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Thirsty? Good. The coffee house scene on Kauai continues to evolve with local favorites specializing in hand-roasted, organic fair trade coffee, smoothies loaded with locally-grown fruits and satisfying breakfast and lunch offerings. Here are three we loved on a recent visit, including Lihue’s Hā Coffee Bar, Java Kai in Kapaa, and the newest Little Fish Coffee in sunny Poipu.
Hā Coffee Bar, Lihue
Less than two miles from the airport, this spacious coffee house uses locally-grown beans (including Kau from the Big Island) from Waimea’s Kauai Roastery to craft its ridiculously-delicious pour-overs, cold brews and espresso drinks. On especially hot or humid days, try the refreshing Liquid Sunshine ($6), made with cold brew and coconut milk sweetened with housemade coconut syrup.
Tuck into one of the cozy leaf-clad stools at the bar or grab a community bench where the kiddos can play with Hā’s toy stash while you nibble on a bagel with basil pesto cream cheese ($5) or dig into an acai bowl, like the “Hacaienda” ($9), loaded with raw cocoa nibs, hemp hearts, granola, raw Kauai honey and peanut butter.
Details: Open from 6:30 a.m. Monday-Saturday at 4180 Rice St., Lihue; www.hacoffeebar.com
Java Kai, Kapaa
Local art and hipster apparel adorn the walls of this Old Kapaa Town coffee shop, where you’ll find a large menu of breakfast and lunch offerings in addition to a serious coffee program. Let’s talk java first: It’s hand-roasted on site, where you can choose from 100 percent Kona, Kauai or Molokai drip ($4-$5.50) and a bevy of unique espresso drinks, like the Mac Nut Latte ($4.50-$6) or El Bandido ($5.50-6) made with Mexican Coca-Cola, espresso, vanilla and cream.
For food, we loved the Surfer Girl breakfast bagel sandwich ($12) with scrambled eggs, spinach, onion, cheddar, tomato and pesto aioli. Need more? The Kalua Burrito ($13), made with barbecue kalua pork and scrambled eggs, will sustain you until dinner. Food this good (did we mention the housemade cupcakes?) can make for long lines, so if it’s just java you need, hit the quick service espresso bar, The Kai Bar, around the back of the building.
Details: Open from 6 a.m. daily at 4-1384 Kuhio Highway, Kapaa; https://javakai.com
Little Fish Coffee, Poipu
This colorful shack-style coffee house is the second from the Little Fish family, which specializes in hand-roasted, organic fair-trade coffees and smoothies and acai bowls made with locally-grown fruits and veggies. The turquoise coffee house has a wrap-around porch with plenty of outdoor seating, and sits on a lush strip of Poipu Road perfect for people watching.
Sip a sweet Honey Nutmeg Latte ($4.25-$5.25) or refreshing Plantation Tea (iced and pineapple juice, $3.50), paired with a bagel sandwich, like the frittata-stuffed Breakfast Bagel with housemade cilantro pesto schmear ($8). Or try a Little Fish Bowl ($12.50), your choice of Greek yogurt or poi topped with seasonal fresh fruit, coconut flakes and condensed coconut milk.
Details: Open from 6:30 a.m. daily at 2294 Poipu Road, Koloa (and from 7 a.m. daily at the original location, 3900 Iona Road, Hanapepe); https://littlefishcoffee.com