I stopped by here earlier this week for an afternoon pick me up. My father and I were driving around the southern portion of the Big Island and had stopped in Naalehu when I decided to see if there was a coffee shop nearby. Ka Lea Coffee came up and happened to be right across the street, which worked out perfectly. The shop is split into two rooms. One has the coffee bar where you order along with some beans for sale and a pastry case, while the other has a mix of comfortable and traditional seating. There also was a good amount of seating outside if that is your thing. After looking over the menu I decided to go with an americano with a splash of cream. The coffee here is Ka'u coffee and it was excellent. It was smooth and rich with a nice natural sweetness that paired really well with the cream. In hindsight, I probably should have bought some beans to take home. The bottom line for me is that I would head back here again in the future. The menu itself did not stand out, but that ended up being a good thing since it let the quality of the coffee speak for itself. read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Americano - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

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Good quality espresso, friendly service, and cool inside and out. I would definitely come back here. I would bump it to 5 stars if they made their own syrups but they do have their own coffee beans grown in Hawaii. read more

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I came here on my way from Kona to Volcanoes National Park. It was a cute stop on the side of the road with a vegan pastry option (lemon lavendar cookie) and a plethora of coffee, tea, and other beverages like smoothies. They also had a bathroom conveniently located which made it the absolute perfect stop on our drive over as well as cute picnic tables with umbrellas enjoy our treats! read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

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Great quality, coffee and wonderful service. Great baked items as well - we will definitely be back next time. We are on this side of the island. read more

Darn good cup of coffee! It was recommended to me to get a cup of coffee here while on the way to the southern mist spot of the USA! No kidding. Look on your maps app and you'll see the southern most point is just around 16 miles south of this cafe. This place is special. They grow and roast their own beans. I really enjoyed my americano. read more

Ka Lae Coffee - On the deck - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

Excellent coffee, we love the butter mochi when they have it, and our kids love their banana bread, I love the ambiance nice spot to sit and sip on a great coffee, with great service. read more

Now that's good coffee. I got the macadamia iced cold brew with a splash of coconut milk; I'm glad he didn't put too much milk because it's a good balance between the strength/richness of the coffee, and sweetness/floral notes. read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

The coffee here was incredible. The taro milkshake was also very good. It is right across the street from the bake shop. Home grown Hawaiian coffee what a treat!!! read more

A cute coffee shop in Big Island on the southern coast! It's located right across from Punalu'u Bakery. I walked over from the bakery to this coffee shop because I wanted espresso from a cafe, and not necessarily a bakery, to drink with my malasadas. It's very spacious and comfortable inside. The coffee was also very flavorful. Do note that they use Ka'u beans, which are quite distinct from the famous Kona beans. I thought that this coffee was more fruity with a bit more caramel-y taste than ones I had in Kona. read more

Very good coffee prepared the right way. They are very nice in there. I do believe it to be the best coffee in the southern part of The Big Island. ( FYI: I'm a coffee snob) Exceptional! That said, I wish they were open more often. But I wouldn't dock them for something that so many businesses in the islands do. It's hard to work in Paradise. read more

Beautiful coffee shop. Stop in for bites and drinks and sit outside and enjoy your coffee on the patio! read more

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Super cute little coffee shop. A few simple food items like bagels and hot sandwiches. Coffee is pretty good. I was perfectly happy with my triple latte. People working were friendly. read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Outside - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

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Ordered a matcha and told the gal I didn't want it too sweet. She ended up making it with no flavor at all. I love matcha and know how it's supposed to taste, that was not it. read more

We were here a year ago and still think about the lavender lemon cookie we had. I think that says all that you need to know. read more

My first time staying on the south side of Kona and Naalehu is the closet town to grab coffee. The staff at Ka Lae were very helpful, telling us what other food place were in town like the bakery across the street. One barista was also kind enough to tell us that the matcha latte is made with soy milk (not specified in the menu). My friend and I both got hot match lattes and the amount of match in each drink was incredible. Usually, I feel there is never enough match and therefore I mostly taste the milk. This place was not like that at all ! One downside is that there are a lot of tiny bugs if you sit outside. My friend and I both got bit within about 10 minutes of being there. The shop also offers other things for sale such as candles and handmade baby onesies ! read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Storefront - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

Lots of great seating to enjoy a coffee and baked good while working. The coffee is fantastic, and their fresh fruit smoothies offer a healthy meal options. The staff is VERY friendly. read more

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You guessed it... another excellent coffee shop on the Big Island of Hawaii. What's to be said that hasn't already been said. I'll just add our testimonial here for the record. We had an excellent cappuccino from this place... 'nuff said. read more

I am loving their winter menu. I tried this iced orange espresso made with concentrate orange juice and tonic water, topped with a dried orange. it was surprisingly refreshing and I would definitely order it again read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Iced Orange Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

Hands down best iced Americano on the whole Island. We had an 18 day trip on the island from staying in waikoloa to all the way down in Naalehu. I tried coffee from all places and hands down the best one was at Ka Lae coffee shop. Crafted to perfection, I now can't stop daydreaming about that perfect coffee now that I'm home. read more

One of Hawaii's best-kept secrets is that some of the planet's best coffee is grown here in the Ka'u district on the southeast side of the Big Island (no offense to that better- known coffee region on the west side of the island). This place brews great Ka'u coffee and also sells it by the bag. If you adore world-class coffee, it's worth it. I also had a salmon bagel, which came with cream cheese, onions and capers, and was quite good. Highly recommended. read more

Can't recommend this place enough! Super chill vibes, always homey and clean. The owners and staff are awesome, they serve the best coffee always consistent never miss. Their caramel macchiato w/ whip and their pesto panini is just.. the BEST in Ka'u. read more

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Peaceful, delicious, fresh, local!! Right across the street from Punalu'u sweet bread company. It's off the beaten path, not crowded....def recommend! read more

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Amazing coffee . Best of my Hawaiian trip so far . Proper espresso machine, barista as you know what they're doing, and quality coffee that is available for sale. read more

Yummy and refreshing cold brew! A little expensive at close to $8 but worth it. The barista was quite kind and patient, answering all of our rudimentary questions about coffee with a smile. For seating, you have your choice of inside, covered porch, or picnic tables. There were numerous friendly green geckos roaming around outside of Ka Lae. They must be fans of the locally-grown Ka'u coffee too! read more

Cute little place. Has ems and a fire truck outside. Inside looks modern and outside seating is small but it works. There was some "influencer" with her squad taking photos like a doofus. The coffee was good the grill cheese sandwich was heated up Kraft singles in ciabatta bread. Go here for the coffee, not the food. The baristas were really nice. Nothing against them. read more

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My boyfriend found Ka Lae coffee on Yelp and a few travel blogs and we were fairly surprised to find such a cute, hip, modern coffee shop! It's across the street from the popular Punalu'u bake shop so we walked over. There's a fair variety of drinks to choose from: smoothies, coffees, teas, etc. A barista recommended trying a macadamia/coconut latte and it did not disappoint!!!! It does have the price tag of a coffee shop you'd find in SF or NY, but I'm happy to support a local business :) read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Macadamia Nut/coconut latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

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Great Ka'u coffee. Strong and very bold! It's also the perfect stop on the long drive from Kona to Volcano or vice versa. It has a nice selection of good eats and a great selection of coffee in every which way you can imagine. So give their sweets a try as well. The shop is cozy and hip yet truly country. read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Main and small seating area - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

Coffee was very hot and delightfully tasty! Really enjoyed it. Also got a lemon lavender cookie. It was absolutely delicious. The whole family enjoyed read more

Great coffee, love their baked goods, super friendly staff, and it's such a cozy shop with great outdoor seating space. The beans they sell are my favorite. They will grind it for you. read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Large iced Vanilla latte. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

Great coffees- bought beans too after because the coffee so good. Barista made great assortment of coffees for us; professional new lamarzoco machine. Fresh and new inside read more

This is a gem of a coffee shop. The Mauna Kea blended coffee was a delicious treat. It was one of the best blended drinks I have had. Exceptional coffee. The staff was personable and accommodating. The only downside (for me) is that they are closed on Sundays. I would have definitely made another trip to this wonderful coffee shop. read more

Super sad to return here two years later and discover that 1) they are no longer serving the delicious decaf espresso drinks they were previously, and 2) they were sold out of baked goods by 10am. So, the 3 stars isn't reflecting food or drinks, since we didn't buy any, but more reflect our sadness that we couldn't and likely just won't try next time... we did find a great alternative just down the road (and no, not across the street). read more

They are directly across the street from the Punalu'u Bakery and have a beautiful setup with 4 seater picnic tables with umbrellas outside as well as a cute patio with 2 small tables. Their lemon lavender cookies are so dreamy! read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Picnic tables - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

After hiking to the green sand beach and back we were looking for a snack and some coffee. Found Ka Lae Coffee on Yelp and picked it for the great reviews-- we were not disappointed! My husband and I each ordered a grilled cheese, he had a chocolate chip cookie and a plain latte, and I had a lavender lemon sugar cookie and a dirty chai latte. Everything was wonderful and the women working the counter were very friendly. We sat outside on the porch and enjoyed watching the geckos crawling around. Would absolutely recommend this place! read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

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Accidentally stumbled upon this hidden cafe with great coffee, baked goods, and smoothie. We had gotten a pomegranate smoothie which was so refreshing after a long day. We had also gotten their banana bread which tasted so homey and was perfectly baked. The staff here are also very nice and respectful. Definitely if you're in this area come and stop by for a quick bite. read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

Need a refreshing drink after your visit to Green Sand Beach? Try to arrive by 3:00. Yes, the sign on the road says they close at 5, but both times I have been there, they closed by 4. Homemade treats, huge coffee drink selection and tasty sandwiches (if you get there before 1:00). The expanded garden and covered seating makes this a perfect place to sit and enjoy a beverage. Make sure to walk through the greenhouses to see the orchids- Incredible variety! read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

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One of the best coffee's we've had on the island was at this store. We really loved their customer service and coffee.

Best coffee spot to stop off at when on your way to Volcano National Park. Service is fast and friendly! The also have a little shop and inside seating area. They sell candles, soaps, coffee, wraps ect. I only had the coffee but they also have other drinks there as well. Carmel macchiato is so good! read more

Ka Lae Coffee - Outside pic from the parking lot. Ramp to the right, stairs to the left - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Naalehu, Hawaii

Coffee, paninis and spritzers. Indoor and outdoor seating. Great stop on our way to South Point. read more

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My London Fog was amazing (the best I have ever had) and the 7 Layer Bar was delicious. The service was wonderful and the environment was welcoming, relaxing and perfect! I left happy, inspired and looking forward to my next visit back to Ka Lae Coffee! read more

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