Java Kai Kapaa

An absolutely incredible spot for a coffee and a bite to eat. This is a great spot to come for breakfast if you’re an early riser due to time difference when traveling. Our home time is about 3 hours ahead so we are always ready for breakfast here about 6 am which is opening time here! The actual restaurant is fun, clean and a really cool vibe. We ordered some coffees (the coffee itself was so good let alone turned into a latte or breve) we definitely will be coming back this trip. They also have goodies to go! There were scones, brownies, cookies, muffins, breads etc. We ordered the pineapple French toast and a protein bowl for breakfast. We didn’t have to wait long, the food was so hot and so fresh. The French toast was decadent, served with a creamed cheese mixture that lightened up the heaviness of the bread and brought out the flavor of the pineapple beautifully. The power bowl was just as fresh with potatoes bacon and eggs and fresh arugula paired with a house made pimento. Such a tasty way to start the day.

The atmosphere was great and store was cute, but the açaí bowl was so icy and not great toppings unfortunately. The croissant sandwich was pretty good, but nothing great. The bathroom was pretty gross too. Such a bummer! I had high hopes after reading the reviews.

Coffee always hot and fresh. Your drinks are made to order. Go early because the line is always to the door (it does move quickly). Food variety is awesome and very delicious and filling. Even selections if you are Vegan or Gluten Free. If you don't like waiting you can call in or order online and pick up at back window/door. Be prepared to enjoy your breakfast & coffee! John & Karen D. (San Marcos, Ca)

Truly the best GF bread I’ve ever had! I’ve been gluten free a very long time and this was delicious! Rest of my family loved all the food and drinks as well! Great service and cute atmosphere.

Cute cafe, fast and friendly service, great coffee! I got a blended mocha (my first time getting one of those) with no expectation/idea of what it would be like - it was delicious, perfectly chocolatey with a coffee kick.

We got the breakfast burrito with sausage and it feed 2 people easily. I also got the açaí smoothie and they were able to modify it to not include peanut butter which was great. Short walk to the beach to enjoy. It was about $40 which is a lot for just 2 things but very good nonetheless.

This coffee shop is a gem. The coffee is excellent, and the Americanos are seriously amazing. If you’re a coffee snob or a true coffee connoisseur, you’ll absolutely love this place. The food is great, the vibes are on point, and it’s an all-around solid spot. The only downside is that seating is limited—but honestly, the coffee alone makes it worth the visit.

This place came highly recommended and it didn’t disappoint. Coffee is on point for a warm humid climate, blend and grinds are solid. Mac nut latte and mochas are bangers especially with the macadamia milk! Blended cold drinks are awesome. Food is on point too with fresh ingredients and portions that are the right size. Literally all the staff were so nice and friendly. We were in. Kapa’a for six days and we got breakfast here all six days! Good job Java Kai Kapa’a, your team has something special going here! We’ll be back.

I lived for the Maui Mocha while on my trip! The shop is small, and can have a bit of a line - but totally worth the wait! Enjoyed visiting this spot several times on our trip. Drink coffee or die!

Going local for coffee is always my go to when traveling. Kai Java has a great coffee small town vibe. Five orders in our party. 1) latte with caramel sweetener - classic latte 2) tropical smoothie - truly has all flavors to make it a tropical sensation 3) rosemary brown sugar latte (decaf) - not as rosemary as I thought it would be. I can smell it more than taste it. 4) iced matcha latte - added macadamia nut milk. Tasty 5) Thai latte (decaf) - classic All the baristas are synchronized behind the counter to get the orders out efficiently.

Super delicious cortado kai. An amazing coffee shop on an amazing island. Our trip to Kauai was a couple years ago and I hadn't gotten around to posting this review.

Really extensive drinks menu, I loved the Mac Nut Latte with Mac Nut milk! The prices here are high (the MN drink is $8 with the $1.5 up charge for the the MN milk) but it's vacation so #Yolo lol All the food we tried was fresh, delicious and fueled us up for the day.

Easily the best coffee spot we tried in Kauai. They open at 6am, one of the earliest places we could find without going to Starbucks. The coffee tastes so much better and the drinks are made with such care. The staff are all so friendly too. I get the Maui Mocha, but the nitro cold brew is also phenomenal. We haven't tried the pastries but we definitely will before we leave. I'm certain this is the only place we will get coffee up until we have to leave. Definitely recommend if you're nearby.

We stopped by for breakfast on two different occasions while in Kauai. I enjoyed the drip coffee along with a breakfast sandwich on the first visit. I had a breakfast croissant sandwich the next visit. A small place with very limited seating indoors. There are a few additional tables outside. Service was good. Be prepared for a crowd. All worth it.

Excellent coffee (americano and iced moccha). Service is good, fairly quick and friendly. There are a few indoor tables, and more outside spots which are comfortable given the usually beautiful weather there. We did not encounter lines in the early-mid afternoon when we usually search for our café time. We did have a hiccup one day walking 2 mi from our hotel to Java Kai, and finding them unexpectedly closed at 2PM. But overall, a very good coffee spot.

Java Kai is a great spot for a coffee and/or breakfast in Kapaa. It's a very popular spot and they usually have a line so go early or order online for pickup if you want to avoid the lines. There's a small indoor seating area or a small outdoor area. Like a typical coffee shop you order at the counter then take your number and they'll drop the food at your table and the coffee is called at the end of the bar when ready. I was surprised how long it took for my iced latte to come out. My food had been delivered to our outdoor table about 5 minutes before my coffee was ready, which was pretty inconvenient given that you have to walk in to grab your coffee, I wish that they would have delivered the coffee to the table knowing about the slow down and that we had to leave our food to grab our coffee. I highly recommend the feta mo betta bagel, it's delicious and a good serving! I saw many people ordering the waffle and thought that looked delicious as well, I'll have to try it next time. My friend got the seasonal mango jam ricotta toast and thought it was good but only one piece of bread for $14 seems too expensive.

We came here to order lunch and drinks to go Wednesday 12/18 at 12:50pm. Order #17 We were given a buzzer that was supposed to go off when our food was ready. Got our drinks and waited around 20 min for two sandwiches. I got up eventually to ask about our order since it was not busy and our buzzer had not gone off. Turns out the food was sitting on a small table behind the counter and no one had noticed or let us know. We took the food quickly and walked back. Once we were back at our hotel I opened the box that was supposed to my curried chicken salad sandwich and it was literally just a pile of chicken salad on spinach with no bread in sight?! There is not even an option to order this as a salad so I was both confused and disappointed. My boyfriend's sandwich was good but he had asked for no tomato and received tomato on it (which he picked off). This could have been rectified but the staff has been incredibly unresponsive. I have called multiple times with no answer, as well as messaged them on instagram, which they have said is the quickest way to get a response. I have been trying to get a refund for at least my portion of the order, but have been left on read twice. I'm posting this review in hopes of getting a response. I spent more than $70 and am extremely frustrated. Pictures below of my food and the instagram conversation.

Loved the coffee, açaí bowl and egg sandwich. Açaí bowl was more unique than any I've ever had. I liked the coconut whipped cream. The outdoor seating was also great. Very clean and pleasant. Really exceeded all expectations. Would recommend and would also love to go back!

One great thing about this place is that they open at 6 am, which is perfect for those who want to start their day early. The staff here are absolutely lovely. I had breakfast here twice during my trip. The first time, I tried the Feta Mo Betta! without the pesto (due to allergies) and added some avocado. it was divine! I also ordered a cappuccino, which was very enjoyable. On my second visit, I couldn't resist ordering the exact same dish but with the addition of an egg. And let me tell you, it took the deliciousness to a whole new level! This place has definitely earned a spot on my list for my next visit to Kauai

Sigh. Great breakie sammie w greens n stufff. Nice drinks. Kind folks. the dirtiest grossest bathroom I've ever seen. No hand sanitizer so has to use it after biking and shopping. The insult came when I told the girl who served our food? "Oh I never use the bathroom." Uhhhh you know it's horrid and do nothing. We'd have hit another location if I hadn't experienced this horror.

I really love this spot. It has gotten so popular over the years! I would visit Kauai for work 1-2 times a month and this was my first stop before meeting clients. It is always busy! But the service is very fast. My absolute favorite meal was always the sunrise breakie. A bagel, half a papaya with yogurt, granola and a little bit of bacon. It has since been removed from the menu (I really wished they'd bring it back). My new favorite is their avocado toasts, specifically their Kalalau Avo. The display of the toast alone is beautiful and it's delicious with the pickled onion (for flavor) and radish (for crunch). The toast beneath it is actually perfect, not chewy at all. The egg, bacon and avocado on top speak for themselves, fresh! The chai anu is a great way to cool off in the morning as well - I like to add expresso to it and make it a dirty chai shake. I used to visit before/right after Covid when there was not so many tourists. Be prepared, 90% of the people inside the cafe are tourists so they often take their time to order or read the menu. If you're in a rush, place your order ahead of time and just come to pick it up quickly.

Another day, another açaí bowl! My friend highly recommended Java Kai for our visit to Kauai, and we really liked it. This location is on Kuhio Hwy with lots of other businesses in Kapaa, and parking was easy. There are a plethora of drinks and smoothies here, plus breakfast and lunch items. I already knew that I wanted an açaí bowl, and I was not disappointed; it had açaí berry sorbet topped with seasonal fruit, homemade granola, coconut flakes, coconut cream whip, and mac nuts. At $15, though, this was probably the most expensive açaí bowl I had during our trip, but I chalked it up to vacation splurge. Everyone was very nice, and there is some seating inside and out so you can enjoy your treats on site.

Run--don't walk--to Java Kai! Java Kai was a highlight of our honeymoon on Kauai in Feb. 2024. A friend recommend it and it did not disappoint. Our favorite drink we got here (that we couldn't get enough of!) was the Mac Nut Latte The beans they use for this drink along with Mac nut syrup makes this drink to die for. It is so smooth, refreshing and the perfect treat. I'll be dreaming about this latte for a long time... We also appreciated how they had multiple milk alternatives to choose from. Other than coffee, this place has great food. We had the surfer girl sandwich, açaí bowl and breakfast burritos. The portion sizes were large and the food was delicious. This place was BUSY (and I can see why) but the staff were friendly and it didn't take too long to get our order. It is a super cute shop but on the smaller side so you may be better off taking your drink/food to go. They have a nice outdoor seating space, though.

Banana bread was very fresh and perfect sweet Mac nut latte with almond milk was ok, its little sweet in taste due to mac nut syrup

This is a great place to stop for your morning coffee! I always love stopping at this location in Kapaa, the staff are always so friendly and welcoming! I always try different kinds of coffee when I come here and have never been disappointed! I love this little space to hang out and chat with friends!

Honestly came here twice during a short short trip and that should say it all for you :P As always, I was prowling for coffee and quick breakfast when Java Kai came up on our radar. We hunkered over a sort of rainy day but there was seating inside as well as some sheltered seating outside as well so we took a chance. The line was out the door but moved quite quickly so woohoo! I was really interested in the tofu sandwich but sadly they were out so I went for my OG craving the feta mo beta on an everything bagel! Also grabbed a hibiscus tea for my husband, a cardamom maple latte for myself, and a lilikoi cheese cake to share. When I tell you, the bagel came out LOADED, I'm not even joking. They did not skimp on cream cheese, feta, or the veggies and sprouts. It was just as delicious as it looked and I would 100% get it again! We did opt to sit outside under a non-umbrella/shielded area and had to eat quickly towards the end because of the rain so just a heads up if you go on a rainy day. The latte was great though my husband was so so about the tea. That being said on our second visit I got the shark bite (raspberry latte) and my husband got the lime slushie with mango which he ADORED. The shark bite was good but definitely on the darker/less sweet side. The baked goods/pastries here are freakin amazing so highly recommend. The lilikoi cheesecake was insane and we grabbed a guava cheesecake on our second visit because we loved it so much. Service is sweet and the interior is warm/welcoming. You do order at the counter and grab a number if you have food -- drinks come out by their espresso bar/machine and don't take too long even if there is a line. Highly recommend this place if you're staying in the area!

We stopped here for a late breakfast on our vacation and the food was absolutely delicious and the coffee was just what we needed to wake up from our vacation trance this morning. We got the dilly egg sandwhich and power bowl which was filling. The staff was very friendly and so kind, and the wait for our food did not take long. This is a must visit!

Java Kai is a must-visit spot! I ordered the Dilly Egg Sandwich and a Maui Mocha, and both were absolutely delicious. It's easy to see why this place is so popular--the line was out the door of the small restaurant, but the food is definitely worth the wait! The staff is super friendly, and I appreciated the option to add hot sauce to my sandwich. They offer a house sauce and a garlic sauce, neither of which are particularly spicy, but they do add a fantastic flavor boost. I really enjoyed my sandwich and mocha, and I'll definitely be back for more the next time I'm in Kauai. If you're in the area and looking for a great breakfast or coffee spot, Java Kai won't disappoint!

A little pricey but the coffees were good. The sandwich was a bit soggy & floppy. Some of the staff could have been nicer.

Last year we came for breakfast and really enjoyed the bagel sandwiches. This spot is really cool - has a nice vibe, right in the middle of Kapaa. The store next door is also really cool. Same as anywhere else on the island, the prices feel overpriced but that's just the way it goes around here. Coffee is decent. I got a cortado kai. It comes with sweetened condensed milk - wasn't my favorite. Wish I would've kept it simple with a cold brew. We also got an iced matcha which was actually solid. It's definitely worth a try, and seems similar to spots we have back home in Orange County.

We were really excited to try this place because of the reviews. We came for breakfast on a rainy Sunday at 8:30. There was a line to the door and no seating available, but we were able to sit before our food came. There are a couple of 4-tops and a community table inside and then outdoor seating. I ordered the kalalau avo, which was avocado toast with an egg and bacon. My daughter and husband got the breakfast burrito, one with sausage and one with Malia pork. We all found the food to be somewhat flavorless. The burrito could have used a more flavorful salsa and the avo toast--the egg was underneath the bread, so the yoke broke and sogged the bread. The avocado was sliced, not smashed. If you want to feel like you're eating something healthy, this is the way to go. However, given the popularity of this place, you should still give it a try. We did buy ground coffee so we'll see how that is, since we didn't get coffee.

Very cute coffee shop we stopped at after landing in Lihue. Would highly recommend this place in Kapa'a if you are driving to Hanalei/Princeville. Super good food. Wish it wasn't late in the afternoon so we could try a coffee because they looked amazing!

I'm sorry , but how do you guys justify 17$ for a breakfast burrito and then 4$ more to add protein . So 21$ for a burrito? But all the other places that sell burritos around here are much cheaper not to mention much larger portions? El del Ray sales breakfast burritos starting at 9$ and about the size of a chipotle burrito! Make it make sense Java Kai?! If I wanted to feed my family of 4 for breakfast we're talking 80$ and we didn't even order drinks yet?! Come on now!! Let's put this perspective! The green wrap is from Mermaids right next to Java Kai , this wrap was 15$ and a decent size portion and a much larger to go container, meanwhile Java Kai burrito was 21$ and much smaller?! Make it make sense!!

My new fave! They offer a wide variety of options including gluten free and vegan and more. Try the Moonflower smoothie, the Kai Chai (iced), and the avocado toast. The only thing--they need more space! It gets quite busy at peak times. And it was hard to shop the merch due to the placement/proximity to register.

i'm extremely disappointed in this place!! they had a lot of good reviews so I thought I would check it out but it was so terrible. i got the iced mac nut with almond milk and there was not taste of mac nut syrup, only the bitter taste of coffee beans. not worth $9!!! aesthetically, this place is cute and has plenty of seating but that's all it's good for unfortunately

Love love love their vegan smoked tofu sandwich. The bread is toasted to perfection! They also have it as a wrap if you prefer, but that can get kinda soggy and the juices drip endlessly. My other friends love their non-vegan items too! The salmon lox (but you will have to assemble it yourself), the breakfast burrito, and the dilly sandwich were their favorites! But we don't recommend getting the avocado sandwich because it was barely one slice of bread which wasn't worth the price at all. Drink-wise, the iced mac nut latte with oat milk was really nice. But the iced matcha latte was a no for me. Really bland, barely tasted any matcha. But still a wonderful spot to go for breakfast! It does get pretty packed but there is a bit of indoor and outdoor seating.

This place is so so aesthetically pleasing and cute! Good: - All the food is so beautifully presented here! - I loved the açaí bowl, the coconut flakes added a lot and it wasn't too sweet! Huge portion size too - Wicked monkey smoothie was good, a little wonky so I wouldn't get it again since it was sweet and bitter at the same time - The avocado toast here was really good! Super good texture and crunchy as well - The brekkie bowl was really pretty, loved the taste of papaya Bad: - The wait was pretty long for the food - Only outdoor seating, they ran out of spots inside Overall had a solid meal here, enjoyed the aesthetic the most.

On a recent day trip to Kauai, our first stop is always for local coffee and breakfast. Java Kai fit the bill and had overwhelmingly positive reviews so it was our first stop in Kapaa. On a Saturday morning, it was super busy (maybe too busy on what we hoped would be a chill day), but were pleasantly surprised when the lines moved quickly and employees worked efficiently. It's easy to find, right in Kapaa with tons of street parking and just a block from the beach. It's in a cool old building but kept modern; a few tables are inside, connects to the clothing store next door, and lots more seating outside. It's a pleasant place to sit outside as you get to watch people and traffic go by, but are sheltered from direct sun. Even though it was busy, seats opened quickly and kept moving. We each ordered coffees - the 100% Kauai pour-over, one black and one with milk. We each ordered a bagel sandwich as well; the dilly egg and the mo betta with pesto and balsamic. Each was rich and delicious; the produce was the highlight as it was fresh and crisp. The cream cheese was put on a little too thick and difficult to thin out due to all the toppings, but the portion sizes were worth the money. The coffees were good, but not worth raving about. They also have apparel and souvenirs, plus bags of beans to go. Online ordering for pickup is also available to skip the line. Restrooms are old but clean inside. Overall we were thankful to have tried it.

Java Kai was a good spot. When I went in it was busy and there was a decent amount of people. However the line was fairly fast and the service was smooth. I had a few questions about the drinks and they were pretty knowledgeable and then even gave some good recommendations. This place looks like a place you can get some work done or meet up with a friend and chat. Overall would recommend and come back again for another drink.

THIS PLACE IS SO DELICIOUS! I am so glad we found this cafe! The food and drinks were phenomenal!!!! I'm going to be thinking about this surfer girl sandwich for a very long time! The sunset smoothie was so tropical and refreshing! We might be coming back here again for more another day on our trip! The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the bathroom, avoid it if you can. It was just gross in all levels, needed serious updating, cleaning, and probably a toilet leak fixed, yikes!

We decided to stop here for our first breakfast in Kauai since our resort was only about 5 minutes away! The line can get long, but thankfully it wasn't too long for us and we were able to find parking immediately. Acai bowl - I never had an acai bowl with coconut whip cream on top let alone any type of whipped cream so I was pretty skeptical but still tried it out any way. It was actually delicious and complimented the acai bowl well. For the base itself, I thought it could've used a bit more sugar but it didn't ruin the bowl for me as the fruits were delicious and fresh. The pineapples they included were actually the sweetest pineapples we had on the island! Ube lilikoi cheesecake - Topped with coconut bits, this was super delicious and sooo easy to eat, I could've ate a couple. It wasn't too sweet, they really made it well. Bagel - It honestly wasn't too special and would be easy to make on your own. Nonetheless, the ingredients were fresh and it wasn't a heavy breakfast.

Went there for breakfast, because they have great tasting and friendly service. I ordered the Bacon Burrito which was very good they had scrambled eggs, smashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and Val's roasted salsa and we added the bacon. The other burrito we added kalua pork which was also very good! They also have other breakfast meals like lox and bagels and other breakfast sandwiches, besides pastries and coffee.

I can't believe after all these time I never penned my review on this coffee shop. Let's do this! Year 2020 was my first visit here. Fast forward this year 2023 I was able to visit the garden isle again and grabbed drinks three times for this visit. It was that good that my friend got addicted & was grateful I introduced this coffee shop to her. I am so glad when my friends love the places I also loved. There's always a long queue in here and sometimes it moved fast/slow. But it doesn't matter coz we aren't fully awake yet so we have the patience to wait plus we are in vacation. Chill, we're in Kauai bruh! Our go-to here was the iced latte, iced mocha, or iced matcha. Ugh! What a soul awakening these drinks are. We've tried their cupcakes too (death by chocolate) and it was just okay. When bandit & I came here the first time I remember he ordered egg sandwich and he did enjoyed it (he don't even wanna share it with me). LoL. I just ordered acai smoothie at that time and t'was refreshing too. They got inside & outside seating which you can use but make sure you get up right after you're done eating as this shop tends to be so busy and it is just respectful to give others chance to eat their meal. I will always consider this shop to grab drinks when I'm in Historic Town of Kapaa. Highly recommended. Mahalo for reading & happy juandering fellow Yeeps!

Totally relieved to find a tasty vegetarian option in the same place my husband got his meaty option. Tasty. But pricey for the size. $16 Hubby added a meat to his sandwich - $24. Super helpful girl at the counter..help with a smile! Food delivered to the outside table.

Delicious breakfast. I had the mo' betta feta on an everything bagel, which was yummy, although a messy thing to eat. He had the bagel and lox, which oddly came disassembled. Iced mint tea and ice Chai with oat milk were both good... although served in plastic cups, not for here ware.

I'm OBSESSED with this place! The service is fantastic and there's plenty of seating inside and outside. Good vibes!! I got the açaí bowl and had to go back a second time on my trip to get it. My fiancé also got the burrito and it was good as well!! What a great spot!

Super nice young lady at the cashier today! Ordered a Mac Nut Latte and a Raspberry latte and lemon lilikoi bar. Delicious! Cute place. Highly recommend!!

TLDR: great coffee and food. Outrageous prices. ============================================ Java Kai in Kauai is undeniably a vibe. The coffee? Stellar. The food? Fresh, creative, and genuinely delicious. It's the kind of place that could easily anchor your morning routine while on island time. The decor is effortlessly chic, the atmosphere screams laid-back cool, and they've got the whole aesthetic nailed down. But let's talk about the elephant in the room: the price. Java Kai seems to have perfected the art of adding what I can only describe as a "cool tax" to their already premium offerings. It's not that the food and coffee don't warrant a higher price tag--quality isn't cheap--but when you're paying close to $35 for an avocado toast and latte combo, you can't help but feel like the experience itself is part of the charge. That said, if you're willing to embrace the "treat yourself" mentality and not look too hard at your credit card statement, Java Kai is worth it. The flavors, presentation, and Kauai vibes will likely make you forget the pinch to your wallet...at least until you check your receipt. Would I go back? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? Yes--with the caveat that you know what you're signing up for: a place where coolness comes at a premium.

Espresso Brownie! Oatmilk Latte! I don't know why I overlook this place. But,with all the options available on the island these days it's easy to do . This is a must stop for great coffee,tea, sandwiches and terrific baked goods. My espresso Brownie was unimaginably delicious.

Very popular place, so seating is difficult unless you get lucky with your timing. The cashier is friendly and the food is good. One of the runners is grumpy and doesn't smile. The taller runner with the longer hair is cool, though. The mac nut iced coffee has little to no flavor and no sweetness.

$15 avocado toast today. Everyone is concerned about the economy but price gauging is real and this is truly price gouging. 1/2 the typical order as Waikiki And avocado season is still here so avo here is affordable. whatup? Small slice of sour , ample avocado and great Maui sweet onions but just half the Waikiki common order that is $10 And includes amazing flavor accents like hemp seed, vegan option, etc. Disappointed!

Girl with long hair at the front taking orders is not friendly.. not sure why... other than that, coffee was great! I'd have given 5 stars.

Delicious! The macadamia nut coffee was delicious. The feta bagel was incredible and so filling. We got the Portuguese egg sandwich which was very rich. The lilakoi lemon bar was incredible, I could eat 10 of those

The açaí bowl is killerrr Fun little location and the lime-aide is also great quality to beat the heat

Friendly service and delicious food and drinks, with seating both inside and on the front patio, it's very easy to like this spot. The fresh seasonal fruit is definitely a nice touch, and goes great with the fresh coconut cream!

Was looking for a quick healthy breakfast on our way north. Service was good, they lost our order for a minute but fixed it quickly. It's a clean deli style place with some seating inside and more outside. I would highly recommended this place.

We came here based off the recommendation of the young lady working the Holey Grail donuts truck and boy she did not lead us astray. This place had a very long line, but the food was delicious and healthy. We ordered 2 breakfast burritos, an açaí smoothie and a tropical smoothie. It was all excellent and we got to enjoy it in their outdoors seating space while people watching. Can't ask for more!