Island Brew Coffeehouse — Restaurant in Honolulu

The staff is absolutely NOT the issue at this establishment - like many of the other reviews have claimed. the gals that work here are very patient & kind, answer questions with care, & are happy to correct your order immediately if it is wrong. The food is amazing. Support Local.

the issue with this particular Island Brew Location seems to be two things - First, a lot of the patrons lack the aloha spirit, which makes the environment uncomfortable at times. a lot of the patrons here absolutely refuse to share spare chairs, outlet plugs, or be considerate of the person next to them. I have experienced a lot of unnecessary aggression from other patrons here over asking to use an empty outlet or by simply taking up space. It’s a very “me, me, me,” vibe. You will notice this especially if you enjoy the Island Brew on the eastside, where the residents of Hawai’i Kai are always friendly & considerate of those around them in an appropriate way.

I think the overwhelming negative energy from some of the patrons stresses the staff members out - which is the vibe other customers pick up on when they arrive to this establishment.

the second issue - is the lack of outlets. I think the patrons of this establishment would be in higher spirits if they did not feel so protective over outlets available in the cafe, especially since this seems to be a hub for those that work from home.

(I personally think the “me,me,me” vibe will always be an apparent when surrounded by some people who work from home/office jobs because they are not used to socializing & seem to generally be in low spirits because of their lifestyle. this is definitely something you just try to accept when going to a cafe in the middle of the city, but I do think something could be helped in this case - especially because the other island brew location is such a happy place to be, the staff at ala moana is great, and the space is beautiful.)

I think this cafe would be 6 out of 5 stars if the owners added some more communal seating or perhaps more terrace seating & invested in some multi-plug extensions cords. a charging station for computers & phones at the front of the store would be a game changer. if they wanted to make it extra special - maybe add some more hand drawn signage displaying positive affirmations & reminders to be empathic, share the space, & be nice to your neighbor.

I already love this place but I could love it more. There is definitely nothing they can do about the people they serve - and I have to say, the girls here do a fantastic job of serving the rudest people with a big smile on their face - but maybe alerting the environment could help with the issue.

thank you for your time & have a...

Honestly the worst service I’ve ever received in my life. While I can understand having to work a busy shift on a Sunday (I know the feeling all too well,) that doesn’t excuse having an atrocious attitude towards customers. I just visited this cafe (5/19, around 4:30) and had an awful experience. Firstly, the cashier taking our order gave us sass and a lot of sighs when we asked about drink sizes. Then they gave more attitude when I asked to add soy milk into my cold brew. They informed me that the cold foam was made with heavy cream, and I said it was okay and to still add the soy milk. When our order was called out, I noticed my drink did not have the soy milk. When I mentioned the error, the barista asked if I didn’t want the cold foam, and I said I did but that the soy was missing. They then proceeded to reach over the counter with the milk and tried to pour it over the already filled cup, getting the milk all over my hands. Instead of apologizing or even offering to remake the drink, they just gave me another cup with a splash of soy in it. To make matters worse, when I was trying to clean myself off, I was rudely scooted away by another worker who was trying to put a tray of dishes on the counter. I was so put off my this experience. I’ve never had to give a review, but this type of thing shouldn’t fly in...

Surprisingly there aren't many cafés in Ala Moana so when I catch myself needing a place to grab a coffee and do some work, I'll stop at Island Brew. You can't go wrong with any of the beverages here and I love that there are a lot of options to choose from. My favorite thing to eat here is the basilito wrap + avocado. It's so simple, filling and delicious! I've tried their other sandwiches which are pretty good but my only complaint is that they are a bit over priced. As much as I would love to get work done here, only the tables in the back half of the cafe have outlets. There are no outlets at the tables near the entrance (where I like to sit because of the natural sunligjt coming in). The other bummer about this location is that there are no restrooms, so you have to walk to Bloomingdale's to use theirs. This location is convenient because it's at the mall but if I had to choose, the Hawaii Kai location is my favorite because of the beautiful views of...