Waimea Coffee Company

Waimea Coffee Company sits in Parker Square in Waimea, at twenty-five hundred feet on the saddle between Mauna Kea and the Kohala uplands. The cafe has been there since 1990 and reads like it. Wood, regulars, a counter that knows the orders before they are spoken. The lineup is 100% Kona alongside organic selections, and the espresso has been a fixture in North Hawaii longer than most of the roasters now competing for the same shelf space. The cafe is paired with breakfast, lunch, and a sandwich program that has won local awards for years. There is a second location in Hawi, up on the Kohala coast. Order the twelve-year-aged Kona peaberry from the Sakamoto estate with a coconut macaroon if you want the house pairing the cafe is known for. Order the cold brew and a sandwich if you came for the cooler air and want to stay for lunch.