HiCO - Hawaiian Coffee, Kona Coffee

HiCO is a hidden gem in Kona. The Ube Latte is hands down the best I?ve ever had. Perfectly balanced, creamy, and just the right amount of sweetness. The Smoked Ahi Toast is unreal. Fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. It?s a local twist on brunch that hits all the right notes. And the Honey Bee Pollen Latte is absolutely incredible. I?ve never had anything like it before. Earthy, floral, and subtly sweet in the best way. Friendly staff, great vibes, and top notch coffee and food. Highly recommend.

We came here on our last day and liked it a lot. Their stuff is local and they had a really nice merchandise section with hats and clothes. We tried some good pastries but didn?t try the other foods. The matcha was great and the ube was more my taste. I would definitely come back.

HiCo is truly a great coffee spot in Kona ! Had to drive a bit further down to get to it but it?s right in the middle in a great spot - easy to pull into and also has a drive through . Chill vibes and great service . I wish I had room to try their ube latte but I opted for their honey latte with pollen. I just don?t ever see pollen in a latte so I had to try it. It wasn?t too sweet - had an earthy flavor due to the bee pollen but it was just made so well!! Great spot !

I get a cold brew for the love of the tingle between my ears. Instead I sipped on a diluted purple water. The ube foam was delicious but the coffee itself tasted like a light drip coffee more akin to water. $8 for a 16oz coffee I should receive a quality coffee bean not just a fancy syrup. Loaded musubi was delicious that stood the test of time.

HiCO Hawaiian Coffee in Kailua-Kona offers a delightful matcha latte made with Rishi matcha and Meadow Gold whole milk, with alternative milk options available. For a unique twist, try "The Lily Special," an iced matcha latte topped with house-made ube sweet cream, blending earthy matcha with sweet ube foam.

Food: I got their Iced Haupia (coconut) Latte. Give it a good shake and stir before you drink it is my advice haha I love how the coconut light sweetness mixed with the Kona Coffee. The foam is also nicely done. Wearing their hat get 10% and you can also join their reward program for more?? the second visit will have 15% off, which is a bliss for coffee lovers. Service: very nice and welcoming. Asking for their recommendation will be helpful. Ambiance: tropical + punky light gives you a chill jungle feeli

This should be a must stop by on your trip to Hawaii! Their ube latte and lily special is delicious! I am usually picky with my ube and matcha flavors, but the taste and presentation is a winner! The lox toast and avocado toasts are also great light but hearty bites to fill up an appetite.

Place is a perfect Kona Coffee Shop. Great vibes, slow down and enjoy a unique coffee drink and some fresh food. Food takes about 20-25 minutes, they always warn you and I appreciate that - not everything needs to be fast in life. The brown sugar Froshakka was amazing. The Ube Sweet Cream was also delicious. HiCO has inside/outside seating and fills up quickly/is bustling. Not my first recommendation if you are coming here to work on a report, but my first recommendation if you want to enjoy a great break

Came here from a recommendation of a friend and it did not disappoint! Tried their honey latte as the honey is local and got the passion fruit refresher. 10/10 had to leave with some merch which was their cute tote bag! Need to come back and spend more time at Kona! Glad we came to this gem ??

This is one of the best coffee experiences you can get in the Kona area! The ube coffee is a fun and unique experience, and the atmosphere is fun and upscale. You can also check out their stylish street merch, and enjoy the warmth of the community. Should definitely stop by if you get a chance.

This place has the best vibe! Open air, plants everywhere, and amazing coffee and food! The menu has incredible variety!

The best coffee and musubi! This place is delicious. Friendly staff and amazing food. We had the spicy crab musubi (bottom) and loaded spam musubi (top). For drinks we got the Kona hazy IPA (local beer selection) and Iced Ube Sweet Cream White Mocha. The best meal, 10/10 recommend.

Great cafe shop for those who like ube everything, lattes and teas, and even ube syrup for those wanting to take some home. The fig and prosciutto toast was really good, highly recommended.

Best Hawaiian coffee ever! The toast is super yummy, and the Ube Latte is a must-try. Loved their playlist too?it really adds to the vibe. Definitely coming back!

Great food. Incredible service. Below is a picture of the spicy crab musubi, as you can see on my the order is much smaller; they remade a new one for free. My friends thought this is hella funny

Drinks were unique and delicious. Loved the atmosphere with counter space and outside tables. Avocado toast was tasty.

Every time we come have our Lily special Matcha, it is always just a great vibe, from the workers, music, atmosphere. I highly recommend this place. They also have some cute, great quality merch!

I came to Kona from the main island for a week and the entire time I kept thinking about MATCHA! This place always came up when I?d research good matcha so I had to come check it out. Did. Not. Disappoint. ?? Not only was the matcha good but the employees were so kind and helpful.

The ube lattes and spam masube are so good here! Great place with indoor/outdoor seating and sometimes live music. It?s a must-go place for me in Kona!

Easily my favorite cafe on the big island. Ube lattes are solid, beautiful outdoor seating area to enjoy said latte, and great vibes/music to accompany it all. Must stop for sure.

Came here twice on our trip. We got the ube latte, tiramassu shaken espresso, ube cake batter latte and iced lily speciality latte. All the drinks were great. Great atmosphere to drink coffee and enjoy their delicious pastries. I recommend the Lilikoi Rolls. If you are a coffee lover, this is one place for you.

DAY 6 of Vacation - Our last full day in Hawaii! Of course we had to start off the day with a light breakfast and coffee! My mission in Hawaii is to try as many local Kona coffee shops as I can. This was the 5th coffee shop I've visited. Parking: Free street parking. Depending on the day, finding a spot can either be a hit or miss. Ambiance/Environment: I love the openness. They had a medium sized space with a good amount of indoor and outdoor seating. It can get busy, so the inside can feel a bit crowded

Great coffee and friendly staff! Expect a bit of a wait during peak hours as it can get busy, but the atmosphere is relaxing, and there?s plenty of seating. Highly recommended!

Banger of a spot for coffee in Kona. Got the merch going too for those into that. Best part was the dog friendly zone where we got to say hello to a couple fur friends on our travels, always counts for a lot!

Amazing food and atmosphere! My fiance (now husband) stopped here our first morning after arriving to Hawaii to get married and truly felt the Aloha spirit. Highly recommend the monster Loaded Spam Musubi and the toasts are next level. We'll definitely be back!

Good coffee, nice ambiance, a little on the expensive side but tastes okay. There was a long line when we got there around 8am, we got to the counter 30 mins later lol. The food was good and i like that they only serve 1 slice of their toasts instead of getting 2 slices per order. The coffee was fancy looking but tastes okay, nothing extraordinary. They have merch for shirts/hoodies/hats/totebags if you want souvenirs. They also give you a free Hico sticker if you leave them a review. Big free Parking Lo

Smooth coffee, ok cookie - we loved the purple color of the dough In a shopping mall, away from the water. Hawaiian prices.

I got some great coffee from this place. Didn't get any foods, but what other people got looked pretty good. Very chill atmosphere, and plenty of places to sit. Seemed like a good crowd there, so the ambience was perfect for sitting, drinking coffee, and working on my laptop. Would definitely go back.

Hawai?i certainly has unique finds tucked away in places one wouldn?t seem to look. On our last day before heading back home we stopped here before the flight. What a nice surprise located in what appears to be a mash up between industrial park & random shops/eateries. Coffee & pastries were great! Although I must say it?s hard to find bad coffee in Hawai?i. This place was seriously busy & it felt like everyone just walked off a beach (even though one isn?t that close). The quality of sandwiches here s

Our go to spot for Ube Lattes when we visit. Their breakfast is also great. Avocado toast is my favourite, but the salmon lox is also good. The merch is the best on the island. I?ve bought shirts and hats every time we visit.

We visited one driving to Hilo in Big island. It was yummy!!! Love love ube and the ube crinkle and ube latte. I wish we had this in BC.

USE THE WILLIE?S HOT CHICKEN ADDRESS! We used the address on the Google listing and the GPS took us in the industrial area on the other side. HiCo is located right next to the chicken restaurant mentioned above and much easier to find this way. There is free street parking. Super cute place. Amazing coffee. We had the iced Lilikoi latte and it was one of the best I?ve ever had in my life. I also had the salmon lox, absolutely delicious. I will say while this was a great stop and we loved the coffee, we wer

Great coffee and food! Why 3 stars? - We ordered an iced macha ube latte, but the barista initially made a hot latte. When we pointed it out, they just added ice instead of remaking it. For a drink that costs around $10, we would?ve appreciated it being made properly or remade it.

Always looking for unique spots on the big island and HiCO was such a great find. The atmosphere is super vibey, the coffee was amazing, and the food was to die for. I got the campfire mocha iced and the spicy crab musubi. My wife got the haupia latte iced and the avocado toast. Everything was awesome and the portions are huge. (Not pictured: the haupia latte)

Great experience at HiCo beverages were delicious and food was good. Would come back every day if I could

Very popular place. The menu and prices were great. I ordered the Loaded Musubi, Blueberry Lillikoi Scone and Ube Latte. Everything came out super fresh and fast, even with how busy it was. So delicious! My party had also ordered the Salmon Lox and Chia Oat Pudding, it?s all so good. We will definitely be back!

Soooo delicious. Stopped by this little cafe because it was right by our Airbnb. They have the yummiest matcha with ube sweet cream on top. Literally tasted so good. My husband and I decided to get 2 avocado toasts to split. They were huge and super filling. Also, their donuts were so soft and doughy in a good way. Loved this place and will definitely be back again

HiCo is a vibe. Got the Ube Latte and it was delicious; definitely hit the spot. Also purchased my new favorite tote! ??

Went to HiCO every morning during our trip in Kona! It?s a beautiful spot and everything that we ordered was delicious. The morning toast are made fresh and very large for the price! Highly recommend

Wonder atmosphere and great drinks. The Lilly drink is yummy (ask for unsweetened matcha powder if you don?t like sweet stuff). My husband and I shared the banana toast. One piece was big enough! Would have purchased swag but 85 for a hoody is steep.

The ube cold foam latte is out of this world amazing. If you like to support local this is the coffee shop for you. Liked it so much that I bought a nice 100% organic cotton (slightly overpriced) hoodie just to support them. Everything else is very reasonably priced though! Highly recommend stopping in if you are in the area.

I think this is one of the best coffee shops on Kona side, coffee was sooo good and their food is delicious! Also whoever runs the music playlist needs a raise- the vibes were there very soul, r&b, lofi-esque I?m in love.

This place has the best options for Avocado toast! Love that they add microgreens. The Avocado does look more like a spread than fresh smashed Avocado. Atmosphere is cool. Trendy location with plenty of parking in back.

We ordered the Ube latte, nova lux toast, loaded spam musubi, and a special menu drink. The ube latte was good but I didn?t really taste the ube flavor. I really enjoyed the spam musubi but the nova lux toast wasn?t my favorite- too much greens and lacked a little flavor in my opinion. All in all it was still a good experience! I recommend you go and try it yourself

Most colorful drinks with the nicest baristas! I love the inviting atmosphere and I would recommend this to any coffee lovers wanting to try Hawaiian coffee.

Loved the atmosphere, really a mix of tourists and locals. Baristas were friendly and clearly like working there. Ube cold brew coffee was delicious. Fun assortment of different open faced sandwiches and the baked goods were yum.

Not bad - coffee was good and food was not bad. A ton of local chicken and parrots are the main attraction if you?re lucky

4.5 stars. Super cute place! We ordered the ube froshaka(a little on the sweet side for me) ube sweet cream cold brew (hubs liked this), coconut malasadas (light and fluffy, but these were from the paradise bakery), loaded spam musubi (too much spam to rice ratio, and not worth the $11 price).

Delicious coffee and natural, modern atmosphere! Our barista gave an excellent recommendation to add Haupia cream to the ube latte for the perfect level of sweetness! We enjoyed the Ube Froshaka too. The vibe was inviting too. Clean and trendy. We will be back for more amazing local coffee

Perfect experience and the best espresso with ube cold foam I've had on the big island. They also have FANTASTIC Spam musubi!

best matcha latte I?ve had on the island so far; better w whole milk (+ honey) imo than oat. smooth texture and balanced taste. can get busy

I?ve been visiting this place since coming to the island, their specialty drinks are all good. Froshaka has a stronger ube taste than ube latte imo. They have plenty of space for indoor or patio chilling out.

Staff that took my order was friendly. I ordered an Iced Ube Latte extra sweet w/ Ube Sweet Cream. It came out perfect!! The only problem was, I should have ordered a bigger size!

A Kona fave! We went here multiple times last year, recommended to our siblings when they visited this year, and couldn't wait to go back ourselves this year as well! Tried the food for the first time and it always hits the spot after a beach morning. The honey & bee pollen latte is one of my favorites, but I love trying all the menu items!

Found this spot on Google as it had a high rating and lots of reviews. We came here for brunch and ordered an Apple Pecan scone, a Spicy Crab Musubi, the Ube Latte and a Haupia Latte. Our food and drinks were tasty and the portion of the Musubi was big enough to share! Love the atmosphere and the staff was friendly , would recommend !

This is a cute coffee shop next to Willie?s. There is a parking lot in the back. I have tried the iced ube latte and the coffee frost with ube. I prefer the iced ube latte which wasn?t too sweet. There is some seating inside and outside. They also serve Malasadas from paradise bakery, but they all sold out by the time I got there.

Opens at 6:30am! Vegan toast options! Coffee espresso is strong. A bit of a wait time so maybe call ahead of time to see if they are busy.

I don?t quite understand the appeal of this place. The photos looked really enticing and we were excited to be eating here. However, most of the food was disappointing and service was average. The avocado toast was cold and barely had a thin layer of avocado. The fig prosciutto toast tasted like there was no fig at all. We were told that an oat milk cappuccino wouldn?t be nice because oat milk doesn?t really froth. They ended up making us a whole milk cappuccino but it looked very poorly done. The ahi toast

Loved ube latte very unique and the people helped us with our order as we had a flight to catch.

Cool little coffee shop. I specifically went there to order musubi since it has such good reviews. The musubi was huge and yummy. I got the spam one and the spicy crab one. Both were fresh and hot at pick up.

Some of the best coffee I?ve had! Their lattes are great and their specialties are fantastic! Lilys special was really good if you like matcha. I will say they get really busy so if you order food expect a wait. The food is ok, but you should really go for the coffee.

Ube latte didn?t have any ube taste, but overall the coffee was still good

Place is a vibe. Iced Ube latte was delicious.

I came here with wife then we became big fan for here. Local Kona coffee or Latte are so good . Local toast were amazingly tasty. Lots of parking place was good too. No worries where to park .

Best coffee in Hilo! Best coffee in town! This is a great local spot for breakfast & coffee that?s open daily from 6.30 until 7pm. It?s tucked away from the touristy drag. Nice indoor and outdoor seating areas. Super friendly staff and Free fast Wi-Fi. Coffee is real quality Kona coffee - great flavour and taste. Highly recommended.

The food and coffee here were amazing! We got the Prosciutto Fig toast and the spring Thai Toast special with a cortado and an ube latte. The milk was frothed perfectly and the breakfast was delicious and so filling. I?m already planning on trying to recreate this meal back home. My husband is such a foodie and never gives places ?a 10/10? but he said this place definitely was.

Had the famous Ube Latte and it did not disappoint. Amazing coffee and cute space! Wish they had more parking but definitely will be back to try the matcha martini

Favorite coffee place on the leeward side :)) all the ube drinks, matcha, and haupia latte are some go to favs. I appreciate the ample indoor and outdoor seating and wifi. Great place to do work or study. And ofc everyone is always friendly. Extra love for their apparel too :) may or may not have bought hats/tees/stickers simply bc they?re great designs. Helps that I wanna support the business in general tho! Always makes my infrequent trips to Kona worth it. ??

Discovered this little place last year (that was in 2021) and it's become our new coffee spot since our favorite spot closed down. Love the atmosphere. Very millennial vibe. ?? Rotating specials. Local food & coffee. Everything is decent here. The ube cream with matcha is my favorite. Hubby likes their malasadas. Only complaint is there is always a line. Update. We just tried the Ube malasada. We've never seen one there before. It was amazing! I also saw they were carrying Kona Farm Direct Coffee. Leslie,

The spicy spam musubi was amazing!! Everything else was okay... I wish the staff were friendlier. We had Maui coffee(week special), nitro cold brew, Spicy Spam Masubi and toast. They had nice wall art though.

The loaded spam musubi blew us away. It was so good. For coffee, our favorite was the white chocolate ube latte. The loaded toasts were good too. Gotta come back to get the chia pudding and try the crab loaded musubi next. Mahalo!

Quality of food and drinks were amazing. We ordered spam musubis, smoked salmon, brown sugar latte, lavender matcha latte and hibiscus tea Perfect place for a quick brunch in beautiful Kona.

Staff were super friendly and nice. They were just about to close up when they saw me walking up (I didn't realize they closed at 2:30PM) and opened the door saying they'll take my order. That itself was much appreciated. The decor is nice and the mushroom latte I had was good as well. I've always loved going to coffee shops especially when I went to NYC, so this was a nice vibe. You'd think we'd have more coffee shops here in Kona. Glad this one opened up~ They have vegan options for food as well!!

We stopped here for a caffeine boost before driving to Hilo. I planned on getting the ube latte but opted for the cold brew with ube foam. We ended up coming back the next day for more coffee before checking out the climbing gym next door. I got the ube latte this time and preferred it just a tad more. My boyfriend got the haupia latte both times per recommendation and he loved it. Franklin helped us both times and he?s awesome!! Super friendly and helpful :) The spot itself is a really cute and hip pla

First time trying Ube Latte. Very good. Came back next day for another. We also ordered salmon lox and spicy crab musubi. They were both very good. Never thought I would pay $14 for pair of musubi but taste justifies it.

Amazing coffee!! Toast was good too. Do yourself a favor and order one with Ube. So good!

I need to start out by acknowledging how incredible the staff was. Engaged with our daughter, great about being patient while we ordered and taking time to make us feel like we were regular customers. That right there, is how you build loyalty. Nothing but love from this Canadian. Everyone working December 5th 2024, is who you want always representative of your business. Now, the secondary qualities: the coffee is perfect. Not even a hint of bitterness or lqcking any substantial flavor. Just get a 12 of bl

This was our favorite coffee shop!! We went every morning that we stayed in Kona. Such incredible coffee, atmosphere and kind workers. My husband usually doesn?t like coffee and he loved it here. Our favorites were the Ube Sweet Cream Cold Brew, Ube Sweet Cream White Mocha and Chia Pudding. Simply amazing! We will miss this place! Update: We stayed in Hilo our last 4 days in Hawaii and we drove over an hour just to get HiCo one last time. Seriously SO incredible. Best coffee in the world!

The spicy crab Musubi goes hard. It?s got a nice lingering slow burn and just hits the spot! In addition to the Malaya refresher, which is a seasonal drink, and that thing was packed full of flavor. Don?t get it if you want a creamy drink, but it tastes amazing. Btw, I split the Musubi between me and my mom and it was the perfect amount of food.

Note: Very busy place with little seating! Now onto the food/drinks: Lilikoi lime ???? ($6) - Loved this drink overall, however it was pretty pricey for something that could be done at home. Also it was just a tad bit watered down. Ube coffee latte ???($7.5) - As a food reviewer I had to try their coffee even though I absolutely hate coffee in general haha. So personally I am very bias on this matter. It's very bitter as usual coffee is. Spicy crab musubi ????($10) - Pricing was somewhat decent. The sauce,

Great atmosphere as the deco in the shop are in style. The service 0/10 waited 15 mins in line to order then an additional 20 mins for them to hand my coffee out. A simple vanilla latte. I came here from hearing all the hype and reviews online but left disappointed. If you are looking for a long wait time for mediocre coffee then this is the place. ??

Great latte and friendly staff! Loved the atmosphere and relaxing on the patio.

This coffee shop is a must. I am so sorry I didn't take any pictures. The Misubis are a must! The macadamia nut coffee and also the honey bees latte.

Had the salted caramel matcha and ube latte- both were so delicious! The staff here are really nice and it?s a cute spot to enjoy time here

We were so happy to pick this spot for a coffee and chat before we departed. I loved my Ube cream foam cold brew. The kids had fun, the atmosphere is right up my alley and the kids shared a little vegan lemon cake. Lots nearby to walk to and parking was sufficient.

We spent a week in Kona on vacation and I came across this place on Google maps. We came here nearly everyday and enjoyed the coffee each time. I do recommend to get here early if you don?t want to wait long for food, but other than that it?s totally worth it. Outdoor and indoor seating, great shirts and hoodies, great selection of non coffee drinks for kids and plenty of food options. This place ticked all the boxes for us and we?ll be back the next time we?re on the big island!

Delicious coffee and super fun spot! There was quite the line when got there and there's not much seating at breakfast time. The toasts are really delicious!

I absolutely love Hico and their message to deliver unforgettable experiences with handcrafted drinks using local grown coffee. Their quality of service food are top tier, enhanced with their welcoming environment. however, this last experience changes things. I?ve only ever got their ube matcha and i decided to try and branch out with no knowledge on the menu so i asked the cashier for some guidance and i ordered what i thought was a blended ube white mocha for my partner. He said it was delicious and we