Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

Frozen coffee cubes are the small thing that separates Bad Ass Coffee from the drive-thru next door. Iced drinks here do not water down as they sit, because the cubes are coffee too. It is a franchise concept built around a Kona-coffee story, and the Colorado Springs outpost at Woodmen Center Heights is a spacious Hawaiian-themed room with a working drive-thru and regulars who treat it like their morning ritual on the way to base or work.

The theme leans hard, and either you find it charming or you do not. Three Waves latte with an espresso kick and breve. Pina Colada shaken espresso. Turtle Kick. Hazelnut Hula, which the in-the-know order with macadamia swapped in for hazelnut. Beach Bliss. Dirty chai if you want something less tropical. The Kona beans are the centerpiece of the bag program; the milk drinks lean sweet, which is what the regular customer base wants and what the menu is built to deliver.

Food is breakfast-sandwich-on-Hawaiian-roll territory. Soft, slightly sweet, holds an egg and bacon well. Donuts in the case. Not destination food, but enough to anchor a drive-thru order and keep the morning rush moving. The breakfast sandwich on a Hawaiian roll is a small detail that fits the theme rather than fighting it.

A military discount is on offer, which makes sense for Colorado Springs and the surrounding bases. The drive-thru is how most people use the location, though there is a real room inside if you want to sit and the regulars describe the vibe as cool and welcoming. Laptop work is not what is happening here; the energy is morning-rush rather than settle-in, and outlets and WiFi do not come up in the regular feedback at all. Come for the cubes and the macadamia swap. Bring the dog and use the drive-thru. Skip if what you wanted was a third-wave pour-over and a quiet corner with a book.