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    Lotus Cafe

    4.1 (50 reviews)
    InexpensiveCoffee & Tea, Cafes
    Closed 7:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Lotus Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    LOTUS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Lotus Cafe

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    Bruschetta, macadamia nut latte
    Davis A.

    Super cute place! The bruschetta was so delicious and I had a hot macadamia nut coffee, also so yummy. Cute seating and quick service, the lattes are pretty huge so when I asked for a to go cup the nice lady at the counter offered to pour it for me. Would absolutely come back again

    Order counter
    Mie D.

    After I had lunch with friend in Kaimuki, we looked for coffee place. Before we came lunch this area, it was hard to find the coffee place. But we found here this time! This place face to Waialae Ave. and another back side door face to the Kaimuki Municipal parking. It's cozy and quite inside, so I don't think good for group, but no need to talk in a whisper. When ewe got here only one customer was there and she was working on her computer. During we were there another two friends customer came in. There are coffee(espresso and brew both), tea, and food in their menu. The staff were quiet but felt friendly when we ordered. I ordered decaf hot coffee and they brew each coffee after they got an order. Even decaf, my coffee was good aroma and flavor. We enjoyed having our coffee time here!

    sign from sidewalk
    Heidi H.

    Friendly staff they answered my questions. Drink was nice and cold on a hot day. Seats are inviting. Some pasterie on display. Crossaint, lemon bars.

    Drink Menu (as of Jan 2025)
    Rachael K.

    [Location] New cafe alert! Lotus Cafe is located on Waialae Ave, Kaimuki. Parking is available, though not free (with the exception of possibly metered parking on Sundays). Restrooms available. I believe WiFi is available too! [Drinks] I ordered a cortado and hot matcha latte with honey. The matcha comes unsweetened unless otherwise indicated. You can sweeten your matcha latte with honey, lavender, etc. for an additional cost. The cortado was super hot, a little too hot than I would've liked. The espresso was a bit too bright and weak for my preference. From the coloring of the matcha latte, I suspected it wouldn't be the best. And I was unfortunately correct. I docked one star because of the quality of the drinks. Not terrible but not necessarily good, in my humble opinion. Affordable though! [Service] The employees were super sweet and upbeat. I felt welcomed and taken care of. [Ambiance] Love the serene aesthetic! Super clean, pleasing to the eye. Quiet too. Perfect spot for a productive study/work sesh. I want to give this place another try in terms of drinks. Eager to try food too as I noticed plenty of reviewers enjoyed the soups and sandwiches!

    Menu as of 7/31/24
    Larene U.

    This is such a classy cafe. Free wifi and comfortable seating adorned with plants and artwork. Literally my type of vibe. I got their matcha since I heard it was really good. Really smooth taste! And the cashier rec'd it with oat milk and vanilla. Perfect mix between the sweetener and the earthy taste of their matcha. Definitely would come back to try more of their stuff. Also 5 stars because their playlist literally was playing all the older classic songs I listened to with my parents as a kid. Chillin' fr

    Entrance from the municipal (paid) parking lot
    Nadine C.

    Lunch in Kaimuki, Honolulu, Hawaii... I read Irene's review and decided to get exactly what she got: matcha Latte with Oat Milk and a yogurt bowl... because the strawberries looked so fresh... and the matcha is so healthy! Located on Waialae Avenue, I found a metered street parking stall on Koko Head Avenue. The meter was broken, so I scored free parking! Yippee! There are two ways to enter the cafe. I happened to enter from the municipal parking lot entrance. I walked along a long hallway with a convenient restroom before I arrived at the cashier's station. She greeted me right away, so I told her I wanted the matcha Latte with Oat Milk and the yogurt bowl. I was asked if I wanted some sweetener - okay - a splash of honey. I didn't taste any, so I added a packet of brown sugar, which was at the self-service area. The yogurt bowl had granola, blueberries, and strawberries... it was just right... not too heavy, but simple and refreshing on a hot August day! The environment was relaxing and spacious with modern, natural decor. I liked the live plants! I'll be back when I get free parking again!

    Menu
    Irene M.

    A new cafe has blossomed in Kaimuki... Lotus Cafe fresh from its soft opening on July 17th and what a lovely spot to take in all the simplicity. I absolutely love Lotus and what it represents and finding a lovely spot to chill and catch up on while supporting local makes it a great spot. Located right on Waialae near Happy Days which offers lots of parking options from the municipal lots in the back to some street parking which I lucked out on today (Sunday) because it's free and starting early did give me the advantage. Walking in this cozy cafe you'll immediately notice the Lotus lighting which is absolutely stunning along with various types of seating from a comfy sofa, lounge table and some bar top seatings. I chose one of the table near the window and took the opportunity to sip my Matcha Latte with Oatmilk which was a very yummy sip looking at the deep green color it has that bite that i love about matcha along with some Yogurt with fruit bowl and granola making it a light and refreshing morning. Yet to discovered by many i enjoyed the quite time here and the simplicity of the decor along with the staff which are quite lovely and nice. Lotus symbolize positivity and cheers to a refreshing spot. Thank you!

    Lily D.

    searching for new businesses on yelp and came across this business that's nearby! I think they took over the old Kaimuki Cafe spot. It quickly caught my attention as it featured "Dog friendly" yay!! There's a entrance off Waialae and also from the back parking lot. I came around noon and it wasn't too busy, but they had a steady flow of guests while we were there which is pretty good considering they've only been open for about a week and theres a million other coffee shops in Kaimuki. I also saw that they use Greenworld farms coffee beans. They also have a small food menu on the counter and their drinks menu is on the wall. I tried the kalua pig pizza ($10) which was pretty good. my friend ordered the breakfast empanadas. It was my first time trying that - it was baked but i thought they're usually fried? so its a good healthy alternative. It also came with a siracha mayo dipping sauce. There is a parking lot in the back of the restaurant. the first 20 mins is free if you're doing a quick grab and go this route is perfect. Otherwise, there is another metered lot next to it or street parking. The service was awesome! There was 3 girls working the front and my son absolutely loved all of them.

    empanadas and matcha
    Cora L.

    Very cute cafe located on Waialae Ave near Happy Days. The inside decorations felt minimalistic but cute and the service was very quick. We were greeted immediately upon entry. I ordered a matcha latte and the empanadas. They were out of the ingredients they use for the majority of their items (i.e. tomatoes, cheese, cream cheese) so I was not able to order some of the other items I wanted such as their bagels and breakfast sandwich. We sat ourselves and were able to find a table although there was limited seating inside. The food came out quickly and the empanadas were like breakfast empanadas with egg and ham inside. It came with a choice of sauce and I chose the spicy mayo. The empanadas were about $14 for three and they were smaller than expected. However, they were tasty. The matcha was also pretty good. It would be nice to come back and try some of their coffee!

    Caprese salad, salmon bagel, breakfast empanada
    Jamie I.

    Parking: parking lot on Waialae (same parking lot as happy days) Service: I've had much friendly service at other places, but I think the girl was just tired that day. I don't knock anything off for that, we're all just doing life. Drinks: Iced matcha latte with oat milk, pretty standard. Not that high quality of a matcha powder. Food: Caprese salad- very refreshing Breakfast Empanada- I really enjoyed this with the sriracha mayo! It came out HOT! Salmon bagel- this could've been much better if the bagel was toasted (this is where I took off a star) Overall: I would say this place is okay. I might pop by if I'm in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back.

    Seating
    A U.

    I studied here with a friend. The staff was friendly and it was a good ambience for studying and hanging out. I ordered an iced latte which was good. There is free wifi and a clean bathroom which makes it a great spot to stop by!

    Street waffle (taken literally) just thrown in the bag

    I ordered lunch for my office (5 people) trying this place out for the first time. When I called to place the order, they told me they wouldn't take orders over the phone, so I placed it online. When I picked up the order, they apparently were out of the breakfast empanada (at 11AM) and just wrote "No Breakfast" on the box instead of calling to ask if we'd like a different option than what we ordered. Wondering why they even have a phone if they don't take orders and won't call to let you know that part of your order will be missing. The employees also made no mention of it to me while I was picking up. Additionally, one of my coworkers ordered the Street Waffle, which they literally just tossed in a brown paper bag, no napkins, no foil, nothing. There was maybe one other person in the store (could've been an employee sitting out front, not sure), so I don't understand the carelessness that took place. We did not have a complicated order (one lemonade, two soups, one sandwich, one toast, one waffle, and a few empanadas). The food was good, but the customer service did not leave a good taste in my mouth. Not likely not return.

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    3 months ago

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    17 hours ago

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    5 months ago

    Great place to get work done! Their iced coffee and refreshers are amazing as well as their breakfast sandwich! No complaints at all

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    The latte was surprisingly unremarkable. I wanted to like the place as it is a convenient spot for me to take a break

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    11 months ago

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    6 months ago

    10/10 would recommend this place if in kaimuki, the staff is very friendly and & ava is my favorite barista ^-^

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    1 year ago

    Yummy matcha and bruschetta toast. Chill staff and great for studying in the morning.

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    2 years ago

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    Lotus Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

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    We recently went to Koko head cafe as first timers for brunch and were so impressed, we returned…read morefor dinner ! Reservations on open table was easy to make. When we arrived, it was far less busy than the brunch crowd so we were seated quickly. I'm in a wheelchair and a worker kindly opened the door for us with a smile. There's a standard menu and a separate menu for specials. I wish the main menu was separated: appetizers, salads & entrees but it's all just 1 menu so you have to guess what is a pupu & how big of a portion something is based on cost which is frustrating as a customer. We asked our server how she liked the mother mushrooms and she was honest and said she never tried it because she doesn't like mushrooms and said there's no feedback from it from customers because no one orders it. Ok that means I have to try it because I color outside of the lines. Ok now about the food, for pupus (so we guessed it was) we ordered (of course) mother mushrooms and market veg (a special). Mother mushrooms were delectable, so had great structure. The addition of the kataifi was smart highlight to the dish and added great texture. I thought it had a wee bit too strong of a vinegar bite that left me coughing after the last bite. The market veg was essentially a beet salad. Loved the addition of golden beets and cheese. I had to look set the menu again to see what kind of cheese it was because I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It was tofu feta whip. As a non vegetarian, I was like whaaaat they make feta out of tofu?? Anyway it was a split decision, hubby liked the mother mushrooms and I liked the market veg Hubby ordered the heritage pork katsu and I ordered the lamb rendang(on behalf of our friends who just moved back to Hawaii from Indonesia). The lamb rendang read "local braised lamb" so I was like bet. Braised is fall off the bone but I would have liked some cubes or chunks but it was just a ramekin of shredded lamb with curry crunch. It came with delicious ulu flatbread and some pickled vegetables. The heritage pork katsu was delicious but I wish it were more cronchy, yes cronchy. That is what you expect from katsu. The watercress and green papaya salad was delicious and had that needed acid We also ordered the garlic rice skillet. The rice at the bottom was very crispy and I believe it's the same rice they serve during breakfast/brunch. We sushi shared the "bottom of the bowl" dessert which was actually the star of the show, we tasted every single flavor with each bite to the last. Frosted flake gelato, macadamia blossom honey & cereal crunch. *muah* But all in all, I definitely will go back...for brunch.

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    There's certainly plentiful breakfast or brunch places in Hawaii but this place is special. A nice…read moreSunday go to for some of my favorite breakfast choices. Their menu has a list larger than Denny's and the food quality was over the moon! Service style is very diner style, with an aloha twist. Server was very personal and had a very sweet and charming smile. Definitely what I want first thing in the morning. The cafe is very cute, personally I find it a little tight and a lot of background noise but makes it very festive. They are quite pack yet they are very efficient and the food comes out quick. For the food, Eggs Benedict was good egg was nice and yolky. The Canadian bacon is crispy and provides the perfect saltiness that balances the yolk of the egg. The French toast is sweet, both heavy and light. The heaviness of the croissant paired with the syrup creates a nice heavy punch with the whip cream and berries creating a fluffy light texture.

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    4.5
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    curb...idk about you bro. i'm gonna be a bit harsh since they market themselves as specialty and…read morealso i am a picky over- caffeinated brat. first location - LITERALLY on the curb of some small strip. funny looking decor, try to find the pic of the abg. that means asian baby girl by the way. service was fast and nice especially since we came 10 minutes before closing. cortado was okay. tad bit overextracted. decent amount of brightness, some chocolate notes that are masked by the bitterness. idk if this was their recipe today but i saw a piece of paper saying 18g in 30 g out. that ratio is unfortunately not working for me! not sure if they pulled too long or this was just a crappy ristretto . however milk was steamed well! the matcha latte belongs on the curb, homeless depressed and broke. tastes like cow milk and not the lush greenery of japan. at least it was hand whisked but WOW did they just like whisk green milk powder or what?? UGHHH i really wanted to like this place too. maybe i'm just more sensitive to espresso right now since i'm on my deriod

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