With matcha gaining traction over coffee, especially among Gen Z, it was only a matter of time before this little ol’ paper’s readers’ poll got on board and added the powdered Japanese green tea beverage as an official category. Consider us caught up.
The inaugural winner in our Best Matcha category is, like many local places that serve it, primarily a coffee shop — but not your average coffee shop. First, Little Cole Coffee Co. is more of a cart than a shop. Second, its specialty is pour-over coffee, a technique that owner Cole Rodriquez came to love during a decade and a half working in coffee in Australia, and later in their home state of Arizona.
Whether it’s matcha or coffee, Rodriquez isn’t interested in giving patrons a rush job. The service is intentional, meant for customers to sit, relax and connect. With Little Cole’s cheery atmosphere, located among the food carts at Dogwood at the Pine Shed, it’s not difficult to sit a while — and the cart’s creations offer plenty to talk about.
“Little Cole is a slow bar. Essentially, I want people to come and just hang out with me, and educate people further on coffee and matcha and the amount of work that goes into it,” Rodriquez told the Source. “Whether it’s coffee or matcha — tracing back to the farmer and how that plant started and the processes in which it has to go through to get to this stage, and how many hands it’s touched.”
To help convince this Gen Xer that the Zers are onto something, this coffee and tea aficionado served up three options: First, the Uncle Mike, featuring matcha, agua de coco, vanilla and cream: a sweet-but-not-too-sweet iced drink that never presented that grassy flavor I often fear among matcha drinks. That’s due to the quality of the matcha, Rodriquez said — not to be taken for granted in this moment of mass matcha consumption.
“There’s the matcha craze going on, which created a shortage,” they said. “I like the knowledge. I like sharing and like educating people.”
Next up was the Under the Mesquite, featuring matcha, brown sugar, roasted three-chile lemonade and honey. If you’re in the mood for a spicy margarita, but A., it’s morning and B., day drinking isn’t in the cards, this should be a go-to. Playing with flavors that could make great mocktails is one of Little Cole’s signature moves.
Finally, to get a real taste of the shop’s matcha, sourced from Nekohama Matcha company, there comes the Matcha Water, featuring the tea — skillfully whisked — over ice and water. Those are just a few of the dozen or so ways to try matcha at Little Cole Coffee Co.
“I want people to come and have a chat and look around and chat with other people,” Rodriquez said. “Take the time for yourself here, and allow me to make you something great.”
Runner-Up: Backporch Coffee Roasters
Little Cole Coffee Co.
Thu-Sun 8am-2pm
At Dogwood at the Pine Shed
821 NE 2nd Ave., Bend
Instagram @littlecolecoffeeco
This article appears in Best of Central Oregon 2026 and the Source August 13, 2026.
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