Thelma's Filipino Restaurant -- Pure, Real, Home‑Cooked Vibes As authentic as it gets -- fresh Filipino cooking straight from Nana and all the indai working hard in the kitchen. They never miss. Every plate tastes like it came from someone's home. Big thanks to Omi and Ang for the good company. We smashed all the favorites: Pancit noodles, Pork Guisantes, Sari Sari soup for cold days and the legendary Thelma Special -- the true star of the night (iykyk). Flavor, comfort, and heart in every bite. Always a solid choice when you want real Filipino food done right. Marie read more

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Picked up lunch for my Co workers on a Friday around 11:30. It wasn't busy & had others picking up orders. They have disclaimers posted about consuming raw food, refund policy, and take out being your responsibility after it leaves the restaurant (must've explained that too many times - but hey they covered themselves)! Also a notice of 3% surcharge if paying with a credit card. Payment was easy (used debit) & staff was friendly. It looks like a comfy place to relax & get down on Filipino grindz. We got pork adobo (tender & flavorful), pancit mix (too lemony & lil mushy that day), Thelma's special (too salty, they wished I got regular lechon), Shanghai lumpia (ok) & adobo fried rice (good but small portion). The prices are reasonable but not as big portions as I thought would be. read more

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Breakfast for two came out to $28.01, which is fairly affordable around $12 per entrée, plus small add-ons. I ordered the corned beef omelette with a side of hotcake and an à la carte scoop of white rice for only $1.50. My friend ordered the Tocino with hotcake and scrambled eggs. Honestly, she should've ordered rice too, Tocino without rice just feels wrong in my opinion lol. The pancakes were a bit of a letdown and didn't really stand out. My corned beef omelette came out cold, which was disappointing, though I still ate most of it. I tried a bite of my friend's Tocino, and that was actually flavorful and enjoyable. As soon as you walk in, there's a very distinct smell in the dining room that's hard to ignore. Service was okay. We were seated promptly and the food came out fairly quickly. However, no one checked back to see how the food was, and we had to get up twice ourselves, once for a to-go container and again for the bill. We were also accidentally double charged for rice, though they did correct it when we pointed it out. It wasn't a horrible experience, but it was definitely below average. Frankly, I don't see myself coming back. read more

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Only because of this takeout order. I love the food always but do I need to cut my own veggies? Let's stop being lazy. The taste is the same and good but if it has to work its way through a large piece of bitter melon then not ok. Just make a little more effort read more

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Thelma's another of my favorites to go eat Filipino food been going there for years food is always good and service is great sometimes it's busy only problem is the parking I like their pork adobo omelette with side Dinaguan, my wife likes the Arroz Caldo and the chicken soup with Paria leaves It's a good place to eat at read more

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Best Dinuguan!! I've heard the special is amazing as well. never a disappointment. There's lots of places for Filipino food in Waipahu but Thelma's is definitely one of the best. read more

Lots of free parking but come early as this complex is busy! Lots of variety of Filipino dishes to choose from. The Ates/Manangs are super sweet and attentive to what you want to order. Lots of tables to satisfy your party- big or small. We had a plethora of dishes from pancit (noodles) to soups. Come eat and satisfy your Filipino food cravings!! read more

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Stopped in a few minutes after they opened. Greeted & served promptly. Everything was tasty! Just the right amount of seasonings in every dish. Friendly service, fair prices. read more

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Located at Leeward Shopping Center on the Diamond side or right side facing the complex, parking lots for all tenants, so lunch hours it is hard to find parking and some street parking. I ordered the Lechon Kawali which was very good with lots of good size chucks of Lechon and lots of tomatoes and onion. It also comes with rice. I really enjoyed their style and the flavor was also good. My wife ordered the 3 choice plate and she said it was good, but more on the salty side and the mongo beans were over cooked and mushy. Service was good and staff friendly! Restroom only 1 for men & women read more

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I loved their Lechon. It was excellent. The one with the Tomatoes and Onions was better than the pure roast. We got there about 20 minutes before close and they weren't thrilled to get a takeout order that late but we loved the food. The staff was kind of brusque towards us but if you are looking for authentic Filipino food you won't be disappointed. read more

My best friend is in town from Maryland and was craving Filipino meal so we headed to Thelma's for dinner! Our server, Ate Daisy, is the bomb!!! She's super friendly, attractive and love that she can carry conversations not only with us but among other dinner customers! She's a keeper! We ordered 12 pieces Pork Shanghai Lumpia. You can choose to eat by itself or with sweet chili sauce or spicy vinegar sauce. Either way, it's made crispy and flavorful. Yummm! We ordered for our main dishes -- Pork sisig, boneless marinated milkfish (bangus), pork adobo, blood stewed meat (dinuguan), pinakbet and mongo beans. Oh and must've have, steamed rice! I'm pretty Asian so I need my staple food, rice! ;) Each dishes were seasoned well and it totally hit the spot specially for my beat friend who's been wanting to eat Filipino food. For our dessert, we got Halo-Halo Special and Banana Lumpia Special with Ube Ice Cream. Both were delicious and sweetened our taste buds! We're happy. Our tummy is happy. If you're looking for an Ilocano Filipino dish, Thelma's Restaurant is the place to be. You'll definitely have the kanak attack action! I hope you meet Ate Daisy because she's the best Filipino server I've encountered! Thank you, Ate Daisy! Thank you for reading my review. Have a great weekend! read more

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I was so disappointed. Loved coming here growing up. Last time we came was back in 2014 and it had a str9ng smell, smelled like ammonia. We tried to tough it, but it was bur ing our noses and my kids were so uncomfortable so we left before ordering. Since it had been years we figured why not try again. Fast forward to 2025 walked in and it smelled like a public bathroom after someone just finished doing their business. We didn't even sit down and my daughter and husband was like nope, can't do it Needless to say we weren't served. Didn't matter because when we walked in the waitress just stared at us like we were from another planet before proceeding with menus. I'm not going to comment on the food as it never disappointed me every chance I had to eat it. Maybe if we dare to brave it again we'll opt for take out‍ read more

My go to for Filipino food on Oahu. Love coming here! Their food is ALWAYS tasty. Service is always quick and friendly and the place is always clean. Tried the banana lumpia with ice cream for the first time and it was delicious! I always recommend this place and will always come back. read more

Thelma's Restaurant - Banana lumpia with ice cream - Filipino Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Went there for Mother's Day. Sat there for 45 minutes with no menu. Had to go to the counter for have someone to come to our table to take our order. But we end up taking out. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE! 5 waitresses and nobody came by. Food excellent. SERVICE S U C K S!!!!!!' read more

Love coming here. Food is always great. Their Thelma's special is the one to get. It's hard to choose what to eat sometimes I wanna eat everything lol read more

Ordered uber eats from this place and got their 3 choices plate that came with Thelma's special, chicken adobo, and pinakbet. Yummy! read more

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We ordered two three-choice plates. I got mine with pancit, dinuguan, and Thelma's special, plus another plate to share. We also got a side of Shanghai lumpia and adobo fried rice. The prices were extremely reasonable for the huge portions. I couldn't even finish my plate and still had half left to take home! The food tasted homey and comforting, like a real home-cooked meal. The adobo fried rice was flavorful and the lumpia was crispy and tasty. There was no wait, and everything came out fresh and hot. Definitely a place I'd come back to for delicious Filipino comfort food and generous portions! read more

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Best place for ethnic Philippine food service was fast and ambiance was great we go at least a few times a month

Homecooked delicious Pinoy staples! You need to call in your order because the lines are so long even on a weeknight. The waitresses are friendly and very family style atmosphere. Beef Kare-Kare is da bomb! read more

Great service, delicious Filipino food. Family like setting. Definitely returning with family & friends. I highly recommend Thelma's special. read more

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Well, they were a bit busy at noon - lunch time. 10 minutes later, finally can order (server looked a bit flustered). My husband made the order. 2 - 3 choice. I was really looking forward to having that combo of pinakbet, lechon, and mungo beans. Nope, not a chance. I hate DINUGUAN! I'm sure if I was raised on it... of all things to mistakenly place on the plate.‍ My husband was very happy to eat it, but gave up some of the lechon. Nice guy. Busy or not, this should NOT have happened! I'm rather miffed, but I guess it is what it is. Will I come back? Maybe, maybe not. Should've gone to the other choice Food was okay. read more

Thelma's Restaurant - L - Thelma's Special, dinuguan, and chicken adobo. R - Thelma's Special, dinuguan(supposed to be PINAKBET), and mungo beans - Filipino Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Very good Filipino food, one of the best dinuguan I have had in some time. Attentive and funny wait staff. Clean and local kine casual. Had the three item plate and had plenty grindz! Came here for Christmas Day late lunch. Just awesome! read more

Thelma's Restaurant - Dad and Adaline enjoying lunch!. - Filipino Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Mungo beans was not edible. No taste and it was just a blob. You couldn't tell what it was. Guisantes was salty. Good thing I had a lot of rice. The portions are smaller but it doesn't matter if I can't eat it. read more

Thelmas NEVER disappoints! Food is always good. You may have to wait a while, but it's SO worth the wait! The restaurant itself has an old school feel to it, just basic seating. Workers are also pleasant. When I'm hungry for Filipino food..THELMAS IS MY GO TO! read more

Love the food and love the workers. They're always so friendly and make you feel at home. read more

Thelma's Restaurant - My daughter loves the shrimp sarciado, pork sari sari and the boneless bangs sinigang.. - Filipino Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Update on Thelma's Filipino restaurant went there for lunch on Friday . Took half day off from work picked up my sister and brother in law and grind time . I love their squid quisado and their pork and peas is very tasty as well . Got there around 10:45am it was perfect we beat the lunch crowd. If you want some good authentic Filipino food this is a place you need to check out . Located in the Westgatw shopping center where Leeward Drive inn is located . Support local read more

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This morning I wanted to try something different, I chose the breakfast option and ordered 2 stacks banana pancakes, eggs, and loganisa. Also coffee with crew and sugar. I never ordered breakfast here, but it is a first. The meal was delicious and service was spectacular. The atmosphere was average, quite pleasant. Not to mention parking was plentiful. read more

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We love this place! We wanted to try alot of different food, but, not too much! Maribel advised we try the three choices! Omg! We loved everything! She was funny.. so informative... so gracious! We love her *& the food.. so ono! read more

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I love coming here for breakfast and anytime of day. Food is always on point especially the arrozcaldo. My favorite and the kare kare. My favorite for breakfast is the corn beef omelette. My boyfriend and I usually come here for breakfast early since it isn't busy. Highly recommend if you love Filipino food. Definitely worth the money here. The waitresses are nice too. They refill your coffee right away and your waters. read more

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If you want Filipino food that taste authentic go to Thelma's. I love their mongo beans the most. But you can't go wrong with any dish they serve there. Service is always friendly and helpful Ambiance is very pleasant read more

Small, hole in the wall kind of place. Delicious Filipino food, you have to grab the Thelma's Special; lechon so crispy and delicious. It got busy just as we walked in but the Aunty who served us was so cheerful and sweet, the short wait felt like nothing. read more

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Cyndy's Bottom Line: Great selection of Filipino foods for breakfast, lunch or dinner. *Walk ins are welcomed, no reservations needed. *Parking up front This is what we ate/drank for breakfast: ~Enjoyed the robust and smooth cup of coffee with generous refills. ~A fluffy golden pancake buttery and yummy. ~Thelma's Breakfast Special Thelma's Special (Lechon Kawali with tomatoes, onions & soy sauce) served with 2 eggs* (any style) and choice of 2 scoops rice, toast or hotcake. We substituted rice with fried rice for an additional $1.50. Garlic rice is also available for an additional $1.00. *The fried rice was tasty and good with the two eggs cooked perfectly. The lechon kawali so flavorful with lots of tomatoes and onions. *Attentive and friendly service. *Portions are generous. *Highly recommend read more

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Always loved Filipino food! Thelma's is delicious and an absolute bargain on the price. I almost fell outta my chair when I got the bill! WAAAY less expensive than most other places; friendly service too! Check' em out! read more

Thelma's Restaurant - 3 choice combo plate. Chicken adobo, pork guisantes, Thelma special ( Lechon kawali). Also got a pork adobo fried rice - Filipino Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

this was an unplanned dinner with my husbabe and siblings. Surprised it wasnt crowded on a Saturday nite, looked like take out was a little busier than dine in. We were seated immediately. We order lots of food and gonna be honest, I was too busy stuffing my fave to take pictures of the others dishes that came out. Dishes that were ordered: Diniguan- that was good Pork Pumpkin Guisado-my husbabe enjoyed that Shrimp Sari Sari-nice flavor Marinated pork-one of my favorites Pinapaitan-yummy good flavoring Pancit-this was a little dry :( Fried rice adobo-good flavor, but very dry Thelma's special-cane out fresh Lauya: this i have to say tasted like they had just whipped it together and brought to the table, no flavor, carrots and potatoes were EXTREMELY hard and that went for the meat as well. literally tasted like water with meat and vegetables added to it. thats was super disappointing :(( Other than the lauya being a disappointment, everything else was okay. read more

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I don't like to say anything negative but I spend a lot time finding eateries and love the convenience of takeout and or delivery, getting food to feed my elderly family because I'm very busy. Don't order delivery, you may not get the freshest dish. they didn't have a regular dish so I went there to pick up the last dish which was Fried beef, I waited for it and was overcooked, Lechon Kawali was soggy, only bihon and chicken mungay soup was good. everything came with rice. So that was good. But I was sorely disappointed for $87. It wasn't worth it. Service was not great, except but one waitress Mary, I think she was the nicest one there. Place is a bit run down. Waipahu is my childhood area...but this food needs help and so does the restaurant. I won't order meals from them until it is said that improvements were done. Feel sorry but I hope this review will help them to prioritize their customers and get back to great food like when they first opened. read more

My favorite sit down Filipino restaurant on the island! Thelma's is probably the most authentic, most mainstream Filipino cuisine on Oahu. Oahu's Filipino food scene on the island might be a bit of a shock to Filipinos who didn't grow up on the island (e.g. grew up in different parts of the Philippines or in the mainland). I had cousins who lived here for a few years under military orders, and they all left the island thinking Oahu's Filipino food doesn't compare to what they're used to. I wish we knew about Thelma's before they left! What drew me to this spot was that our part-Filipino hanai family would ALWAYS bring up Thelma's as their favorite Filipino restaurant. Of course, Thelma's still offers local style Filipino dishes (adobo fried rice omelette, sari sari, and pork guisantes are more Hawaii-style) and the very popular pinakbet. What I love is that Thelma's has a pretty wide menu, not just local style Filipino food. They offer various "sabaw" (soup) dishes, veggie dishes, pancit dishes, breakfast platters, and they are the inventors of local style lechon kawali, AKA Thelma's Special! I first had Thelma's Special when another hanai aunty ordered it as takeout, and I loved it! Thelma has perfected the way they pack their lechon kawali for takeout orders, separating the saucy condiments from the crispy roasted pork! Another time, I ordered Thelma's Special while dining in, and it was very "masarap" as always. I enjoy their arroz caldo too, where they add the right amount of garlic and ginger flavor and the right arroz caldo consistency. Many other places have arroz caldo that's light on the garlic or colorless. Of course, nothing beats my mom's arroz caldo, but Thelma's has pretty good arroz caldo for a restaurant! Thelma's pancit palabok is probably the closest thing to homemade palabok, imo. Still doesn't compare to my mom's secret palabok recipe, but it's way better than Jollibee's palabok. The ground pork and shrimp sauce is flavorful without being too greasy. Thelma's uses the thicker luglug noodles. If I don't want to spend all day cooking palabok, I'll ask Thelma to cook for me! Even Thelma's desserts aren't bad. Skip Teapresso down the hall and stay put to order Thelma's halo halo special (with ube ice cream) or banana lumpia special (with ube ice cream!). Thelma's comes in clutch. When I was feeling under the weather and didn't have energy to cook, I thought of Thelma's for arroz caldo. When I have townie friends visiting, Thelma's is one of the first spots I'd recommend to them. Even my uncle who was visiting from the mainland enjoyed Thelma's pinakbet when I brought him here to try to curb his Filipino food craving. Thelma's is usually busy with both diners and takeout orders, yet the workers are always nice and helpful! They can crack jokes too :) I think Thelma's overall Yelp rating is misleading unless I'm missing something. I think they should hold at least four stars! read more

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First time at the Waipahu Westgate Plaza Didn't realize parking was going to be difficult. It was around dinner time on a Monday. No open stalls, and cars waiting on the side for an available stall. My favorite spot for Filipino food is in Kapolei and didn't feel like driving that far. Having trouble finding somewhere I like close to home, trying here for the first time since the yelp photos and reviews seemed worth trying. Ordered take-out and here is my take on the following dishes: Pork Adobo Fried Rice- It was tasty, the pork pieces were all tiny but throughout. I'd order this again to go with another dish. Pork Adobo- A bit too oily for me, but the oil is probably what helped the pork from drying out. It was just okay, pieces were huge, some a little tough. Pork Guisantes- I prefer my pork guisantes with a vinegary taste. Could have used more red bell peppers or pimentos, but I liked it. Also, generous with the pork. and it was tender. I'd return and have this dish again. They were friendly. Waited about 20 minutes. I'll dine in next time. read more

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Whoever Thelma is, she deserves a kiss. We knew this was the spot when it was the only busy restaurant on the block and full of local families. The server was so funny and sweet and everything we ordered was phenomenal, to the point we ordered takeout for later mid-meal. The lechon was mega crispy, the lumpia comes out piping hot, the pumpkin green bean a crowd favorite, the combo meals a great deal, and halo-halo amply abundant. Get ready for kanak attack after read more

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The taste of the food is a 3, but the friendly people and prices make it a 4. This place has been around for over 30 years. They have longtime employees, and the owner's daughter worked when I went. So they must treat their people decent. It was quite busy with tons of pick-up orders. Like nonstop. The inside was clean, not really amazing as far as decorations, but it was comforting. I liked how it was a small family owned sort of business that made me feel younger. This place has very reasonable prices and tons of regulars. So many people said, "See you tomorrow/next week." Definitely a fun relaxing place to go to if you are in the area. read more

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First day of the new year - not sure what it was but the service was very slow and horrible. Customers waiting long time for their order and also waiting to order. Walked in and all vacant tables wasn't cleaned. And then to find out no more chicken adobo Very Disappointing because I know Thelma's is better than this. read more