or if your laptop is lacking the appropriate stickers expressing liberal sentiments, this may not be the place for you. The Red and Black Cafe is employee-owned and collectively managed, meaning that service is often slow and surly; nonetheless, be sure to tip!

Food: The Red and Black Cafe offers a full menu with a great selection of overly healthy salads and items containing tofu. This is a very vegan-friendly place. Excellent desserts are often available, such as freshly baked cobblers made from local berries. Besides this, there is a selection of more standard fare such as bagels and muffins.

Drink: The coffee is splendid, as one might guess. For those less inclined to caffeine consumption, there are a few local micro-brewed beers on tap. Most excitingly, the cafe offers made-from-scratch chai, often infused with peppermint or strong spices, varying day-by-day in character.