Aloha Grinds

Very good coffee, friendly atmosphere. I was very impressed with the food. I didn’t expect the food to be this good since it is mainly a coffee joint. They have board games and cable tv so we usually hang out there for a bit after work.

***** CLOSED ****** Truly depressing, Aloha Grinds is out of business. Gone are the happy, caffeine-​high days of kick a** Kona coffee. I refuse to go back to Starbucks!!!
:(:(:(

I always prefer Aloha Grinds to the Starbucks down the street — the ice coffee is a summer staple! I have also ordered in their fried rice, which I have always found to be more than decent. I would not necessarily eat the food there, as it ha much more of a coffee house feel, and would rather sit somewhere with full service and proper cutlery if I’m going to eat out.
I also wonder whether their hours have changed, since in recent weeks I rarely see it open!

The coffee tastes good. Better than the Starbucks across the street. I always come here to study but sometimes it can get frustrating because of their slow Wi-​fi.

You know how on the show «Friends» they get together and order drinks and chat for hours… well that’s how I feel when I come here with my friends. I love the relaxing environment, their delicious drinks that I choose over Starbucks, their free wi-​fi and childhood board games where you can grab from a couple of feet.
I do wish they would stay open later because I can’t find the time to go in the afternoon or morning anymore. =(

I finally returned to Aloha Grinds after thinking about it for so long. It’s hard to visit since I don’t live in Brooklyn. Anyway, I ordered the same things from before (boneless pork ribs and beef short ribs).
I had to drop a star for inconsistency. The boneless pork ribs were not as I remembered it. They were overcooked and dry. I got these plates to go so I was stuck with them. The beef short ribs were better than before; definitely had more flavor. As did the corn and rice.
The frozen hot chocolate was kinda gritty and tasted like that fake sugar/​powdery chocolate mix.
Very disappointing this time around. But it was a lot emptier inside and would have been nice to bring a book to read.

I thought this place was going to be better, I mean OMG Hawaii in Bay Ridge? No, it was just OK. The weird thing is they don’t have any actual silverware or mugs. Our coffee was in paper cups, my bacon platter came out on an aluminum foil dish thing, fork and knives were plastic. Even the ketchup was in packets! I find this bizarre because hello, I want a mug damn it!
The bathroom’s light switch has a little note above it that says, «Turn off the light to save our planet!» or something to that effect. Dude, you don’t use actual plates! You made me eat and drink out of things you could just throw away and not have to clean for a reason.
This place gets a bonus point for having nice enough staff and a crystal clear television.

Hub brought me to as home as possible to a little Hawaiian coffee café in Bayside, Bklyn. I loved the décor and personal touch/​perk– board games and free WIFI. I had their iced vanilla latte which was creamy and smooth. The Kona beans made a huge difference. If you love coffee, and trust me, I know you can’t go wrong with Hawaiian Kona beans. There’s a reason why it cost $ 15+ lb. not only is it imported straight from Hawaii but the essence and aroma of the Kona is truly one of a kind. The ripening season starts in August when the «cherry» red fruit is ready to be hand picked. It’s no easy task– approx. 15 lbs. of «cherry» (picked btwn Aug and Jan) produce about 2 lbs. of roasted coffee. In order to earn the full 100% Kona title, beans are further graded based on size, purity of bean type and size, and moisture content. — 3 stars for the coffee
I had the Loco Moco which is a typical Hawaiian staple and fav comfort food– ground beef patty with brown gravy over rice and topped with a fried egg. Hub had the grilled BBQ chicken although he really want the pulled pork but it was not available. It came with rice, corn, and either macaroni salad or pineapple. My bro had the pork teriyaki that came with rice. We were a bit disappointed with the food. Real, authentic Hawaiian flavors are not made nor substituted with cheap ingredients. Hence, microwaved food and canned corn & pineapples. In addition, the staff are not actually Hawaiian in the café. The rice tasted like it came out from a microwaved package. Next came the canned corn and pineapples. The Loco Moco was severely butchered. :(- 2 stars for the food. On top of it since the waitress/​counter staff did serve us, we left a tip w/​o a mahola. It really stunned me, unbelievable service!
Overall, if you want authentic Kona coffee, free WIFI, and a comfy café spot to sit and hang out then this is worth the trip. For the food, I would steer clear. Maybe just stick to the spam & egg sandwich. Not sure how hard that can be to screw it up. I would give this place 2 stars except their coffee and chill café spot redeem itself.

Had to write this review to dispel some of the reviews I read here. First they have the best drinks. When I first moved here, I went to the Starbucks across the street and it was CRAP. My coffee tasted like disgusting OLD tap water. So I came here to try the coffee. It was super yum and I’ve been coming back for a quiet place to study and my caffeine fix. They have a delish nuttella latte and on the lighter side for the tea lovers, they have a super refreshing tropical ice tea. Their ice chai latte is also great.
Food wise, nothing in New York is going to compare to real Hawaiian food from Hawaii or LA (since I’m from LA and they have great Hawaiian food). The food here is ok and they have a Hawaiian local dish, which very few places have– the loco moco. The loco moco was good and their beef ribs are pretty tasty too. But if you’re looking for authentic Hawaiian food, go to Hawaii or LA.
Service wise, I’m here almost every day and the staff is always friendly not only to me, but to everyone else that comes in. Never had to wait long for someone to take my order and never experienced any rudeness. This is a very low key and chill place, not super fancy or extravagant so if that’s what you’re expecting then go somewhere else.
One last thing, the food does take a while because they are actually making it and not microwaving it. So just be prepared to wait a little for your food.

Walked in and saw a run-​down little café. Had the bacon fried rice and short rib platter. Both tasted pretty much like microwaved food.
Don’t let the other reviews fool you. I guess if you don’t have a couch to sit on at home, you might want to sit on their dingy couches. But other than that, what a freaking POS!

I was very pissed off and disappointed with the experience I had at this place. I wish I could say it was just because of the food or the décor, but it wasn’t really that.
My bf and I had a
coupon and we traveled a long way from the city just to get to this part of Brooklyn and experience this restaurant, having seen the great reviews. When we arrived, we were promptly told that COUPONS WERE NOT ACCEPTED DURING THE FRIDAY/​WEEKEND. Now, this might be restaurant.com’s fault for not having that listed on their terms. But honestly, why not just say that on the phone as a warning, or put it up on your damn website, when you know people will be buying coupons, people that are not necessarily from that area?
Having traveled such a long way, we decided to just pay the full price, but it was NOT worth the quality of the bbq we got. It was also served on cheap paper plates with PLASTIC UTENSILS that made it very hard to cut the meat.
The pros were: they had good board games, it’s a cozy place, the food was DECENT but not worth the price, and the servers were friendly albeit the coupon incident.
The cons: We probably should’ve saved our money and gotten better take-​out at a Chinese place nearby.

Very chill place to relax with a few couches. Free wifi. Staff is always friendly and willing to help if you have any problems with the plugs or connecting to the wifi. Lots of board games (Connect 4, Scrabble, Trouble, etc) that you can grab from the shelf and a few Find Waldo books to occupy yourself with. Good drinks ranging from smoothies, bubble teas, to coffee and various tea flavors. Tried their breakfast sandwich with ham, steak, and pork chops. All delicious!
Only thing is if you’re in a hurry not a good idea to get food, it does take them a little while to cook it since its usually only one or two people there and they would be making the drinks first and then making the food afterwards.

I may actually come here to study if I lived close to this place.
Friendly staff, free wifi, and comfy chairs. They recently started serving bubble tea… but… I think they haven’t quite perfected that part of the service yet.
What makes aloha grinds attractive to me it’s the laid back service. Good to see it here in NYC.

Ever since Hawaii, I have missed it so! I stumbled upon this place on a venture to Starbucks. I was so pleasantly surprised to find this place. The name alone made me want to check out the place. It did NLT disappoint. Quaint little place with Hawaiian décor– by far my favorite coffee shop in the area. They have games that you could play there, as well as Hawaiian dishes, and, most importantly, Kona coffee. You have not lived until you have had Kona coffee. I recommend the Kona coffee frappé. Absolutely delicious!

My sister and I have never been to Hawaii, but we always wanted to go. Perhaps in the future. We were craving for something Hawaiian themed, and fate brought us to Aloha Grinds! The décor was really nice, friendly service, drinks were awesome (the Aloha Colada and the Iced Kona Blend Coffee). The Beef Short Ribs with the seasoned corn and pineapple was delish! The Loco Moco was alright (but very meaty). Had a great time playing childhood board games (Candyland, Uno, and Connect 4) with my sister. Highly Recommend anyone to visit this place! I will definitely come back again :)

Cheaper and much better tasting iced coffee than Starbucks at under $ 2 (with tax included) for a medium cup. It also comes with a lot less ice than Starbucks so you get more actual coffee.
I haven’t used the wifi yet but there are always a few customers who look like they’re doing work so I assume it’s alright. Lots of people ordering coffee to go like me but there are always plenty of free tables.
Place has natural lighting and is cutely decorated with Hawaiian kitsch. There are lots of magazines and boardgames. They also do meals but I haven’t had a chance to try.
Very friendly service.

Real Kona coffee in dear Brooklyn? Yes, please! My iced coffee with soy milk was light and refreshing. The service is friendly and there is plenty of room to camp out and use the free wifi. I’m always eager to find a relaxing new «third place» and Aloha Grinds serves nicely.
If you love alternatives to Starbuckys go here now!

places like aloha grinds are the reason why i love Unilocal!i NEVER would have found this place otherwise, though it’s just a few blocks away from where i work. i was having a really rough day and decided to take a breather and go for a walk and treat myself to an iced coffee. i usually go to the the dunkin on 3^rd ave because i (mistakenly) thought that bay ridge probably didn’t have a better coffee shop. but on a whim i decided to Unilocal «nearby coffee and tea» and saw this 4.5 star place!
i was a little suspicious because «grinds» is slang for «food» in hawaiian, so i thought aloha grinds might be like an «L & L’s» and not actually a coffee shop. i’m glad i tried my luck and wandered in! the space is comfy and unpretentious. i wanted an iced decaf coffee, but they only had decaf americano’s. i decided to go for it and watched the guy behind the counter carefully craft my drink for 10 minutes. and it was WORTH IT. Strong, but not bitter, and oh-​so-​smooth. I shall be back soon. :) This place is almost as good as stumptown in the city. and that’s saying something.

This place is relaxing, from the décor to the music. It’s a nice place to meet up friends and play some board games; we usually play Uno, yes, they have Uno! As for drinks, I usually get the white chocolate mocha and I’m so serious… you can’t go back to Starbucks after you’ve had it here.
It’s nice that we can spend hours here, but the one thing that seems to be a little off is the lack of schedule. If you look around you can probably spot it, but it’s «hidden» for a reason. They basically close whenever they want, I mean they can’t close before 8 p.m. right? Well, they seem to like to do the unexpected, just like the whole Hawaiian theme.

If you’d have told me ten years ago that a Hawaiian-​themed coffee shop would one day open up in Bay Ridge, I’d have called you an idiot.
Then I’d call your parents idiots for having you.
But whatever.
Times are changing, and eventually, maybe like 30 years from now, I’m going to have accept the fact that Bay Ridge isn’t the same place it used to be.
I frequent Aloha Grinds about 3 – 4 times a week when I need a mid-​day coffee fix and WiFi.
I’ve only had two things at Aloha Grinds — the coffee, and the Loco Moco.
Aloha Grinds’ coffee is the best I’ve had in Bay Ridge. It’s fresh, rich, and strong, without being overpowering.
It certainly blows away what Starbucks is dishing out a block away on 75^th Street.
On to the Loco Moco.
For those of you who aren’t in the know, a Loco Moco is a burger and fried egg on top of rice, drenched in brown gravy. So essentially, a Loco Moco combines four things I hold dear to my heart in one wonderful package.
When I ordered my Loco Moco, I feared a rubbery burger and overcooked egg, sending me into a minor panic.
However, my worries were unfounded. The burger was chewy and flavorful, and the egg was perfect — just runny enough to allow it to properly mingle with the gravy, burger, and rice.
My only issue with Aloha Grinds thus far is the WiFi — it’s a little slow. Not slow enough to make me throw a chair through the window, but definitely slower than what I’m used to at home.
Since Aloha Grinds’ network requires a code, the problem likely isn’t WiFi leaches from upstairs or next door. So the shop probably needs to upgrade to a faster plan with its service provider.
However, the WiFi, while sluggish, is extremely dependable, unlike a certain giant tea/​coffee spot over in Park Slope.
Overall, Aloha Grinds is a worthy addition to the neighborhood, and I look forward to chowing down on the ribs this Saturday.