Foxfire Teas

Foxfire has the highest quality tea in Portland, in my opinion. I mean, there are other places I love to go sit and have tea and enjoy a café atmosphere, but for stocking my home tea collection, I prefer to buy from here.
The prices are reasonable, especially when you consider the quality. Also, some (most?) are organic.
My only complaint about the storefront is that you cannot ever find an open spot in the Ford building lot, so you may want to park on 11^th or 12^th (whichever direction you came from).

Best tea shop I have been in yet. The owners seem to really love what they do and it shows… not to mention the tea selection being more diverse and ever-​changing than the others in town! A must-​stop for tea lovers and those new to the tea world.

Love them, 2 of the nicest people I have ever met and they know their tea, naturally.
On my 1^st visit I was there for at least 45 minutes getting a serious intrduction to the world of tea. Mega selection and you’ll most likely end up walking out with more than expected.

Foxfire is a tea shop located near the corner of SE Division and SE 11^th Ave. in Portland’s Abernathy neighborhood. (The shop entrance is from a parking lot on the west side of 11^th.) I understand that they do quite a bit of wholesale activity, but I can’t really speak to that– so this review focuses on their teas and their service as a retail shop.
I should note that Foxfire has been my and my wife’s go-​to tea place for the past two years and this review represents a cumulative evaluation of our many visits/​purchases. While there are some other very nice tea shops in Portland (including one much closer to my home), Foxfire remains my favorite– for two reasons.
First, they sell very high-​quality teas that I love– a lot. My personal favorites are their blends, including Mount Hood Sunrise (a black tea with a number of flowers), smokey earl grey (earl grey mixed with lapsong suchong), and lemon myrtle (a green tea mixed with, well, lemon myrtle). They also carry a host of specialty ‘pure’ teas, including vintage pu-​ehrs, obscure oolongs, and some lovely Japanese green teas. I’m also a big fan of their herbal tisanes (like the ‘Bliss)– and I think their yerba mate might be the best I’ve tasted. While it’s possible that my love of their teas may just be a matter of personal taste, I suspect it also has something to do the fact that they really source truly excellent stuff and store it well. Also… and to segue into my next point, I think it has something to do with the fact that, when you’re in the shop, they really take the time to help you find the teas that you, as an individual, will actively love.
This leads me to the second reason this is my favorite shop– the very attentive and personal service. When I go into Foxfire, either by myself or with my wife– I am encouraged to smell dozens of teas– until I find the right one (s). I’ve repeatedly had them spend half an hour on me alone just smelling different teas (and talking about tea and other things), without them seeming in the least bit put out, or impatient. They really seem to care about spending however much time it takes to make sure that each individual customer gets something s/​he *really* loves. (And, I think, they also are really proud of their teas– and enjoy showing them off.)
Some other nice bonuses about this place– if you purchase a certain amount of tea (I forget the exact quantity), you get a free cup brewed for you. (Not a huge ‘savings’, but I always find it a treat.) Also, if you order $ 50 or more, they’ll deliver to you, so you don’t have to come in. They also have a coupon in the Chinook Book, and do some other promos in connection with other nearby businesses.
Anyway, as you can gather from this, I’m a huge fan of Foxfire. But, in the interests of critical thoroughness, I should mention that there are three points about the retail store that can be mildly frustrating. The first is the parking lot, which is small, and often filled, since it’s for the whole building– and not just Foxfire. Street parking is available– and there’s another lot across 11^th that you can use… but sometimes finding a spot to park can be tricky. (I try to go by bike rather than by car whenever possible.) The second is the hours: They’re open Wed. to Friday to 6 PM, but on Saturday, they close at 4– and they’re closed on Sunday. This can be a bit tough for folks who only can get there on the weekend. (I don’t know how many times I’ve kicked myself at 3:45 on a Saturday realizing I’ve missed my window of opportunity for the week!). The third potential point of frustration is actually the flip side of one of the reasons this is my favorite tea place. Remember how I said that they will devote large amounts of time to serving you, helping you find the right tea, etc. Well, that’s true not *just* for you, but for everyone. That means that if you come in there when there are other customers, you could potentially have a long wait to get service– because the folks ahead of you are also getting the same super-​attentive and patient service that you’ll get when your turn comes. For folks who may be in a hurry– or just impatient– this wait can be a bit of a bother. (I’ve seen folks come in, wait for 5 – 10 minutes, and then leave looking disgruntled) However, if you have some patience– and remind yourself while waiting that, when your turn comes, you will be getting the same careful attention that the other customers are getting… it’s really not so bad.
Ultimately, these criticisms are pretty minor — and the high quality of the teas and the super-​attentive service far outweigh them in my book. I give Foxfire an unreserved five stars for both the quality of their tea and their service.

Incredible service, less than impressive teas. I’ll stick with Lupicia for all my tea needs.

The scent welcoming me as I walked in was lovely, and the employee working was helpful and accommodating. I asked to smell at least 10 teas until I found the perfect one, and then, after buying, I was offered a complimentary cup of whatever I chose. I suggest the Mt Hood Sunrise; it’s delightful.
This is more of a store than a teahouse, but the teas are delicious and seemed to be mostly organic, and are worth your time.

Not all teas are created equal. That’s just the fact of things, and you’ll know that if you visit Foxfire Teas (yes, a cool name; yes, a cool place; and, yes, a wholesale tea store).
Set into the back of the historic Ford building, near the parking lot, you’ll find Foxfire Teas. Like Unilocaler, Brandy S said, it’s like a candy store for adults who love tea.
I do.
Potent and smoky, my favorite is Lapsang Souchong. They say it’s like drinking bacon. (yuck). I say it’s like drinking your favorite campfire, stories, and Kumbaya, and a crush on the girl next to you. It’ll warm you down to your toes like Edward in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. But, there’s no witch.
The staff are super friendly and very willing to suggest options.
Order $ 10 worth of tea, and you get a free cup.
Craving a sip of something wonderful? Foxfire Teas is a jewel to be found!

If you take tea seriously you should come here. If you think that last sentence sounds absurd, you NEED to come here and learn what I’m talking about.
Not only are the owners super sweet and will wait on you all day (with a wall of tea canisters behind them like a grown up version of a candy store), but they will throw in a free cuppa if you order something! Nice — try out something new every time you come in.
Overall: get the owner’s advice, buy an ounce (they have 4 different sizes so you can test things out), and then prepare to fall seriously in love with tea. It’s about time!

I’m blessed with a daughter-​in-​law who is not only a good cook but she is a connoisseur of great tasting teas. Needless to say when I came to Portland to visit she brought me to see Kathrine at foxfire. I thought it was a tea house (tea and crumpets) not. I was amassed at the fantastic variety, I fell in love with the lemon myrtle and about 4 others. The first thing I want to do when I come back to Portland (after I hug and kiss my 3 beautiful grand kids is to visit Foxfire and restock.
Pat S
San Jose, Ca

I like Foxfire. They are primarily a wholesale and retail tea purveyor. They sell retail bulk tea in 1, 4, 8 and 16oz measures. Their tea descriptions are helpful, but not up to the gold standard of my 5 star spot. Their showroom is chill, not really a tea house, but they did make a cup for me to try. They pack their teas in nifty space age heat sealed bags. Throw one in your rations for the space station, or into your earthquake kit. Good people!

Let me just say, I drink a lot of tea. At least a pot a day minimum.
I kept seeing the sign for this place when I was zipping down 11^th, heading for the Ross Island Bridge on my way to work and kept meaning to stop in and check it out. I’m always psyched to find a new place to buy nice loose tea. I was extremely impressed.
Just for the record, its a store more than a tea house. Its seems to be the retail store attached to their wholesale distribution.
The space is wide open, clean and airy with big windows and high ceilings. The person who helped me was friendly and personable. I bought an ounce of their Foxfire blend and it is excellent. It says a lot about the knowledge and skill of the company when their signature blend is so good. I only spent six bucks on a couple of ounces of tea, but they finished the sale by asking me if they could make me a cup of tea for the road, no charge. I thought it was really classy and left me feeling upbeat and cheery… exactly the same as good tea does.
I’ll definitely be going back to try their different varieties and stock up on the stuff that I like.

Only the best loose leaf tea store in town.
Tucked into the old brick Ford building at SE 11^th and Division, this little gem is exactly what you’ve been looking for in a tea store. Not too much that it’s overwhelming, not too little either. Just off the parking lot, you can walk in to the pleasant owners and browse or chat. All of the teas are in tins along the wall, which allows you to smell the aromas, picking your favorite or, as I recommend, allow Quinn or Katherine to pick one for you.
Enjoy a tea as you browse, and walk away with a new found appreciation for tea and some great ideas about alternate uses, including cooking with it!
Enjoy!

Foxfire, in addition to having a sexy name, serves up chai tea lattes sweetened with pure maple syrup instead of sugar or honey. Let me tell you — it is DIVINE.
Also I love their little metal tins you purchase loose leaf teas in — you can reuse them when you run out of tea, or use them for all kinds of knick-​knack storaging around the house.
They also have a great selection of magazines to browse while lounging, and a good selection of pastries and sandwiches to go with their fabulous teas.

Tea time on a rainy day
With so many coffee shops to choose from in Portland, what a nice surprise to find such a hidden pleasure in town, Foxfire Teas.
In the heart of Beaumont Village, this quaint tea caf serves more kinds of tea than most people even know about. There’s black, white, green, herbal and oolong teas, plus scones, sandwiches and more.
The best part about this place, though, is the sheer, relaxing atmosphere. It’s an ideal spot to spend a rainy afternoon or just for some much needed me time. What could be more comfortable than sitting with a cup of tea by a fireplace?
Tip: On Wednesdays they have a psychic on hand, just waiting to strike up a conversation. Is that cool or what?