The Curb Kaimuki

Found this place on Unilocal and they serve third wave style coffee from Olympia and Intelligentsia. Both days we visited, my husband and I, had a cappuccino and a latte and they were excellent. The barista was a younger guy and he was extremely nice and very knowledgeable. Being from LA, we didn’t think we would find good coffee but we’re glad to see the coffee scene thriving in HI.

Their dirty chai latte was not tasty. A woman adjusted for me but it still tasted awful for me. It was my first time and wanted to give a try but I would never come back here for dirty chai latte. I’m so glad they are willing to give my money back. Other drinks are probably good though…

Summer always has outstanding pulled espresso at his Curb locations but the Kaimuki one is different. Here, Summer has installed a Modbar Modular Espresso System set up, possibly powered by La Marzocco components but otherwise built entirely in the US, in Fort Waybe Indiana. The Modbar is almost entirely out of sight. All you see are beautiful chrome espresso and steam taps on top on the counter. Almost nothing between you and the barista pulling very intense flavorful shots of espresso.
For sit in drinkers, there are a couple if stools inside if you want to chat up the barista. You can sit outside on a small deck nestled behind a stairway and watch traffic going up and down Waialae Ave or chill on a two top in the breezy driveway outside the door.
Yes, there is cold brew and individual pour over hot coffee available but you only want to come for the espresso.
The espresso is Big Truck, currently an organic espresso blend of Honduras and Ethiopian beans from Olympia Coffee in Washington state is almost syrupy with lively chocolate, plum/​cherry/​grape flavors.
The espresso used to be served with a rocks glass of iced water. That was classy for such a casual hole in the wall operation. Now the Gibraltar glass is for Cortados so you get a small mason jar of water. Sparkling water would be better alongside my espresso but I’ll say this is the best tasting, best pulled shots you’ll find in this town.

Best espresso on O’ahu! Having moved here from Oregon, I need a really good espresso fix now and then and searched long and hard to find this place. So glad I did. I drive there regularly from Kailua to get a cappucino… it’s that good!

Yes… Five stars. I’m not just being nice. It’s high quality, strong, exact, fresh, purist coffee. It reminds me of Temple Coffee in Sacramento (my favorite). I will be hitting this place up a couple more times while on the islands. Almond milk option!

like Cheers– but with coffee. baristas here are both friendly and knowledgable. regulars here are a diverse bunch with open minds and hearts. make this your town Go-​To for a coffee and a good conversation. you’ll leave feeling like you just had a ridiculously good brew at your friends house.
get the cappuccino with lavender syrup stat!

Woow
Awesomeness in a cup !!
If you want to drink proper coffee, this is the right spot!

Four Barrel and Intelligentsia on a Modbar? Yep. Tiny world-​class coffee mecca. Wish I hadn’t discovered it so late in my stay in HNL.

Today, I got to cross this place off my bookmarks for cold brew coffee. And I am so happy I did!
The Curb Kaimuki is located on Waialae Avenue. If you are traveling east bound, it is on the left side of the street, a little before you hit 11^th Avenue. There are stalls marked ‘VISITOR’.
It is a small coffee shop. It has stools inside and a few tables outside. The atmosphere was very casual. We were immediately greeted not only by the counter person, but a few other people inside. The menu isn’t as large as other name brand coffee shops, but it does offer a good amount of faves, such as chai tea, hot chocolate, macchiato, and of course — cold brew!
The cold brew was FANTASTIC! I was not disappointed coming all the way from Kailua for this. It was nutty and just darn good! My daughter didn’t say how her chai tea latte was. But needless to say, it was gone before I even got to the Pali. The hot chocolate came with a onion design which was pretty cool.
The customer service was excellent! The counter person was personable, made suggestions, and asked questions on how the girls wanted their drinks. He actually treated them like customers, instead of asking me what they wanted. (I hate that considering that my kids are old enough to speak for themselves.)
The Curb Kaimuki definitely has a new fan!

I come from Seattle where every corner has a coffee shop. While everybody loves Starbucks, I try to focus my attention to smaller, locally owned coffee shops that take pride and focus on their coffee, beans and drinks.
The Curb definitely is a coffee shop that one could find in Seattle. It has a hipstery vibe with a variety of pour overs and French presses. They also offer your usual coffee drinks as well, lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, etc. In addition, they use Intelligentsia Coffee which is based in Chicago, which roast some excellent coffee.
Since I am in Hawaii, I opted for the Iced Lavender Latte. I found it cool that they used local ingredients for some of their syrups (lavender, macadamia nut and vanilla). The iced lavender latte had good flavor from the coffee, but honestly, I couldn’t smell or taste any lavender at all. It was still a great iced latte though. I think next time I’ll stick to my normal Americano when I am there.
Definitely a cool little coffee shop that Honolulu could use.

Nice little coffee shop on Waialae Ave right across of the basketball courts. Prices here are very reasonable. The place has a hipster feel to it that fits in with the rest of Kaimuki. Service here was excellent. I’ve only been here once so far but had a positive experience here and will be back to try something else the next time i’m in the area. The Americano I had was just ok, it had a little bit of a zing to it. I also tried a latte with lavender syrup that was just excellent. It had the perfect amount of lavender in it.

This place accentuates the intellectual side of coffee. Sumner is a true coffee connoisseur and his passion for coffee comes though in every cup of coffee. I was impressed with the excellence of coffee served here, from the cold-​brewed iced coffee to the Ethiopian pour over.
I came here with a college friend to catch and talk story. We ended up ordering multiple cups of coffee and a bag of beans because we were so impressed. We had a great time talking and felt surprisingly comfortable despite the shop being so cozy. Sumner is really friendly and makes you feel at home while you watch him pour hot water into freshly ground coffee beans. The other customers were also really chill and friendly. I will definitely come back next time I am in Kaimuki.

Amazing. Incredible. Blown away by the quality of the brew… but more importantly by the quality of the service. Sumner took care of us today. My GF got the Ethiopian pour over. After consulting Sumner, he talked me into the Costa Rican pour over. I work in the Food/​Bev industry in Manhattan and I can honestly say that I’ve never experienced such knowledgeable, friendly service as Summer treated us to today. Thank you! We will be back!

They have the most amazing cold brew coffee at The Curb! I’ve ordered this drink at so many different Starbucks and locally owned shops, but they really make it the best here. I’m a coffee purist and drink it black, but somehow they managed to make my cold brew almost creamy in its overall flavor. If you’re a coffee geek this place is as MC Hammer says, «two legit to quit.»
Seating is very limited as its a small shop so don’t come here to coffice. There was a man who pulled up in a tricked out VW van who I noticed ordered coffee and then proceeded to drink it in his van while typing on an actual typewriter. Super weird but possibly the norm in spectacular people watching at The Curb.

I used to frequent The Curb since the time they were located inside of the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s cafeteria in the Kaka’ako area. The baristas were always friendly and would recommend new items for me to try. It almost seemed like they disappeared one day! But, sometime last week, it was exam day for me at school and my girlfriend surprised me by swinging by this place for me. I took a sip of the coffee and couldn’t contain my excitement. I’ve never tasted coffee like this before… Maybe, just maybe, I want to become a coffee snob now.
I was given a large iced Macchiato with whole milk and ALI’I KULA LAVENDER SYRUP. Say what? Yes… lavender syrup. Never had it and now I won’t get coffee here without it. I’m a lover of lavender, but my girlfriend absolutely hates anything lavender. But, she agreed that it was very good. The syrup itself wasn’t as perfumy as one would expect. It blended well with the coffee and truly elevated its flavor. Nothing about it tasted diluted or weak. The flavor of the coffee was very much present, strong yet smooth. I don’t think I’ll order any other drink from here again.
Today, I begged to go back and I got to visit their Kaimuki location myself after school (before grabbing lunch). Although the location itself is rather small, I appreciated the outside seating areas because I was able to enjoy coffee with my puppy able to roam around as well. I don’t know how often I’ll be able to go back due to the lack of parking at certain times of the day, but I’ll definitely try to go as much as I can.

To preface my review, I want to say that this is the BEST coffee place on the island. Hands down. No questions asked. BEST. COFFEE. PLACE. EVERRR.
F O O D /​D R I N K S:
The drinks here are phenomenal. Every barista working here has his/​her own style and each and every one is so knowledgeable and helpful. Each pour over I get is quality. I love getting Hama pour overs and also love the Cortados. Juli, one of the baristas, actually makes the syrups herself… which is so incredibly awesome (and, of course, they are also PHENOMENAL). There are pastries offered from View Street Bakery (?) at the moment, which are delicious. I have not really had them though, since I mostly come here to caffeinate and chit chat.
GRADE = A+
A M B I A N C E:
So this place is small. If you’re looking for a place to hunker down and study with a lot of textbook space, this place is probably not the most ideal. However, if you’re lucky, you can sip your brew outside on one of the tables by «the curb» and enjoy the fresh air as you educate your mind. I find the place is best for enjoying your coffee with the regulars. The conversations are always interesting, and I have personally found great friends by just enjoying the company around me at this location. I actually love this about this place, and I would never want it to change. Tip: it can get HOTT so dress wisely.
GRADE = A
S E R V I C E:
AMAZING. INCREDIBLE. SPOT ON. I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing it is to have baristas that care about what they serve you. They are so knowledgeable and will take the time to help you order the best cup. for you. If you go there enough, they will know what to recommend you. Shout out to Reyna… who now knows my favorite flavor notes and will recommend coffee just for me. The Curb baristas are perfection.
GRADE = A++++++++++
P A R K I N G:
There is parking behind the shop but it is limited. Find street parking or park at the shopping center (?) across the street. No biggie.
RECOMMENDED? One thousand times YES.

Hmmm coffee. Good, rich, bold coffee on a Sunday morning coffee ride. This is a small place but they serve great coffee! This is the spot my riding friends, BF and I stop by on our Sunday coffee ride… We sip and enjoy their wonderful coffee while sitting on the curb. :)

Walking back to my hotel after brunch at the Koko Head Café, I wanted coffee and realized that I would walk by one of the cafes I had bookmarked. The Curb has a few locations. I spotted the signage on the sidewalk and went in. The space is small, but there is some seating both inside and out.
The menu primarily consists of espresso-​based drinks and pourover coffee. The espresso part of the menu is interesting. It’s espresso plus either 5 oz., 7 oz. or 11 oz. of milk, or shots of espresso and water. I asked for a CORTADO and took it outside to enjoy curbside. Haha. The cortado was good but not much in terms ambiance here.

Recently I had to go to The Curb Kaimuki for a work related meeting. It’s a very tiny shop with parking behind the establishment. There is very limited seating inside like a few window facing seats and perhaps a tiny table. It can be very hot and stuffy.
The huge redeeming factor is the barista. He takes outstanding care and very high professionalism to use his skills in brewing a cup of coffee. However, when I was there there was only one barista and about a half dozen patrons waiting for their drink orders. It seemed like he was taking at least 3 to 5 minutes to prepare a drink. Yes I understand that good things take time but this is a little bit ridiculous. Frankly, I don’t know how will place like this will survive.
Best wishes and good luck to the fantastic barista and The Curb.

I heard about this place from a friend who attended UH. The Curb used to be a food truck which sold coffee on the UH Manoa campus. I believe this is their first actual store. I came the first week they opened and I’ve been going back quite a bit. It’s nice to see the shop coming together piece by piece. They have a small menu but if you don’t see what you want, you can ask the barista to see if he will make it for you. The baristas’ are very friendly and they know their coffee.
My usual drink is an iced mocha. I’ve had it made with chocolate syrup a few times and this past weekend, I got to try it with cacao powder. Cacao powder made it less sweet and healthier. I’ve never been disappointed with my drinks from here and it’s very consistent. Sometimes, the service can be a bit slow because there is only 1 barista that runs everything. If you’re going to enjoy your drink at the shop, you can order first and then take a seat. You get to pay later when you’re ready to leave. It’s a laid back atmosphere.
They have a few stools inside and 2 tables and some chairs outside on the curb. You can catch a nice breeze when you sit outside in the shaded area. If you plan on getting your drink to-​go, I recommend bringing your own cup because they charge an extra $.60 for the cups. They have parking but because it’s shared with the other businesses, it does get crowded.