stories

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

A plastic cup of iced coffee with a blue straw sits on black rocks, surrounded by a lei of purple and white flowers, with the ocean and sky blurred in the background.

For a taste of the Big Island without leaving Alexandria, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is brewing up bold cups of joe in the city’s Carlyle & Eisenhower neighborhood. This coffee shop is the place to try American-grown, premium Hawaiian coffee — including 100 percent Kona coffee, a slightly nutty and fruity variety that’s said to be one of the world’s most flavorful. There are so many ways to customize your cup, from banana-flavored mix-ins to Hawaiian-blend cold brew spiked with lemonade. The shop also sells smoothies, tea, and snacks like cookies, muffins, bagels, and cinnamon malasadas, Hawaii’s beloved doughnut-style treat. 

The Northern Virginia franchisees captured the chain’s Aloha Spirit in this inviting space, from surfboards as décor to artsy photographs of donkeys on the wall. About that name: “Bad Ass” is a cheeky reference to the strong and stubborn Hawaiian donkeys who used to haul coffee beans down the mountain. Like that sentiment? Snag some branded Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii merch here too.