The Definitive Guide to Coffee Shops in Kona Hawaii

Here is a fun fact about me. I do not actually drink coffee. I know. I am writing a guide to the best coffee shops in Kona Hawaii and I am a tea person.

But hear me out. Just like my love for Kona restaurants runs deep, so does my love for coffee shops. What is not to love? Cute environments, yummy treats, an iced macadamia nut chai latte, coffee for all my friends, and they almost always have the best swag to take home. I have bought hats and sweatshirts and bags of coffee to bring home from more Kona coffee shops than I can count.

And here is the thing about Kona specifically. The coffee here is different. Even I will order a Peaberry coffee when I am on the island because it is low-acid, smooth, and genuinely a nice drink. They also have macadamia nut milk everywhere, which as a tea drinker I am completely obsessed with. Ube foam is another ingredient I discovered here that you do not find just anywhere. These are the kinds of little details that make Kona coffee shops worth seeking out even if you are not a die-hard coffee person.

If you want to skip the shops and go straight to the source, there are also some incredible free coffee farm tours on the island. Greenwell Farms and Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation both offer free tastings and tours up in the hills above Kona. I mention both in the 10 free things to do in Kona Hawaii guide.

But back to the coffee shops. Here are my favorites.

Kona Heaven Coffee

This is my neighborhood spot when I am staying at Kona Landing, my two-bedroom two-bath condo on Alii Drive. It is literally right downstairs, which means on most mornings I am in flip flops holding a chai within about four minutes of waking up. That is the dream.

Kona Heaven is a proper Kona coffee shop — ocean views from the deck, a proper espresso program using 100% Kona beans, and some of the best baked goods on Alii Drive. Their seven-layer bar is to die for and the pastry case is genuinely dangerous. My order is a chai latte with macadamia nut milk, which is one of those combinations that just makes sense on this island. Their coffee is great and the drinks menu is creative and fun.

The vibe is easy and local. There is a deck where you can sit and watch the foot traffic on Alii Drive, the staff is warm, and the parking is easy at the Coconut Grove Shopping Center nearby. It is the perfect start to a morning walk down the waterfront.

Kona Coffee and Tea

This is a healthy walk from Kona Landing, about 20 minutes up Alii Drive, but I love to walk in the mornings so I often make this my destination. The walk itself is beautiful along the water and the coffee at the end is worth every step.

Kona Coffee and Tea is a slightly more refined experience. The space is lovely, the drinks are exceptional, and they have gluten-free bakery treats alongside regular ones which I always appreciate. My kind of order here is something macadamia nut forward, always, but their whole menu is solid and the rotating seasonal drinks are worth asking about.

Two things make this shop especially good for visitors: they sell coffee by the pound so you can take real Kona coffee home, and their hats and tees are genuinely cute. I have bought things here more than once.

After this stop I usually walk down the hill and grab breakfast at Big Kahuna's, which has the most amazing breakfast tacos and gluten-free pancakes in Kona. It is one of my favorite breakfast spots on the island and I mention it in the full Kona Hawaii restaurant guide.

HiCO Hawaiian Coffee Company

This one has a story attached to it for me. I love hiking on the Big Island and the Captain Cook Monument hike is one of the most beautiful on the island. It is also hard. It drops steeply down to a stunning snorkeling spot and then back up again, and when I get back to the top I am hot and I need treats immediately.

HiCO is where I always go after that hike and it is also where I discovered my love for ube. They have ube syrups and ube cold foams and the combination with their espresso drinks is something you do not forget. Their avocado toast will knock your socks off, the air conditioning is a genuine gift after a hot hike, and the bathrooms are great which matters more than people admit.

Their hats and sweatshirts are also excellent and they have several locations across the island so if you miss them once you will probably find them again.

A Note on Kona Coffee

If you are traveling from the mainland, real 100% Kona coffee is one of those things worth understanding before you buy. The Kona name is somewhat protected but there are a lot of blends on shelves labeled Kona that are only 10% actual Kona beans. When you buy directly from shops like these or from local farms, you are getting the real thing.

Kona Peaberry in particular is something special. It is a naturally occurring mutation where the coffee cherry produces one round bean instead of two flat ones, and the result is a smoother, sweeter, more nuanced cup. If you are a coffee drinker and you have never had it, this is your sign.

Take Kona Coffee Home

Every good coffee shop in Kona sells bags of beans to take home. I always bring some back because it is the kind of gift that actually impresses people.