Café$Work-friendlyWifi
The Curb Kaimuki in Honolulu is a multi-roaster coffee shop on Waialae that pours Olympia and Heart beans, started as a coffee truck and now anchors.
Signature drink: Hojicha latte with blueberry lavender syrup
Tip: The hojicha latte with blueberry lavender syrup is the off-menu order; oat milk toast with ricotta is the savory.
Café$Wifi
Hawaiian Aroma Caffe on Kalakaua in Waikiki Honolulu is the Italian-leaning espresso cafe with nightly live music, all-day breakfast and a four-location.
Signature drink: Honolulu cold brew
Tip: Open daily 06:00-19:00. The Ohana East branch runs a full bar; the Kalakaua location is breakfast and coffee only.
Café$
Andy's Sandwiches and Smoothies in Manoa Honolulu has fed UH students made-to-order sandwiches on house-baked bread and papaya smoothies since 1977.
Signature drink: Papaya smoothie
Tip: Monday to Friday 07:00-16:00, Sunday to 14:30. Closed Saturday. The papaya smoothie is the move.
Café$
Cafe Kaila in the Market City Shopping Center in Honolulu's Kapahulu has won Hale Aina best breakfast four consecutive years; cornbread waffles.
Signature drink: Pour over and cornbread waffle
Tip: Daily 07:00-15:30. Walk-in queue from 08:30 weekends; order the cornbread waffle with strawberry butter.
Café$
Sweet E's Cafe in Kapahulu Honolulu is the casual breakfast room named for Ethel Mathews, serving stuffed French toast and crab cake Benedict on the Kaimuki.
Signature drink: Coffee and stuffed French toast
Tip: Daily 07:00-14:00. The stuffed blueberry-cream-cheese French toast is the move; cash and card.
Café$
Musubi Cafe Iyasume on Kuhio in Waikiki Honolulu has handmade Koshihikari-rice spam musubi in a dozen permutations, the canonical breakfast grab-and-go.
Signature drink: Iced matcha and spam musubi
Tip: Daily 06:30-21:00. The teriyaki spam musubi is the bestseller; cash and card both work.