It's the same place we visited 9 years ago. Didn't change much. Their malasadas still made fresh and yummy. TIP: if you're only ordering the malasadas, use the drive thru read more

Had high hopes for Tex Drive In, but we were disappointed. Came here 2 times... once for their malasadas and then for their plate lunch. Malasadas: Hot, fresh, and huge but way too much bread. We got the haupia and Bavarian creme filled donuts and the filling was good. I prefer a lighter, fluffier malasada and less dense dough. Unfortunately, all I could do was keep comparing it to Leonard's. Mango smoothie: Definitely no real fruit in here. Very artificial and tasted like melted shave ice. Korean chicken: Decent fried chicken wings. Had a salty and sweet marinade. Mahi Mahi: Suuuuuper dry, zero flavor. My boyfriend said if it wasn't for the tartar sauce, he couldn't have eaten it. Gave this place a shot and won't be coming back. If you do come here, stick to their malasadas. read more

We've enjoyed Tex's malasadas for years but our most recent visit left us wanting. The malasadas all had minimal amounts of filling compared to past standards. We had six and they were almost all dough with a tiny bit of filling. Tex's should please fill them properly and charge more if needed. Diminishing the island's best malasadas isno way to save money. read more

Tex Drive In - Skimping on the malasadas - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

MALASADAS were ok, I'd get them without filling- I'm not a pudding or cream donut gal so it wasn't my favorite. But the Kailua pork with cabbage and rice was insanely delicious. We drove up from Kona and it was worth the trip. The Apple bread pudding was super yummy as well it's by the cash register. read more

Tex Drive In - Malasadas - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

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Upon recommendations from a local, we drove to this desolate restaurant in search of their infamous malasadas, which are the Hawaiian version of our donuts. They are actually a full service restaurant, with breakfast, lunch and dinner items available. Located in a divey mini mall, this restaurant has seen better days, but probably a local favorite, as the restaurants are few and far between. The food was delicious and fresh, but I would not make a long trip to get here, as there are plenty of great restaurants closer to our resort. It is nice to go on the road less taken, but sometimes time is more valuable than the experience... read more

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This is my first time exploring the big island and i knew this had to be one of my stops! I am so glad we stopped! These malasadas were so huge! The dough was so fluffy and lightly sweetened. There wasn't too much sugar dusted over them so i definitely recommend the fillings. I prefer the haupia filling which is perfectly whipped and tastes like coconut. The smooth filling is really thick and fills the entire donut all the way through. My family really loved the loco wrap and taro chips. I definitely recommend this place during your road trip through Hilo. read more

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We went for the malasadas and decided we also wanted meals. We wanted to get breakfast, but they don't serve it after 11:00 am. Not seeing the sign above the register we asked. In the most rude voice imaginable the girl behind the counter replied "the sign says NO Breakfast after 11:00." So we ordered the burgers, and the teriyaki beef plate. The beef was inedible it tasted so bad. When we went back inside to get more ketchup for the fries, we got two small packets and more attitude. The maladasas were good but not worth the horrible experience overall. read more

So ono! Anytime we visit The Big Island a stop at Tex's is mandatory! Great food and a beautiful place. read more

Tex Drive In - Malasada perfection - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

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Malasaldas. Jesus lord. These are directly from Jesus. Then filled with a taste of heaven. You can't go wrong. They are huge, pillowy soft, and oozing out with goodness. We also got spam musubis. They were good too: read more

Tex Drive In - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

Best malasada anywhere. Also the have some breakfast foods while you are there. But for real the doughnuts are worth driving long distances for! It's mostly outside seating and the view is pretty nice. read more

I got the blt and chocolate masalo I liked the blt but the Masolo was more like chocolate pudding. The staff were rude and just over all not helpful. read more

This place has definitely lost it's quality over the years as it has gotten so crowded and popular with tourists (which is great but sad in my opinion about the flavor). I loved coming here as a kid to get a malasada if we were in the area and driving by, as there are a variety of options to pick from and it comes out toasty and warm. Malasada is a Portuguese doughnut and it can come with cream inside. My most recent time there I ordered the Haupia (coconut) malasada and the bread itself was sweet and warm, but the filling honestly tasted like coconut hand lotion. It was disappointing and I think if I ever went back I would just get a classic malasada. There are a variety of other food options, and gift shops in the same building too. read more

Tex Drive In - Haupia malasada - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

Some people take a trip to get away from work or to just have some fun in a new place, but I can attest that 100% of my purpose for traveling to Hawaii was related to self-care, wellness, and healing. And what better way to nourish my mind, body, and soul than to visit Tex Drive In and get 3 ginormous Malasadas all for myself? The aches in my back and pain in my neck instantly vanished upon taking my first bite, and the filling oozing out of the malasadas filled a part of my heart as it began to fill up my mouth. On a chilly drizzly early morning in July, my wellness journey led me to retreat here to fill my heart and gut with the following: -Blueberry Malasada: this was so healing, and provided benefits to my skin (I swear it was this and not the sunscreen that protected me) -Chocolate Malasada: this was like a morning meditation, yoga practice, and exposure to crystals, all thrown into one -Cherry Malasada: definitely improved my sleep quality (had to be this and not the 3 hour time difference that led to me falling asleep earlier than usual) At $2.10 a piece, this was a small price to pay for my mental health and self-care, and I'm pretty sure they could easily charge triple that for these in LA. read more

Tex Drive In - Chocolate Malasada - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

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A friend of ours from Hawaii told us not to miss out on this amazing place. They are not just donuts they are Malasadas. They are large and heavily filled with yummy fillings of your choice. One is plenty but we bought six and ate them all. Don't miss out. read more

Tex Drive In - Malasadas - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

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Tex Drive In was on my bucket list after reading it has the best malasadas on the island. Earlier today (Friday July 28), we finally stopped in to taste for ourselves. We ordered two chocolate and two banana. These malasadas were certainly more dense than the ones we've eaten the past few days. We also got to watch the baker making more of them. Anyway, we ate two of them right away, and saving the other two for tomorrow morning. We were glad we made it in. read more

A stop-by spot with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Order at the counter and pick a table. Obviously, known for their malasadas so we got a couple of those ($2.10 each, comes in various flavors). Mango was a little too sweet but loved the haupia flavor! The donut itself was super fluffy and light and not oily. Mahi Loco Moco ($9.20) was solid. Thought the portions were small at first but it's very filling!! read more

Tex Drive In - Mahi Loco Moco ($9.20) - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

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Was not impressed with this place after all the fuss people make. Like most places on the island, it's expensive. About $25 per person. The mahi burger I ordered only had half of a patty of fish. The other half was completely missing. Also very thin and mostly really thick bread. Way too much bread and very little protein. Fries were so so. Malasadas were good though a little caky. But never as good as Leonard's in Oahu. Best malasadas on the big island are at Punalu'u bakery. read more

OVERRATED. The donut filling is artificial. It tasted like getting funnel cake with artificial fruit drizzle. It was so hyped that I expected something special. We got creme, guava and chocolate flavors. I barely ate half of the guava and creme because it was gross. I was disappointed with the service too. When I ordered, she said it would take 20 min to make my batch. 5 min later my friends asked if I could make another order for them. The lady said it would take 30 min to make. I was like damn, ok. Within 2 min of that interaction, a different friend pulled up to the parking lot so I asked her to put in our other friend's order and warned her that the lady told me it would take 30 min to make. Tell me why, even though she ordered 10 min after me, that friend received her TWO boxes of malasadas at the SAME TIME my first order was done? FOH!!! That was humiliating for me and I didn't appreciate that lie at all. So tbh I would be fine if I never came back. read more

Tex Drive In - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

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why is the chicken katsu just a chicken patty. like literally a school lunch patty. why did i pay $20 for this. do not order this unless you want to be completely disappointed read more

Tex Drive In - chicken katsu - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

MALASADAS. Amazing. Never had anything like it. So soft and warm when you get them! They really need to work on their service abs or have more ppl working. There were 2 girls working and huge line. A small side order of tater tots took 25 mins (we were told 5 mins) read more

Tex Drive In - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

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Huge, jumbo square shaped Malasadas with or without cream. I had the Bavarian cream which was delicious. Not overly sugary sweet and yummy. Hope to visit again soon. read more

Omg! Sooo good. I got the custard one and it was one of the best donuts I have had in my life. Do not miss this if you're around the area. read more

Tex Drive In - Custard - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

We stopped in at around 11am, right at the beginning of the lunch rush(?). There was no indoor seating but there were a few tables outside to sit down and have a quick lunch. I went and picked up the turkey wrap because I was feeling something not hot. We also ordered every possible filled malasadas that they offered that day. Let's break this all down. Turkey wrap: 4/5 - it has turkey (of course), lettuce (yum), sliced tomato, and some raw onion (which was a surprise) with some ranch. The onion unexpectedly gave it a nice spicy feeling, adding some flavor to it. Overall, it was a refreshing taste and exactly what I expected. Would I order it again? Yep! I had tried the passion fruit and strawberry smoothie. The passion fruit tasted of passion and of the fruits. The strawberry smoothie was lower in its taste of strawberry but was a pretty pink color. Now for the meat of this review and what everyone is here for: the malasadas. In general, the filling tended to lean on one side and not evenly distributed throughout. But if you want a filled and a plain malasadas, then that is perfect for you! The outside was nice and fluffy with generous amounts of sugar surrounding the pastry. Cherry: the filling was the typical artificial filling for cherry. It was similar to what you would put on an ice cream sundae. It tasted strongly of cherry but be aware that this filling may not be 100% homemade. Apple: this was arguably the best filling. It reminded me of apple pie filling without the chunky apple slices. It delivered exactly what was promised. Chocolate: the filling was more of a smooth filling, no bumps in the way. It appeared to be akin to a milk chocolate as it was sweet and not bitter. Cream: this was a solid filling and tasted exactly how you would imagine a good cream to taste like! Overall, this place gets a 4/5 because the wrap was delicious. Personally, I'm malasadazed out for the next few months from trying them all but others really really enjoy it. I would recommend to try all of the flavors (unless you don't like cherry or chocolate). Each flavor delivered exactly what was promised. The longer process: Because of covid, masks are required indoors as well as there are designated doors for going in and for exiting so try your best to adhere to those rules. Once you enter the building, there are hand sanitizers in front of the gift shop (which should be directly in front of you) and on the front left hand side, where you can see an employee(s) making malasadas through a large glass window (similar to Krispy Kreme but all by hand and no machine). Get in line and the cashier will be on the left hand side. On the wall behind the cashier is the large menu. The malasadas fillings are on the counter, next to the cash register. Once you get your receipt and number, feel free to either find a seat outside or wait inside for your number. read more

Tex Drive In - Turkey wrap - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

Came for the malasadas but also got hamburger loco moco and spam loco moco. Very delicious and enjoyable read more

Tex Drive In - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

Very good eats to stop at this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! Off the Hawaii Belt Road in Honoka. Order at the counter, wait for your number, and take out your order to the patio or Togo. Whichever way to eat onsite or takeaway, you will be amazed by the food quality and price. Even better is to stand by the bakery window as they turn dough into chewy malasadas. You have to stop here if your heading to Hilo or Kona from the north! read more

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Food was good, the malasadas were great, and we are grateful they survived Covid and are still open! Seating limited to spaces tables outside. We had to wait to sit down. My malasada order was wrong. Line was too long to get it fixed. Sadly, the bathrooms were really dirty. Some toilets were out of order; the one I used had a broken dryer and no paper towels. Under 'normal' circumstances I would have given 3 stars. But again, everybody is still ramping up after a rough year. Cherry malasada was SO good! read more

Tex Drive In - Generously filled cherry Malasada! - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

We drove the long way from Kailua-Kona to Volcanoes National Park so we could stop by Tex Drive In. Ugh, what a waste of time. FOMO got the best of us on this one. Famous for their malasadas, we found them tough and doughy. Not the pillow-y goodness we thought they would be. Craving something fresh after all the fried food, I decided on the Oriental Chicken Salad with Oriental dressing ($12.75). I guess I should have know better, as it is named "oriental" in the first place. And yes, it's hard to get good veggies on the island, but still! Tasteless. My boo got the saimin ($5.65) and he said it was slightly better and had more toppings than the one we had tried at McDonald's the day before, but it was five times the cost. We also got a couple of spam musubis ($4.20) to go. Nothing special. Skip it. read more

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The malasadas were large, warm, and flavorful. The guava and chocolate were our favorites! Outdoor seating has a great view and is COVID friendly with lots of space between tables. We also grabbed a quick dinner here one night of our stay. Burger and chicken sandwich lacked flavor. They were fine but not at all memorable. I'd stick to the malasadas and coffee as a great way to start or end your day. read more

The food is okay, nothing worth making a trip for. Don't expect anything close to Leonard's bakery malasadas, if that's what you're expecting. The service is great, though. Lots of tables outside and a few inside. read more

Came for the malasadas and they did not disappoint! 10/10 Fluffy warm and the fillings were all delicious. We got to see a fresh batch of malasadas being made, all done by hand. Also ordered a few lunch items from the menu and they were average. Location could use a little TLC, cute gift shop in the back of the restaurant. read more

Came here during lunch time, after reading online that it was a must visit for 'malasadas' when in the area. Had to take a circle around the corner from where google showed its location to actually locate the entrance. Only outdoor seatings were allowed, though indoors were spacious too. We ordered and waited outside, food arrived in about 15 minutes. 1. Chicken stir fry - rating 3.5/5 It was very lightly seasoned, not greasy, veggies were fresh and chicken was ok. Was served with salad leaves and a choice of dip. 2. Veggie omelet- rating 3.8/5 Served with bread toast and ketchup. Liked that the omelet was fluffy, veggies were crunchy and well seasoned too. 3. Plain malasadas - rating 3/5 Had them for the first time, they were well made, doughy and not that greasy too. Quite large in size than I thought they would be. I give them a rating of 3 cuz it was not a dish I would drive for several minutes and take a detour to eat - and maybe will be more relatable for someone who grew up eating them. For me it was a well fried doughy puff, garnished with sugar powder. I might have enjoyed the ones on the menu with fillings more. read more

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I was really excited to try the malasadas here. If you enter from the street and see a long line for the drive through, drive around them and park on the other side. It seemed to be quicker to park, go inside, and wait in line. I made the mistake of waiting in the drive through line because there were signs on the windows saying that there was no backdoor access. I waited in line for about 25 minutes. When I went up to order, I was told that the wait would be another 20 minutes. I was there already, so I was willing to wait. However, after I ordered the malasadas, my order was ready in about 10 seconds. I ordered 2, one with the apple and the strawberry filling. The malasadas came out fluffy and piping hot, so hot that I had to use a fork and could not handle them with my hands. They're basically filled donuts tossed in granulated sugar. While the raise was good and the dough tasted nice, it took a few bites to get to the filling. I kind of expected more from the filling, though. The apple filling was just plain applesauce, and the heat made it thin and wet. The strawberry filling was just like strawberry jam; it too was thin and drippy. I'm glad that I tried them but I don't think I'd come back. read more

Not as good as Punalu'u and the fillings are really disappointing. This place is too hyped up. It's a sugar doughnut with some filling. Their strawberry filling tasted really old, not even close to being fresh. We had Punalu'u on our way back from Volcano and that place was so much better! I wouldn't make a special trip for this. While affordable, it isn't noteworthy. read more

Tex Drive In - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

Their malasadas! Folks, I am telling you. We had the apple and Cherry filled malasadas. AHMAZING! They were huge, warm and delicious. We also had the kalua pork loco moco and a breakfast burrito. While both of these were delicious I'd make the drive out to Tex's just to eat those malasadas. Make sure you stop here during your Big Island visit. The line was long when we got there but worth the wait. read more

Tex Drive In - Cherry filled Malasada. - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

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Malasadas not like they used to be. They were very bready. Tasted like dense bread with some chew and sugar coating. I grew up on these and they were always my favorite. Lately they are just not doing it for me. Girl at the counter was unfriendly and sassy.. read more

Tex Drive In - Malasadas original - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

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My friend recommended to stop here for malasada on the way to Waipio Valley. I'm glad we stopped here for the malasada as they are super warm and soft to bite while oozing with cream. They only had three options that day, including Bavarian cream, Chocolate, and Strawberry. I got the Bavarian cream and it was delicious without being too sweet. read more

Tex Drive In - Chocolate and Bavarian Cream Malasada - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

One of the things I love about Hawaii is the abundance of great finds anywhere you go. Gems found in any restaurant is based off of years of reputation built on quality favorite items loved by loyal customers. So when a restaurant's reputation exceeds the limits of their neighborhood you know there's something good in their repertoire. If you're looking for premium malasadas Tex Drive In is the place to come visit. Located in a small area on the north west side of the Big Island this restaurant is just close enough to see the ocean while being surrounded by a small forest of trees just above it. The tropical weather fosters lush emerald hues all around this fine establishment. And though it might seem out of place in an area with mostly wildlife and homes this place has in store quite an adventure for your taste buds. As noted Tex Drive In is known for their fresh, hot malasadas. An important from the Portuguese this pastry is similar to a puffy donut that can be filled with different fillings. With airy dough and sugar coated exterior this sweet treat would be enough on its own. However, fill it with one of their homemade fillings like Bavarian cream or blueberries and you upgrade to another level. Though I didn't get a chance to try much of their other items visually they all looked splendid. The hamburger they made for one of the customers around me had a fresh thick bread as it's bun that I learned was baked in house. Their loco moco looked absolutely delicious and even their salads looked great. The only other item I tried was their katsu musubi which was delicious but a little disappointing. The katsu was cooked fresh, steaming hot when bit into. The crunch of the texture was a great contrast to the juicy interior of the katsu. Plus they didn't skimp on the portions. The reason it was disappointing however was with so much rice and katsu it felt a bit dry. If they had put in a katsu sauce in between it would made the musubi just right. Because of COVID restrictions there is no seating inside but they have made an outside patio area to dine. The bathrooms are outside the restaurant to the side and have the same aura as gas station bathrooms. If you don't feel like getting out of your car the place is true to its name and has a drive thru you can order from your car. Overall, Tex Drive In isn't a place you would just casually go visit unless you lived near it. But if you are on the Big Island and driving down historic Interstate 19 make your way over here for a quick pit stop. The food won't disappoint and the surrounding area will make you truly feel like you're in paradise. read more

The best malasadas!! I was in Hawaii for vacation and told about this place since a family friend lives out there. I was so impressed of how delicious and soft this donut was and how yummy the filling is. The fried chicken was so bomb!! I wish I could of brought a whole box back home read more

Tex Drive In - Malasadas and fried chicken - Fast Food Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

Tex Drive-In has the BEST Malasadas! A must visit if you are on the Big Island. Plain Malasadas are good but you have to try one filled. read more

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These malasadas always are the best thing worth driving for. Their size alone makes them top notch but they also delightfully fluffy. Flavors are seasonal though, so we missed out on some favorites. They also have main Hawaiian staples. The lines are always fast and the scenery is worth the drive. read more

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