Memento Mori Cafe
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| Memento Mori Cafe | |
|---|---|
 | |
_-_02.jpg) The cafe's exterior, 2025 | |
 Interactive map of Memento Mori Cafe | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | October 12, 2024 |
| Owner(s) | Correna and Justin Hernandez |
| Location | 1533 Northwest 24th Ave #100, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, 97210, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°32′02″N 122°42′03″W / 45.5340°N 122.7009°W |
| Website | mementomoricafe |
Memento Mori Cafe is a goth-themed vegan coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, United States. Owners Correna and Justin Hernandez began operating the cafe in northwest Portland's Northwest District in October 2024.
Menu
The goth-themed[1] vegan coffee shop Memento Mori Cafe operates on 24th Avenue at the intersection of Raleigh Street in the Northwest District of northwest Portland.[2] The business name comes from the Latin phrase meaning "remember you must die" (or "remember death").[3][4] Eater Portland has described Memento Mori as a "macabre and mystical" cafe with a "dark and eclectic" atmosphere.[3] The interior has a goth art, skeletons,[5] black ceramic vase in the shape of a human heart, a tic-tac-toe game with skull and cross bones, and a wall with images of "shadowy" figures and skulls.[1] According to Willamette Week, "Original art and a few shelves of goth home goods (think year-round Halloween decorations) round out the merchandise offered here."[6]
Oat milk-based coffee drinks include a mint mocha called the Werewolf and another with honey and lavender called the Wolfsbane.[3] The signature blended drinks are called Goth-a-Chinos;[3] varieties include the Crypt Keeper, which is a caramel white chocolate hazelnut latte, and the Pushing Daisies, which is an iced chocolate chip cookie frappe.[1] There is also the mint chocolate-flavored Grave Digger, the Redrum, which has coconut and raspberry,[5] and a mint cookie mocha option.[3] The Raven is an iced coffee with black cocoa, the Red Rum is a coconut raspberry frappe,[2] and the Vampira is a red velvet latte. In addition to coffee and espresso drinks, Memento Mori serves lemonades and milk teas.[4]
The food menu includes the Cemetarium Salad with vegan barbecue smoked "chicken" and varieties of toasts (referred to as "bread of the dead").[3][7] Among toast options is the Wednesday,[1] which has black sesame paste and vegan cream cheese.[2] The cafe also serves bagels and salads (called "mourning bread" and "cemetery clippings", respectively),[1] as well as sandwiches and desserts.[4] Memento Mori has also served pastries with strawberry filling, shaped like bats and coffins,[1] as well as pumpkin muffins shaped like skulls.[5] It has also stocked macarons from the pop-up vegan patisserie Camellia.[8] Sugar cubes at Memento Mori are also shaped like skulls.[1]
History
Owners and spouses Correna and Justin Hernandez opened family-operated the coffee shop on October 12, 2024.[3][4][7]
In 2024, Memento Mori invited guests to bring photographs of loved ones and flameless candles to display on its ofrenda. On November 1 and 2, the cafe offered champurrado and kits for cake decorating.[9] The business was among 33 restaurant in Portland participating in World Vegan Month.[10] In January 2025, Memento Mori hosted a fundraiser to benefit animal shelters impacted by the Palisades Fire.[11][12] In 2026, the business closed for a day to support the January 30 protests against ICE.[13] Memento Mori also participated in a fundraiser to support women entrepreneurs in 2026.[14]
Reception
Alex Frane included Memento Mori in Portland Monthly's 2024 list of "our favorite tricks and treats" at Portland eateries.[5]
