Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

Kona on the mainland is the pitch at the Bad Ass Coffee outpost on Main Street in Hackensack. Tom owns and operates it, and his regulars are named often enough (Asra, Addi, Nicole, Karen, Owen) that the room functions like a neighborhood bar in coffee form. The interior leans into the Hawaiian theme without going full theme-park, and the Hawaiian-themed souvenirs are there for the people who want to take the bit home. The hospitality reads as the owner's personality more than franchise corporate.

The Three Waves latte (caramel, macadamia, coconut) is the introduction to what the menu does well. Monkey Mocha is the chocolate-banana riff. The Bad Ass Pumpkin Latte and the Pumpkin Swirl bread carry the fall rotation. Banana bread chai is the rotation drink for the people who want the Hawaiian flavor palette in a non-coffee form. Coffee ice cubes are the small move that tells you they've thought about iced drinks. Made-to-order donuts and a grilled cheese cover the snack and lunch slots. The Koffee Kooler and the vanilla caramel iced latte cover the warm-weather rotation.

Allocated parking sits behind the building, which makes this a workable laptop stop in a town where parking is its own conversation. The flag is price. A cup runs $5.80 and up, and if you're a multiple-times-a-week regular it adds up fast enough to notice. Some accounts also mention late opens in the morning, so if you've got a 7am routine, build a backup plan. For Kona-curious East Coast drinkers and people who like a friendly room run by an owner who knows their name, this is the corner to find. Three Waves first. A made-to-order donut on the side. Monkey Mocha on the second visit. The Bad Ass Pumpkin Latte when the weather turns. The room is the draw. The Hawaiian sourcing is the reason to bother.