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Mālama Cafe

4.5 (130 reviews)
Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Mālama Cafe Photos

Business Info

MĀLAMA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Mālama Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Nicole V.

Food and coffee was fine, but don't think I'll come back here. Overall very loud and a bit messy with foood under a bunch of tables and sugar and condiments spilt across the counter. I ordered and ordered they forgot about my coffee order despite 4-5 people working at the time. Parking was tough considering it's right by the boardwalk but that was to be expected. The pb&j latte and Hawaiin wrap were also underwhelming. All the avocado smash was in the bottom of the wrap, so by the time I got to it there was just wrap and cado left

Outside of Malama Cafe. Delicious latte!
Charlotte B.

They are so nice at Malama Cafe! Super cute ambiance and easy to get to location. I got a latte two days in a row. Nice rich and strong espresso. I didn't get anything to eat this trip but I have had the avocado toast and it was great. Fresh ingredients and fair prices. I don't have a dog but there are plenty to pet out front as it seems a popular place to bring your pup.

Our favorite place to get awesome smoothies
Valerie D.

Best healthy Cafe in Carolina Beach. Service is good and the place is a real cute Cafe. They have a good variety of sandwiches, smoothies and other healthy items.

Almond butter banana toast
Alyssa H.

Such a great spot. Everything here is so fresh and delicious. And you can definitely tell it's a fan favorite because it was packed. Everything here is delicious and they definitely take pride in what they do and it shows.

Açaí Bowl
Matthew H.

One of the best! Natural flavor with simple ingredients and great peanut butter. Great execution of an açaí bowl by keeping it simple and great! Added additional protein to this açaí base and it added to the flavor but kept the consistency exactly where you want it for a great açaí bowl.

Breakfast burrito and a latte
Eddie M.

Great food and staff! Was in town for the weekend and wanted some good clean food. Malama Cafe was quick, fresh and delicious! I had the chicken breakfast burrito. Full of homemade guacamole, scrambled eggs, cheese, chicken and FLAVOR.

edamame toast and bacon, egg, avocado toast
Kayli S.

cute cafe to work from inside and great chai tea! enjoyed the breakfast menu options as well. went twice in the same weekend

Açaí bowls - nutty and Nutella
Ashley S.

We came back to Malama twice on our vacation this week. The first time we had açaí bowls - both were excellent! The second time we had lattes and breakfast, one breakfast sandwich and a breakfast burrito (with sweet potatoes and beans in place of meat). The lattes were very good, and I love that they will put them in the ceramic mugs upon request. My husband enjoyed his breakfast sandwich, and I liked the burrito. The sweet potatoes were a little less cooked than my personal preference but overall it was a very hearty and healthy breakfast.

Creative seating options enjoyed by adults and toddlers both!
Bethany H.

We lucked out and came between rushes on a Thursday morning! Ordering was easy and our order was ready quickly. The staff kindly gave recommendations when needed and everything was delicious! We chose Malama because of the dietary options (diary allergy). It was nice to have a variety of dairy free options without feeling like we were missing out on enjoying the full menu. Our only complaint is that it's too far away from Ohio to visit again anytime soon!

Iced Strawberry Latte, Marshmallow Cream Coldie
JJ C.

We stopped by Malama to pick up some iced coffees on the way to the beach. Our barista was friendly, and our drinks came out quickly. We ordered an Iced Strawberry Latte and a Marshmallow Cream Coldie (a seasonal drink). The Strawberry Latte was completely watered down. We could barely taste any espresso, so the drink unfortunately just tasted like sweet water. For the coldie, the cold brew/coffee itself wasn't very good but the marshmallow foam on top was unique and pretty decent. All in all, the looks and vibes of Malama Cafe are much better than the taste of their drinks.

matcha latte
Celeste S.

Found this great coffee/breakfast cafe right by the ocean near the boardwalk at ocean isle. I was surprised to love the food here more than the coffee since you would think its all about the coffee and drinks but they had great everything! The seating inside is nice and cozy to relax and even study or do work. The smoothie I tried was very fresh and replenished my thirst after being in the hot sun all day.

Fall drinks
Lexi G.

Vanilla cardamom latte-- you are an angel. I ordered it iced with almond milk and loved it. This place was so cute inside, very bright, and had some perfect outdoor tables to enjoy the sun.

Açaí + latte
Proud C.

Great food!! Cute lil shop on the beach! Def give it a go! Fast and friendly service.

Cold brew- very good

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3 months ago

Ambiguous air of racial discrimination. Drinks could have been better, tasted as if not completely done. Not a friendly environment.

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2 years ago

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11 months ago

Such a cute place close to the shore. Would return! Food was good and there were many cute places to sit. Nice decor and vibes.

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Ask the Community - Mālama Cafe

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Brunches - Chicken Biscuit

Brunches

4.1(66 reviews)
0.2 mi
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Hey guys! So this was my first trip to N. Carolina to visit…read moremy current husband's family and I loved it! We got an Airbnb nearby and my hubby wanted me to try this place because it's super busy on weekends. We got here on a Monday morning the last week of April and it was busy in the patio area. Kid-friendly, dog-friendly and the view was great! The food & service was great too! I forgot the server's name but she was really nice and recommended yummy items. Must try it all! I can't remember what I got to eat but the mimosa was delicious. Just ask the server what they recommend.

Great mimosa, special and solid breakfast option. This location definitely gives off chain…read morerestaurant vibes, but has a good menu and very obviously specializes in brunch. We were quick to notice that mimosas were on special for just three dollars. They were basically goblets of mimosa and they had four flavors to choose from. I went with the strawberry and also got to try the pineapple. Absolutely delicious! The all-American breakfast was nice. I liked the great big pancake. The potatoes were kind of simple, but we're cooked all the way. Also, I asked for my bacon to be crispy and they definitely delivered on that. Service was friendly, but not super attentive. We were only checked on at the beginning for drinks, when they brought out our food, and then we ended up waiting a bit to get the check. We would've ordered more mimosas, but I think they may have been slightly understaffed. There are definitely better brunch options in Wilmington, but this place had no wait on a busy weekend and I was happy with the food. If you are a brunch person, this place delivers in terms of being really big with lots of seating and having a lot of brunch menu items.

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Kate's Pancake House - egg sandwich and potatoes

Kate's Pancake House

4.1(645 reviews)
0.1 mi
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If you're looking for a true mom & pop experience, like your grandparents just made you the best…read morebreakfast ever and nostalgic flavors from the south, this is for you. I arrived when they had just opened the doors at 0630 and everyone was so kind. I got the hurricane omelet, home fries, French toast, and a side of bacon. This has been my favorite breakfast I've found in years. They have plenty condiments, free parking, and fair prices. My food came out fast and my waitress (Kerri?) was attentive, informative, & so sweet. The entire experience felt like home and I will definitely be returning!

I only got pancakes, so I can't speak to the other menu items. But the restaurant has pancake in…read morethe name so it seemed like a must. The sweet potato pancakes were insane. Perhaps some of the best pancakes I've ever had. They had nuts in them and were perfectly spiced. 10/10. Red velvet was good, the cream cheese icing was quite tasty but they weren't anything too special. And the apple pancake was my least favorite; the apple filling on top tasted like it came from a can. Super sweet and didn't taste fresh. But the pancake itself was still good. This place does not take reservations and I was told the line goes out the door in the summer. There was a large line even while we were there in the off season during a storm. So if you want to eat here on a weekend, or the weather is nice, proceed with caution and be prepared to wait (standing outside--there is no seating while you wait).

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Ocean View Restaurant - Green eggs & ham

Ocean View Restaurant

4.4(90 reviews)
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FANTASTIC! We had a group of nine, which was a little…read moreawkward as the space is a bit intimate for a large group. Fortunately, it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and we arrived comfortably after Beach Church. My son said the fried chicken was the "best he'd ever had," and he's had a lot. He wanted french toast and was going to have a side of chicken until his wife ordered chicken & waffles, which claimed two chicken breasts. Those *two* seemed to be the size of a whole chicken or more and there was plenty to share and take home. Another order of the blueberry pancakes was only half eaten. The service was fantastic, speedy and friendly, with plenty of drink refills and extras. Later in the breakfast shift, the very friendly owner came out and socialized a bit. He said the secret to his fried chicken recipe came from his great aunt, but it was imperative to use fresh, never frozen chicken. Our combined families usually spend a summer week at a beach location farther south, but it will be tough to pass up OVKB22 the next time we are near Southport or Wilmington. The menu is so enticing, we need to try more items.

We came here at the end of March on a Saturday morning and the place was very busy, but we were…read moreseated right away. Server was very attentive and friendly. I ordered a veggie omelette and the portion was really good. It was full of spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms. My husband had the chicken and waffles and had to take some home with him because the portion was so good. The chicken was crispy on the outside. Unfortunately, it did not have an ocean view, but you are in walking steps to the ocean, so during peak season expect to pay over six dollars an hour for parking.

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Hang Ten Grill - Jalapeno burger. Delicious!

Hang Ten Grill

3.9(492 reviews)
0.2 mi
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Came by while on vacation. The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating with our two small…read morechildren! I got some seafood for me, and their burgers were terrific too.

We ate lunch here for the first time on 4/28/26. The restaurant is upstairs, which those with…read moremobility problems may want to consider. There were 4 parking spaces in front which did not require payment. Luckily, one was open or we would have gone elsewhere. The shrimp basket had a dozen shrimp or so, some hidden under the fries in the pic. They were battered pretty thickly, much thicker than Calabash restaurants. They were OK, but again, lots of batter. The slaw was good, and there was twice as much of it as there was at the Sandspur two days before. The fries were overly salty. The shrimp tacos were reported to be good, but my wife could not eat the french fries because of the salt. The service was good, and she refilled our water before they were empty, which was a good thing because the fries were so salty. When the check came, there was a convenience fee added on. I hate restaurants that add this fee. This fee was not mentioned on the front door or on the menu that I can see. I had pictures of both the door and the menu and posted them here. It was a 3% fee for credit cards before they asked if I would pay with cash or credit. The lady said "Oh, I will take that off if you are paying with cash." and did so. They also had a line for rounding to the nearest nickel. This may only apply if a customer pays cash. It makes no sense on a credit card payment. If they charge 2c more, that means the $13.99 shrimp basket was $14.00 and the $15.99 shrimp tacos were $16.00. It seems unbelievably cheap to round to the nearest nickel instead of rounding down to the nearest nickel. Are there even 50 customers per day who pay in cash? Probably half the tickets will round down anyway. If you round down by 4c on 25 tickets, it's a whole $1 off the gross for the day. Is that dollar worth leaving a bad impression with 25 customers? If the food was better and they got rid of the credit card fee, or at least notified in advance that they charged one, we might return if there was a free parking space available. If they cut back on the salt on the fries, they might save enough to not worry about rounding cash tickets.

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Seaworthy Kitchen & Bar - Dip trio

Seaworthy Kitchen & Bar

4.5(70 reviews)
0.4 mi

My husband and I stopped in for the first time during my birthday trip, and we had such a great…read moreexperience. The restaurant was busy, but the staff was incredibly accommodating and welcoming. It happened to be our server's first day on the job, and she could not have been more friendly or attentive. We tried several of the recommended dishes, and the crab dip was the best I've ever had! I also really enjoyed the gluten-free pasta. As someone with a gluten allergy, I really appreciated how many gluten-free options they were able to accommodate. Everything we had was delicious, and we look forward to coming back again.

Yummy food with friendly service. The happy hour specials are amazing - great way to try out menu…read moreitems to see what you like best. Or if you're looking for something lighter. My husband had the happy hour Mac and cheese, and the shrimp and grits. I ordered the lobster ravioli and the Caesar salad. I was so intrigued by the crispy tuna roll I also ordered one of those. The Mac and cheese is absolutely delicious but contains bacon. The shrimp and grits were very complex - smoky, cheesy, savory, super tasty. The Caesar salad was the only slight miss for me. It was a bit heavier than I'm used to from the fried croutons. The lobster ravioli was delicious. The crispy tuna roll was fantastic - truly delicious. It has a slight spicy kick to it, and the pickled vegetables on the side balance everything out. For drinks, we had the Carolina mai tai and the virgin painkiller. The drinks are amazing, and I loved the presentation.

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Seaworthy Kitchen & Bar - Greek salad with blackened tuna

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Mālama Cafe - juicebars - Updated May 2026

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