Coffee Shops - O'ahu, Hawai'i
If you know me, or follow me on Instagram, you know that I LOVE coffee. One of the first things that I do when I plan a trip anywhere is scope out coffee shops that I want to try. It's an addiction and I'm not sorry about it. I absolutely love finding local coffee shops and trying out new drinks and coffee blends. It's just so fun! Now don't get me wrong, I love me some Starbucks too, but if I had to choose between Starbucks and local coffee shops for the rest of my life, I'd easily and happily choose local every single time. It's just better coffee! So, with that in mind, here are some of my favorite coffee shops on the island of Oahu. Enjoy!
Brew & Foam - This is hands down, my favorite coffee shop in the world with my favorite drink in the world. Seriously. I originally went to Brew & Foam on the North Shore after going to a specific beach to watch sunrise and it was such a pleasant surprise to find my all time favorite coffee shop behind a gas station during a pandemic. Never in my life did I think that would happen, but I'm SO GLAD that it did! They have this coconut latte called an Undertow Latte and it is what dreams are made of. It's perfection in a cup. I prefer mine hot, but the iced version is delicious as well. They also have BOMB breakfast burritos. açaí bowls, and smoothies too! You can't go wrong with anything that you order from them. I promise!
Morning Brew - Such a great local chain of coffee shops! I love to come here and get their B.L.A.T. and a Dirty Soy Chai Latte. It's just so delicious and makes for a perfect light brunch on the beach after you hike the Lanikai Pillboxes! There's multiple locations on island but my most frequented location is their Kailua location. I also LOVE their Kaka'ako location because it's at the Salt shopping center which is one of my all time favorite places to go for food and socializing.
Wicked HI Cafe - THIS IS MY FAVORITE CAFE EVER!!!! Seriously. I drove here after a 12 hours night shift the first time that I ate here just to get breakfast and try out their sourdough waffles and it was love at first smell. The moment I walked in and smelled the honey (the owners have their own hives!) and the waffles I was sunk- hook, line, and sinker. I got a sandwich, a waffle, and a latte. It was pure bliss and worth the 45 minute drive there and back for sure. They also make their own pizzas FROM SCRATCH and homemade pita bread too. It's amazing. OH! They also make homemade honey slushes and they're the bomb! It's like a snow cone only better. You have to go.
Island Brew Coffeehouse - Island Brew is another local chain coffee house and it's so adorable. I only went to this shop two or three times, so I'm not as familiar with their menu sadly, but they make a rad Soy Chai Latte (clearly I'm a creature of habit) and they also have a yummy Soy Vanilla Latte. If you ever check it out let me know what you tried!
9Bar HNL - Scruffins. This place has scruffins and they're the children of a scone and a muffin top. They're life changing. They're perfection. You need them in your life. Seriously. I can't even think of my coffee order right now because I'm just dreaming of their scruffins now. They have both savory and sweet options and I've tried them all. You literally can't go wrong with any of them. They also do seasonal flavors and OHMYGOD they're so good. SO GOOD. Go to 9Bar and get you a scruffin. You can thank me later.
Coffee or Tea - Yet another fun chain! I prefer getting blended beverages here because they have Boba and I love me a good Boba! My favorite is the fruit options, specifically the local Hawaiian fruits, so I go for Lilikoi and Guava, but they also have Thai Tea, Green Tea, and Thai Coffee too, which are all yummy!
Sip Honolulu - This place is the QUEEN of seasonal beverages y'all. They did an eggnog latte and it was perfection. I also tried their version of a white chocolate mocha and OH MY LANTA was it a 10000000x better than Starbucks. It was so good. I even got one of my drinks iced and I do NOT order iced coffee unless it's the Irish Cream or Pumpkin Cream cold brews at Starbucks. Or a Starbucks Double Shot. Otherwise, I'm a scalding hot coffee drinker regardless of the temperature outside, but their iced coffees are FIRE.
There are a TON of other local coffee shops on Oahu, these are just the ones that I frequented most and could actually talk about their menu's. Also, all of my coffee/tea orders are always with milk alternatives as I'm lactose intolerant. If there's an option for Mac Nut milk at a coffee shop in Hawai'i TRY IT. It's so good. Wicked HI Cafe makes their own Mac Nut milk IN HOUSE and you can literally taste the difference and the freshness. It's DELISH and you need it in your life.