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    Kona Wave Cafe

    4.5 (431 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Kona Wave Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    KONA WAVE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Kona Wave Cafe

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    Jacki R.

    Talk about delicious! If I could give the Kona Wave Café 10 stars, I would! The açai bowl was delicious and we chose the large and split it between my husband and I. It was plenty for us. We sat outside and just listened to the birds and watch the traffic and people walking by and it was the perfect way to start the day. We will be back and we highly recommend coming here.

    Annie W.

    Quick easy coffee and acai bowls in Kona! I come here for coffee or acai bowls when I don't feel like venturing too far from my hotel. I've gotten the Kona Wave Latte and Lava Mocha a few times. I like my coffee hot, but they have some good looking frappe drinks. I've also gotten the Kona Wave acai bowl several times and it's pretty good! I do wish they had bee pollen here, as that's an addition I like at other places I go to. Service is always pretty quick. It's a small place where you order and there are a few places to sit outside. I always get my coffee and go sit at the beach or walk around town.

    Store front
    Lesley M.

    I was dying to get an açaí bowl on my recent trip to Hawaii. Lucky for me, we happened upon Kona Wave Cafe - a cute little shop that offered both açaí bowls and shaved ice! The wait wasn't long and the service was very friendly. The selection was more limited than other shaved ice stores we had seen in downtown Kona, but what we did order was delicious! I got my açaí bowl. I ordered the Kona Wave Bowl with açaí blend, strawberries, bananas, and blueberries topped with honey and granola. It was super fresh and super tasty! Exactly what I wanted. Several of my friends ordered shaved ice cream- the lychee dream and coconut island. Both were yummy, but my favorite was the lychee dream which came with mochi and popping boba! There isn't a lot of seating, but we made it work. Just know, if you have a big party, you'd be better off grabbing and going (which we saw a lot of people do). Kona Wave Cafe was great! I would definitely go back. Note: Bathrooms are available near by, but you must ask an employee for the key!

    Shave ice
    Lizzie S.

    Large acai bowls and shaved ice! Cute seating facing a parking lot but also with ocean views. I built my own shave ice (kids' size, half and half fresh fruit which was pineapple and strawberry, and picked 3 flavors though they were out of Ube.) I liked the mochi and popping boba. It was delicious and tasted fresh and not overly sweet! My friend enjoyed her acai bowl which she took some to-go because it was so large. Service was friendly and warm.

    Terri C.

    I had a really good açaí bowl from here when I was in Kona last month. It's a kiosk across the street from the Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel where I was staying, so it was quite convenient. The staff was friendly and I had the Monkey Bowl that I ordered in no time. The regular size Monkey Bowl (16 oz., $13.25) was açaí topped with granola, bananas, almonds, honey, and peanut butter. I thought it tasted great, although it was a bit pricey for the size, but I'll chalk it up to inflation or tourist pricing. If you want a large, 24 oz., that went for $15.25. Happy eating!

    Estele K.

    Food 5/5; Best Açaí bowl you will find in Kona Big Island!!! Search no further, these were super fresh and granola was really crunchy. I wish I ate this everyday tbh. Not too sweet, tastes organic and super fresh. Well balanced. Service 5/5: very fast and friendly staff. Ambiance 5/5: lil cute outdoor seating area. I highly recommend!

    Ritu V.

    Kona Wave Cafe - Kailua-Kona Kona Wave Cafe is in a great spot right across from the beach in Kailua-Kona. It's a small, casual setup with only a few outdoor tables, so it works more as a grab-and-go place, perfect if you want to take your food and enjoy it by the ocean. I ordered a custom Acai bowl with banana, strawberry, peanut butter, granola, and chia seeds. The Acai itself was bomb -- fresh, cold, and full of flavor. The strawberries were sweet, the peanut butter was creamy and rich, and the granola gave it a nice crunch. Overall, the bowl looked beautiful and tasted refreshing. A couple of things could make it even better: the banana portion was tiny (barely five tiny slices), and the chia seeds were just raw on top instead of soaked, which made them a bit odd to eat. A soaked chia layer would have added so much more texture and balance. Service was the one downside. When I went to pay, I hit "no tip" on the card reader because I planned to leave cash in the tip jar, but the lady at the counter made disapproving sounds. It felt awkward and unnecessary, and it left me with a less-than-welcoming impression. Overall, Kona Wave Cafe has great potential. The Acai base was fantastic, and the location is unbeatable. With a little more generosity on toppings and a friendlier customer service experience, this could easily be a five-star spot in Kailua-Kona.

    Rachel C.

    I was craving acai bowls and found this cafe on Yelp. I got the acai bowls with papaya and strawberries with coconut flakes on top. It was so delicious and hit the spot. It was a bit pricy since the bowls were $14 for a regular size but it was a lot and very filling. The only thing is that parking in the lot is pretty expensive. You'd have to find park on the street a few blocks away to avoid paying $$ for parking

    Island bowl
    Misa K.

    Great acai bowl! I got the Island Bowl which had their signature acai topped with granola, strawberries, papaya, coconut flakes, and honey. It was refreshing & delicious. The staff were friendly and service was quick.

    Lychee Dream shaved Ice
    Lena T.

    Went here for the first with my partner and we got the lychee dream without the fresh pineapple since I'm allergic to pineapples. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND. Service was fast and very friendly! The vibe of just enjoying either shaved ice or an Acai bowl by the waters is a great start to day or evening :)

    Açaí bowls
    Steve S.

    The only purpose of this review is to tell you to go with the açaí bowl, and not the shave ice. I went twice and tried each, and while the shave ice was good, it wasn't spectacular or worth the price. The açaí bowl on the other hand was worth every penny. Nice toppings and generous portions!

    Britney W.

    Staff was kind, and the shaved ice was good. I appreciate that the dining area right outside was clean, no sticky tabletops at all.

    Koma Island Vibes
    DeLisa T.

    Kona Wave cafe is the place to go for Acai Bowl afficados. Every spoonful confirmed why visiting the "Big Island" -Kona,Hawaii is everything. The food, the hospitality, the chill island vibes, and the most welcoming environment you could ever imagine. Kona Wave Cafe, you did that! A+. 10 out of 10.

    Shaved ice

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    The shaved ice was soooo refreshing. I loved the mochi pieces! Acai bowl was underwhelming.

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    Page 1 of 11

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    4.6(480 reviews)
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    Traveling to Kona but want to plan some vegan food stops? Incredible vegan food! Options, quality,…read morenutritious, great service. Great atmosphere indoor and out. We put off going here at the start of our trip but now I wish we hadn't. Try the Ube Latte!

    Came here around 9am on Saturday. Wasn't too busy, we were able to order right away and find…read moreseating. The place is super comfy with really cute decor. And their staff is super nice! First off, their macadamia ice cream is really really good! Creamy, thick, sooo tasty! We also ordered: Epic Feisty Tacos - 5/5 - comes with three tacos and spicy sauce. The tacos are super tasty and perfectly balanced spicy, savory, tangy flavors. The lemon herb chik'n is also so good, you can't even tell it's vegan. The tortillas are a bit on the crumbly side, but still equally tasty as a taco bowl. Definitely would recommend this dish if you love spicy tacos! Epic journey nachos - 4/5 - the toppings on the nachos taste similar to the feisty tacos. The chips are more like baked tortillas with a crispy exterior and softer center. Journey Classic Crepe and Blueberry macnut crepe - 3/5 - The crepe itself was a bit thick, I'd describe it as more of a pancake than a crepe as crepes should be super thin. Still pretty good though all together, fruity and sweet. Latte with oat milk - 4/5 - a bit on the bitter side but not a bad latte! Asian salad - 4/5 - good salad, vegan meat is well seasoned and everything pairs well together. It wasn't very Asian tasting though, more like a Mexican-Asian fusion salad.

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    Kona Coffee & Tea

    Kona Coffee & Tea

    4.4(747 reviews)
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    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.

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    Island Lava Java - LAVA JAVA BREAKFAST "island style"

    Island Lava Java

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    Bikini Bottoms Coffee - Açaí bowls

    Bikini Bottoms Coffee

    4.3(77 reviews)
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    Our first morning on the Island we were set to look for Acai Bowls and as we were walking down the…read morestrip we ran into Bikini Bottoms Coffee. I spoke the the staff member and asked about cross-cotimination for my and my sons allergies. She was very helpful and let us know what we can have and can't have. She aslo informs us that all the equipment would be cleaned. We both got the Tropical Thunder, it comes with: acai base with blueberry cinnamon granola, bananas, pineapple, papaya, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries and he added chocolate syrup. The fruits were fresh and juicy. I felt refreshed with every bite. The location has indoor and outdoor seating. We decided to eat outdoors! This place was so good, we were a repeat customer the next day!

    We got a latte with soy milk and a latte with oat milk. We tried Kona coffee from a few places now…read moreand this was the first place where we could really taste the unique Kona coffee flavors - earthy, chocolatey (especially with oat milk; with soy, you can taste the soy flavor a bit and the Kona coffee flavor's not as strong). Came back a few more times since it's so good and their lattes are very consistent! We also tried their vegan chocolate croissant. They helped us warm up the croissant, but it was still cold on the inside (the chocolate filling and bottom side of the pastry). That was a bit disappointing, but it still tasted good and probably would have been even better thoroughly warmed! (The ice cream is NOT vegan for those wondering if it's vegan ice cream. We inquired since they don't serve cow milk in their coffees, so we thought maybe their ice cream was so vegan.)

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    Acai Hawaii - Silky smooth cold brew

personalize you're brew with our available syrups.
Macadamia nut, Vanilla & Hazelnut

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    4.7(66 reviews)
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    Tried the Small Islander and Drifter açaí bowls for breakfast and appreciated how quickly…read moreeverything was made and brought out to us. I added almond butter to one of the bowls for an extra $1, which was a nice touch and complemented the bowl well. Overall, the bowls were solid and enjoyable, especially if you prefer a simpler, less overly sweet açaí. The açaí itself was more icy and not as sweet compared to other places, which was solid but not my personal preference That said, I was hoping for a little more of a unique Hawaii-inspired twist -- maybe something like coconut cream or another local flavor element -- because the bowls tasted pretty similar to açaí bowls I've had in other states. I've definitely had more memorable and "wow" açaí bowl experiences in Hawaii before. Still, I appreciated the freshness, simplicity, and quick service, and it was a good breakfast option overall. I loved eating it while watching the sunrise and waves and love its proximity to the Oceanside!

    My favorite Açaí bowl. The açaí is great and pure açaí nothing added. The toppings are so fresh and…read morealways sweet. A fun location and walking distance to the shops. Lots of good tables to eat at down below or a bar upstairs to overlook the ocean! The girls who work there are so cute and so sweet! One of our favorite spots.

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    Kona Wave Cafe - coffee - Updated September 2026

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