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    Kai Coffee Hawaii

    3.8 (39 reviews)
    Open 6:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Kai Coffee Hawaii Photos

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    Jen D.

    Decent coffee but I wouldnt say it's the best I've had. Located inside the Waikiki mall, it had tables and chairs for customers. Service was good. They also offer ice cream, pastries, and sandwiches.

    Matcha latte & cold brew
    Sarah K.

    Ventured to Kai coffee for a caffeine fix and was surprised to find it on the street level of a shopping plaza. It was located right in the middle, nearby Sephora. We ordered the matcha latte (sweetened, macadamia nut milk) and a black cold brew. I enjoyed the matcha latte as it was nicely sweetened and was complimented by the macadamia nut milk. My bf got the cold brew and it wasn't anything to write home about. Service was quick and there is some seating nearby to drink your beverage or eat some of the available pastry options.

    Matcha latte with oat milk. Light sweet
    Mapu F.

    The service was lovely! Ordered the matcha latte. Made to how I like the matcha. Added oat milk. Ambiance is a good location. Tables available to enjoy drink

    James L.

    Are you in Waikiki looking for somewhere to sit down and relax? Want to take a break from all the shopping and people? This hidden gem local artesian coffee place located in the center of Waikiki Shopping Plaza offers a nice retreat from paradise. Have a seat, spend your hours rejuvenating yourself with my favorite baristas to talk with: Lora, Rex, Lia, and Noel! They provide such an amazing coffee session and the aloha spirit! Order the cold brew and the Kai latte for my favorite drinks! (Kama'aina does get 25% if you mention!)

    Kai Latte with oat milk
    Linda D.

    I had Kai Coffee as one of my go to places to try when I visited Hawaii and although they have many locations, this location was particularly close to me from my hotel. They are located near Sephora just pass the STIX Asia sign and can be accessed from the street if you're just walking. I came early when they opened and there was only 1 barista that was setting up the chairs, tables, signs while also making my drink. My order was their signature Kai Latte which has a macadamia nut syrup. Got mine with oat milk and iced. Unfortunately, this coffee didn't live up to the name nor hype. It was very acidic and sour which is not at all what I like in coffee. Also, I could hardly taste the macadamia nut. It wasn't worth the price for what I paid for. I'm not sure if it's just this location that made bad coffee or overall this is how it's supposed to taste. I don't think I will be returning to this location because it felt like the barista was not welcoming. It just felt like she was there to make her shift or perhaps she didn't expect anyone to come so early. Also, the coffee felt over pulled. It wasn't good at all. There was so much seating for this one coffee stand so I wonder, how busy do they get during the day. I had planned to sit but it felt awkward in the open mall with no one around. I may try their other locations but this particular location missed the mark for me.

    David H.

    order: matcha latte the matcha here was ehhh :( the matcha latte didn't rlly taste like matcha n kinda just tasted like flavored milk. asked for extra extra vanilla syrup n that made it better but still not the best. kinda sucky, don't get the matcha here maybe the other drinks r better yummy rating: 4/10

    small mocha frappe (coffee added) and chocolate chip cookie
    Alyssa G.

    I've been here a couple times before and thought I'd make a review today while I'm sitting here and waiting for an event. The area surrounding the coffee stand was pretty loud today due to construction. Hopefully this isn't a common occurrence! I usually like more quieter areas if I'm at a coffee shop. Today, I ordered the small mocha frappe with coffee (came out to a little over $4 with kamaaina discount) with a chocolate chip cookie ($3.50). The prices listed on the menu are a little high, but it makes sense considering it's in Waikiki where I expect prices of items to be a little higher than usual. The employee working there was really friendly and tried to engage in conversation with me, which was really nice. If I was a tourist, he would've made my view of Hawaii 100x better! He asked me if I wanted to try the macadamia milk in my drink, and said it would be free of charge since I had mentioned that I've never even heard of it being a thing before! 10/10 customer service because he let me try something that I've never tried before. Things like this really impact whether or not a customer comes back to the establishment and I think he did a great job! The drink I got had a nice light coffee taste to it and wasn't overly sweet. The chocolate chip cookie was very crumbly and I kinda wish I was able to hold it in one piece instead of it breaking in pieces every time I tried to hold it. Both tasted really good, though!

    Rosalie D.

    I was so excited to try the Kai Latte. We came at 6:30am and were first in line. I wanted to love it since it had great reviews. It was nothing special. My daughter had it iced. It tasted like milk. I had it hot and it was a little bitter. People describe this as flavorful. I don't taste it. Glad I tried it. I won't be coming back. I should've taken cues from the lack of a line in the morning like other coffee places. I thought it might be a hidden gem. I was wrong.

    Kristelle B.

    I've been a fan of Kai Coffee since 2021 and have bought their signature iced Kai coffee (with macadamia nut syrup) several times before, but it's usually from their other two locations across the beach. My first time in this one, located inside the mall, however was very disappointing. I knew from the get-go my coffee looked darker and less creamy than usual. It also tasted very acidic and didn't taste any hint of the syrup at all. The lady who was singlehandedly working there was kind enough to either offer me a refund or re make my drink. Sadly, it tasted the same after the second try. Not sure if I'll be coming back given any coffee in the area at this point can easily cost you $9 and it was such a waste of money.

    Kai lattee (large size), Acai bowl
    Betty B.

    Friends and family came to visit which means we gotta impress them with some good local coffee. Kai Coffee did not disappoint! We ordered their signature Kai latte cold, the flavor of the coffee was rich and nutty. It came very slightly sweetened which was perfect for me but for those that prefers something sweeter just ask the barista to add a few more pumps. We also tried the Acai bowl which was delish as well. It's nice to have something local and walking distance from the neighborhood, if you are ever in the area definitely give this place a try!

    Matcha Frappe
    Irene M.

    It's a perk to see Kai Coffee here... What a delightful scene to see local small biz thrive and to see Kai Coffee open another location here on the first floor in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza is a great sign. Once back in the day it was the place we go for all things food when I used to work in Waikiki. Don't expect any fancy drinks here...with the standard offerings of espresso drinks, frappe and teas I got the Matcha Frappe and it was okay not really much of a matcha flavor which it comes in two sizes and I got the large. They are more known for the coffee which they roast their own at the Kapahulu location I really wasn't feeling like coffee and thought this would be a more gentle sip. It's nice to see they have a few seating along with the breeze makes it a great place to chill and relax. With that I thought I get a sandwich...Caprese and I wouldn't recommend any of their sandwich as you look at their menu it has no price on them at all and when I got it it was SO small little cheese, veggies were sparse the pesto aioli was runny it was a hot mess. The staff was nice though just the basic service nothing that impressive I was disappointed with it all as it cost $21.20.

    Kai latte
    Crystal X.

    Their large iced kai latte comes with three espresso shots. Both the espresso and macadamia nut flavors were more subtle than expected but the latte was smooth and creamy.

    Outside area
    Justine O.

    Customer service was top notch. Everyone was so kind and friendly. They helped me make a decision and I'm so glad we walked over. The açaí bowl is amazing and the coffee is great. Highly recommend. It's so cute and they have outside seating.

    Iced Americano

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    4 months ago

    Really good breakfast and coffee here, earliest breakfast we could find open at 6:30 am before a day tour pickup at 7 am.

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    6 months ago

    Had a killa coffee the other day when I stopped in for the first time. Shout out Kayla for good coffee and some good hike recommendations!!

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    1 year ago

    The macadamia nut latte was tasty, friendly staff, and they had a nice seating area outside by the waterfall.

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    2 years ago

    Love this coffee shop. Two locations in Waikiki very close to each other. The iced Kai Latte is my fave

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    Kona Coffee Purveyors - Pineapple & coconut almond croissant with oat latte

    Kona Coffee Purveyors

    4.4(2.6k reviews)
    0.2 miWaikiki
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    Be ready to wait in line if you go in the morning. The lines are often out the door…read more Great coffee and pastries. We tried the black sesame Kouign Aman and banana chocolate croissant. Both were so rich and so good! Wanted to go back but the lines were always too long.

    Absolutely worth the hype and the waiting time. If you're visiting on weekday, certainly pre-order…read moreto skip the line as they seemed to be busy at all hours. The line moved relatively quickly even on weekend though, so don't let it hinder you from trying. We got their iconic Black Sesame Kouign Amann and loved it too much. Impeccably flaky and buttery pastry base with flawless caramelized bottom. The black sesame paste also came in just right dose and sweetness. I wasn't a fan of black sesame but I would rave over this pastry!! We did have their Pineapple Almond Croissant, which was decent but if you had to prioritize, doubtlessly go for kouign amann. The Chocolate Chip cookie was okay to skip IMHO. We came back again another day for their pistachio and chocolate ones and they were just as mindblowing! If you loved milk coffee, I would recommend their latte as the cold brew could be tad acidic even with added milk. I got their Cold Brew with soy milk first time then Vanilla Latte the second time, and certainly loved the latter better. They did have some indoor and outdoor sit-down spaces but they're constantly occupied so you might need to wait awhile to get one.

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    Kona Coffee Purveyors - The famous pastry

    The famous pastry

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    Banana chocolate croissant - sooo good!

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    Local Joe - Breakfast croissant & lox for us  Local Joe be there for us when we need a break from fluorescent light.

    Local Joe

    4.6(622 reviews)
    3.1 miDowntown
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    Did my research to find Kona coffee for my upcoming visit to Vancouver, so I walked from home and…read moretook shelter in Local Joe's to cool off and order some 100% Kona Mauna Kea Estate coffee and have it ground. Liv was so delightful and clearly the right person for the job so I knew I was in the right place. In the meantime I ordered an iced coffee (which was delicious!!!!) and sat down and watched folks come and go. This is clearly a popular local coffee and snack shop so I will keep this place in mind since it's locally owned and operated and their decaf is processed via osmosis, not chemicals. That's a big plus.

    I was actually on my way to another coffee shop, but I saw Local Joe when I turned on Smith, so I…read moreturned on that side street, Marin, and there was a parking spot right there. Meant to be! I ordered the Royal Hawaiian. This was delicious! I also had a slice of banana bread. It was heated in the oven with a pat of butter on it. Sooooooo good! Said I'd come back for the pumpkin bread, and I did a few days later. Ordered the Royal Hawaiian again. Can't get enough of it and the pumpkin bread heated the same way. Lots of people getting coffee to go and food. It's in a great location! I was also looking for a new coffee supplier. I used to go to Downtown Coffee but the last batch I bought was not very good. I bought Guatemala, Columbia, and Hawaiian. Had them all ground fine. Each one proved to be a winner with the family! So happy to have found this not so hidden gem! It is now my go to for beans! The staff is great! The owner too! And it's a comfortable place to take a break at! Mahalo Joe!

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    Counter

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    Kai Coffee Hawaii - coffeeroasteries - Updated May 2026

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