Our wonderful friends, Marz and Justino, made sure we didn't miss out on this drive-in and it's epic malasadas of awesomeness. How awesome are they, you ask? Awesome enough that we went twice, within 2 days, even though we were staying about an hour's drive away. I hadn't had fresh malasadas in a while and I remember them as being very similar to sugar donuts, but square shaped, and roughly larger than the palm of my hand. When I saw Tex Drive-In's malasadas, piping hot, sugary, and roughly the size of BOTH of my palms, I instantly knew why our friends would drive an hour for these puppies. They were fluffy, perfectly fried, and oh so ono! And they still tasted good the next day! On our second trip out, we also tried the french fries and onion rings, but our fondest memories are of the malasadas. Someday we will return!
Review Source:There aren't a lot of options for malasadas on the Big Island (at least, not that we were aware of based on Yelp and Google searches), so Tex Drive In was definitely on our list of destinations.
It's in Honokaa, about an hour-long drive from our villa in Kailua Kona, but close enough to places like Waipio Valley that it was easily incorporated into a tour of that part of the island. And there are touristy gift shops along the main drag in Honokaa so it makes for an interesting half-day.
My family ate malasadas (with cream, chocolate, mango, pineapple, and guava fillings), roast pork, curry stew, kalua pork+cabbage wrap with Hilo-made tortilla, burgers, teri beef/fried chicken plate lunch.
Everything was good, and reasonably priced... and you know it's local but still tourist-friendly - not part of a chain, although I think they want to expand and franchise locations on other islands.
There's a window inside through which you can watch them hand-make the malasadas to order. In Hawaii, the Bavarian cream filling is popular, but my family liked the GUAVA filling the BEST. A little tart, and true to guava fruit flavor. And the malasadas are big, about 3"x4" and 2" thick. Covered in granulated sugar, so they get messy. So delicious. I think they were like $2 each.
their fresh malasadas are as good as any i have had. Â you can also get them with various fillings. i have had the one with bavarian creme but i guess when it comes to malasadas i am kind of a traditionalist and prefer mines plain.
they also serve lunch/dinner foods but we usually stop by for the malasadas. Â it is in the small town of honokaa but worth the drive.
Their malasadas turned out to be just like plain old average donuts. Â Go to Oahu for real malasadas. Â The guava flavored donuts actually turned out to be mostly strawberry which resulted in an immediate trip to the emergency room for us (severe strawberry allergy) which was luckily just down the road. Â The breakfasts others were eating however looked amazing, I wish we would have just ordered one of those.
Review Source:My first time back in 12 years, I was pleasantly surprised. The original was light and fluffy with just the right amount of sugar. My previous experiences had me wolfing down a dense flavorless warm bun, while making my daily morning commute from Hawaiian Beaches to Waikoloa (Yes! DAILY!). But this time around, I enjoyed every bite of the original while the filled one was just ok! My #2 malasada only to that red striped wagon on O'ahu. I will definitely be back to try more of the Tex menu.
Review Source:Tex's is getting a long overdue face-lift. That includes the ladies room, which is still small, but at least it's nice now. The restaurant is located right off the highway for easy access, and has plenty of parking. Despite the drive-in in the title, there is also indoor and outdoor seating, and a small garden area off the parking lot.
The food is good - fresh, generous portions. The last time I was there I had a beef terriyaki sandwich. The beef was moist and tasty, piled on a large, soft bun. I'd plannned to have it as a snack instead of having breakfast, but it was so large, I had no room for lunch, and wasn't hungry again until early evening.
The real star here is the malasadas. Plump, fresh, pillowy goodness. With or without filling, you can't go wrong. There are a variety of fillings to choose from - cream, lemon, mango, lychee, etc. They're even good cold. It's fun to watch them being made.
Honokaa is a little less than an hour north of Hilo. Some bus tours stop there. Made sure you get enough malasadas! They really are delicious. This is a great place for for everyone, especially families.
Malasada was ok. Â Prefer Punaluu Bakery's malasada much, much better! Â Mango and guava fillings not too good. Â Also, service was not pro-customer. Â After purchasing 2 dozen malasada, i went back to the counter to get a few knives so that we could taste the different flavors of malasada. Â The lady gave me one knife. Â I asked for a couple more knives. Â The lady gave me a look, looked at the huge pile of plastic knives, and gave me ONE more knife. Â She said I could wipe the knives! Â Is that poor sservice, or what? Â We just pur- hased 2 dozen malasada from them!
My mom had ordered 3 bags of their sweet potato chips for my son. Â When the order took too long, she inquired. Â They forgot to make the order for her! Â Instead of waiting for them to make them (after a long wait), she asked for a refund. Â The lady was going to reimburse her the chips, but not the tax that was paid!
You won't find this type of poor service at Punaluu Bakery.
My mom and I loved their malasadas so much that we ended up stopping there twice during the week we spent on the Big Island. I tried the mango flavor and the bavarian cream flavor one and they were both great! They can be pretty messy if you try to eat them in the car, though! I would recommend this place to anyone who has a sweet tooth and finds themself on the Big Island.
They malasadas are fresh and delicious and come in a bunch of different flavors. It's very casual and a great stop for anyone who happens to be driving by! You can even watch them making the malasadas. :) There were always people there when I went, but it never took long to get our order.
They also have a gift shop and both indoor and outdoor seating.
Went at 7:30pm on a monday night. Â They said they stopped making malasadas at 6pm. Â Been going there for over 30 years. Â First time that ever happened to us. Â If a business is built on a signature item, it is a poor business decision to not to have it available during business hours. Very disappointed.
Review Source:3.5 Stars
This review is for the malasadas only.
If you've been to Leonard's on Oahu, then you will be disappointed. Â Tex offers the tradition plain malasadas along with a variety of fillings to choose from. Â You can't go wrong with the traditional plain malasada, but I'm also a fan of the guava, mango and Bavarian cream.
These are probably the best malasadas you'll find on the Big Island, so it's worth checking out.
Oh my! I wish I lived near the place. These malasadas are served warm and right to your window in their drive thru. You have to get there early if you want to get the guava or mango flavors. I tried twice, but they were sold out. The apricot was amazing, but my friends were fans of the raspberry!
Review Source:This review is STRICTLY for their malasadas.
The malasadas here are just A-Ok, especially if you have already tried Leonard's on Oahu and can't seem to get that idea of deliciousness out of your head. Â My hubby and I stopped here on our way to Hilo from Waikoloa to visit my hubby's aunt. Â We weren't even planning on stopping here when I realized that sign we had just passed on the highway was a place I had bookmarked on Yelp!
The place itself is super cute and is located in a small strip mall. Â To my surprise, there was no line inside, like Leonard's. Â Staff was very nice and helpful. Â I ordered their plain, Bavarian Cream, Mango and Pineapple malasadas. Â They were nice and hot, but when I first bit into one, the first thing that came into my head was it reminded me of a regular sugared donut from any generic donut shop I could get back on the mainland. Â It didn't have the same consistency or taste as Leonard's and the shape was on the square side? Â WTH?
When we arrived to my hubby's aunt's place in Hilo, I offered her and her 92 year old mother some of the malasadas we had just purchased.  Her mother said, "You know those aren't real malasadas.  Those are for haoles  (white people).  The real malasadas are on Oahu at Leonard's."  hahahahahahha  My hubby's aunt told her to be quiet and eat one.  :)
I have learned that it is really hard to find a good malasada away from Oahu. But if you have never been to Leonard's, this place is A-Ok! Â :) Â When I return to the Big Island, I definitely want to try other food items on their menu.
I kept hearing about malasadas and that Tex Drive In was the place to get them. One of the best dessert foods I've had in Hawaii, Tex's malasadas were freshly made. They were warm with a slight crisp on the outside and chewy center. Unfortunately when we went, the only fillings they had available were Bavarian creme, chocolate and strawberry. Normally they have tons of other fillings. The Bavarian creme was my favorite. If only I could get these on the East Coast!
Review Source:Tex Drive-In makes my favorite malasadas in the world!! Â Forget about Leonard's in Oahu. Â They've got nothing on Tex Drive-In!! Â The bavarian cream filled malasada is my absolute favorite!!! Â With each bite, it tastes like a piece of paradise. Â
We stopped by Tex-Drive-In quite a bit while we were staying for the week on the Big Island. Â We did try some of their entrees like the loco moco, kalua pork, teriyaki beef, and teriyaki chicken. Â They all tasted fine, but make sure you save room for the malasadas. Â They are ONO (Delicious!!!)
From reading some of the reviews, it seems that I was fortunate to always have my favorite malasada available. Â We were always able to even take some back with us to our timeshare in Kona.
It is so worth taking the time to come to Tex Drive-In, and you also get great views too.
Malasadas.. or Filled Donuts rolled in sugar.. in abundance in various flavor.
Unfortunately, we were more worried about eating breakfast which we were full and couldn't stuff ourself with these fantastic pastries.
But it was still good after a good day of trekking in Hilo.
But I've got to try other malasadas in order to justify a 4 or 5 star rating from me.
Still the experience was good.. it is set on a cliff so you just look out to the Hawaiian blue seas.. aaaaah.
Ok so this is pretty much the quintessential middle of nowhere spot that does something really well so we gotta stop there kind of place. Â I've recently become more accustomed to this little town because it is where my fiance originates from so going here is pretty much a given every trip there. Â
We usually get the chicken loco moco, which comes in a Styrofoam bowl, with white rice, a chicken patty , over easy egg and brown gravy. Its pretty good, because they are all made fresh. Â
Now to the most important part and the main reason why everyone comes here, is the malasadas. Â Which is also the reason why i gave this place only 3 stars. 1st off the headliner is the bavarian creme filled malasada, which out of the last 4 times ive been there has only had them once. Â Not because they sold out, but the excuses ranged from the person who makes its isnt working today, to we dont have the ingredients to make it because our orders werent delievered. Â So when they did have it, it was good, i still think Leonards on oahu is better. But they are not bad by any means. So if you are in the area stop by and have a little rest from your long drive and have a malasada and coffee.
I came here really excited because it was probably the only place on the Big Island where they sold malasadas. I have been anxiously waiting to eat my fair share of malasadas ever since my trip to Oahu 2 years ago. Sad to say, I was pretty disappointed.
The malasadas reminded me of just a typical cream filled donut I can get back home. It's not light and fluffy like the ones I tried at Leonard's in Oahu. I think it can be cause they're not as fresh when you come here later in the day (I arrived here around 4pm), but no excuses. We also got a burger and mahi mahi plate. The food was okay, not the best compared to other places on the island. The mash potatoes and gravy was good though. There was ample seating, so we didn't have to wait.
Overall, this place is OKAY. I don't think it's worth going out of the way for but not bad if you want something quick and easy.
2 stars for malasadas only.
I've only had malasadas on Oahu, so I'm used to the round, very light ones from Leonard's. The ones here were kind of like standard donuts to me. They weren't bad, just not what I was expecting. Just big ol' squares of denseness. I'd stop by again if I wanted a 'regular' donut thing or their other food offerings, but I wouldn't get my hopes up for the malasadas I'm used to.
I grew up on the Big Island, and Tex's sure is different from how it was back in they day. Even the malasadas are very different, and not in a good way. Â :(
- Malasadas: Â WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MALASADAS I grew up with here? Â They are now huge, and white/light, square and don't even look nor taste fully cooked? Â Lol.
+ Sweet Potato chips (Okinawan): they were delicious, not too thin and not too thick, a nice crisp, and cheaper than the regular fries. Â Also less greasy that fries too!
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich:  bah.  The bread is doused with butter so there's a nice brown finish on the bread but it is quite greasy. In it is a layer of processed cheese, it is overpriced but I can see  how people would pay for it because it looks beautifully made.
- Loco Moco: Â Oddly enough, served in 2 separate containers, like two half dishes. Â The meat patty was actually tender, then again I always hold Big Island beef in high regards, assuming it is local!, and the gravy was a nice thick light brown and tasty.
+ Meatloaf Sandwich: It didn't taste like a traditional meatloaf, which I was happy to see (meaning not that deep red/brown color so not doused in ketchup). Â again, the beef was very tendy and easy to eat. Â
All of the food is a bit overpriced but that's the Big Island in general? Â Also, what's up with the crowd, I didn't see many locals so it just looks like a tourist or transplant trap. Â The line was long, out the door, and I was a little entertained hearing the guys behind me trying to explain what malasadas are and how the Portugese ended up in Hawaii. Â :)
However, I did like that there's inside booths and outside tables so you can enjoy the beautiful Hamakua coast fresh air -- one side towards the highway is a gorgeous plume of tall skinny trees, and on the other is towards the coast, almost an ocean view but not really. Â It gets super crowded during lunch, even at 11:15 on a weekend it was 20 minutes in line, another 15+ minutes to get our food, but still it was an enjoyable meal. Â I doubt I'll be back here for a while but it was nice for some nostalgia.
I'M A FAN! Â
Malasadas = Portuguese Donuts Â
If you've never tried, you're missing out! Â
You can get it plain or filled (10 types of fillings). Â
GET THE BAVARIAN CREME FILLING! Â
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=bnD1hMkJ3tBsyrtYZa8z3Q&userid=yhdwc7zvDAUwDxMxKWIluw">http://www.yelp.com/user…</a>
Dear Tex Drive-in,
Your malasadas, and in particular, the ones filled with chocolate, would seriously be the death of me if I lived anywhere near enough that I could come to you on a regular basis. Â I am almost thankful that I can't, though now I shall pine for them in a most unusual way. Â Soft, pillowy doughnuts filled with chocolate pudding bordering on the verge of tasting like chocolate frosting. Â Where I come from, this is a good thing. Â A very good thing. Â Very delicious overall.
Sincerely,
The Girl With Potential for a Serious Bakery Issue
PS - please have more than just a couple of the flavors listed on your menu - we wanted to try more than just the 4 that were available so that was a little sad for us.
After visiting Waipio Valley lookout, next stop was Tex Drive In. I had no idea what my fiance was doing here at the time as we rolled up to the drive thru window. He ordered two plain sugar malasadas. That's it.
Well then, sounds good!
The malasadas seemed freshly made as they were still warm, soft and fluffy. They were tasty and not too rich.
The only other place I've had malasadas was back in Honolulu at Leonard's. Compared to Leonard's, Tex Drive In wasn't as good. Leonard's is still king!
Price: $2 and some change for two pieces.
Tex is a long standing food stop on the lonely road between Waimea and Hilo. Who doesn't like donuts? Truthfully?? I mean, every country has its own fried dough and they are all pretty darn good... especially when warm and fresh. The Masaladas are no exception. You must get some and eat them. You just must. : )
I also had the Local Wrap... Kalua Pork and cabbage. It was a bit runny due to the braising liquid... but tasty.
They are currently remodeling, so the may lose that old diner divey feel. But the food is the deal.
I love Malasadas.....but  not the ones from Tex's. Wish I could say otherwise.
They were warm. Yay. Beyond that, they were nothing special. The fillings were cheap tasting and filled off center- not a big deal, but worth mentioning because it was weird to get all filling, then none. We got Bavarian Cream, Raspberry and Cherry. Meh.
If you are in the area and there is no line (our experience) then go if you want something sweet. Otherwise, you are not missing out.
Fried warm dough with sugar that you can get filled or not. Ahh, the Malasada, a traditional Portuguese donut. On a drive around the Big Island my Lonely Planet book and Yelp led me here on my quest for these tasty treats that are popular in Hawaii. SO GOOD.
You can get a bunch of different flavors of the filled kind, but they may be out of a few. They were when I was here, but I still managed to get a box full of five kinds. They have a lot of other food here, but it seems to be all about the Malasadas. I don't see myself ever ordering anything else here because nothing else looked very good. However, I know I will be back for sure to get my fix next time I am on the island.
This is a good stop on your way around the island. Not exactly convenient to the resorts, but probably about an hour from the Waikoloa resorts and maybe 15 or 20 minutes from Waimea. It's in a beautiful area on the way to/near the Hamakua Coast. You should make the drive up here anyway, and be sure to get some Malasadas for the road trip!
Malasadas = 4.5 stars
Everything else = 2 stars
A great local spot to get your malasada fix. Â I suppose it's a little out of the way, depending on where you're staying. Â Probably about an hour or so from the resorts down in Waikoloa. Â
My bf and I were staying in Waimea and it was about a 20 minute drive.
Malasadas were good, but they were out of almost all of the flavors once we got there which was sort of a bummer. Â No tropical ones left, so we got vanilla, chocolate, and lemon. Â They were fluffy and sugary and the fillings were tasty. Â We also snagged some breakfast as well - a loco moco and a plate breakfast. Â Both were tasty and filling and the loco moco was super authentic (served in a cup instead of on a plate!)
Would definitely go back, maybe earlier in the morning so I can try the Guava fillings!
Tex, why do you do this to me??!!
One could surmise that it would make sense for a dining establishment that is amongst the most popular in its small town to notify all customers of certain regular specials, right? Â Yes, SO... Â hakum on my recent visit to Tex's on my way to Waipi'o Valley back in late June, my two girlfriends and I order a loco moco each and - to our surprise - we each receive TWO LOCO MOCOS!? Â Well, my fellow Yelpers, it's because the loco mocos are buy one get one free on Thursdays! Â
Would've been nice to have known this, but I guess for Tex they would rather sell two per person and then have them waste one (maybe) and pocket the money. Â WTF! Â
We were in a rush so luckily, my one GF was able to at least give hers away to some folks at the next table, however, mine went to the trash can. Â Lucky mynah birds, eh?
Later while back on O'ahu, I'm talking about going to Tex's with my cousin's husband who is from Honoka'a and he cuts me off and says, "Oh yeah, loco mocos buy one get one free on Thursdays!" Â So apparently everybody that is from the Big Island knows this... Â <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fannoying.com&s=66da9e2525448a14b4c08c6d0a47b716d0b6045763149ba92fa18d096131fd02" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://annoying.com</a>!
Their malasadas still hit the spot, but are still not better than Leonard's on O'ahu. Â And Leonard still bows down to the poi donuts from Kamehameha Bakery... Â and so goes the pastry circle of life.
See you soon, Waipi'o Valley & Honoka'a Town! Â Not sure about you, Tex's...
Leonard's only serious competition - and they're kind of out of the way and on a different island.
We've been here a couple times over the years, and I still like the fact that they cook their malasadas to a nice golden brown rather than frying them until they're almost burnt. Â Unfortunately, the fillings are not quite up to par. Â At least not the Guava Jelly. Â Stick with the plain one and you can't go wrong.
It's a big, casual place - part of the dining room seems given over to storage of various currently-unused restaurant equipment and artifacts. Â The decor is a mix of old and new and just quirky. Â There's always been plenty of parking when we've dropped by - it's really in the middle of nowhere in particular.
 Strangely, I've never tried any of their other food.  Though technically a drive in, the malasadas are the main thing.  There's even a nice glassed-in area where you can see them cooking the pastries.
Went twice!
It was on the way to our adventures in the north side of the island.
Strawberry malasada for him, mango for me on the first visit.
Bavarian custard for him, cherry for me on the second.
We were sad that the list of fillings were limited on our visits.
But what we had was excellent!
(and in our opinions, better than Leonard's on Oahu)
These malasadas were big!  And square.  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/o5__yjK9aaHPabvQx4nRGQ?select=wCi-cd-AbYXaAnmfmyVXew">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Picked right out of the fryer. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/o5__yjK9aaHPabvQx4nRGQ?select=vZLysdzE7XaLpxP8JwzSJQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
The dough was light. Â The sugar coating wasn't overwhelming.
The fillings were delicious. Â We traded bites of each other's malasadas.
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/o5__yjK9aaHPabvQx4nRGQ?select=d1Im2qhivLP-1o35d6oRoA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
He tried to snag an extra bite of my mango one, but it was too good. Â I had to do the "I'm gonna flick your nose" gesture at him.
You've got to keep your eyes open on the road or you might miss it.
"U-turn!  U-turn!  I think I saw the sign!"  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/o5__yjK9aaHPabvQx4nRGQ?select=oRtjeFLwxascPt3b3siSHA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
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