The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Excellent coffee just like Coffee Bean in SoCal. Another location in Foodland in Princeville.

The atmosphere was great with air-​conditioning and available seating both indoors and outdoors. The steel cut oats and yogurt parfait was worth the price.

Service is Always great! Usually get an iced dark chocolate latte & a turkey pesto bagel… yum!

My cousin offered to take me to either here or Starbucks… I was glad I chose here. I got in and out pretty quick because we had to run a ton of errands, but I had plenty of time to take a nice look around. The place was well kept up (like a Starbucks or Peet’s) and the blended mocha I had was probably one of the best blending jobs I’ve tasted!
For me I loved the consistency of the blend with the coffee, it was not too sweet and very smooth. Sometimes places have ice chunks in a blend but this place I would take over starbucks any day! I will say that the bathroom smelled terrible, and was in ok condition, that could have been that someone destroyed it before I got in there. But if you’re going to judge a coffee shop by how pretty their bathrooms are you might be doing it wrong!

Well, if you’ve been to Coffee Bean before then you know what you’re getting. Maybe I should have tried a local place, but I do like Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, plus it was close by to where I was staying & near Foodland where I like to grocery shop. Friendly employees and coffee tasted like I remember other Coffee Beans I’ve been to. I do love their Matcha & Dark Chocolate lattes, plus it’s nice to have a choice of coconut or almond milk, instead of always soy.

The cappuccino came in a large cup. ¾ foam but only ¼ liquid. When we questioned them, they said that’s how it’s made. They said ½ liquid ½ foam. We tried telling them we didn’t even have ½ liquid, but they didn’t want to listen. I also got a bread pudding. If I had known that they didn’t provide utensils and that I would have to eat it with my hands, I wouldn’t have gotten it. The table was sticky. They don’t wipe it down. What a waste of money

It’s a typical coffee place, very similar to Starbucks but with a few other drinks that may be better. I got Thai blended tea which was good. They don’t have any healthy snacks here, only carbs which isn’t to surprising but the choice would have been nice.

Short version
Relatively standard chain coffee shop. More of an in-​and-​out place than a lounge, but the drinks are pretty tasty/​consistent, they’re open later than most local joints, and the employees are friendly.
Long version
Because I grew up in the midwest and try to avoid chains while traveling, I had never visited The Coffee Bean before I came to Kauai for vacation. One of my goals for the trip was to find different local coffee options, and while I was able to get several good varieties, it seems most of the island shuts down at 8:00pm. As a result, this place became my go-​to for (relatively) late night coffee fixes.
The shop is located in the shopping center attached to and just north of Foodland. They have relatively clear signage and share parking with the rest of the tenants, so it’s pretty easy to find/​access. Inside, there is an abundance of open floor space and not a whole lot of seating. The chairs they do have are wood and lack padding, so don’t come here expecting to comfortably read/​chat for an extended amount of time. On the walls, they sell the standard slightly-​overpriced coffee and tea accoutrement (mugs, tumblers, pour over sets, tea baskets, etc.), and there is a small counter display with pastries. The fruit danishes are the only items freshly prepared (by a local bakery), and they’re pretty tasty.
As with many places I found in Hawaii, the relaxed attitude could be mistaken for rudeness. My first time in, the person at the counter was chatting with a friend who had just put in an order. I waited for about half a minute while they finished their conversation (why would I hurry on vacation?), at which time she cheerfully answered several questions about their products before taking my order. After a brief wait, my drink was finished and correct. My subsequent trips were similar, including one where I was the one chatting at the register, causing someone else to wait.
I was on a latte kick during that time, so I can’t report on their drip/​pour coffee or iced drinks. As with most chains, if you want to taste the espresso, ask for half the sweetener, which is actually powder instead of the nearly ubiquitous pumped syrup. While the finished product wasn’t remarkable, I didn’t feel slighted for the price, and to my relief, the espresso didn’t have the over-​roasted bitterness that is the hallmark of another popular coffee chain.
I ended up going to The Coffee Bean multiple times during my trip, and the drinks were consistent, if not mind-​blowing, which is all you should realistically expect from a good chain coffee shop. While you’re in town, you owe it to yourself to check out some of the local fare and pick up some kona beans for home. However, this place deserves to be in the rotation.

On vacation from California, nosing around Unilocal looking for nearby coffee shops, I was delighted to see a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Kapaa. So as we passed through I made it a point to stop by and was glad I did.
Living in Northern California, it’s not easy to find Coffee Bean locations, as there are only a handful in San Francisco; all the rest are in Southern California. I discovered them last fall during a Vegas vacation, and find their Iced Blended drinks often edged out comparable Starbucks Frappuccinos, difficult as that is for a Starbucks fan to admit.
Air-​conditioned and inviting, this Coffee Bean made for an enjoyable break. I had their Iced Blended Caramel drink, and it was delicious, beautifully made and even better than Starbucks!
It turns out this Coffee Bean is the only one in Kauai, so I was lucky to find it in my travels. It is in the Waipoli Town Center, Kuhio Hwy & Komora Rd, in the shopping center next to Foodline. If you are in the area it’s definitely worth a stop!

Order an iced Matcha Latte wit half ice, drank my drink in a minute and the ice was almost filled to the top! Not to mention it tasted more like milk!

Truth be told I did not go to this chain except upon arrival but only bc I have access to it back home. However what I love is that it is the only place to get Bubbie’s mochi ice cream!

Love the fast, friendly service and yummy drinks!!! Our favorite stop!!!

One of the better cups of coffee we found in Kauai.
But, only thing is don’t let the locals cut in front of you, seems like the counter help rather wait on the locals that they know on a first name basis… kind of lame.

Clean, friendly, always with freshly brewed coffee, a decent selection of tea, and tasty Mochi ice cream. Tucked in a shopping center, this chain coffee shop is comfy and quiet, and could be a great alternative if you are getting weary of the island’s unassuming staples.

Clean and ladies were friendly, however iced tea was way too strong… couldn’t drink it and daughter said her pure vanilla was gross. She couldn’t finish hers either.

Seen my friends always uploading pictures of their drinks from here and it always looks so delicious! So since I drive to Kapaa for appointments I figure I just drop by since I’m in town anyway! Thank god I did, because I am a returning customer and a very satisfied one also! In one day I came back twice back and fourth from Koloa To Kapaa just to satisfy my Ice Blended Caramel Hazelnut! Oh my! It’s heaven in my mouth! In one Week I made the bf drive me special to get my crave of the ice blended caramel hazelnut! I am serious how The Coffee Bean is 100% better than star bucks! HANDS DOWN! Great job! and for those of you that are military spouses or in the military they offer 10% off if you show them your card! wish they’d do that for kamaaina’s! also wish they would open up in Lihue Or even The south shore! They’d make some major business! Please don’t ever Close!!!

Oh Coffee Bean. You are so good — a dependable cup of coffee, no matter what. The service is great and they sell mochi.

Better than Starbucks!
Pros: drinks, bathrooms, free internet, quiet enough to study
Cons: parking

Every time I’m in Kapaa, I make sure to stop by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to grab an iced coffee. They make the best iced coffee on the island. I prefer mine black, and unsweetened. It’s strong, and tasty.
A plus — they got Bubbies!

I am fan of Peets and Starbucks, but this place definitely ranks up there with the big boys!