Nic’s Island Cafe

The turkey pesto panini I had today was fulfilling. The taste was just right! I enjoyed it very much. The service was A+! I will return to try their coffee, tea, and sandwiches mext time.

The newest gem on S Betetania & Fort St, tucked in the Kukui Plaza across from the kukui convenient store. I met the sweetest, most friendly, funny coffee & people enthusiast I’ve ever met! I feel bad for forgetting her name now, but she’s the sweetest! I’ve always passed this place and never gave it a try because I’m always in a rush when I skip over to class. But today was the day i would finally go in & be ELATED to give this local company 5 STARS.
HYPES:
Customer service like none other. ALOHA all the way! What really attracted me was their sign that said «$ 6 Sandwiches»…that was the lure, but the service was the hook! (Isn’t that how it always is? :)) one of the best parts of my experience was her being so thorough about their menu, explaining how everything is made local, sharing with me some secret items and best of all– 10% off for being an HPU student! Howla!
I ended up getting the grilled cheese because the $ 6 sandwich sounded like it’d be too big for my small tummy at that moment in time, but lemme tell you… my grilled cheese was made on sweet bread from Ohia Bakery! My cheeses were pepper jack and American & im kicking myself in the booty for not having tried this place sooner! Total of my order: $ 4.
GRIPES:
It’s kind of hidden, so you wouldn’t notice it right away. It’s one of those word of mouth places really… which isn’t really a gripe. If you don’t know, now you know! Fellow Unilocal friends, please show this place some love and grab a delicious sandwich and coffee!
I can not wait to try their coconut coffee! That’s my next venture on their list. She said it was really popular!
Oh and side note, please pay no mind to that 1 star review they received when they first initially opened. Miss Aloha is straight trippin & this is one of those places you’re sure to get 5 star quality service & food! :))))
Like I said, try this place out! You’ll find a new place to get your sandwiches and brew!
Aloha!

Love it! Better than Starbucks, convienient, clean, and a local mom and pop biz.
I’m picky about the coffee houses I patron because all I look for is consistency. I’ve been coming here ever since she opened and satisfied every time. I’m simple and can’t say no to iced coffee. Is it me or is her coffee super strong?! #addicted Must be all the TLC she puts into it.
Nic is is sweet, network-​a-​holic, and love the baked goods she sells. It varies every week so don’t be shy to check it out because they go fast. She is also about supporting local companies as well.

Worst way to start my Aloha Friday morning? Having my coffee order all wrong. You just can’t mess with people’s coffee! The Worker took a while to make my order first of all and i was the only customer there! Then she said it was ready except she messed it up! She didn’t really offer to make it over but I had no time anyway so I told her I’ll just take it. She kinda offered a refund then said retracted and said I could come in another day for a «comp coffee»!!! Wth? I ordered a Med Iced Caramel Macchiato, Med Hot Toasted Marshmallow Latte and a Med Hot Americano. What was the result? A Hot Caramel Latte, Iced Americano and the toasted Marshmallow latte, well, she got that one right!!! I took it and my coworker and I couldn’t even taste the difference between the caramel and marshmallow! The coffee isn’t that great! $ 13 wasted! Shoulda just stuck with our $ 0.25 keurig at work! Never again! Tried to support local but I didn’t receive any Aloha here. Epic fail.

So excited that Nic now has a store! I’ve been a fan of her coffee at the Kailua farmer’s market for over a year now! Today I tried the banana butterscotch muffins… Mmmmm, so good! And her coffee was as good as always!

Nic’s Island Café, founded by coffee extraordinaire Nicole Smythe, is a very new business that just opened up ⁸⁄₂₁ and is a must visit if you’re near KuKui Plaza!
I know Nic personally and she is known for strong, quality coffee. After selling coffee at the farmers market for years, she was able to perfect her own style of premium 100% Waialua coffee that was so good that her customers said she should open a store!
Ever expanding and utilizing from her many resources around her, Nicole receives freshly baked goods from the Ohi’a bakery and offers exclusive Tea Drops (ask anyone working to learn about how they are innovating the tea world!). She is constantly looking for more variety in both drinks and food to accommodate the needs of any hungry traveler. All the baked goods we receive are made fresh daily so what you see today may be something completely new tomorrow!