Bula On the Beach

Loved Bula at the beach! The atmosphere is so laid back & chill. We were greeted by a big smile asking if we’d like to try the kava? Sure, yes!
I’ll just say it was very interesting and a must try! :) Google it! & my hazelnut coffee was delicious! Great start to my day

The atmosphere of a coffee shop is as important as the beverages sold. At Bula, named for a traditional kava drinking ritual, the experience is as enchanting as the beverages served.
Bula on the Beach isn’t all coffee. Here you can find a large selection of stimulating beverages. From caffeine to kava to kratom, there’s a potion for everyone.
Turn north on 146^th Ave from Gulf Blvd and you’ll find the entrance tucked discreetly behind another restaurant. Look for a bluish glow coming from the back.
Upon entering the place looks like a normal coffee shop. There’s a counter, a cash register and a menu board behind it. You can order here, or turn right and walk through the door that leads to a patio, where you will realize that you’re not in grandpa’s Florida anymore.
On the patio I found people dancing and swaying to their own music (as in the music in their mind) by the palm trees at the back of the patio. Some played with complementary hula hoops. I’ll admit I wanted to be one of the hoopers, but I had my puppy with me (Bula’s is dog-​friendly).
The tiki bar was lined and lively. The patio tables were full, and where there were not tables there were groups of people gathered with stray chairs they’d clumped together. The separatists and nappers chilled on the lounge chairs in the back.
If outdoors isn’t your thing, then you can go back inside and hang out on the couch and watch TV or play pool.
You can order inside or out. The staff is welcoming. When I asked them to explain what kava is and how I should order they were very nice and not pretentious. It was a busy Saturday so service was slow, but I got a free bowl of kava since it was my first time having it. They handed me a gray plastic bowl full of what looks like earl gray.
Kava is an acquired taste to say the least, but they offer flavored milk to take the edge off. After drinking it I felt something akin to a booze buzz, but lighter and less heady.
The kava latte with espresso and cashew milk is as flavorful as the name suggests; the flavor starts with strong earth of cacao and kava, and finishes with a lift of sweetness from the cashew milk.
Other kava delights include kava cola, kava smoothies, and kavaritas.
I did not try the kratom, but if you’re interested there are four kinds offered. The «green dragon» is supposedly pretty dank and the «black flag» is a blend.
If you’re not into herbal delights, you can get a cup of Kahwa coffee for under $ 2, tea or kombucha
Don’t come here if you want a plain yuppy coffee. But if you’re into new and different scenes, check out this bohemian rhapsody and enjoy.

I stopped in to try for the first time, I wanted to use my Groupon that I had purchased. It was a wonderful experience! Nicole enlightened me on all of the possibilities and really made the experience worth wild! I would definitely recommend this and I will be going back. Thank you again Nicole!

Bula on the beach is located on the Gulf Blvd near Madeira Beach. You might just miss it if it wasn’t for the bright blue LED lights outside that guides us in.
The vibe of the place is very hippie and for somebody who has never been around hippies, it takes a little bit to adjust. When entering this place, it almost feels like something might be going around in the back… like…people might be just sitting around smoking «peace pipes.» But, there is nothing like that. Instead, the place makes the best dang iced lattes and other coffee products. However, the reason why your friend probably told you about this place is because Bula sells this mystical drink called Kava. Well, we tried it and hated it. We really wanted to like it and tried the house Kava with an open mind but it still tasted really bad. The drink looks and tastes like a mud puddle. It is very earthy and the fact that they tell you to drink it like a shot tells you that even they think it’s bad. What happens next is I wish somebody would have warned me about. My whole throat went numb! That’s right… I felt that I was poisoned.
All in all, Bula is a neat concept. Drink some good coffee products and hang out with the hippies, play bags, ping pong, and dogs. I just wish that Kava tasted better as that is, after all, their signature drink.

Bula!
To, my «bula» beach family. Sitting here at my local Java joint thinking there is only one thing missing. KAVA!!! Thank you for morning accents, green dragons, methylated B12, obelisk (s) or would it be obeliski. You were my sane oasis at mad beach. a
As a dedicated espresso addict I can say they produce good crema and offer fair trade and locally roasted beans.
Explain what ails you and I’m sure Nicole has a tea for that.
Great bunch of good people. An open and friendly atmosphere, good music and close enough to the beach to hear it.

BoB almost feels as much like home as sitting in my apartment… except my apartment doesn’t have excellent kratom, kava, or a beautiful beach right across the street. Go. Drink. Relax. Commiserate.

We love this place. Bought a house here in Madeira Beach a year ago. It adds much needed character to the neighborhood! The strong tea is a must try

I was gonna give this place 5 stars but after me and my Hubby’s experience today it dropped to a 1.
Came in yesterday morning and had the best macchiato we’ve had in years made by Monica. Based on that cup of jo we decided to come back today but got a polar opposite experience.
Different girl behind the counter (I think her name was Kelsy) who made a completely different macchiato from what we had the day before. Even asked me what flavor I wanted which surprised me because I’ve never had any other flavor macchiato but caramel nor have I ever been asked what flavor when ordering a macchiato. I told her caramel.
Needless to say the coffee was weak and watery with no foam head compared to the previous days which was rich, full bodied and the milk was steamed with the perfect amount of froth on top. When I complained, I was passively aggressively attacked and was begrudgingly offered to fix it by dumping another weak shot of espresso into my cup even after I tried to explain to her how Monica had made them the day before. She wouldn’t listen to me at all. She continued to belittle me by boasting that no one else had ever complained about her coffee, that she worked for Starbucks for a couple of years etc… and that she knew how to make coffee. Up to that point I had only said that the coffee tasted weak/​watery and nothing like what I had yesterday. She made me feel like I had no right to complain and her attitude was that of «how dare you tell me I did something wrong or how to do my job». She was overly defensive and offered more excuses as to why her way of making the coffee was fine rather than trying to fix the problem in an agreeable way. Dumping another shot of espresso into my cup and exclaiming with a snarky attitude that «she was giving it to me for free» was not the answer nor did it make it taste better. After all this she had even put salted caramel flavor in it rather than just the plain caramel flavor I had asked for.
To make matters worse all while this was going on some guy was trying to cue up the Bluetooth speaker in the shop and once he got it working proceeded to blare punk surfer music so loud I could barely hear which made the situation even more irritating.
Normally I don’t write reviews but I was so mad after leaving I felt compelled to do so this time in the hopes that the owner/​manager will take a look at their staff and train them so the product is consistent from barista to barista. Being one of the few places to get coffee on or near Madeira Beach you’ve got a built in audience but inconsistency in product and a poor attitude with the staff is the fastest way to kill a business, especially one that only sells coffee and kava.
Don’t know that I will be back unless I know for sure Monica is the one making the coffee. She made an exceptional cup which made me come back today only to be greatly disappointed and made to feel like I had done something wrong for expecting the coffee to be the same as it was yesterday.

Bula is good. What amounts to the regulars kills it for me though.
So the parking situation here stinks. Why? Because all parking on the beach stinks. There’s a second lot somewhere that you can use if their small number of assigned spots are taken. Once you mosey in, there’s an inside counter and an outside bar. This is a similar setup to the other Bula location on 5^th. Without fail no one is at the inside bar unless coffee is being made. You pretty much have to order and pay outside.
This is when you realize every patron is barefoot and a bit sandy. I get it, walking distance to the beach, but really, not even sandals? So my friend and I hole up inside for an hour since it was both cooler and more quiet than the patio. About 20 minutes later, someone wanders in from the patio and promptly takes a nap on the same sofa my friend is occupying. Only a bit awkward.
Since I have yet to even touch on it — the coffee is good. They use Kahwah and the girl helping my friend gave him new options to try. Nice, friendly, helpful service plus a decent product is always good. Price is on par with most indie coffee places (expensive for what it is). Not sure if I would ever make the place a regular hangout based on the «we’re here all day» beach hippies.

I love this place. Everyone is nice and you feel comfortable going in by yourself. Day time or night anytime its fun. I love the outside area. I took some clients there and they are now addicted to the place ! Come check it out and meet some nice people to chill with

Great beach side coffee place. My wife and I have been coming here for several years now and unless you like dinner or hotel coffee you real don’t have an option for good coffee fair in this area. This place fits the bill great coffee at a good price for being beach side.

I love this place! It wAs my first time trying Bula and I’m so glad it was here!
The building is super cute and had a great beachy (and pet friendly) outdoor Area.
Since it was my first time, my first cup of tea was free. They flavored it with vanilla and it was pretty tasty. Our server/​barista explained about the benefits and traditions and was just wonderful in general. I also LOVED the strawberry infused water.
I will definitely come back on a nice day to enjoy this quant little spot.

Have visited Bula twice with wildly varying results. Our weekday afternoon visit was pleasant. The gentleman behind the counter was polite and competent, making my mocha and my husband’s Carmel macchiato quickly. They both tasted fine. We were a bit taken aback at the cost of $ 11 for two coffees. The inside area looked comfortable with sofas and a large TV. The outside coffee bar area looked intriguing, with a fire pit and outside seating. We made plans to visit again in the evening.
On our subsequent evening weekend visit, we were hugely disappointed. We had to order coffee at the outside bar, and the woman behind the bar was sullen and uninviting to the point of scowling. She totally killed our idea of ordering. Also, there was a group of twentysomething guys sitting at the bar, loudly talking with every other word being the F word. There was also a random dog running around the patio area unsupervised. Needless to say, we were unimpressed and left without ordering.
Bottom line: we’d run in to order a coffee to go in the morning, but we wouldn’t choose Bula as a hangout spot.

Great spot to go if you are looking for a casual environment to relax and socialize. Staff is friendly and very helpful. It was my first time trying Kava and I am glad I gave it a chance. It has a bit of an earthy taste similar to unsweetened tea. I believe you can ask for it sweetened.
Great patio seating available with fire pits and outside bar. Some nights they have fire poi, which is pretty entertaining.
Out of all the spots in Madeira beach this was my favorite.