Ko Bakery

Ko Bakery + Coffee - Baked Goods with a Taste of the Island
Local Expert's Rating:
4 / 5
The Bottom Line:

When you have a hankering for something sweet, Ko Bakery + Coffee on Kauai offers pastries and cakes made from in-house recipes and bursting with island flavors. It also brews locally-grown coffee drinks. This is a counter-service-only location, so make plans to pick up pastries on the go when you visit.

- The HawaiianIslands.com Local Expert Team

Ko Bakery + Coffee occupies a cozy storefront on the southwest side of Kauai in the town of Lihue, not far from the Lihue airport and the Huleia Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Serving up local Kauai coffee alongside house-made pastries and cakes, this bakery will calm your sweet tooth and give you that burst of caffeine you need to keep going.

This bakery and coffee shop offers a wide range of baked goods. Scones, cookies and sweet loaves, including banana bread from locally grown fruit, top the list of treats available here. Their flavorful double-sized muffins come in a wide range of flavors, and those flavors change daily, so a second visit can mean a new flavor profile to explore.

Ko Bakery + Coffee is a great stop for breakfast on your way to the beach. Tarts and cinnamon rolls are popular for the morning meal and pair nicely with a drink from the espresso bar or a simple, smooth cup of coffee. If you want a savory breakfast, they have quiches, breakfast rolls, and paninis.

If you are visiting Kauai for a special occasion, such as a wedding or birthday celebration, you can order cakes or cupcakes from this bakery. Ko Cakes are three-layer cakes that come in a wide range of flavors, most of which embrace island fruits like passion fruit and pineapple, and the bakery also makes cheesecakes. Of course, you can get traditional vanilla and chocolate too. Italian meringue buttercream frosting and decorations using fresh flowers make these the perfect addition to an island celebration.

Keep in mind that you can also pick up gifts here. Pre-bagged coffee beans in their signature flavors, bagged biscotti and cookies, and pre-packaged granola can all work well as a gift to take home after your visit to Kauai. The store also offers online ordering and shipping throughout the Hawaiian islands.

Some of our favorite menu selections include:

Hula Baby Biscotti
This award-winning biscotti features island tastes like Kauai coffee and coconut. The crispy pastry dips well in coffee, your you can eat it as a crunchy treat on its own.

Granola
House-made granola comes in a range of flavors like Hawaiian Ginger and Island Fruit and Nut. Add it to your morning fruit or eat it on its own as a snack.

Cheesecake
Cheesecakes are tasty and beautiful, and the bakery makes many flavors like Haupia Lime, Koloa Rum Caramel, and Tropical Dream that you will not find elsewhere.

Insider Tips:
-Even though it is an island location, Ko Bakery + Coffee opens early at 8 am, and you are likely to find people already lining up. The selection of flavors is better the earlier you come, so make plans for an earlier morning during your visit. Also, sometimes they do sell out before they close, so be prepared to see bare shelves if you arrive close to lunchtime.
-The bakery has no seating, neither indoors nor out, so you will need to take your baked goods to go. 
-Visitors rave about the chai lattes and the cookies available at Ko Bakery + Coffee. Be sure to sample these on your visit or take some cookies for a snack later when picking up breakfast.