Local Joe — Restaurant in Honolulu

Hands down our favorite place to be with simply the best coffee in the Pacific. Local Joe is a little back alley cafe that initially never caught our eye. We've since become regulars enjoying their amazing selection of coffees, lattes, espressos, teas, smoothies and munchies. My personal favs include the Cubano Latte and the Foggy Bottom while my wife is partial to the Matcha Tea Latte but some days I just go in and order the SOP Local Joe coffee which is by far the best cup of coffee on the island.

Their munchies are killer with an eclectic menu that keeps rotating. I love their Bagel Lox for lunch and they got a Pastrami sandwich like you're in Brooklyn. My granola wife loves their Vegan tacos and the Quinoa salad. This week I'm addicted to their sour cream coffee cake.

They got this very cool machine that takes a photo from a phone and imprints it on the foam of a latte. We have lots of fun bringing guests there, snapping their pic and then have the a latte served to them with their image. Its a riot.

The staff are the biggest draw. They are fun and entertaining and they alone are worth the visit. If you're feeling down, just go to Local Joes and they'll cheer you up for no extra cost. Its also super great people watching and attracts an eclectic mix of everyone being on the border of Chinatown and downtown. Don't be surprised to see the mayor, a former governor and the city council folks in there.

My wife and I's favorite date is to ride Biki bicycles and they got a Biki station right at their front door! When we're lazy we drive and park in the municipal lot across Smith street. I've also simply parked out front next to the Biki station and got away with it many times.

And according to my wife, a huge draw for Local Joes is... they have a bathroom. A genuine bathroom, no key required, you don't have to walk around the block, stand in line whatever. Where do you find that in...

Original review: I'm a blind customer and I was well accommodated. Michael patiently went through menu options and helped me to find just the right drink for the kind of flavor I was looking for. The mocha was amazing. So was the breakfast croissant with crisp bacon, fluffy egg, and crunchy bread. It was wonderful to support a local shop, and I am definitely making a return trip. So many specialty drinks to try.

ETA: I went back to this cafe and got the same friendly service. In fact, this is the friendliest coffee shop I've been to. This alone makes it stand out for me. Sometimes, I don't think companies understand how important that is.

The Thai latte was awesome if you love coconut the way I do.

There's wifi, it's cool inside, and I like the local music. The Hawaiian tunes are a standout from the few other shops I've been to and it helps that the style of songs is precisely the kind of music I enjoy best.

I've been looking for a go-to shop that's local and I've found my spot. Their unique selection of drinks, plus tasty food, casual feel, and people who feel happy to be working there make this place a winner to me. Will recommend to the few friends I have.

P.S. I was recognized as being a return visitor. I've never gotten that at Starbucks. Plus, I personally was recognized, as opposed to just my cane. It's a breath of welcome fresh air, I can tell you as a...

10/10 when it comes to friendliness of the staff, which is why it pains me to talk about the not so pleasant experience. I watched the cashier (although friendly) mess up multiple orders. I almost felt like he wasn’t listening to the customers - to include myself, which created a significant amount of customers coming in saying they were missing something or the drink was incorrect. I asked for 2 iced lattes and he repeated back “hot” which was concerning. Then my order was completely skipped and I finally asked where my order was after seeing multiple customers that ordered after me receive their drinks before me. I saw who might have been the manager/owner doing damage control - even offered a guy free banana bread for the trouble with his order. Just seemed like a lot of these mixups could have been avoided with a cashier who was paying...