A Brazilian Coffee Shop Inside Hillsboro's Favorite Food Hall

Cabana do Café sits tucked inside the food hall at Hillsboro Downtown Station, and calling it a hidden gem has become something of a tradition among reviewers. Walk past the food carts, step inside, and you will find a beach mural, a case full of handmade sweets, and two of the friendliest faces in Hillsboro behind the counter.

Those faces belong to Rachel and Hector Rodrigues, a husband and wife team who spent years in finance before deciding to build something of their own. Hector is from Brazil, and the shop runs on that heritage, from the beans to the breads to the brigadeiros. Rachel bakes the cakes and tarts, Hector obsesses over the espresso, and Hector's mom is often back there baking alongside them. Hector will happily tell you his wife's baking is dangerously good, and one taste of the chocolate cake with its mousse frosting and you will see his point.

Made From Scratch Coffee and Pastries in Hillsboro

The thing Rachel and Hector most want people to know is simple. Nothing here is premade. The sweets, the breads, the sandwiches, all of it is made by hand with whole ingredients. The eggs are real eggs, never a frozen patty. Even the chocolate sauce is made in house from Ghirardelli chocolate, which is why the mochas taste nothing like the syrup pump versions you find elsewhere. Regulars single out the Brigadeiro Mocha for exactly that reason. The chocolate does not bury the coffee, it deepens it, adding a rich cocoa background and a touch of almost molasses sweetness that makes the espresso taste fuller. More than one coffee drinker who normally avoids sweet drinks has called it the best mocha they have ever had.

The coffee itself comes from Nossa Familia Coffee, grown on family farms in Brazil that have been in operation since the late 1800s, then roasted weekly in Portland. Hector and Rachel treat the craft seriously, calibrating grinders and dialing in the espresso machine daily, and they love talking coffee with anyone curious enough to ask. That willingness to explain what they do, honestly and without rush, is half the reason people come back. There is even a small bean display if you want to take a bag home.

Pão de Queijo and Brazilian Treats Worth the Trip

If you have never had pão de queijo, this is the place to start. The classic Brazilian cheese bread is made from cheese and tapioca flour, which makes it naturally gluten free, and the Cabana version comes from a family recipe passed down for years and tweaked to fit local taste. The pastry case rotates through guava mini cakes, brigadeiros, cupcakes, and seasonal treats, alongside lattes like the cardamom rose and pistachio matcha that regulars rave about. The cardamom rose is a favorite for a reason, coffee forward and softened by milk, with a delicate note of spice that fades into a fragrant whisper of rose. Brazilian sodas and fruit smoothies round out the menu.

Every quarter the shop throws a samba night with a live band and extra Brazilian specialties, and the local Brazilian community turns out in force. It is the kind of event that turns a coffee stop into a culture stop.

A Welcoming Brazilian Café at Hillsboro Downtown Station

Part of what makes Cabana do Café special is where it lives. The food hall setting means abundant indoor seating, a kids play area, and a whole pod of food carts outside if your group wants variety. Big tables are easy, even for a large party. And the reviews come back to the same theme again and again: Rachel and Hector greet every customer with genuine warmth, remember faces, and make even self described awkward orderers feel at home.

There is a punch card loyalty program for the regulars you will inevitably become. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for samba night announcements and new treats, and next time you are at the Station, step inside and say hi. The cabana is waiting.