Morning Brew

Great coffee — didn’t try anything else but looked like they had some yummy treats. They know how to make smooth milk no frothy bubbles in my flat white! I asked for a small but they are still quite large, so asked for a smaller cup which they had sitting on the machine. No problem! Was a happy surprise find and kept us all going as we tripped around the island.

I love homemade yogurt and this gave me my fix. However, the yogurt was very runny and it actually tasted a lot like whip cream. It was still yummy, nonetheless. My husband got the breakfast burrito and it was excellent. It comes with a dipping sauce that real good. Another morning we got the breakfast pizza and it was doughy so we just ate the toppings (eggs & tomato).

I’ve been to Morning Brew before with a friend, and I did have a pleasant experience during my first trip. I’m disappointed to write that my second trip here wasn’t as stellar due to one factor — customer service.
The food and coffee here is always great, as is the ambiance. Granted, it’s not as peaceful or quiet as Chad Lou’s, but I still like the selection of baked goods and coffees available (plus, there’s a working bathroom, which is always handy).
But the girl with the short hair working at the counter was really rude to my friend and me during our visit. We came around 8:30 a.m. recently on a Saturday and the place wasn’t super crowded — people were there, but there wasn’t a large group, so it wasn’t like we were holding up the line.
Because none of the baked goods are labeled the display case, you can’t expect customers to know exactly what they are or what ingredients are in each. For some of the obvious treats (i.e., the chocolate cake), my friend and I could figure out what they were. But, for some of the other sweets, we couldn’t tell exactly what was in the bars. For example, I don’t like coconut, so I didn’t want any of the pastries with coconut in them. And, what if we had allergies? We wouldn’t want to get baked good with specific ingredients in them. Some of the baked goods, like the scones, are labeled but others are not.
So, when we were ready to order, we had several questions for the girl at the front, but she was really grumpy and acted like it was such a bother to answer our questions regarding the pastries. We only wanted to know what certain ones were – and what was in them – before ordering, but she rolled her eyes at us and made it a big deal to answer. Yes, I get that perhaps this wasn’t her favorite shift, but if you want return customers, I suggest you have someone pleasant and friendly at the front of the house working. Either that, or have more labels for your baked goods.
The poor customer service was the only damper on our visit. My friend and I got different treats so we could share, and we enjoyed them both. I just hope next time, that the worker at the counter is friendlier or more willing to answer our questions.
Here’s what my friend and I ordered:
«Chocolate Bar»: My friend got this because I had my heart set on that moist piece of chocolate cake. This chocolate bar was aptly studded with chocolate chips and they certainly didn’t skimp on the chocolate. The bar was delicious and sweet, but not overwhelmingly sweet. Great choice if you’re looking for something that’s more cookie like (and not as sweet as the cake).
«Chocolate Cake»: This has to be one of my favorite chocolate cakes because it had a layer of fudge on top. It’s definitely rich and perfect for any chocolate lover. The cake was moist (not dry) and I savored every single bite. It paired nicely with my hot coffee but be forewarned that it’s definitely sweet! This is a great dessert if you opt for a savory meal from here, but in my case, my friend and I enjoyed it for breakfast.

Best coffee, best food, best service. Fresh, local and sooo ono! Absolutely adore this place. It is a must if passing through Kailua.
P. S. Vegan cheesecake… !

An hour. That is how long it took these guys to make me a breakfast sandwich. You’d think it was insanely busy. Nope. And when the food finally arrived it was barely luke warm. And no apologies from the business. So I gather this is a regular occurrence and they just don’t give a shit.
Oh and the sandwich was super mediocre.
Go to Uahi — so delicious, fast and friendly!

Bad Layout. Floors and tables were dirty. Service was SLOW. I used to be a barista and I never had a line this long waiting for coffee. Coffee is supposed to be quick and easy. Grab and Go if you need to. Only plus is their super delicious lemon bars and they have vegan options for snacks.

As a coffee fanatic, I can honestly say the coffee here is delicious. Morning Brew’s in house roasted coffee is definitely worth the trip, but the breakfast menu is icing on the cake. Make sure to try the Belgian waffles or breakfast burrito!

When we lived in California, we had a coffee shop that we visited almost every day, and even sometimes twice a day depending on our level of sleep and our dining schedule. We loved this place, and when we moved to Connecticut, we had nothing like this to call home. Thankfully when we moved to Hawaii, we found Morning Brew on our first week and breathed a sigh of relief to find such a gem.
My husband loves specialty coffees and especially pour-​overs, and MB has some of the best in my opinion. I don’t drink coffee, but some of their pour overs are so flavorful and smooth, I even snuck a sip or two from his glass. The baristas and server staff are friendly and talkative, which is such a nice change from Starbucks. I love their iced teas, especially their Passionfruit Mango and their Matcha green tea lattes. The best thing I’ve tried there to date is their Toffee Chocolate Bar, which was decadent, chewy, and buttery, the perfect mate for a peaberry pour over.
They have quite a bit of seating downstairs and in the loft upstairs, and include two hours of free wifi which is awesome, and is usually packed by others who think the same. Prices are higher than what we were used to in CA, but the quality of their product is so exceptional that we’ve decided it’s worth it. Will continue to come here, and hope they expand so more people can enjoy their expansive goodness.

Anything and everything they serve is really good!!! My favorite drink is the German Mocha! It’s so decadent! I love it!
They put a lot of love in every plate, so you’re gonna have to wait a while for your food. It’s not a stop and go kind of place for food.
Customer service is superb!

Morning Brew is perfect for lazy Saturdays in Kailua. It was the go to coffee fuel up for my cousin and I before we wandered through the boutiques in Kailua Town. They are really popular so expect there to be a small line when you show up and people working and hanging out at the first and second floor tables.
They have bags of house roasted coffee for sale and you might even be lucky enough to show up on roasting day. For food the have waffles, wraps/​sandwiches, pastries, and salads. We alway order a Krakatoa Steamer (off the menu drink), which as is, is too sweet for me with chocolate, caramel, and crème de cacao, but tradition is tradition, so I just ask them for less pumps of syrup and sip away.

Clean and cozy place for a warm hearty bagel, coffee and some light reading on my iPad after visiting Lanikai beach. The wait for coffee does take long near lunchtime though.

Two stories of seating with free WiFi and freezing AC? I’m there! The staff was so friendly… they even filled up my hydroflask with water on a very hot day. The iced tea was delicious and my friend loved the coffee. I didn’t get any of their food but it looked like it was good and they had variety. This is definitely a nice place to get some work done in the middle of an increasingly busy Kailua town!

The best breakfast spot in Kailua! I’m not a fan of Starbucks and I don’t drink coffee, but my friends who ordered coffee all thoroughly enjoyed this spot. They strain and brew the coffee individually right in front of you in a cup. (I guess this is cool or something) I had the chai ice cream thing (see picture) and was awestruck at the flavor and taste. But that wasn’t even the best part. Vitali (barista or maybe baristo) recommended I get the turkey panini. When it came out it was grilled to perfection. It had avocado, a red sauce and juicy chicken combined with a melted cheese to bring it all in together. My buddy ordered the pancakes with strawberries and my wife ordered the waffle. Mine was 10x better than there’s. I can only hope that Vitali reads this message one day. Thanks man. And my father in law was totally joking about the ear biting thing.

Best place for breakfast and coffee in the mornings in Kailua by far. It’s in one of the little strip malls but the inside is big. It has some outside seating, inside, and an upstair seating area.
The reason this is one of the better places is the ambiance and the food. It’s a very relaxing atmosphere paired with fresh brewed coffee that they individually brew each cup seperate. Breakfast is fresh and GOOD. Everything in this little coffee shop tastes freshly made and they take the right care in making the food and coffee. Their coffee is from Kona so it’s local. They have this amazing Chai shake made with ice cream. Seriosuly, get it, it tastes like fall.
Overall I will definitely be going back again. Great service, amazing food and drink, and good atmosphere. Don’t miss this place next time you’re in town!

Hipster ish coffee shop nestled in a small plaza in Kailua. The atmosphere is awesome. Saw lots of tables upstairs and downstairs for studying. Great assortment of coffee drinks (including single origin options) and a nice selection of home brewed kombacha. I ordered the matcha tea latte (with coconut milk) and was very pleased with my selection. I loved that they didnt over sweeten the matcha (actually it was unsweetend) and used a decent amount of powder. Not clumpy at all. If I lived in the area, I can definitely see myself hitting this joint up often.
They open super early too!

Great local grind kine of coffeehouse. Mellow hometown feel with plenty of seating and friendly staff. A notch above your typical Starbucks.
Might give a five if I get the same vibes my next visit! Love their Coffee Owl sign! LOL!

Great hipster coffee place in pleasantly sleepy Kailua. Service is very pleasant and the coffee and pastries are first rate. My Kona coffee pour-​over was delicious. The iced coffee was quite good, too. Loved the pecan square and turtle brownie.
Parking was ample and there’s a great Whole Foods store diagonally across the street. Definitely check it out!

Tasty coffee. The best I’ve had in Kailua. It’s locally grown and roasted. And fairly priced. I usually go for the soy latte being a California democrat and all.
They have locally brewed kombucha on tap. Love the Booch. They also have beer and wine if you like to double fist with coffee.
Their food menu is decent to good. I go for the garden burger which is made on Maui. It’s delish. Their kitchen closes at 6pm FYI.
The seating is two levels with high ceilings and a good vibe. A good place to come relax or work. It’s usually populated but not too packed.
Desserts are good too! They sometimes have vegan and/​or gluten free options.
One of my favorite places to go in Kailua. And certainly my favorite café. When you find yourself being drawn to the light that is Starbucks, muster up the strength and cross the street to Morning Brew. It’s close to a bunch of other food options which is nice as well.

OMG
This is the funniest story. So Jeannie, my sister in-​law, loves chai tea latte and introduced me to them. The best ones were at Holley’s in Las Vegas. They use vanilla chai from Big Train Tea. It is so yummy and delicious. We were walking through the shops and she said that Morning Brew had really good chai. My friend Ally said, «Well we can defiantly trust you when it comes to chai.» So we went in and started to order. I look to my left and BAM! There is a bag of Big Train chai and I thought I might die. I was so excited. They use Big Train in their chai teas as well. What a small world! I ordered a medium and I also a chocolate chip cookie. It was huge. It only took a min or two for our teas to come out fast and friendly service is always a plus.

This is an update on my last review which was in back in 2010. In between that time the service had gone downhill. Food and drinks took forever to come out, and the service was indifferent. I just stopped going there.
I started going there again in this past year and I’m happy to say that the service is even better than before, and they’ve stepped up their game. They have their own line of T-​shirts, and in-​house coffee roaster with their own brand of coffee! The counter help is friendly and helpful. There is a shorter wait time for food.
The only thing I can’t recommend is their iced Matcha latte. It’s one of the worst I’ve ever had. Most times it’s so weak and diluted it’s like drinking milk. But that’s okay since I mainly go there for the lox bagels.