I've been here a good bit of times and it's always great! I try something new every visit and haven't been disappointed yet. The employees are always very nice and I've never waited longer than maybe five minutes. Only have tried their drinks, not the food. read more

I come for the quiche and savory pastries!!! They have a fun selection of pastries but I'm typically a little disappointed with the muffins and scones because they are usually dry. I would come here way more often if they had good iced coffee. It tastes very bitter and earthy - their hot coffee and flavored coffees are ok. I would give 3.5 stars if I could read more

The coffee is not as good as Brue Bar or my favorite place Glazer's, but it'll do when you're in a hurry and can't drink another McStarbucks. Service is pretty good and they do have sandwiches and a bit more food than the usual pastries you find at other coffee shops. read more

Impressed with coffee dissatisfied with customer service. I am a college student and come into this shop fairly often. Often enough to have a few stamp cards. My last visit I had enough stamps to collect a free beverage, however was denied due to having multiple cards. Unfortunately the woman was rather rude about it. Very unprofessional considering the loyalty cards do not have any stated terms and conditions. After sharing my story with friend she also told me a story in which she had an unpleasant experience with a rude employee. I won't be back. Plenty of coffee shops with pleasant baristas on island. read more

Christian G. and the case of the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad bathroom. Recently, I got a massage. This is a big deal for me as apparently we can afford to shuttle the princess dog to groomer every single month, but we can only afford bi-yearly massages for moi. Don't worry, I don't get the math on that one either. So, I'm heading to Renew for a deep tissue bliss out and I decide to leave two hours before the appointment because the traffic through Honolulu is exactly never what you expect it to be. You know where this is going, don't you? I was an hour and a half early for my massage. What's a yelper with free time to do? EXPLORE! So, I feed my change to the meter and set out to see what I can see in this neighborhood. I was specifically avoiding the crack seed store, fabric store, jewel or juice, and my hairdresser because I'm already familiar with them. I found Otto Cake! This may not seem like much, but I was damn excited to know exactly where it is and mentally add it to my "to return with cash" list. I also found a little bakery. Cool, I'll be back for you, too. I also found Gecko comics and decided I was too much of a noob to grace that store with my presence. And then I walked right into Coffee Talk. I adore the vibe of this place. Just. Love. It. It reminds me of the independent coffee shop I used to work, only approximately 100% more awesome. The food looked to die for and the drink looked amazing. I was a very happy woman. I got a pumpkin muffin and a thai iced coffee and found a quite place to eat and kill some time. I would absolutely be a regular here if I didn't live way out in Wahiawa. The muffin was delicious and the coffee was the best, and best made, that I have had in an exorbitantly long time. Excellent coffee with correct crema and proper foam is an art and a science. This place absolutely does it right. So, I killed about an hour eating my muffin, drinking my coffee, and forcibly talking myself out of going back for a piece of chocolate spoon bread. I really, really wanted that bread. But, the DH is coming home soon and I'm on the same *must lose weight immediately* that every other person in the same situation likely feels. It's time to pack up and head to the massage. I should probably use the bathroom first, because God knows bathrooms can be like veins of gold in some parts of Oahu. (Read: impossible to find) I didn't really know where the bathroom was, so I just walked around until I found it. (It wasn't a long journey.) Not knowing what horrors the immediate future held for me, I cruised right on in. HOLY NIGHTMARE BATHROOM, BATMAN! I just... I can't even explain... the horrors! A. It smelled like they were having sewer issues. To call it a barnyard smell would be insulting to barnyards. 2. There was tp and paper towels everywhere. I do not know what animal used the bathroom before me, but they need to be found and dragged back in there by the hair to clean up their freakin mess. I used a clean paper towel to pull the papers out of the sink and off the toilet. I left the paper that was already on the floor. Nobody's currently paying me to clean that place. 75D. Let's talk about blood. I'm sorry, does that gross you out? Don't worry, it grossed me out, too. Now, I don't know about you, but I have seen a few episode of Dexter (awesome show) in my day and I've done the "What weapon was used in this crime according to the spatter pattern?" thing offered to children at the Crime and Punishment museum. Suffice to say, I'm pretty much a blood spatter expert by now. (Thank you Showtime!) Even I was mystified as to what exactly happened in this bathroom. About a foot off the floor, beside the toilet, was a clear and fresh blood stain. This was not a smear, not an arterial spray, not a stereotypical bloody handprint from horror movies that I could chalk up to early Halloween decoration. This was a significantly large and very fresh *spatter*. Like someone got crowbarred in the head beside the toliet. I spent the whole time I was in there wondering "WTF happened in here?". I mentally added "watch more CSI" to my to-do list. Needless to say, I got the hell out of that bathroom as quickly as I could. Come for the coffee, stay for the food, run from the bathroom. read more

I live in the Kaimuki neighborhood and so I try to support the businesses there. I had friends visiting this week and had told them about the great acai bowl place on the corner, BC burrito and coffee talk. Today was their last day in town, so we went to get some breakfast at the burrito place and walked up to coffee talk to get coffee. When I walked in, I didn't see any signs that said, "please, no outside food or drink". All of us were carrying our burritos in a clear bag. We even placed them on the counter while ordering our drinks, and the woman behind the counter saw them - still she didn't say anything as one person in our party said they were going to get a table. The drinks were VERY expensive. For a small bottle of water it was $2.25 - I can go to Aloha 7-11 and get a huge bottle for $1.50 - so I was really irritated at the obvious gouging. My friend ordered a chai which was almost $5 and my iced americano was $3.50. Seriously, those prices make Starbuck's look like they're giving away coffee. And the service was dismal. People behind us, that were "regulars" had their drinks made before us and were greeted with smiles and small talk. We were not greeted with such pleasantries. If you want more regulars maybe you should be nice to everyone. After overpaying for our mediocre beverages, we went to the table and sat down. about 5 minutes later, the same woman that waited on us at the counter comes over and tells us in a less than friendly manner that we need to leave immediately as outside food is not allowed. We had no idea this was their policy and were more than happy to leave given the poor treatment we received. If there had been a sign to let us know, we would've purchased our drinks and left. And since the woman saw our burritos when we were ordering she could've said something then. But she chose not to, instead she was rude, and unprofessional about it. One solution would have been to say, "We don't generally allow people to bring outside food into our shop, we'll overlook it this time but if you can avoid doing so in the future we'd appreciate it. And we appreciate your business" That would've been the diplomatic, professional, polite thing to do. But, that did not happen. We were kicked out. Yes they do serve food there, which would lead you to believe they'd keep the place clean - not to mention free of animals, but there were 3 dogs in the shop, and the tables, chairs and floors were filthy. I am a dog person, but I don't bring my dog into places where food is served for obvious reasons. I was amazed that animals were allowed but our burritos weren't . Needless to say, I wont be back nor will I ever take anyone I know to this establishment. And I will not recommend Coffee Talk to anyone either. I can only hope that this shop fall victim to the flagging economy. With prices like theirs, I'm sure it wont take long for people to find cheaper and better tasting coffee elsewhere. *** I should mention that other shops in that area have allowed me to carry my coffee into their business when getting breakfast and never once mistreated me or told me to leave with my "foreign coffee" - the acai bowl place and the burrito place in particular - they're much friendlier and more professional *** read more

So my girlfriend calls me and she wants to hang out. She can't get enough of me (Can you blame her?) Anyways, we're up in waialae and we pass by this homeless shelter. My girlfriend says she used to come here for the live music. Live Music? I look again at the place and realize it's not a homeless shelter, it's a little shop called Coffee Talk. We were killing time until 8:45-ish so we decided to head in. So I look around and we find a table. She orders an iced tea and I order a cappuccino ( it was the only thing I could read on the menu) Whoever wrote the menu either has a very eclectic art sense or Parkinson's disease. So my girlfriend's "iced tea" comes and it tastes just like lemonade. Weird. I didn't ask for lemonade. Idiots. Then my cappuccino comes, and it tastes worse than my own vomit. I think we ended up spending close to $10 on what appears to have been lemonade and liquid feces. So in conclusion, if you want coffee, you could stay home and brew a cup yourself and it'll taste just as good (maybe better if you don't make it a habit to burn your coffee) If you want to waste your money and pretend to have a "night life" however, then by all means go to coffee talk, it's already filled with people just like you. I'm not a mean person. Really, I'm not :(. read more

okay so now that we've established that I love coffeetalk, let's talk about how much I absolutely love coffeetalk. it's so near, and I find myself here very often. no complaints. since my last review, I've been able to eat their food. pretty regularly. omg. the veggie burger is a must. but I don't want to tell you that bc since they make it in house there are limited quantities. I've taken both my work mentor and my grandmother here for lunch and they both agree that it's AMAZEBALLS. ok, I still say that. get over it. they also offer gluten free bread! veggie burger with avo on gf bread. drool. the tangy Caesar salad is freaking awesome too. I never know if I should get the salad or veggie burger. oh ps it's not a puny salad. it's huge. and filling. and delicious. I want it every day. read more

Meh. I drive by this place practically every day. Kept saying "yeah I'll go someday". Someday was today, and I wish I hadn't. First off, the staff was not friendly since we asked for two seconds to look at the menu. We ordered two coffees and the girl went back and made them, came back and set them on the counter. We asked her which was which. She straight up looked at us and said "I don't know." Um... didn't you JUST make them? So we just decide to taste and see. Gross. The coffee tasted like ass. Not literally, but it was bad. She also spilled coffee down the side of my cup and since I was leaving, I wanted to wipe it off so it wouldn't get all over my car. "We are out of napkins." Really? No napkins? *sigh*. I don't often ditch the stuff I paid for, but I just couldn't stomach that nasty coffee. What a bummer. read more

It pains me to rate anything in Kaimuki less than 4 stars. Growing up in Kaimuki, I use to think that Coffee Talk was the coolest hang out ever (of course this when they use to have naked mannequins, punk shows, and outdoor seating). However, after spending several years in the Pacific Northwest, where lattes are an art form, it is a sad realization that Coffee Talk has terrible coffee. Though the teenagers behind the counter are usually very friendly, they are inadequately trained. One morning, I ordered a cappuccino and instead received half an americano and half a cappuccino. The girl behind the counter had messed up my order half-way through. The drink was so bad, I threw it away! Also, their tea selection is limited and is always served scalding! And as other yelpers have mentioned, their bathrooms are consistently out of order or disgusting. Coffee Talk does have several redeeming qualities: I enjoy their variety of iced teas, large sandwiches, spaciousness, and convenient location. As a devoted supporter of Kaimuki, I still have faith in Coffee Talk. With some renovations, a better trained staff, and better quality coffee, Coffee Talk could be the talk of the town once more! *Side Note: To have access to Wi-fi, you must purchase an item every two hours. read more

Hey, I'm all about anti-globalization and avoiding Starbucks so I have been here a lot in the last couple of years. But I finally stopped going because its just not worth it with Glazers reasonably nearby. This place needs to be disinfected and the bathrooms torn out. NO ventilation. They're so disgusting I once called the DOH Food Inspection branch, no kidding. I've been there 3 times when the toilet overflowed and that was the only time the floor got mopped. No one ever wipes the tables either, so don't put your elbows on them without examining and / or wiping it down yourself. Maybe that's why they provide the cooler of water. The serving staff at night seem intent on starting to clean up about two hours before they close... they sweep right around your feet. Real appealing. Makes you feel so welcome. Hello, do it after you're closed or are you in too much of a rush to leave by 10:02? If there are less than 5 people in there they'll kick you out at 9:30 if they want to leave. (Chalk one up for starbucks... never happened to me there...) At least they fixed the upholstery. For a while there I was getting actual scrapes on my a$$ from their crappy cracked chairs. I miss the open-air lanai that they enclosed. They should NOT turn the TV on. Nobody appreciates it but the one homeless guy who stays there all day. It's a waste of electricity. Pluses, because you know there had to be some.... great breakfast burrito, microwave to heat up your coffee after it gets cold, pretty good pastries, and the two nice guys that work during the day. Very good lattes, flavored or plain! Coffee... not so much and expensive (1.25?) refills. In summary - try Glazers. No, there's no food at Glazer;s and sometimes no seating. But go to Glazers. read more

Awesome spot but it's really hot inside. I hope one day they will invest in a very strong air conditioner. I would come all the time if that were the case. Friendly staff. read more

Before I grew up (fo'real) and off the rock I used to think Coffee Talk was the "it" coffee shop...anyways what the hell did I know back then compared to what I know now.?! First of all, I'd like to say that coffee making is an art and skill...the lattes they serve are too hot -the coffee tastes burnt and sour- basically, they need training on how to dose,distribute the espresso, tamp, pull a balanced shot and steam milk properly. I watched their entire process from behind the counter and was horrified that they serve drinks with such carelessness. Luckily the drink I purchased wasn't for me...but a word to the wise enter at your own risk. **I would have given them a -1 star but unfortunately lovely YELP doesn't allow **negativity**even though it's the flat out truth** read more

Such a cute little place to sit and relax! Im a huge coffee lover, and I have to say, their coffee is simply delightful. A good day starts with a good cup of coffee. read more

Very friendly staff! I had the Turtle Toffee and loved it. I also had an oatcake and it was very good warmed up. Definitely would recommend you to come try it, it also has free wifi for customers, and plenty of seating where you are able to have a meeting, or even do some homework. read more

Coffee Talk has a cool vibe. They have free wi-fi but its only for 1 hour. Sometimes it is really noisy and the music is really loud so if what you are looking for is a quiet place to study, this may not be your place. They do however have lots of seating and a room in the front where you can study that is semi-sound proof. Very friendly staff and very yummy coffee and sandwiches! :) Most likely will be back! read more

Internet allowed only for one hour, per purchase... its coffee, and wireless for home and buisnesses is a flat fee.. What college student spends less than an hour doing any assignment, and drinks multiple cups of caffiene? Such a bummer because its such a great location and concept! Yet, I refuse to support buisnesses like this one... Guess starbucks it is! read more

It was my first time going to this place and I loved it! The owner was so lovely and took our order. She convinced me to get a burrito and for my friend to get an oat cake (freshly baked too). We ordered coffees and I got a mocha. Both were delightfully smooth with my mocha having the perfect amount of sweetness. The food was delicious and fresh. The cafe itself was so cute and I loved the charm of all the quirky items in there. I will definitely find myself there if I'm on that side of the island again soon! read more

I love their broccoli quiche, banana bread and white chocolate fudge bar. All of their pastries are made in house so if you go in the morning you'll catch them nice and warm. I visited this coffee every single day when I studied at Paul Mitchell and they always greeted me by my name. When I go in town (I live west side) I try to stop by. It never disappoints! Nice family owned business. read more

I've been looking for alternatives to Starbucks for my study and work-away-from-work session (no offense Starbucks, you guys have been very kinda to me... but I need a change of scenery!). A friend suggested I give Coffee Talk a try... so here I am, all the way from Mililani. Here's my first impressions: Awesome 1/2 sandwich and 1/2 soup! The turkey avocado sandwich was stacked high with fresh, delicious veggies, and the onion soup was quite possibly the best I've had - yummm :-) My raspberry latte was pretty tasty, though nothing extraordinary. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and patient with my indecisiveness. The live music (acoustic guitar with vocals) really added to the ambiance. The biggest downside for me is the seating - for study sessions, I prefer coffee shops with big comfy couches or chairs to cozy up in while studying. Coffee Talk only has tables with chairs. To be fair, although the chairs are old-school diner type with torn covers, they are fairly comfortable. Overall, it's a long drive from Mililani, but I'll likely be back - I like the atmosphere, food, and people. If I lived closer, I'm sure this would be a regular spot for me :-) read more

First time here ordered apple banana bread pudding, coffee cake, strawberry banana smoothie and ice chai latte. The portions for the pastries were huge and very good! The chai was a little warm and I liked my drinks ice cold! The strawberry banana smoothie was okay nothing special. Overall the place and perfect for people who want to just kick back and study or read a book. read more

Great Coffee and pastries however service was bit disappointing.. Girl takes our order but didn't finish ringing us up ~ just walks away. (Thought she was making our drinks) Then this nice guy barista comes to finish the transaction. We then sat down and 10 minutes pass no drinks...finally my bf goes up to the guy barista and asks about our order... The girl that took our order is no where to be found (in the bathroom maybe?!?) however the nice brista gets our order and comp us a pastry...All I gotta say is if you don't like your job you have the option to quit! read more

I've actually been a regular at Coffee Talk for over twenty years. It's a nice mom-and-pop shop to go to get away from the corporate stuff. Their vegetarian sandwiches are filling and fresh, and the coffee is tasty. Most of the staff is usually very friendly and on top of things. One man that works there with black glasses sometimes turns me off, because he never smiles, and interrupts customers when they order. He seems to get annoyed with customers frequently and doesn't mind showing it. He seems hopped up on too much caffeine. Coffee Talk would get five stars from me if they improved their customer service a little. I think it's mostly that one guy that really turns me off. read more

Service sucked !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Barista not friendly and didn't listen to what I wanted to order!

I stumbled in here yesterday morning, and I really had a great experience for breakfast. I usually like to make My own espresso at home with great coffee, so I can't say the coffee was the best, but it was at about Starbucks level. I also had the oatmeal, which was great because it was not over sweetened and tasted homemade. I like the fact it had free Wi-Fi, and I really enjoy the open space of this coffee shop. Unlike other coffee shops in Hawaii this one is not all crammed. Also they seemed very warm toward their regulars, which I liked. read more

Over priced. Art is cool. But it's kind of lame, the crowd isnt so great

Can't get enough of their flavored teas! I need to remember to check-in, but I've been here 3 times in the past two weeks. Their baked goods are phenomenal, and their flavored teas are perfect for me! I'm not a fan of the hourly wi-fi; you have to purchase something every hour to get a new access code... Kind of uncool when you actually have work to do and stop half-way through. However, this is a great spot to just chill, have a unique drink and something baked+home-made! read more

GREAT COFFEE, FOOD, AND Service! The fresh baked scones, muffins, and bagels are just a must have when you visit. I love the atmosphere and it's very clean. read more

Bathrooms dirty everytime and overall cleanliness is bad. Baseboards and corners filthy and the dirt keeps piling up. I'm scared to see what their kitchen looks like. Baked goods and food is decent. You must make a purchase to get wifi for an hour. One time I bought a $12.00 breakfast. I asked for more than an hour of wifi and the manager chimed in loud so others could hear "if you don't like our policy there are other places you can go to like startbucks". The patrons is what gives this place a comfortable vibe. The tables are small but the area is spacious and they have nice art. read more

The (formerly) free wifi, good scones, and veggie brunch burritos were once reason enough for making an anti-charbucks statement in my Kaimuki neighborhood. The laid-back neighborhood ambiance offset the spaced-out service and grimy restrooms. However: "free wifi" with purchase is no more, you are time-bombed after a mere hour. If your latte/scone detour includes getting online work done, beware: when your 60 minutes are up, you're cut off unless you make another purchase. The new restriction is too draconian: 120 minutes is more reasonable and typical of such establishments, i.e. Morning Brew in Kailua. read more

Coffee Talk is one of a kind! Baked goods are awesome. I don't even drink coffee but always come for the food! Banana bread, gingerbread muffins, cream cheese cookies, burritos, fresh squeeezed lemonade......and on and on. Always something made from scratch and hot out of the oven! This place has a great laidback vibe and friendly people behind the counter! Hi Di!! I'm glad Coffee Talk is in our neighborhood! read more

I've always loved Coffee Talk and their funky independent coffee shop vibe. The homemade pastries are really delicious. But what keeps me coming back like an addict on the regular is their iced toddy. Apparently in other places toddy is an alcoholic beverage however at Coffee Talk it is a deliciously smooth cold brew coffee. I suggest getting it with some vanilla syrup and a splash of half-and-half but really you could have it black and it's just as delicious. The cheese cake cookies are also to die for. When I was around 17 my brother and I bought out their supply they had for the day and immediately got sick from overindulging after having had probably about 10 each and finally nine years later I was able to have one again and they're just as delicious as I remember originally. If you plan on hanging out while enjoying your delicious coffee and treats remember to tell them it's for here so you can have your drink in a mug and your treat on a plate! The sandwiches are also delicious and filled with yummy delicious sprouts. I recently became a vegetarian but I used to get their tuna avocado or their turkey avocado at least once a week. read more

Don't let me 2 check ins fool you...I've been going to Coffee Talk for quite a while and have watched the place change quite a bit. Back in the day it was a great place for me to meet up with friends with whom I was taking grad classes and we would spend many hours there working on our respective master's theses. In those days front area was open air and we could sit outside, drink coffee, talk about class, work on various papers and our theses, bring our pets, and even smoke! Like all things, change was inevitable and the outside area was enclosed. Although the menu has changed a bit over the year and the coffees have gotten fancier (and a little pricier) some things haven't changed. It's still one of the best places to meet up with friends and catch up (like I did the other day), have professional type meetings (which I've done on multiple occasions), or sit and do some work (which I did when I was finishing my PhD). The staff are friendly, the food is yummy, the coffee is great AND there's free wifi (if you're into that sort of thing). If you're looking for a commercialized coffee chain alternative...this is a good one! read more

Unsweetened latte was very mediocre. The grinds get tamped with nearly zero force - always a bad sign from a barista. The shot looked to have decent crema. The cupping was nonexistent: pour in espresso, pour in foamed milk, done. Not that latte art changes the flavor, its just an indicator...Then the taste: very mediocre. My guess is their bean is weak, but it couldve been how it was pulled...I would not go back. read more

i do always try to support local buisness when all things are equal or even if they are not a bit- I try this place has good coffee- they charge $1 for hot water - steep I think - I'd rather they charge more for the coffee with good reason reflected in quality I would happily go here as well but I am really into feelings about a place and owners and hence why I try to support good local businesses when it provides great returns read more

I don't like to complain about customer service considering I'm a waitress and have been for years, but one girl in particular here has the most (my apologies) bitchy attitude I've ever encountered. She speaks to customers as if they are bothering her and when she was taking a foreign lady's order in front of me who did not speak perfect English, she proceeded to say in her irritated tone "ICED OR HOT" very loudly over and over again. She is rude and it's not my first time encountering her. Next time I get some attitude from her, I will gladly tell her that I'm almost positive all the poor customer service complaints are about her. Great place, been coming here for years but damn, having a witch behind the counter ruins it for me. I would be shocked if she did not know this about herself. read more

My friend and I came in here 20 minutes prior to closing, yes we were those people. They were very polite about it, let us know that they were almost closed, we ordered and our coffee & tea were up fairly quickly! I ordered a hot marble mocha which I enjoyed very much and my friend liked her tea. The workers let everyone know that the place was closing in 5 minutes so the few that were working on their laptops could pack up. Bathroom was fairly clean and honestly I LOVED the style of this place! with some retro tables and they had a couple of different rooms, like one area looked like a sun room, one was a big wood table in a room that had an archway that the hulk just punched through and the coffee making area was a horseshoe shape in the middle of the room. This place had lots of light, good coffee and friendly service! read more

I've been coming here for a while but only got into coffee recently, I still live coming here but the coffee itself is just ok. It gets the job done but I love the ambience and it's a great place to study or just catch up!! The pastries are always awesome and the staff is always friendly, I've never had a bad experience here and would totally recommend it to anyone!! read more

One of my favorite coffee shops that attracts a fun, bohemian crowd of youth-sters, in addition to those like me.

Really cute atmosphere, wide selection... Got the Black Forest mocha coffee it was delicious! Definitely a cute spot to come back to