Rory: "Where's mom?" Luke: "Getting coffee." [Gilmore Girls, one of my all-time favorite shows] If my daughter could speak, I'd imagine she'd have this conversation many times with her father. I have caffeine in my veins instead of blood, and I believe it is from all the coffee I have consumed since I was a little kid. I'm always on the hunt for a new coffee shop, but living out here in the Leeward side, I am only limited to chain stores (although I will hopefully change that one day!). Err, not exactly my cuppa joe (pun intended). So when I read reviews about all these great coffee places that are nowhere near me, I get so sad. So, one day, long ago, I was in the McCully Shopping Center with my dad. As I'm looking around, lo and behold, I see the magical word... COFFEE. I walked right in without even hesitating. I was greeted by a very polite Japanese woman, who patiently waited with a geniune smile on her face. I took a look around, and on their very grand, gold espresso machine, I see another magical word... Lavazza. Oh my freakin gosh, they serve Lavazza! It is one of Italy's leading espressos and what I use to serve at my church coffee cart. (Yes yes I know that local, fresh-roasted beans are so much better, but I can't always drive to the North Shore or Honolulu.) It brews rich and velvety smooth, with no burnt or bitter aftertaste. I usually judge coffee places on one thing: iced mochas. Simple, ubiquitous, run-of-the-mill, tried one tried em all... I don't care what you say. If someone can make me the perfect blend of espresso, chocolate, milk, and ice, and not charge me an arm and a leg for it, I will graciously bow at your feet. So the kind barista got to work on my drink. Because of that behemoth of a machine (I didn't want to move just so I could watch her make my espresso; I think that's rude and I hated when people did that to me), I couldn't see her run my espresso shot. But after she poured the shot into a cup with chocolate syrup, she moved to a space where I could watch from where I stood. I was ascending towards coffee heaven, and then... she got a scoop of ice and poured some into my cup. WTF?! Good lord I almost fainted! You NEVER put ice before you put in milk. This waters down the espresso and any flavorings. As I stood in shock and awe, I couldn't bring myself to say or do anything other than take the drink and blurt out thank you, as the sweet woman who worked there smiled and told me to have a nice day. My drink was okay, but I think I was too heartbroken to attempt to even enjoy it. However, I also don't judge business based on one experience. I like to give them the benefit of the doubt that they can do better, and I try to make it a point to go there at least one more time before I disregard completely. One star for serving Lavazza, one star for that kind, sweet lady. read more

I gave this place only three stars because I don't feel it's very nice to judge a place based on only one item--even if that item is the most fabulous milk tea you've ever had in your life. Milk tea. Fabulous! I've been there many times just to pick one up. Parking. Heinous. Service. Not problematic. Not great, but acceptable. Also, I have had, once upon a time, an item from their cold case, although I can't quite remember what it was. All I remember was that it was cold, and it was cake, so it was weird. So there. Three stars until I have something from there besides the milk tea that I can fully recall. read more

Good bubble tea! First of all the menu is so large. I'd even go as far to say that it has way too many items on it. Their bubble tea is good. Really strong flavor and just the right amount of sweetness and the boba is perfectly chewy. That being said I don't really come here anymore because of the service as many others have mentioned. By the look of their signs and the feel of their service you never really feel welcome here, sometimes it's even stressful. On top of that finding parking in Mcully shopping center is always impossible. Ill buy some if I'm near by but if not I usually don't bother. read more

I have mixed feelings. I come here often to meet people for coffee after work because it is a convenient location, it is not Starbucks, and it has good free parking. Yes, good parking. The top parking lot gets full but the underground parking usually has spaces. My issue is price. It is more expensive than others places like TasteTea but not any better. Also, the sitting area is very echoey and noisy. Not conducive to conversation. They also kick you out right at closing time if you are there late. The rating may seem weak considering I keep going back but that is more a function of parking and proximity to Waikiki. read more

I am a bubble tea Nazi :( I really do wish I was not so particular when it comes to bubblet...but so many places make it soooooo badly, I have no choice to be picky. Walked in, cute set up. Crowded outside. Not that many tables, it wasn't crowded on the inside at 9 on a Sat night. First time here, so I read the menu. "Oh wow, why are there so many flavors? Get honey dew/ taro/ watermelon/ ginger / hazelnut / irishcream / lavender/ jasmine green bubblet" "Wait, what is milk tea with pudding." Boyfriend makes a weird face, like the combo sounds gross to him. Light bulb goes off in my head. "Like.. pudding ...the shave ice topping?!" Totally got it, despite Boyfriend's doubt in drink choice. Enjoyed the look on his face as I took my first sip. Coffee or Tea, OM GENIUUUS, it was soo good. He stayed in his box and got the honeydew. The color was like a green tea color, but wow, the flavor was robust, not watered down or overly sweet. Things I like: Bubble tea selection. Tons of unique flavors. Drink texture was liquid-y like milk tea is supposed to be, not icey. Good location, come here after Hot Pot! Things that are meh: Not the cheapest place to get bubblet, but it's damn good bubblet, so it's excused. Parking is horrible. But eh, that's McCully shopping center for you. I love youuuu Coffee or Tea! I will come back and get fat because the millions of bubble drinks I will get here. read more

The milk tea here is pretty good. Atmosphere is really good. Only reason why I don't go here a lot is because of the parking.

The milk tea is awesome. A little pricey but still good. There are tables to sit at and quite a large selection of drinks. However- the business is CASH ONLY.. that's the only downfall. read more

Overpriced. Born and raised in San Jose where pearl tea cafes abound (yea we call it pearl tea.. haha) and $4 for a standard size tea without pearls is a bit of a rip. Quality isn't bad, but I've had better. I don't like to linger around though, the inside is pretty chill but (if on a weekend night) you step outside you'll be inundated by a very particular crowd who tend not to look before they spit. Don't be dirty people it's just unhygienic and rude. Anyways, I'm still on the search for a really good neighborhood pearl tea place. read more

My milk tea was great, until I found a dead roach in it. Not a great picture, but thanks for the extra topping - free of charge! (Hope it posted) read more

Coffee or Tea? - Roach from my drink. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The only thing I get is "milk tea with pudding" and from what ive tasted its the best on the island. Kind of pricey but worth it if u like milk tea. Reminds me of a modern tea house complete with little desserts... Good place to hangout for the most part... (lots of asian college students) I only rate it a 3 because i havent tried anything else. read more

Come here order two time ,samething happen again,i pay extra money for bubble tea,and the guy just give original one,i was order about 39dollar, cashier keep try to remember my order,he didn't write down my order,he just try to remember,and after that he just talking with his colleague, very very bad service. read more

On my second visit ever to this store, I give it 4 stars. Perhaps the reviews written before mine are from people who have come here more often. I am generally happy with this place. For me, the service was good. I didn't experience any problems. The two girls working there were friendly. I don't expect a hug and a foot massage from my servers. All I ask is that they are not rude - and I got that! So the service was good for me. The prices might be a little higher than they should be, but their products aren't that bad either. I got an Irishcream milk tea with pearls - it was a little sweeter than I would have liked but it WAS Irishcream. The pearls were good - not too mushy, not too hard. I got the custard pudding which I will not get again, just because it was close to tasteless. I would have expected a Chinese-owned place to have some excellent custard pudding - but not this time. Their selection of drinks is amazing. They have so much to choose from which I LOVE in a place. The place is also clean which is very important, and just has a good vibe overall. If you are coming here to do homework, etc. which I am here for, be warned that they do not have power outlets, so come with a full-charged laptop. They do have free wi-fi however, so that's always nice. Overall, I would rather go here than Kissaten, just because THERE the service was horrible. I went there once and the girl at the register was so rude to everyone that came in. I prefer this place over Kissaten any day. I would come here again. read more

Four words. Honeydew melon milk tea. Hands down my all-time favorite bubble tea drink on this island. It's the perfect mixture of creamy milk tea along with a tint of honeydew melon flavor. Also, the boba is phenomenal. It's a happy medium between mushy and hard. Being that caffeine is addicting, I visit this place 2-3 times a week, purchasing the same milk tea each time. Don't get me wrong, I have been to other bubble tea places, however, none come close to this particular drink. With that being said, this place is without a doubt 5 stars and the next time you're craving milk tea, make a stop at McCully shopping center. Trust me, you won't regret it. read more

What a comical experience! We get there and they have tables for 2 and since we were a group of 4, I moved the table closer. little did I know that there is a sign that says plz do not move furniture. I was immediately reprimanded by a gal behind the counter...literally reprimanded...really! Next, she brings us our order which came with 2 spoons, we asked for 2 more since we were 4 and we're going to share. She reluctantly gave us the extra spoons and told us that we were not supposed to share...again, really. There's more but my thumbs will cramp up b4 I can finish. lastly, if you need to use the restroom...they ask for your ID....again, really! read more

I am a big fan of bubble tea drinks, but unfortunately have to admit I am still on the look out for a place that gets me craving their drinks even after checking out Coffee or Tea. I've become a frequent returning customer here because of their late night hours (they close at 11pm on weekdays) which is very convenient to check out after work on those days when I could use a bubble drink. I've attempted to try a number of different bubble tea drinks, but have decided to stick with my default order of either jasmine milk tea or jasmine tea (no milk). I've yet to try their shave ice and other sweet treats... Staff doesn't exactly have the best customer service, but I'm not too bothered by it since you only talk to the employees when you order and pick up your drink/order :P The space is pretty compact; tables are within earshot range of each other; and there's a little bell on the door of the entrance that rings eternally after it's opened/closed. Overall, love the late night hours that exceed other places that offer bubble drinks, but am still on the hunt on trying other bubble drink cafes :P read more

Negative Star -* Busy location skipping on quality and poor integrity!: Bubble Teas thin, nearly flavorless, tapioca pearls uncommonly mush-mush Two thumbs down! Mine undesirable didn't finish; Friend tossed hers in trash Disappointing Won't return read more

The best place on the island for bubble tea. The tapioca balls are always cooked perfectly and the milk tea is amazing. I love the taro milk tea and hazelnut milk tea. It's around $4.00 for the regular size and $1 more for large, which is a but pricey, but still worth it. The milkshakes are amazing and for $.75 you can add the bubbles~ Green tea is awesome! I also like the granitas which as similar to the milkshake but it's made with ice instead of milk giving it more of a frappuccino consistency. I haven't tried their new hot menu items like the waffle, or the shaved ice, but those look good as well! read more

Coffee or Tea? - taro milk tea and oreo crusted cheesecake - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've been going here for a while now, over six years or more, I love the Honeydew with momi and the milk tea with pudding. They have added a lot to their menu since I've been going there. Just tried their coconut butter toast. I liked it! I haven't tried much on their menu, don't fix it if it ain't broke, but I think I will the next times I go. This place gets pretty crowded on the weekend nights, and the McCully shopping center parking lot is almost always full. read more

First time here, as recommended by a friend. I had the milk tea with boba(something simple for first time), and it was okay. Could have used a little more sweetness, but not bad. Customer service was good, and the wait was decent. The price was kind of over the hill however; $5 for a drink? Tasted a lot better than that new tea kiosk at Kahala though; that was terrible (review coming soon.) All in all, I believe I'd rather go to Yummy's for a honeydew boba and plate lunch! read more

This place is always busy and buzzing with young adults whenever I'm at McCully SC! I'm told it is the "hot spot" for coffee lovers, tea buffs and the famous tapioca Bubble Drink or Pearl Drink. Japanese call "Momi" tea or coffee. We were there the other day after a hearty dim sum breakfast and I tried their sweet watermelon momi (bubble) tea. Yum! I even got a quick sample taste of taro and honey dew thanks to R and N! The only disadvantage is the parking! It's never easy to find one, and even if you do...those stalls are S M A L L! read more

Prices are pretty steep ($5.50 for a large?!) but I LOVE their jasmine milk tea with PUDDING. YUM. Yes, silky milky pudding instead of tapioca. Feels healthier than the tapioca, but who am I kidding? Not my body. Sugar is sugar my dear. Have it once it only once in awhile and its ok. Which happens to also be my justification for the price. Have it once in awhile and it wont break the bank. read more

I've been here with everyone from homo clubsters after a night of Fusion, lady pals who suck in, spit out and launch mochi balls from their bamboocha straw openings, tormented and chemically imbalanced talk to themselfsters and hunneys I've either dated or had the strong potential to become bitter about. All of course, during late hours, going home with a strong tea buzz and having to find "alternative physical methods" to lube...err, put myself to sleep. The pastries are good, sure. The plum jello thingie, also great but who doesn't come here JUST for the bubble tea? You know, last I was in Japan, one of the locals (who comes to Oahu regularly) asked why we serve or bubble drinks the way we do (the Taiwanese/Hong Kong version-thanks Olivia!). In Okinawa, they serve the mochi balls with a frozen drink and quite frankly, I like our way better. Trying other versions, Coffee or Tea's momi is 4sho' my top pick: milkier, nuttier and with sweet n' chewier pearls. Ha-hardy freaking har, pervert! Though tapioca balls if ya nasty. Sometimes when I go there, I feel this patronizing vibe from the Asian foreigners sitting outside the place. Correct me if I'm wrong but they look and sound like Chinese nationals? Fine, whatever. My family are immigrants from the Philippines, no big deal. Though last time, I was with this girl I was dating and as we were leaving, I saw them staring. Sure, I've always known we made an odd looking couple but I heard one of them say, "these guys are low-class". I almost said something but kept walking. A smile lit up my face, knowing that the threads off my back were the "real-deal" authentic flare VS the cheaply made/generic "mother land" version they fantasize makes them so "worthy". Be prepared to be both judged and to spend between $3-$5 for your momi tea. 3 1/2 stars Coffee or Tea in the McCully shopping center read more

I wonder if I can live in a tent in the McCully Shopping Center parking lot. I feel guilty because when I'm trying to think of where to eat I usually default to "What's in McCully?" but, Coffee or Tea is another place that has me looking for sleeping bags on Craigslist. (I kid, I kid - at least an air mattress right?) They have really great milk teas. I've had the jasmine milk and lavender milk both of which were excellent - not too sweet and the tea flavor is still robust. The boba is consistently good too - chewy and sweet. Today I was introduced to coffee jelly. What the heck, where has this been my whole life? To think all those nights in college I was downing cups of coffee I could have been eating delicious coffee jelly with hazelnut creamer. Not having a point of comparison, all I can say is the firmness and taste were perfect for my tastes. I like jellos/gelatins to be on the firmer side and the coffee flavor was still strong. It wasn't like "this is coffee-flavored jelly". No, THIS. IS. COFFEE JELLY! (Think 300 movie). I think the prices are reasonable. Seating is crammed and awkward to maneuver and the staff have never really been particularly friendly or even helpful when I had a question, but the drinks and jelly are good enough that I don't really care. read more

One of the best places for bubble tea/boba/pearl milk tea in Honolulu. Fresh chewy boba, just as it's supposed to be and tasty tea. It would get 5 stars if it were cheaper, not that it's expensive, it's just that it's dirt cheap in Taiwan! A large here is about $5, in Taiwan about 30 cents. read more

Hmm...I see quite a bit of reviews on service. Well, I can see what they're saying. I don't come here for the service, I come in for the drinks! Out of all the bubble tea drinks I've had here in Hawaii, I think Coffee or Tea has the best one...the balls are so soft...okay that sounded wrong but you know what I mean. Each time I've come here, I've gotten a greeting, handed over the money, got my drink within 2 minutes so it's good enough for me. In all honesty though, I definitely wouldn't feel the urge to stay back and hang out here. Grab and go! read more

We wanted an extra bowl, and the wanted to charge is .50!! The save ice is nothing to brag about Will not come back read more

I've been going here for years! I'll once in a while find myself craving a refreshing sweet drink and nothing will do unless I go to Coffee or Tea and get my usual, Vanilla Milk Tea with Momi balls. I've tried all of their milk teas but the vanilla milk tea stays on top for me. The interior is a nice place to sit down have catch up with an old friend with over a momi drink. Prices have gone up over the years as well. When you order a milk tea, they can get the drink to you in around a minute. So if you can't find parking outside, just have someone wait in the car as you run in. It won't take that long. read more

I was craving milk-tea, like every other typical Asian girl, so I decided to try Coffee and Tea for the first time tonight. Right off the back, the atmosphere was nice (Clean, modern, organized). HOWEVER! The service is a whole different story... I asked for a regular coffee, and the cashier looked at me like I was dumb. "What? a coffee?" he asked me. YES.. isn't that what you guys sell here? COFFEE and TEA? Drove me nuts how they didn't know what a regular coffee was. The service was such a bummer. Anyway, their milk-tea is DELICIOUS! I got the taro milk-tea w/pearls. I love how the tapioca is so soft and chewy (not hard and crumbly like those junk ones). And the milk-tea had a nice think-ness to it! A perfect pick-me-up for all of us worn-out college students. read more

No doubt about it that this is one of my favorite places to just chill and drink some DELICIOUS milk tea but... When you go on a Friday or Saturday night at 10 o'clock this place is filled with fobs and all them Tokyo drift people standing around on the sidewalk, blocking your way. On top of that., parking is crappy especially when you have to park in the compact stalls in the garage. It's like a dent waiting to happen. The owners are usually nice and friendly but this past time I went there the owner did nothing but give my friends and I stink eye as we innocently drank our milk tea. He stood 5 feet away from us, just glaring at us and nodding his head like we were doing drugs or something. Also, they tell you get out of the place 15-20 minutes before closing because they need to "clean the tables" Next time you go in, just get the milk tea and a toast with condensed milk to go! read more

Recently, I started drinking bubble tea again so I finally had a reason to go to Coffee or Tea. I ordered a milk tea with pearls. It was very good. In fact, when I finished I wished I had ordered the bigger size. The pearls had the right chewiness and the tea wasn't too sweet, which is a problem at most places. The person who took my order was kind of blunt, to put it nicely. I only took off one star because I'm fairly used to an absence of customer service in some types of Asian restaurants and because the tea was good and the service was fast. read more

So me and my friends decided to get some milk tea before we head home and I have to say the horrible service outweighed the positive taste of the milk tea. The desserts were too sweet to my liking and I admit the milk tea was good but because of the attitude it left a bad after taste! Food and drinks are not only made from quality ingredients but from the positivity and passion that is used to create it. May it be as fancy as rack of lamb or milk tea if a person looks so mad when they sell something they make why are they making it? Horrible read more

Love their milk tea bobas! So good.

The lounge has a very nice atmosphere and the service was extremely quick. I brought my 2 month old son with me and was able to breastfeed him and enjoy my taro milk tea in peace. The boba and my taro milk tea were delicious, so creamy and a nice texture! Mahalo (: read more

This is a decent place to get some boba milk tea. I lived right down the street from McCully Center and this was my favorite place to get boba. I never tried anything else on their menu, but I loved their boba milk tea. The flavor wasn't too strong but I got used to it. I probably wouldn't care to try any other boba place on Oahu. read more

Their milk tea with boba is my favorite. I really enjoy their boba because it tastes very unique. It isn't bland but has a sweet almost like honey taste. Their honeydew or almond milk teas are my favorite. I definitely agree that their milk teas are a bit expensive but a worthwhile treat! read more

I was travelling for work for a week. I stopped by here 5 straight days. Cash only is the only negative. I tried their flavors and their regular milk tea is the best. The ginger one is too strong. The watermelon is good too. It's usually packed with people inside. read more

I come here on occasion for their milk tea or iced coffee with boba. It's not the best, but it's okay. A coworker had recently recommended their shave ice to me. I was very hesitant but promised him that I would try it since he went and tried City Cafe at my recommendation for Taiwanese shave ice. He hated City Cafe and was adamant that Coffee or Tea was better. Well, to make a long story short, he was wrong. The texture of the ice was on the crunchy side and I'm not sure if they forgot to put the brown sugar syrup on, but the ice had no flavor. So, crunchy flavorless ice... We're not off to a good start. Two bites and I was done. My BF didn't even want to finish it. The only reason I gave them an extra star was because of the service. The guy working the counter was friendly and gave me advice on what to order. read more

Must Order: caramel milk tea w/ tapioca I have to say that for a long time I didn't see the appeal to bobba tea. It's been a fad for quite some time and I just didn't get into it. And then one morning and woke up and I was like: "I want bobba tea now". True story. Who knows where that came from. Maybe I was embracing my Asian-ness? Quite possibly but all I knew at that time was I needed to get my hands on some bobba tea. I first tried the hazelnut milk tea w/ tapioca and let me preface this with, since my somewhat recent discovery of Nutella, it has greatly skewed my expectations of anything hazelnut. The hazelnut milk tea was good but I can only fantasize what it would have tasted like with Nutella. I later tried jasmine milk tea w/ herb jelly since that seemed to be a popular choice on Yelp. I thought it was interesting but not my cuppa tea. Finally the caramel milk tea. Delicious! Ridiculously sweet and the perfect thing to have when you're having a crappy day and craving bobba. Now that's the only one I'll order! read more

This place isnt so bad, i came here because i was in the area and it always seems like its the number one hangout spot of the entire shopping center. Atmosphere is nice. quite. nice set up of tables and chairs. it has a simple feel to it. Service-cashier was friendly, my order was served quickly Tea- quite average. no unique tea brands or anything that really caught my eye. Im not so sure why this is such a popular hangout spot. Possibly because its the only coffee shop that the shopping center has to offer. Im not much of a coffee drinker id probably just go to starbucks. read more

I'm back, again! So after eating curry house, me and my friend came here to have a chat about school work since this place has wifi +1. (I had left overs from curry house, but, I kind of hid it and I didn't eat any since I was already full. They said on the sign "No outside food or drinks." Keep that in mind) Came here around 1:30PM and there wasn't too many people. But slowly, it accumulated and my friend and I were saying "why are people flocking here now?!" And this was around 3PM. Thus, it got louder. I ordered a large milk tea (lai cha in Cantonese) without bubble (they said bubble), boba (I say boba), pearl (boyfriend says pearl), whatever you want to call it. Let's just call it balls. My friend finally tried this, and she says "It tastes like milk and tea... I like it. It's better than coffee!" It cost about $4.45. Balls does cost. Take that off, it'll be cheaper. Make it large, it'll cost about a dollar more. We sat down for a bit, or rather, a long time (we left around 5 ish). As we sat, I was listening to the conversation the workers have. They are nice, but sometimes they have the facial expression of trying to communicate. But they didn't do anything bad to me, so I don't have a say in this much. They all can(I believe) speak Mandarin and Cantonese, so really, if you do have a friend who can speak, bring them. It's biased, but.. I highly doubt they'll have problems with you unless you're going to be a jerk. I still like it here. I'm still giving it four stars. I will come back. And I will take the bus for it. read more

Coffee or Tea? - People! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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