Kona Coffee & Tea easily gets 5 stars from me!…read more I don't even drink coffee, but when in Rome, I break the rules... I sampled Kona coffee from several different places while on the island, and the coffee here was hands down my absolute favorite. Their prices are very reasonable compared to the heavy tourist areas, and the quality is amazing. They roast everything on site and grind it fresh right in front of you, the whole place smells sooo good the moment you walk in. On top of the incredible drinks, the service was fast, efficient, and super friendly. You can also buy bags of their 100% Kona coffee right in the shop to take home with you, I actually bought several bags to bring back and give as gifts to family and friends. I loved everything about this spot!

Kona Coffee & Tea really makes it a point to articulate that their coffee is 100% Kona coffee. For…read morethat reason, some of their drink offerings are priced accordingly, with a 12 oz medium pour over costing $10. Unless you're a coffee connoisseur, you may want to skip the pour over for something a bit less special to save yourself a few dollars. The coffee was fine, but my unrefined palette was not able to fully appreciate the cup of brew. In terms of atmosphere, Kona Coffee & Tea has plenty of seating outdoors around the porch and a few high tables indoor, where they have AC blasting at full strength. They have free Wi-Fi available as well, so I saw a lot of people posting up on their laptops. Parking is plentiful and easy to find since this coffee spot is located in a strip mall. If you have a discerning palette for the subtle flavors that show up in different coffee beans, you will definitely want to stop by for a cup.

Updating my review because every time I come to Kona, I hit up HiCo at least 2-3 times…read more Most recently I came for my birthday trip, so of course I'm trying their alcoholic offerings. Did someone say haupia espresso martini? Yes please! I also recently learned that if you come in wearing HiCO merch that you get a small discount, how cool is that?! Another pro tip: I asked for one of their lattes as a matcha and they were able to make that happen for me. Once again, the coffee is 100% Kona coffee and so good. Loved their matcha, but from now on I'll be getting a latte or cold brew because there's not many coffee shops that offer 100% Kona.

This was such a great spot for breakfast and coffee. What made it even more enjoyable was the live…read moremusic. Sabrina Barron was playing ukelele during our visit and she was so great! We enjoyed the musubis and ahi toast. The ube coffees were also delicious. My daughter enjoyed the Japanese black jasmine tea.

The staff here were friendly and gave great drink recommendations when I couldn't decide what to…read moreget. I ended up getting a seasonal drink, I can't remember what it was called though. It was quite delicious and that's all that matters. I'd definitely come back to try something else. The coffee shop felt like a nice neighborhood spot, with seating if you wanted to meet someone and plenty of little goodies for gifts or event just a treat for yourself.

This shop is literally the GOAT of coffee shops this trip to Hawai'i! Of course, I got the honey…read moregoat, half sweet, with mac nut milk (they have macadamia milk!) instead of oat. It was still a bit sweet for my taste, but I'm sure everyone else would've found it the perfect combination. The barista said it's their most popular, and I can see why. The last time I was in the shop, a couple of years ago, there wasn't as much merch. This time - shoppers' paradise! Local snacks, bags and knickknacks, and so much more. Many of the offerings are made locally, so this is a great way to support small, independent businesses over corporations. The parking lot is expansive compared to other shops in downtown areas (Hilo or Kona), there's outdoor seating (although it's usually hot) and public bathrooms nearby. Totally worth the short drive out of Kona town!

Cute little coffee stand in the Alii garden market. I tried…read morea dirty latte which is expresso and half and half with a caramel crumble. So good. The vanilla latte has real pieces of vanilla in it. Delicious. Very knowledgeable staff.

Lovely people & lovely coffee!…read more Coffee 5/5 Dirty Coffee - Tasty and the caramel crisp is such a unique touch. Very innovative! Vanilla Bean Latte - Tastiest one we've had on the island. Service 5/5 There was a miscommunication, no one's fault. We initially got an espresso instead of a vanilla latte and so she gave us a latte on the house. Very kind of her. Happy to get cracked out on their coffee any day.

I wish there was a spot like this on O'ahu! Arise Bakery and Cafe is such a gem in Kona. The…read moreaesthetics of this spot is top notch. I was on PTO but being in this space made me want to grab my laptop and get some work done. It's also just such a great spot to sit and chat with friends over coffee and pastries. I got one of their seasonal drinks, a brown sugar maple latte. My friend got their Americano and she's very much a black coffee kinda girl but after a sip of my latte she said "I get it". Clean bathrooms, lots of tables and places to sit. I haven't tried any of their food food, but their pastries are top notch. There's even a keiki zone and was very kid friendly!

Stayed in Kona for 5 days. Came 3 out of 5 days. Pretty good find. TLDR: has good coffee, great…read morechicken bacon open toast, and amazing selection of pastries. I had the cinnamon bun and the ube cream cheese roll. The ube cream cheese roll is to die for. 10/10 I would fly back just for it. The place is nice, quite spacious, lots of options for food and coffee.

We've been on the big island for a week and have visited this shop almost everyday. Cant say much…read moreabout their coffee because we haven't tried it but we have tried their smoothies and no matter which flavor we get they have been great. The service is always on point and the ladies always have a smile on their face.

Service was quick and smooth…read more Tayvin makes the best iced Pumpkin Creamy Chai. We'll definitely be back.

AMAZING!! I had the Kona Wave bowl with peanut butter. So refreshing light and delicious. Love the…read morecontrasting flavors, textures and temperatures. I'm coming back for sure!

Better than before. This time around I just had them add everything and it is fantastic…read more The store is still a nice Mom & Pop shop, so that's extra points because the service is very personal as it is family owned. If you're on a cruise, your body will appreciate this break for fresh healthy fruit.

Food & drink was amazing! Butterscotch iced latte was…read moredelicious!! You can really taste the Kona coffee. Almost tastes like the Hagen Dazs coffee ice cream. Strawberries n crème croffle was yummy as well. Strawberries were fresh and whipped cream tasted fresh. Croffle (croissant waffle) was nice & crunchy! My husband also got the bacon egg & cheese sandwich on a plain bagel. He said it was delicious as well! An amazing cafe in the Courtyard King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel.

Cafe in King Kamehameha courtyard is a fantastic pickup spot before leaving the hotel!…read more I've come here several times for coffee prior to leaving the hotel and thoroughly enjoy the service, coffee, and food. Their regular coffee, ube matcha, espresso drinks were all solid. Food choices have good enough variety and service is great.

Food 10/10 The turkey bacon panini with lettuce and tomato…read morewas so good especially with the garlic sauce Not a fan of bulgogi but it was alright I wish I added lettuce tomato Smoothies 10/10 The mango smoothie was so delicious I went back and got another within an hour lol Dessert 10/10 Nutella croffle was so satisfying every single bite

I had the strawberry bingsoo (milk shave ice) and salmon cream cheese sandwich with chips…read more Both were amazing. Everything seems to be made to order, and the sandwich was loaded with flavor and all of the ingredients tasted super fresh. The strawberry bingsoo was probably the best shave I've I've ever had. Fresh strawberries with whipped cream and incredibly fine shave ice. Wish they had this back on Oahu. Definitely drop by if you're in Kona!

Ever been to a Kona coffee plantation in a cloud forest? Well, here's your chance. This is a…read moresurreal experience as you're literally in the clouds up here at around 3,000-plus feet above the Pacific. It's misty, full of foliage, and just ethereal it seems. Makes you wonder aloud: they really do make coffee up here? Yes, and it's damn good! There is no official designated parking area for this tucked away coffee plantation that sits right off the windy mountain road. So we just parked on the side of the road where everyone else did. Everything is so organized here, and when you walk in, the staff greets you with a smile. It really feels like you're about to enter an amusement park. There's a nice little merch shop right at the entrance. Out in front, they offer free coffee tastings of their light, medium, and dark roasts. Took a swig of their light stuff and wow...super smooth, with very low acidity. Right off the bat you can tell this is high-quality coffee. They offer a free 15-minute tour of their small coffee processing area. Yes, you should do it. Ann was our tour guide for the afternoon and she gave us a brief, but thorough presentation of the history of the coffee plant on the island - where it came from, how it got here up in the clouds, and how they process it, step by step. I learned through her presentation that they handpick their beans here, most of which are as few as 100 yards away from the road. This really isn't a big plantation, so they yield and process small batches. And all those batches end up right in the merch shop. The prices are expensive, but worth it. There is also a self-guided tour that costs $10 per group. You fill out a waiver first, and then head down the path out back that leads you in this really cool, but short, trail that winds down to this large patio overlooking the coffee trees. Also on the trail over to the side, you can see these large lava tubes. A real treat. So yeah, I'd recommend coming to this spot FIRST if you plan on visiting a coffee plantation here on the Big Island. Have fun!

We enjoyed the tour at Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation. It was a nice, short, and informative…read moreexperience where we learned about the coffee-growing and roasting process. The coffee samples were a great bonus, and we ended up purchasing two bags of coffee beans to take home. The staff was friendly, and the tour was easy to follow without feeling too long. A worthwhile stop for coffee lovers visiting the Big Island.