This old gas station has the best coffee in Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine, has a wealth of excellent independent cafés and restaurants that give it the reputation of foodie paradise. Its coffee selection is no exception, and one of the best of an increasingly large group of independent coffee roasters in town may also be one of the newest.

Tandem Coffee was founded by husband and wife team Will and Kathleen Pratt in 2012. The couple opened their first location in Portland's up-and-coming East Bayside neighborhood, and after great initial success expanded to a second location in 2014.

This location is an abandoned gas station in Portland's West End. Originally built in the 1960's, the building had most recently been a laundromat and eBay storefront before closing down and being left vacant for years. With giant original windows and a large sloping overhang, it's an ideal place to relax and have a latté while watching Congress Street's bustling foot traffic meander by.

Tandem Coffee roasts its own beans, and produces a light, clean-tasting coffee that has a hint of sweetness.