@fortunefoodfinds: "If you DO-NUT know, you can find banana fritters here! You read that right, I came across n' scored the last banana fritter that KAMEHAMEHA BAKERY in Kalihi had for the day n' also picked up our usual go-to poi malasada, strawberry malasada, orange malasada, n' da kiddies chose a glazed donut, donut twist, n' chocolate covered long John. When you get the last one, it's like the feeling that you won!" SERVICE: fully staffed INTERIOR: when you enter the line forms to the left n' moves across to the right, narrow space, no dine-in just pick up n' go, canned soft drinks n' bottled water are available for purchase that are located in the fridges to the far left. EXTERIOR: next door to Ubae in Kalihi WAIT TIME: right under 10 mins from entering to leaving PARKING: free lot OVERALL COMMENTS: it's been years since my last visit n' I usually come for the poi malasadas so when I saw that they had one banana fritter, I had to have it! I've only had a banana fritter in Cali so this was a nice surprise. Bc it was banana mixed with apple, it had a hint of banana flavor. Crunchy n' glazed exterior with a very soft n' cinnamon interior. The malasadas are always tasty. Out of the poi, strawberry, n' orange, the orange has the most flavor come through. Ofc my kids highly enjoyed their donuts. Prices are really good on all the items we got ranging between $1.55 - $2.12; we spent right under $12 for everything. Will be back again! read more

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We got a bunch to share including the poipan, glazed croissant donut, malasada, glazed twist, poi haupia, and banana fritter. My favorites were the glazed items. The glazed croissant donut and glazed twist were sweet and delicious. They did a great job on their glazed items. I feel like sometimes glazed items can feel like old/stale glaze with dry pastry on inside but I can only describe theirs as juicy. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Just bought 6 malasada's and got home to find out they were all completely doughy. EVERY SINGLE ONE. The inside was all uncooked. I went down the road to liliha and got properly prepared donuts. The lady at the counter seemed to be less than interested to serve us as well, not really sure what's going on there. They used to be much better. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Malasada - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This place is always busy. There's always a wait. People come for their famous poi donuts. They expanded and made strawberry donuts. Now, they have a new flavor, orange donuts. I've never tried the orange, but the poi and strawberry are pretty awesome. I picked up two poi donuts $1.55 each, two strawberry donuts $1.55 each and a piece of banana bread $1.29. I was lucky to get the last two strawberries. The person that came in after me asked if they had anymore and they said that it was sold out. Come early to get your preference. My son likes the poi one best. The donuts don't have fillings, but it's the sugary glaze that makes it good. Their banana bread is perfect. It was very moist, but not too dense. read more

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The ladies working at Kam Bakery are so sweet and work quickly. Stopped by there early on a Tuesday morning before work (about 6am) for some poi donuts for my office and was in and out, no line. I only come for the poi donuts, but they have a variety of other pastries. If you haven't tried their poi donuts then you're missing out. Believe the hype. I hope Kam Bakery stays around for years to come, with all these old school Hawaii favorites closing down lately. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - 1 dozen poi donuts for the office, all gone before lunch time - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

No idea what the place looks like...no idea how the service is...no clue about the depth of their menu. What I do know is the glazed poi are Mark Y's very favorite donuts. And I know he was gifted a dozen of them. The first bite was amazing...so soft and silky and crazy sweet. And who doesn't love a purple donut? Hate to admit this we proceeded to pig out on them. Too yummy to feel guilt! read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Poi Glazed - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This was my last stop before heading to the airport. I don't really care for donuts but the poi donut is my all time favorite. It's fluffy and sweet! The poi flavor isn't prominent but I still love it anyways lol. The banana roll is has a light banana flavor - not artificial tasting and goes so well with a cup of coffee. read more

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Five stars! The poi malasadas are a must. I also enjoy the strawberry and orange ones too. It's sooo delicious and ono! Service is pretty quick and efficient, despite medium to long lines on the regular. Ambiance is like a bakery feel. Straightforward and good. The options of pastries are numerous. Hard to decide which ones, which is a good thing! read more

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I kept thinking it was a mistake when I saw their hours, but it's true. They are open at 2 AM on weekdays and 3 AM on weekends. They only close on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. I went very early in the morning, so there were no signs up to say what the different baked goods were and there were no prices listed. I just went off the menus that were posted on Yelp and the prices that were on it were current. I bought, a long John, a chocolate Long John, bread pudding, cornbread, banana bread, banana cream cheese, cinnamon cream cheese roll, glazed croissant, strawberry glazed donut. The baked goods were nice and soft and moist. Some of them were on the sweet side and I wish I had a glass of milk to go along with it, which really would have made it extra delicious. Everything was delicious. The service was quick, but the person serving me wasn't particularly friendly just strictly business. read more

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Founded in 1978 by Daniel and Geramie Paglinawan, the family-owned Kamehameha Bakery in Kalihi is known for its iconic poi glazed donuts and extensive array of delicious pastries, such as various donuts, turnovers, fritters, rolls, cupcakes, cookies, Danishes, malasadas, breads, long johns, bread pudding, and more. The bakery name was chosen to honor King Kamehameha I, the first ruler of the Hawaiian Islands. The Paglinawan Family wanted to connect its business with Hawaiian history, tradition, and the legendary status of monarchy. It also serves as a local identify and a sense of pride. Daniel is the baker who has been trained in the Philippines, and Geramie is the primary customer contact who works onsite, maintaining the bakery's local, community-found atmosphere and puts in her personal touches. Daughter, Lisa, now helps her parents at the bakery. Some of my favorites include: * Poi- glazed donut. The bakery's signature item that is subtly flavored with taro, which gives it a vibrant purple color on the inside, and is soft, chewy, and pillowy with a sugar-glazed exterior. * Poi haupia. This purple malasada is generously filled with a delicious amount of coconut bits and coconut cream in the middle. * Hopia. My current favorite, a crispy flaky crust that has a sweet onion and black sugar filling. Hard to imagine, but the onion and black sugar complement each other and make a delicious treat! (Thanks to Yelper Glen A. for suggesting this, as I would not have ordered this on my own.) * Cream cheese cinnamon roll. Who would have thought to spread a cream cheese mixture topped with sprinkled nuts to a cinnamon roll? The cream cheese is not overly sweet and complements the roll well. * Glazed mini croissant. Perfect iced sugar glaze to these delicious croissants! Also very popular are slices or loaves of banana bread that are soft, moist and not overly sweet. The owners use fresh bananas to enhance its flavor. I have yet to try these, as I normally make my own when I have overripe bananas. Not only are the pastries delicious, but are also so reasonable in price, as most are each under $2. One wonders how this bakery's prices can charge so low a price when other bakeries are selling their pastries for $6 to $7 each. As owner Geramie Pagliniawan puts it, Kamehameha Bakery has been able to do so because of pure dedication. Staff is efficient, quick, knowledgeable, helpful, and very friendly. They provide service with a smile. A no-frills, old-school ambiance, the interior merely has ovens in the back with clear display cases of is pastries in the front. Go early, as popular items sell out. Hours of operation are Mon to Fri from 2a to 4p and Sat/Sun 3a to 4p. Yes, you haven't misread the opening times of the bakery, as they do open at those ridiculous wee hours of the morning! Lines do form at all hours of the day, but they move quickly. This provides convenience to those who need pastries with odd starting hours at work and even those heading to the airport for their flights. Yes, pure dedication by the owners to have their pastries ready for sale at such hours! Located at the far end of City Square Shopping Center on Kalani St and across from Young's Fish Market, free parking is available in the shopping complex. However, stalls are tight and may be hard to find during peak dining periods due to the many restaurants in the complex. Kamehameha Bakery is the perfect place to pick up your pastries, knowing that they are delicious, so reasonably priced, and accompanied with great customer service! Thank you to the Paglinawan Family in making this bakery an iconic one for Honolulu! Support local! read more

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There's a POI Donut and then there's DA ORANGE DONUT! HO! Game changa! Surprised I hadn't reviewed already, but hands down one of best local bakeries in town. GMonkey been gifted boxes from here before flying out. A favorite omiyage amongst our friends! We all have our favorites and mine are BUTTER ROLLS, POI & ORANGE! GM626 read more

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It's a bakery that one of my local friends reccomended that was good and tasty. My niece was grubbin on the pastries. I would definitely say it kind of had more substyance to the bite and was more pillowy. Staff: Nice (5/5) Sanitation status: Clean (5/5) Poi Malasada (5/5) This was surprisingly really good. I've never had a poi flavored malasada before so it was a new flavor and the glaze worked really well although I wish there was a sugar coated one. I would definitely reccomend getting this if it's your first time and don't know what to try. Malasada (4/5) The Malasada was definitely fluffy and was somewhat soft. The sugary coating on the outside was a nice mix of texture with the soft interior but I would definitely eat it fresh. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Poi and regular malasada - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came near when the store was about to close, the poi donut was still super soft and sweet and fluffy. We also had the pink strawberry flavored one. The fam all preferred the poi donut. It was delicious. read more

This is the spot! They have a nice selection of donuts, malasadas, and other baked goods. I love to come here for the banana bread. It's not too sweet and it's soft and never dry. However, my absolute favorite is the cinnamon roll donut with the frosting on top. You know how some frostings are too sugary and hard. This one definitely is not. The frosting on top of this cinnamon donut is super light and creamy. When you bite into it, it's just so soft and sweet and creamy..best bite ever! The place is not very big, so it can feel a little cramped when you are waiting to order. On a positive note, the team works really fast so you are never waiting too long. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Every bite is the best bite! - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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A great spot for all your baked good needs. There are parking spots along the outside, but this location can get crowded at times. There is no seating area for this location and everything is to go. They have a wide variety of pastries and baked goods. Everything that we tried was delicious and made for a great sweet treat. read more

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Located at the Dillingham Shopping center across from Otage Restaurant and near Young's Fish Market. They are known for their poi donuts and some other items, got to go early, because they do run out of the great pastries they make. Went there and got a Dozen poi donuts and a dozen Strawberry orange donuts and apple turn overs which very good and everyone enjoyed it, the Strawberry and orange was the first time I've saw it and tried it. Service is fast and they pasties are fresh and tasty. read more

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Have eaten a ton of their poi donuts at various events but this was my first time visiting the bakery. Tried their poi haupia donut which had a decent amount of haupia in it. Also got to try the strawberry and orange donuts as well. Both had subtle fruit flavors. My favorite is the original poi donut though. Line was long but moved quickly. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Poi Haupia - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I went around 7:30am on a Tuesday morning and was worried about the line but I didn't have any issues! Service was super fast despite me having a really large work order for about 100 people. I had tried calling to place the order for pickup but no one ever answered the phone. Everything was delicious and I can't rave about it enough. Definitely could beat Liliha for the poi donuts! Shop is located on the Kalani street side of the shopping center. Plenty of parking in the lot depending on time of day. read more

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One of my husband's coworkers brought in a bunch of pastries from Kamehameha Bakery. He literally saved one bite for me when he got home and it was SO good!!!! We had to stop by this bakery ourselves and get some full sized pastries. We arrived around 2:30pm on a Saturday - so, there wasn't a line, but less variations of pastries available. You can smell the aroma of freshly baked bread and sweet donuts right when you enter! FYI - there are no mochi donuts here like some of the yelp reviews shared. Also, you have to "special order" the poi (purple inside) pastry without any filling. They had the two different poi pastries with fillings (coconut or the black sesame). The custard danish looked delish and wish they had some cornbread. Our kids got the chocolate muffin and the sugar donut, which they devoured. Husband got the strawberry danish (because they were out of the blueberry one). I got the cream cheese cinnamon roll. We got two pieces of banana bread as well. Six pieces of pastries for $9.95 - what a steal! Customer-traffic is frequent - lots of people coming in and out to order. After surfing in the morning, this was the perfect treat for the family! read more

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I've been eating there since 1987! The bread pudding is probably some of the best in the world! The Cinnamon Rolls and Poi malasadas are awesome! If ever on Oahu, you must go there! We are there every year! I don't have any pictures because I keep eating it too fast! read more

The customer service at Kamehameha Bakery is great. I've only had the poi donuts. They taste like a regular donut to us. A fine donut, but nothing unique in taste and texture. They have a lot of glaze on them. Next time we'll go earlier and try to get the poi haupia and other items. The parking is easy and the service is quick. read more

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Come here for your cheap pastries! It is so yummy and service is always good, the Filipino aunties are so sweet. Look at how big the pastries are I put a fork next to it for reference lol. So worth it! read more

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Happy National Donut Day!! Donut say it but you know you want one and for me it had to be one of the local fave Poi Glaze here at Kamehameha Bakery. Every culture proudly has its own to be so proud of whether it's masalsadas, andagi or even a mochi donut as it comes in all shapes and sizes...sweet or savory these treats makes up the start of our day or after dinner dessert. Here at Kamehameha Bakery they have a lot to choose from and the service and vibe here is always so friendly but be prepared to wait in line as inside there only space for just a few but it moves fast as I got my fix in a jiffy or you can totally call in your order to expedite it but I do love to share this sweet reward and celebrate the donut. Thank you dough! read more

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Came here for the first time in a looooong time. I always order the famous Poi Glazed donuts. It's so good and delicious. The right amount of glazed sugar all over the fried malasada poi flavored donuts. They have many other varieties, but this is my favorite. Line can get long so you can also phone order. Staff are super friendly and fast. Lots of parking and surrounded by lots of good eats. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Absolutely love that Kamehameha bakery is open early in the morning! They're one of the few places open at ridiculously early hours so that you can pick up donuts to go unit the office early 4 am or an early morning flight!!! Their donuts are also amazing even the regular glaze donuts! Hidden fav - banana fritter give it a try!!! Although never had a bad donut from them yet! They alss have a rewards program that gives $3 credits quite often so ask the cashier to put in your number, Thank you to Kamehameha bakery for being open early!! read more

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Kam Bakery absolutely lives up to the hype as one of Honolulu's top old-school-local-meets-modern bakeries, and it's the kind of spot that makes you wish you'd grabbed an extra box "for later" the second you walk out the door. The first thing that hits you is the variety in the case: classic local pastries, filled buns, doughnuts, and specialty items that all actually look fresh, not like they've been sitting all day. The breads are soft and fluffy with that slightly sweet, Asian-bakery style crumb, and anything with custard or cream tends to be rich without being cloying. Savory items are just as strong as the sweets, so it's an easy one-stop shop for breakfast, snacks, and "bring to work" boxes. Service is efficient and friendly even when it's busy, but it definitely pays to go earlier in the day because favorites can sell out and you want the freshest bake. Prices are very reasonable for Honolulu, especially given the portion sizes--most items are shareable or at least feel like a good value. Parking and ambiance are straightforward and no-frills; this is more of a grab-and-go neighborhood gem than a sit-and-linger café, but the quality more than makes up for the lack of décor. Overall, Kam Bakery is one of those places that makes it into your regular rotation fast: great variety, consistently tasty bakes, and fair prices. Easy 4.5-5 star territory depending on what you order and how early you go. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Apple Fritter - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is still my go to place for doughnuts. I love that they are open really early so I can stop by before work and the aunties are always so sweet. I usually get poi, and glazed twists, but I've also tried their banana bread, muffins, cinnamon roll, and regular doughnuts. They are still delicious! read more

MENU UPDATE- 2026 Customer service is amazing. Very welcoming and informative with the menu & best items. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - MENU - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The poi donuts here hit different. Super soft, fluffy, and light with just the right amount of sweetness. I usually air fry them when I get home and they taste even better warm. The regular malasadas are kinda mid, but the poi donuts are the real star. Go early because they sell out quick! read more

Kamehameha Bakery - poi and regular malasadas - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The poi donuts were amazing! And the apple fritter was huge! There was a long line but it went quickly.

You walk in, it's confusing as hell, you don't know where line starts or ends, how you order or not, but it works. You use the honor system, remember who went before and will go after you, make eye contact and choose liberally what you like. 6 poi malasadas that Ill inhale in the car, a couple donuts, life is good, and it's easy on the wallet too. read more

Go early for poi malasadas! We were late and they sold out by the time we could get here and try their unique malasadas. Ended up getting a few treats they still had available: large ensamada, cream cheese cinnamon roll, apple danish, and two donuts. The ensamada was lightly sweetened but soft yeast like bread. The cream cheese topped cinnamon roll was SSOOOOO GOOD. Oooey and gooey! I wasn't a fan of the apple danish since it just didn't compare to the other two. My kids enjoyed the chocolate covered donuts. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great small shop for cheapish pasteries! Go in the morning because the pasteries can run out. If there is a line, the line goes by pretty fast. My favorite is the apple fritter and ensaymadas! One day I'll try the whole menu lol. read more

This small bakery is only 15 minutes walk away from Nico's. So we come here to pick up some breakfast or snack sometimes. Everything is cheap and tasty. Ambiance- 1/5. No ambience. They do have a bench to sit inside, but that's it. It not a place for you to dine. Service - 3/5. They are nice enough to ask if it's okay to charge a credit card service fee. Pastries - 4/5. If you like 85°c, you might like this small local bakery. Please keep in mind that it's a small local bakery so the selection isn't as much as 85. Everything we've tried was pretty good. It's nothing like you'd come all the way to try, but come support local business if you are in the area. If you are ubering from downtown Waikīkī, the ride is about $23-$30 one way. read more

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Update on Kam Bakery still good and they open early if you're looking to bring pastries to the office . Service is fast and friendly even if there's a line . I like their coconut Haupia filling roll look at my pics. Also poi donuts cannot go wrong support local read more

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4-5 STAR for poi donut, definite buy. 3 STAR for other pastries. 4-5 STAR for price, definitely cheaper than other bakeries. 3-4 STAR for service, aunties are nice enough but wait can be long because of line, they usually have 2-3 ladies. If i am buying pastries to bring somewhere i will get from here, primarily sticking with poi donuts since price is good. If i am buying delicious pastries for myself, i go elsewhere. I have tried some of the other pastries but found they were doughy and not good in flavor. I prefer to pay $1 or 2 more per pastry if its delicious. Poi donut though is ono and cheap. read more

Love bringing people here because it's cheap and there are a lot of options. Personally I only like the cream cheese cinnamon rolls and apple fritter. Hard to justify recently though! As told by the workers, ownership is making them use bags for treats now under four count. Really ridiculous to be watching employees ruin multiple cinnamon rolls trying to stuff it into a bag instead of just giving me a small box for the one or two I want ahah. Lost more money dropping things than the likely cost, bad logistics. Typically a long ish line and better with cash, just be prepared with your order because it always feels rushed or judged for looking through the long case. The bad part about so many delicious options. read more

Kamehameha Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A+++++ Came at 6:30am on a weekday, not much of a line, plenty staff to service customers and they move really quick. So pleasant and willing to help... not to mention they pack my boxes so neat and made a great presentation. I ended up getting 53 items, filling 3 boxes for my husband's office (plus a few for the road). See photos of the 3 boxes, packed so nicely! I included my receipt to see their great prices... still best in the island. When we took the pastries to the office, everyone immediately said, "Oooh Kam Bakery!!" having recognized some of their signature items. EVERYBODY SWARMED. By noon, nothing was left! I feel I got all the popular items (that was in stock that day)... whereas even the person who got the last pastry, was gonna get something GOOD! This will always be my go-to bakery!! read more

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I didn't go to the bakery but enjoyed the poi malasadas. Definitely want to go there when I can

Kam Bakery is a community legend. Ask any local about their favorite bakery on the island, and there's a good chance they'll point you straight here. Not exactly sure what took me so long, but I finally decided to visit after all these years. I went with a few of their specialties, as well as a couple other items that caught my eye: Glazed donut: A solid, well-executed raised donut. When things go wrong, yeast donuts can go one of two ways: A) airy and extremely dry, or B) far too bready and/or dense. This one was the right amount of fluffy, while still maintaining a good amount of moisture. Decent start. Poi donut: this was pleasant as well, more or less. It had a nice crisp bite on the outside that gave way to a soft, pillowy interior, with a balanced sweetness. Not too much in the way of poi flavor, though, if that's what you're after, but enjoyable nonetheless. Glazed croissant: Here's where things started to go south. The croissant was pretty underbaked, with a good amount of raw puff pastry (see attached). It ended up just tasting like straight sugar, with not a lot of that trademark butteriness that a good croissant has. Apple fritter: Also not quite successful. While fried nicely on the outside, it did not have a whole lot of apple or cinnamon flavor... and really didn't have many apples, period. I think I counted five little pieces total in the entire thing, not an exaggeration. It essentially read like a large, puffy frybread with a bit of sugar. While there is certainly nothing wrong with that, you're definitely hoping for a more powerful flavor profile when it comes to apple fritters. Not exactly what I was looking for. Banana roll: I was probably most excited to try this one in particular, but I ended up kind of disappointed. It really didn't taste all that banana-y, and the cream didn't really add much to the table. Overall impression: no frills and no nonsense, just the way I like it. Maybe not quite a transcendent experience, but that's ok. I would, however, like to point out the prompt and friendly service. It's clear that everyone here works extremely hard (plus they start so early in the morning!); I can see why Kam has become so beloved by so many. Places like this are part of the identity of the community, and it is important to preserve that legacy -- now more than ever. Definitely stop by with your support. read more

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