Bakery on King (Honolulu Coffee Company) — Restaurant in Honolulu

I love Honolulu Coffee Company; I’ve bought beans for years and really enjoyed the previous flagship location near the Hawai'i Convention Center. I was excited that this new space opened with an expanded food and pastry menu.

The space is nice and inviting, and my pastry was good. Unfortunately, though, the other food and overall experience did not meet my expectations. I ordered a coffee and a kitchen item to eat in, and learned that only the kitchen item could be brought to my table, not the coffee. If I were in a group, that’d be totally fine, but I was on my own, so it wasn’t possible to secure a table since I also had to wait for my drink. That was also still ok, but my food was ready before my drink and brought to me on a very large plate while I was in the drink line. I did not think I would be able to carry the large plate and my drink, plus my bag, to a table. I asked if it would be possible to bring my drink to me since I didn’t think I’d be able to carry everything. The employee just said “sorry we’re backed up on drinks” and let me be.

When my drink was ready, I really struggled to carry everything, and if it weren’t for another customer holding the door for me, I probably would have dropped something. All of this could have been avoided if drinks and kitchen items could both be brought to the table for dine-in customers. Or if someone had been willing to help me carry something instead of looking at me like I had three heads lol. My food was cold and just okay, so I did not think it was worth the price, and I left just feeling pretty bummed out. The drink wasn’t correct, but at that point I already felt embarrassed after asking for help so I just focused on getting to a table without breaking anything lol. (I know, no one is obligated to help me but it’s nice if someone is struggling!). Anyway, I know they just opened so maybe things will get better—but for now, it’s a nice space but quality just doesn’t match price, and I wouldn’t recommend...

Decided to check out the cause of increased congestion on this part of King Street. Went in the late morning and it was very crowded. It took about 30 minutes to get my drink order and about 15 minutes to get my pastry order, even though all of the pastries were displayed at the counter and new pastries were being brought out from the kitchen every few minutes. The workers were friendly enough.

The biggest downside is the value. As another reviewer accurately pointed out, the coffee is way overpriced for what you get, as are the pastries. My medium latte was $8 and was unremarkable in terms of taste…disappointing for a place that makes a big deal about their roasting process. All of their pastries and baked goods are also about $8 a piece and are similarly unmemorable. I tried seven of their pastries and the only ones that were worth writing home about were the Ube Chantilly Croissant and the Kona Chip Muffin…but I wouldn’t get them again since they’re so expensive.

The weirdest thing is how out of place this shop feels in the neighborhood. Mo’ili’ili isn’t exactly a tourist destination, so I’m a bit doubtful if this place will make a lasting impression here. It’s not like it’s at an affordable price point for the nearby University...

Excited to try this place since my mom loves pastries and I love coffee shops.

Atmosphere: Nice, clean space and great that there’s a dedicated parking lot. Love that you can watch them bake. Outside space is great for catching up with family and friends. There are some spots where the umbrella won’t cover the sun so bring your sunnies.

Pastry: Tried the monkey bread and blueberry cornbread muffin. Muffin was delicious. Monkey bread is like a croissant cinnamon roll but was meh.

Drinks: Ordered 3 lattes and 1 spritzer. Coffee is good but overpriced- same price as Waikiki which sucks because this is Manoa where residents live. I drank the local latte with an extra shot (3 espresso shots total). That drink was ~$10 so definitely not worth it; they didn’t even mix the honey where it stuck to the bottom.

Overall, good to try but wouldn’t go out of my way to come here mainly because the food/drinks doesn’t justify the price. I’d prefer Morning Glass in Manoa if i wanted coffee, pastries and a...