Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

Coffee ice cubes. That is the move. Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii's Lexington location freezes coffee for the iced drinks so they do not water down as they sit, which is the kind of small operational decision that separates a thoughtful franchise from a careless one. The shop is on Lakecrest Circle, the Kentucky franchise of the Hawaiian-coffee chain, and the Kona pour-over is the headline order for the customer who came specifically for the origin.

The room is light-filled with comfortable indoor seating and a notable patio for warm-weather use. Sam, Sophia, and Elias work the bar, and the regulars who have been ordering nearly the same drink for years get greeted by name.

The monkey mocha and the badass mocha are the named house pours. Butterscotch latte handles the sweet-leaning order. The hazelnut hula iced coffee is the warm-weather staple, and the banana-bread chai with espresso is the order most first-time customers do not expect to enjoy as much as they do. Pistachio vanilla cream latte runs as a limited release. Iced India, iced caramel Kreme de Kona, and the breakfast sandwiches round out the regular menu.

The espresso is the honest weak spot. One repeat customer said they never enjoyed it across multiple visits, and a few others found specific drinks weak or overpriced relative to the Kona claim. If you are an espresso purist, the cafe is not built for you.

If you are an iced-coffee drinker who has been frustrated by dilution at every other shop in town, the coffee-cube system is the reason to make Bad Ass the regular.

Lexington spring and fall on the patio is when this place is at its best, and the baristas calling you by name is the part that keeps the regulars coming back. Order the monkey mocha iced. Order the banana-bread chai once for the surprise. Sit on the patio when the weather lets you.