Downtown Coffee

I gave this place a try since Beach Bum closed. It’s on the Fort Street Mall, in the Pioneer Plaza Bldg, just makai of King Street. That makes it a little further away from my one hour time limit Chinatown shopping forays. You won’t like this place if you think an iced caramel macchiato is a proper coffee beverage. But, if you work the downtown financial district and need caffeine along with your nicotine vape to get through the day, or you appreciate being able to try multiple styles of locally grown espressos then stop here.
I discovered they use very good Hawaii sourced coffee — one of their espresso blend uses Rusty’s Kau, Maui Mokka, and Maui Yellow Caturra in a medium roast. I found it a little too acidic and bitter for my tastes plain, but a little added sugar really brightened up the cup. They currently have a medium dark holiday blend with coffee beans from Maui and Waialua.
The matcha tart, made in house, with a food grade bamboo charcoal powder crust and topped with nuts is wonderful. You’ll usually only find bamboo charcoal used in Japanese bakeries or patisseries, or sometimes in Japanese senbei.
A Cake Works biscotti is nice even if you need sugar and milk for your drink.
There are takeout Baker and Butcher sandwiches. I just wish they had their croissants.
Being situated on the makai end of Fort Street Mall means you’re less likely to encounter those lost souls who engage in aimless conversations with imaginary buddies and able to sit on an outside table without being bothered.

I had high hopes for this place but it turned out not the best. The folks there were very nice and friendly. The latte I had, however, was not good. It was bitter as if they had not dialed in the espresso before serving it. Not much else to say. It could be the barista. It could be the beans. It could be the equipment. Regardless, it wasn’t good.

This is my go to spot for coffee. Everyone here is great and friendly. The White Chocolate Mocha with extra shot (3 shots total) is a must try!

Downtown coffee has the best ice coffee around. It doesn’t taste diluted, even though they add a lot of ice, maybe too much.
I had the matcha torte other Unilocalers raved about and it was a disappointment. I love matcha green tea but this treat was boring, tasted like a mildly green tea flavored dense brownie. For almost $ 4, I would not buy the again.

I actually been here a couple of times, but I was actually waiting till I ordered the maple mocha iced coffee to write a review;). I love the fact that the coffee beans are Hawaiian grown. I needed a break from Starbucks and coffee tea & beanery. It’s always great to support local:)
The mornings are usually packed, and I have to say its location is prime for the bank folks. I waited patiently until it was time for me to place my order. On the right side of the counter there are sandwiches from the baker and butcher and sweets such as the matcha green torte. I’ll be back to try it;)
Within a few minutes my iced maple mocha coffee with whip cream was ready. Oh yess. It was delicious. The maple gave me a nostalgic time of when I stuffed pieces of maple into my mouth at the airport in Canada lol. Sweet and heavenly. The mocha was not overly strong, but evenly balanced with all the extras I had incorporated into it;)
The con would be that the small is actually keiki size, and the amount of ice that was put inside provided me with about a half a cup of coffee. Perhaps offer a larger size for small.
Overall a sweet small coffee shop!

The employees are very friendly and knowledgable about their product. The beans are roasted right outside of the storefront and all of their coffees can be purchased as beans or freshly ground. My bf and I came here to buy presents during our week long trip to Oahu and stopped by two more times to enjoy their great iced lattes.

Yummy coffee, service not so.
Had to repeat our simple order (two Americanos, small and medium, both decaf, with soy and with almost milk), like, five times, to the counter worker, when my friend and I were two of the three customers in store. Then had to repeat it to other worker at the register, since the original one had moved deeper into the store, to make our coffees. Why weren’t they communicating with each other? Standing two, three feet away from their work colleagues, at that?
The original counter guy said we needed to leave some kind of deposit/​ID card in order to take out the bathroom key; then the woman who rung us up, who hadn’t heard what he said, let us use it, sans collateral, anyway. We asked twice and got two different answers, deciding to go with the easier one (no ID card). Maybe the difference was, we had decided to buy the coffees, rather than just ask about where the toilet was, I dunno. But there are some basic communication issues going on, and in a store with a staff of two, that’s not good.

As I work in Downtown Honolulu, I’m completely surrounded by Starbucks. Despite my office’s close proximity to 3 Starbucks and a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, believe it or not, Downtown Coffee is my go-​to spot for whenever I’m in need of a caffeine fix.
I’d like to consider myself a «well seasoned» coffee drinker — I’ve tried some really good roasts, and some «blah» tasting brews. But there’s something about Downtown Coffee’s espresso that makes their iced coffees and iced americano’s perfect. each. damn. time.
My usual order is a large vanilla iced americano. What makes their espresso drinks extra special is that they don’t use Torani or Monin like the other competitors, they actually use 1883 by Routin syrups. Fancy pants! Aside from their vanilla americano, I’ve also tried their hazelnut americano, unsweeted ginger peach tea, and their famous maple white mocha. All of these drinks were absolutely delicious and refreshing — not too sweet and artificial-​tasting.
try their other famous menu item — matcha green tea torte. It’s a Japanese delicacy — which you can taste — has been made in small, perfect batches. They’re not too sweet, crusted charcoal with for anti-​oxidant purposes and sprinkled with nuts (peanuts or almonds, I can’t tell). If you’re looking for a nice afternoon snack, this is it!

We arrived 5 minutes before closing and still received great service. Even after they began closing for the day, we were still well-​taken-​care of. We were asked if we needed anything and directed to the proper barista for service. As far as items, the Iced Matcha Latte with soy was flavorful and light, and the Museli with cold milk was generously filled with fruit bits. Solid!

They know how to aerate lattes; they have delicious and unique syrups; they use the good (strong and smooth) hawaiian coffee, not kona

I’ve pretty much tried almost all of the coffee shops’ Americanos in the downtown area, and this place is my favorite. Their regular Americano, iced or hot, is smooth, nutty and balanced. A splash of cream and simple syrup and it’s perfect. I like it better than even their 100% Kona Fancy one.

better than Starbucks. never burnt always great tasting. Quick and very friendly service. Quality coffee

Great location for local businesses in downtown, Fred the owner is great, his staff know exactly how to make my coffee, and it’s local-​grown, so I’m a big fan. Good quality coffee. Love their Ginger Peached Iced Tea when I get the chance to order, have referred several of my clients there when they are cruising around downtown. Check them out!

Downtown Coffee is a great stop for takeout coffee when you’re in downtown. I’m addicted to their Caramel Cappuccino which is made with their homemade caramel sauce. It’s a sweet drink on it’s own so skip the whipped cream and get a large or it will be gone way to quickly.

YES. YES. YES.
For a while, I was drinking two iced black eyes (coffee with 2 shots of espresso) a day, so it’s no wonder I’m burnt out on coffee for a while… maybe until the next round of finals. Seriously, the coffee and the espresso were made for each other, and it’s so smooth and amazing-​tasting. Downtown coffee tempts me with their aroma every day, though. Now I just get the honey lemon drink.
Their honey lemon drink… is it a tea? The barista said, «it’s like a tea»… Whatever it is, it’s freaking amazing and so soothing for your throat if you’re not feeling well, but heck I drink it even when I’m feeling okay and it makes me feel a million times better.
Their pastries are also superb. I sometimes trick myself into thinking I’m in a little coffee shop in Japan when I’m in there. Yeah, my JPN withdrawals are so bad that I have to trick myself for a couple seconds since that’s all it lasts. But the pastries are so cute and delicious and yuzu? That helps to lengthen my little daydream. :D

Who love’s a good cup ‘o Joe?! I know I do!
Yet, this is of those places where I thought I wrote a review… I check-​in and «Bam!»
Unilocal reminds me that I didn’t review this place every time I check-​in. So, I guess the only way around this annoying little reminder is to write a review. Oh boy!
Okay, I’ve been coming here off n’ on for a couple years now, therefore I think I earned the right to enjoy my cup of Joe without more annoying little reminders! Heck, I got hooked on the maple vanilla mocha because of my beautiful friend, Lauren S., who pretty much quit Unilocal Elite honors because in her words… «those creepy weirdos & stalkers». I hear ya, Lauren! Or, was it those annoying little reminders?
So, in a way, this review is dedicated to beautiful Lauren S., a former 2-​time Elite Unilocaler and regular at…
DOWNTOWN COFFEE!
If you love real coffee & teas and enjoy baked goodies to boot, this place, in the heart of Downtown Fort Street Mall, will appeal to you! The coffees are always freshly brewed and of top quality! I normally opt for simple iced or hot coffee, but like I mentioned earlier the maple vanilla mocha is deliciously divine here! Your fault Lauren! The last time I was here was for a casual one-​on-​one meeting… I had the peach tea and my friend had a rose tea (something rose). It was definitely refreshing and not as sweet as other coffee shops! I had the dark chocolate dipped coconut macaroon for a snack — yummers! In fact, all the baked goods look delicious, but seems like I’m always going from point A to point B when in the area, so I always opt only for a drink to-​go. So, the last time I was here, it was nice to actually sit-​down to enjoy the drink!
So yes, I recommend…
DOWNTOWN COFFEE!
Obviously in downtown, hence the name, duhhh! It’s top quality and a nice alternative to those «other guys»! The staff is efficient, but somewhat nonchalant, maybe too much at times, bordering boring. Still a great place to meet a friend, co-​worker, a pigeon or two, in busy downtown Honolulu. Just avoid those weirdos and stalkers types you hear about… And we all know those types, right? Eww. Enjoy your cup of «downtown» Joe!
OVERALL GRADE: 4.0-STARS! (Solid)
LIVE ALOHA…
Unilocal REVIEW #397

This was such a cute coffee shop hidden in the Pioneer Plaza in town! At first when I glanced at it, I thought, «It’s too small.» But man, do the greatest things come in small sizes!
I ordered a Matcha Green Tea Latte. Although I am not a latte fan, this was definitely good! Their servers were really nice and they all took the time to let you order instead of make you feel rushed. The counter area is small so it’s pretty easy to navigate where to go.
Also, they have the cutest little honey and expresso cups. I bought 2 mini honeys for my tea I drink at home and they’re so cute.

TASTE ⁵⁄₅: Iced Maple White Mocha with non-​fat milk. It goes down extra smooth. When I order the same thing from Starbucks, sans Maple, it has a very strong aftertaste. Really love the creamy-​wake-​me-​up-​delight of the Iced Maple White Mocha.
PRICE ³⁄₅: But I swear you get what you pay for! If I were Rick James, I would give Downtown Coffee five stars. But unfortunately, I’m poor b. tch and the cost is keeping me from doing so. Very addictive, but a little too expensive for my everyday taste.

12.27.13.
The usual spot where I meet up with my friend (shoutout to Brad Y.), Beach Bum Café, apparently closes early (2 pm) during the holidays. I guess it does make sense since downtown is not as bustling as it normally is.
BBC’s owner graciously noticed that my friends were waiting for me to get there & since they were closing up recommended another coffee place on Fort Street to go to instead, insisting that their coffee was up to his standards. What a nice man!
So, if you are coming from BBC, head to Fort Street Mall & take a LEFT (after Ross); basically head in the makai (ocean) direction. Downtown Café is located in the Pioneer Plaza building & is a quaint coffee shop pretty much right next to Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union (APFCU).
I can imagine this place getting quite crowded since it’s pretty much a grab-​n-​go/​in-​n-​out kind of place/​set-​up. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed; there’s a menu posted up on the wall, but they also have a full menu listing located at the register/​counter. Now, I’m not much of a coffee drinking & I’m not well-​versed in coffee types/​quality or lingo but it seemed like they offered a lot of things & they also use/​offer a lot of local products – bonus!
Here they offer drinks in both hot or cold form; I noticed that when you order things hot, they make those cute, foamy designs in your cup (e.g., hearts). I ended up going with a small, iced matcha latte (~$ 4), which I personally loved! The matcha taste was not too strong for me, it didn’t leave me feeling extra thirsty afterwards (you know how some rich/​milky things are?), & it was super refreshing!
It is a bit pricey compared to my usual iced green tea from S-bucks…but there’s no hurt in treating myself every so often right? :) I’m sure I’ll be back soon!
Unilocal 365 Challenge: #360/​365

I come to this coffee shop when I want a break from Starbucks. And Honolulu Coffee Company. And when my mother is not with me (she always wants Starbucks). It feels like I’m cheating but I do like to patronize small mom & pop stores when I can.
I never tried anything on their menu other than their hot chocholate so I cannot give a broad review. The hot chocholate doesn’t feel as dense or heavy in my stomach after I finish like other coffee shops. Feels lighter. The inside of the establishment is clean. And the employees are always nice to me. Never had a bad experience.
I did notice that the prices did increase but not a lot. I used to pay $ 2.80 for a large hot chocholate, now I pay $ 3.03. (Not complaining about the price, just if you haven’t visited this coffee shop in a while, the prices have been raised)