Brue Bar

They have poor service. No house coffee ready for morning business. What do they think they are selling???

Had a very good latte at this place located downtown. The barista put effort into my latte which was delicious. The atmosphere is relaxing and worth a trip if you are visiting.

This is my first time & not my last!
During work (I work the night shift), I decided to look up some coffee shops around the area since I wanted to go after I was done with my shift at 6:30am. I came across this place. There were a lot of good reviews m, so why not?
It was definitely hard to find street parking, so I parked in the «paid parking» area about a block away. When I got to the coffee shop, I honestly didn’t know what to order. I did want something simple, so I just got the latte. I loved it! The place is simple but beautiful. Staff was friendly. I also got a spinach pastry that I absolutely fell in love with.
For the first time, I’m actually skipping from Starbucks to this shop :)

Brue Bar is a great coffee bar gem in Honolulu and is one of my favorite places to coffice, chill, or just enjoy some espresso. They’ve got all the standard espresso and coffee drinks and have got bomb cold brew coffee. Their cold brew is flavorful and bold… which is how I prefer my cold brew. They also make espresso con panna, which many places don’t offer. Overall, the quality of the beans and roasts are simply delectable and much better than any chain store coffee.
The staff is always friendly and it’s usually not crazy crowded like some of the other coffee joints in town. And of course they have free Wi-​Fi and a great environment for opening up your laptop for work or just plunking yourself down for a few hours to kill some time.
So to recap: great coffee, friendly staff, Wi-​Fi, and a nice space to chill… Why wouldn’t you visit Brue Bar?

Disclaimer: Hawaii visitor review (bc if I lived here, I probably wouldn’t be as critical, but I have limited amount of meals I can fit in while visiting: P)
Nice little coffee shop. Service was great. I gave it a 3 star more for the coffee. I got a vanilla latte. Like it was ok, nothing particularly good or bad about it. Pretty standard. Not so much a must go when visiting.

Brue Bar is a small coffee shop in the middle of downtown. It’s near the corner of Merchant and Beretania. The coffee is not the best I’ve ever had but it’s pretty good. I usually go for their Americano which is great hot or iced. They do have a genius marketing plan, the best part about going there is their coffee sleeves with the expressions on them.

I come to this location when I’m in the mood for hot tea or coffee. Something about the atmosphere reminds me of coffee houses in Chicago. The Earl Grey White Tip Latte is my favorite.

Brue Bar is the best! Their coffee is delicious especially their (FILTERED WATER) AMERICANO!!!
Love you Brue Peeps! Y’all the best!

WTF!!! Who the hell serves an iced Americano by first pouring in tap water to the cup straight from the sink behind the counter used to wash dishes and rags??? This place is a joke and this amateur move doesn’t say much about the «experts» behind the brand if this is the quality of service the staff is trained to deliver.
If you know coffee, don’t bother. It’s got the hip factor going for its look but that’s about all the place has to offer.
How embarrassing for Hawai’i and its coffee reputation.

I always get asked: «Where is your office?»
And my favorite reply is: «Right here where you’re standing.»
That my friends is the #1 benefit of being a remote employee. No cubicles, no time card, no office politics! But the downside is that I am always looking for a new home away from home. I’ve gotten tired of Starbucks, I despise dingy coffee spots with bad coffee, and on this particular day I really needed a pick me up to restore my faith in locally owned coffee shops. My friend suggested we meet up for some cofficing action at Brue Bar on Merchant Street and I’m so happy I took the risk!
Located next door to Reyn Spooner, Brue Bar is everything you’d want in a lover of your lover is a coffee bar. Handsome, clean, modern yet approachable and so very very very sweet. I grabbed a booth, ordered a chai latte and espresso and waited for the magic. First off, the staff at Brue Bar are so awesome. They’re thoughtful and lack that emo «I’m a hipster barista» vibe, which is oddly refreshing. I got my espresso and was delighted by the soda water back to cleanse my palate.
My stay at Brue Bar was only for an hour but it was a delightful visit. Downside is that you’ll have to pay thru the nose for parking unless you already work downtown but this little coffee nirvana is worth it. See you at my office!

Cute coffee spot in downtown! I love their iced lattes here and they have a variety of iced teas and hot teas. The baristas here are very friendly too!

What a better way to cool off during your lunch break on a hot summer day than to get an iced chai latte with vanilla soy. Now I don’t really get chai lattes or even vanilla soy and apparently my choice of drink and milk is a great pair says, the barista who assisted me. Those only to confirm my choice were my taste buds and they too were very, very happy.
The day I went in was Monday, August 3 at 2 p.m. because that is when our weekly status report meetings are and my boss decides to have a meeting out of the office because even in the office it gets pretty hot. It was still hot. I guess their A/​C was over the summer, too. I’m so over summer too.
This was also my first time here and I thought it was cute. It’s great for a quick meeting in Downtown and it gives that urban feel of wanting to do work. It’s located straight back from Fort Street Mall walking toward Nimitz Hwy on the left next to a shoe store.
Check it out if you got time and really suggest that ice chai latte with vanilla soy~

Small cute coffee shop in downtown located in a very convenient location! The workers were wonderful and patient and very helpful and welcomed us to come back. The coffee was also spectacular and if you order hot they do the fancy latte art that I love so that was just an added bonus! I like my coffee sweet and when I mentioned that one of the girl workers recommended adding a syrup and helped me decide on a flavor and even mentioned that they were organic syrups made especially for coffee! She was so knowledgeable!
Overall very good experience at this place, definitely planning on coming back soon.

Great little coffee bar next door to Reyns. Sometimes they have coupons at Reyn’s for this place, and this place has coupons for Reyns.. .. its a win/​win!

Brue Bar makes the best tasting lattes and regular coffees I’ve ever had in Honolulu; maybe anywhere for that matter! They must have a Bean Master looking after each bean, filling it with self-​confidence, love, and bed time stories resulting in an educated, worldly, epicurean coffee. I love their lattes (both Vanilla and Hazelnut) and don’t mind if it’s $ 5.00 for a small one because the taste is just too good. It’s a nice little spot to relax in and is popular with the financial and cubical people that work in the area. Skip the Starbucks on the nearby corner, get your coffee at Brue Bar and enjoy yourself.

Pretty hip & chill coffee place. Décor is cute.
Came here 2x and ordered their Hot Mocha… absolutely love it. Prices are pretty cheap comapred to most coffee places. Workers are nice and always greets you with a smile.
P. S. if you love coffee art and into that kinda thing than definitely come check them out!

Still don’t drink coffee, still love this place. Stopped in while waiting for a meeting downtown and had some delicious tea, a wonderful gingerbread and chai-​icing dipped cookie, and of course the Friday crossword.
The cookie was especially wonderful: moist, sweet, flavorful. I only wish it had lasted longer!

When I say I LIVE off of coffee, I’m not kidding. I intake so much that coffee runs through my veins… not blood, just coffee, hold the sugar and cream please!
Brue Bar is kind of like cheers where everybody knows your name, and if they don’t, they will sure to remember and get it right next time. Love that the customer service is on point and always just a welcoming feeling when coming here. The atmosphere and décor is anything but the ordinary which could be a contemporary hipsters dream. They always have a regular house coffee or a special which changes out. Prices however are slightly high, but you really do pay for what you get and the quality is definitely there!
So go adventure to this friendly coffee shop, sit back, people watch & enjoy every sip of coffee provided by Brue!

When Café Central closed at First Hawaiian Center June 9, I’m glad a friend introduced me to Brue Bar. The space next to HonBlue on Merchant St in downtown Honolulu, makai of Starbucks, is a perfect spot for unwinding and conversation that you can actually carry with your guest (s). The coffee is great; my favorite is a breve latte which they serve with nice latte art in 8, 12 or 16 oz ceramic mug. Most of their coffee offerings are wonderful. The prices are on the higher side. Be sure to send your receipt to your email or cell phone, because each purchase of $ 5 or more will earn you a star. And accumulate 10 stars to get $ 5 off.
Something else that is minorly annoying is their espresso machine and the obnoxious noise the barista makes with the machine grinding the beans. Maybe I can become immuned to it over time.
The most comfortable seating area is a large corner table with built in seat backs. Otherwise, most of the other tables only have stools which are uncomfortable if you plan to park yourself here for an extended period of time. There is a bar-​like area with higher bar stools with back supports if your back is aching and you don’t mind your feet off the floor. The aforementioned large table would be perfect for a group of students clamoring for electric outlets for their energy-​draining laptops or cell phones. They also have free WiFi.
What Brue Bar is sorely lacking is food to write home about. In fact, their scones are downright disgraceful. They’re dry and tasteless and border on the inedible. I haven’t eaten anything all day, it’s past 3 pm, and a famished person like me could not force more than 2/​3rds of it down my empty tummy.
Still, I like coming here during my breaks to enjoy a smooth cup of java with an ambiance that is different than anywhere else downtown.

Sometimes I enviously wish I was still in college. Mostly these waves of nostalgia hit me during winter, spring, or summer vacation when my underclassmen friends post selfies at the beach while I slave away at work. Ugh! The other times I yearn to be a college student again are when I stumble upon the perfect study spot! In a testament to how much of a nerd I used to be (okay…still am), finding the perfect coffee shop to study in was almost a bigger challenge than actually studying! It was difficult to find a spot that had the perfect location, ambiance, lighting, noise level, and menu. Brue Bar is ⁵⁄₅ on all counts!
Location: Brue Bar is located on Merchant Street in the Stangenwald Building and within walking distance of most downtown offices.
Ambiance: The space, with its ample seating, inspires collaboration and creativity. Not your typical crowded Starbucks, Brue Bar also offers a more community-​oriented setting. It is the kind of place where they may remember your order if you come often enough!
Lighting: With large windows fronting Merchant Street, lots of natural sunlight pours into the coffee shop. You definitely won’t need to strain your eyes to read while you are there!
Noise Level: Merchant Street is not exactly a main thoroughfare for downtown, so it is relatively quiet. Especially compared to busy King Street a block away.
Menu: Brue Bar offers a variety of your basic coffee and tea selections including lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas. Without a long and confusing menu, ordering is quick and easy! I recommend their Cold Brewed Iced Coffee! After discovering cold drip coffee from HiBlend Health Bar & Café, I am a cold-​brewed convert! By brewing with cold water, a more palatable and intense coffee is made! The perfect pick-​me-​up for your afternoon slump or study session!
Thankfully, I am past my studying-​into-​the-​wee-​hours-​of-​the-​night phase (Who’s jealous now underclassmen!), but I do wish I could spend more time slowly enjoying my coffee at Brue Bar! No textbooks required!