Tex Drive-In

If you’re on the Big Island and craving a sweet treat, Tex Drive In in Honokaa is an absolute must-stop! This local favorite is famous for its malasadas — Portuguese-style donuts that are soft, fluffy, and filled with delicious cream, chocolate, or tropical fruit flavors like guava and lilikoi (passion fruit). We tried the custard and guava malasadas fresh out of the fryer — warm, pillowy, and generously filled. The texture is perfect: crispy on the outside, airy on the inside. You can watch them being made right behind the counter, which adds to the fun. The shop also serves a variety of plate lunches, burgers, and local favorites if you’re looking for a full meal. Portions are generous, and the food tastes home-cooked. The vibe is laid-back, just like the rest of the island. There’s plenty of seating both inside and outside, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. It’s a great stop if you’re exploring the Hamakua Coast or heading to or from Waipio Valley.

I haven't tried enough places on the island to make a fair comparison of these malasadas are absolutely amazing. Large, fresh and hot. Super yummy filling choices. Delicious!!!❤️

The malasadas are amazing, fresh and warm. My 6 yo who is extremely picky ate an entire malasada by herself and then ate another after her pancakes. We also enjoyed the fried rice.

Stopped in to get our malasada fix. We were not disappointed! The regular sugar was nice and fresh, but the guava were outstanding! Best we had on the Big Island! A bit of a trek, but worth it if you’re in the area.

We had a great lunch here, the menu was extensive to the point of almost being overwhelming. Beyond the standards and malasadas, the Teriyaki Beef sandwich was awesome. We've heard it can be very busy, crowds were not a problem at noon on a Tuesday.

This place hasn't changed one bit since I used to come here as a child over 18 years ago. The malasadas are huge and soft and hot and filled with all kinds of delicious stuffings. The banana cream was incredible. Best malasadas on the island for sure. But make sure you grab lots of napkins, they're messy. Definitely not a food you can eat in the car haha

Very bad experience here, customer service is terrible. We ordered several grilled cheese and they messed up our orders. They didn’t put onion or tomato inside. It is on their menu. When we asked them about fixing it, owner was very reluctant to say they made a mistake. Chef had messed up the order. They were reluctant to fix the order. Then they wanted the already cooked grilled cheese to cook again to put onion and tomato inside, this would burn the toast! You need to start a fresh grilled cheese again to fix this. Owner and employees were very confused about this whole situation. It is a simple grilled cheese with onion and tomato inside. They were rude and racist.

We went for the Hawaiian pineapple burger with fries—talk about a flavor explosion! Juicy beef, soft bread, and fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and pineapple all came together perfectly. And as a bonus, we had a few charming “guests” at our table—a chicken and rooster keeping us company. Oh, and I can’t forget the Portuguese donut with banana cream filling! Fresh, warm, and filled with creamy banana goodness—absolutely delicious. Tex Drive-In really knows how to serve up amazing food with a side of local entertainment!

Came here for the malasadas. Was not disappointed. They were a great price, huge, and tasted delicious. We went to another spot for malasadas (Manuela's near Kapula) and it was such a disappointment compared to Tex. You can also see the staff making them fresh around the side!

We drove like hell to get here before it closed and probably shouldn't have risked life and limb, simply put, it was not worth the effort! Shrimp burger: how do I describe this jumbo sized, boring, calorie bomb? One small butt end tomato slice and very sad lettuce decorated this burger but it was beyond redemption- meh. Malasadas: a huge disappointment - fillings were very artificial tasting and uneven, one side of the confection filled and the other side empty. Sugary and without any real taste, We bought six which was silly as four of us could have eaten one as they're so huge. Everyone agreed that the fillings tasted odd. (Boston cream, apple mush, pineapple mush, banana mush, strawberry mush and plain). Locos were edible but not spectacular, as were the under flavoured spam musubis. I think we were dissatisfied as we'd heard so much about Tex, and were told by many visitors to the area that we shouldn't miss this place. Staff are indifferent and give one the impression of being completely bored. Maybe they should alleviate their boredom by cleaning the toilets which were rather unpleasant. Enough said about that. Probably higher expectations led to bigger disappointments. The chickens and birds on the patio were adorable.

Delicious onigiri. Freshly filled masaladas.Everytime im on the big island. I come here. Its always a bit of a drive but the ambience and food is something that is only found in Hawaii. With chickens roaming the restaurant and the road outside. It's very fun to sit here and enjoy your meal. My son enjoys chasing the chickens around like he did when he was a kid. He didn't come on this visit but I find the memories of this still amusing to me. Anyways they have a little factory inside and you get to watch them make your orders fresh. Sometimes there's a line. And there's always a wait. But it's entertaining to watch for sure! They do prioritize the drive thru. So sometimes eat in orders take forever. We got the strawberry and a few banana cream donuts and they were hot fresh and delicious. I specially liked the cream filled donuts personally as the fruit filled one's were overly sweet. Like stuffed with fruit jam. My favourite thing I ordered was the onigiri which come in a variety of flavours. The chicken katsu was the best for sure and I gobbled that up wishing I had ordered a few of them. The spam one was good too but not as good as the deep fried chicken which was warm and moist still! This I highly recomend. They have a bunch of Hawaiian plated dinners or lunches too. All somethered in a sort of gravy. It's heavy and rich. And personally I don't like Hawaiian meals bc of this. But you gotta try it once. It's just not my personal type of meal I would like to eat on a holiday to the beach! Get the masaladas and their onigiri!both are the best I've had on the island so far.

Worth the drive from wherever you are on the island. Hands down the best malasada in all the islands, as they're big and fresh. And if you get filled malasadas, prepare to get messy as they cram delicious creams of your choice inside. It's cool to see this place grow and thrive over the years into what it is today. Make a day out of it and stop by some of the beautiful scenic spots along the way: Honoli'i Beach, Onomea Bay, Kolekole Park, Waipio Valley, among others. Worth the drive.

This place was recommended by one of the audio Tour guide we took . The Portuguese donuts were excellent and I can understand which this place is so hyped . For under 2$ in Hawaii this is the best value by far in Hawaii . We tried guava and pineapple and both were excellent

On our way back from the Hawaiian Vanilla Company, we had to stop by Tex's Drive-in and pick up some malasadas. We ordered a dozen (6 plain, 2 guava, 2 chocolate, 2 mango) all came in at under $30. Everyone has their idea which malasadas are better, Punahou Bakery or Leonard's in Oahu, all in all they're all good but different. The young gal that helped us was nice and friendly.

We stopped here on the way to Waimea. I was pretty excited to try the malasadas but I was sadly disappointed. They were much more dense and heavy compared to light and fluffy ones I love so much. It might just be a matter of preference so I just wanted to let people know if you're expecting the light fluffy ones these are not them. I did get a musubi for almost $5 and it was full of mushy rice. I would not recommend the musubi. The service was neither good nor bad.

The malasadas were delicious and worth the drive! We phoned our order in and staff was friendly. They had a large outdoor patio to sit and enjoy your food.

Stopped here for malasadas and a bathroom break while driving through the island - cute little place! Malasadas were good - a little on the bready side, but good. We ordered different fillings like guava and mango. They also have food which we did not try this time. The line can get long.

This place wasn't that busy when we went. But it did get busy a little after we ordered. The place had inside and outside seating which was nice. We sat inside to eat. I got the breakfast burrito wrap it came with 3 eggs and the meat I had was Portuguese sausage and hash browns. My girlfriend got French toast which was also good. We also had the famous Malasadas which was pretty yummy.

It's a very old building and when I drove into the parking lot, my wife didn't even realize this was it. So not a great immigration but we tried it anyway because it's famous. They do have a drive-thru, but they also let you order inside at the counter and have an indoor/outdoor eating area. I noticed the two types of patrons were either really old folks, or clearly locals. Interesting. The steak and shrimp teriyaki was so-so. The steak was not tough, but it did have a leathery texture. The shrimp were battered well with good flavor and cooked crispy. My wife had the kaluha pork and cabbage. Thanks goodness for cabbage because the meat was very dry. Mac salad was pretty decent, but then again, it's mac salad. And of course we tried their famous malasada. I got the guava filled which in hindsight I think was a mistake. It was overly sweet and far too over-filed. The breading was not soft and overall kind of bland. And all this food was pretty expensive. Unfortunately, even though it's a neat place, I can't rate them high on quality.

My family and I came in here for the donuts and they were some of our favorite on the island. The dough was thick and the filling was just the right amount. We got a crème filled, banana, and guava. We liked them all. The guava was more like a jam and the banana was more of a cream. They came out hot and within 5 minutes. The more is tables but this isn't the nicest place to be.

This was our first time here and after our Chocolate Tour, this was perfect for lunch! As we arrived, 5 families came in behind us! So I'm glad we got our orders in! Everyone liked their dishes, we got a hot dog, grilled Mahi Mahi plate, fish and chips, teriyaki burger, shrimp burger and a turkey sandwich- we have yet to try all 5 malasadas! My Boyfriend LOVED the guava one though! We sat outside and there were these adorable little dove- like birds with a light blue around their necks. There was a nice breeze, and we got shade. So everything was nice, although we were outside.

We waited in line for the malasadas they make here. Apparently getting malasadas from this shop is the thing to do in this area because the place was absolutely packed. In any case we actually enjoyed the liveliness of it all. And it didn't hurt that the malasadas were actually quite good. Fresh and wonderful. Would we wait in line for them again? Yeah, prolly. Check them out.

This is the "best of the best" of malasada places on the big island. We were here 14 years ago and still remember the amazing treats we had....so we were eager to come back and experience the deliciousness all over again. I think part of what makes Tex malasadas so good is that they are SO fresh. You can witness them being made (sort of like Krispy Kreme - but by actual humans, not machines). Best part? They are served WARM!! You can't do better than that. Employees are incredibly friendly and there's spots to sit inside and outside. I thought we'd try the other food available there this time, but we just couldn't go for anything but malasadas. Stand out favorites are chocolate and custard filled. Yes, they are that good. And yes, they are worth the drive. We'll be back, hopefully before another 14 years go by!

We stopped by on our way to Waipio Valley, and we stopped at Tex's ro grag a bite. My wife ordered the Hawaiian Burger, which had pineapple, lettuce, tomato, and thousand island dressing, while I had the Curry Beef Stew without rice. I am not a burger fan, and my stew was good, but the Hawaiian Burger really blew me away. The ingredients were fresh, and I will be ordering that the next time we're in that area. For desert, we tried a Bavarian Cream, Guava, and Banana Malasadas. They were warm and loaded with the fillings and ropped with sugar. What's not to like!

I'm not sure how to rate this place overall. The malasada was the best one we had on the island. The bathrooms were the most horrifying ones I have seen in 2 decades. You would think for being such a popular tourist stop on the drive around the island that they could take better care of it. The food was alright. Overly salted.

Easy ample parking and outdoor seating. Service was fast and friendly without any issues. Note that their malasadas are extremely thick and similar to a bread stuffed with filling Guava filling malasadas are delish It's delish and worth trying if you haven't

We came here to try the malasada and boy were they huge and very filling. We ordered 6 of them for the two of us and we really should've just stuck with one per person but we wanted to try the different fillings. Fillings were a bit too sweet for me. Definitely grab a coffee to go with it.

The Malasadas! Order, eat 'em hot surrounded by cute chickens on the patio. Perfect stopping point on the drive from Kona to Hilo

Warm and tender malasadas. We got an assortment for 7 people to share. The size of them is huge!! Good texture but a bit more artificial in flavor than preferred. Mango smoothies were great. Also got some spam wasubis for the road. Can recommend as a snack and dessert but have had better. Friendly local scene and quick service

We stopped in here after reading about this place in a travel guide, and we came away more even impressed by the food than we thought we'd be! The malasadas (which come in many different varieties) are to die for, of course, but we really enjoyed our lunches, too. I had the grilled mahi burger, which was truly delicious. Probably the only thing that would have improved it would have been a bit more substance between the halves of bread, but I'm not complaining, because even the bun was really good. My wife had the loco moco, which was enormous, and she found it to be quite tasty. And the prices are very reasonable on most items, even by mainland standards, and there's lots to choose from. I even saw very large pieces of amazing-looking bread pudding available on the counter for only $3.40 each. Wha??? The place has the look and feel of something like a 50s drive-in without the waitresses on roller skates. Although it's quite spacious inside with some seating (including a counter where you can sit and sometimes watch the malasadas being made), you'll probably enjoy sitting outside on the patio more, which is what we did. Stop in and give it a try. You won't leave hungry, and you'll still have a little money left in your wallet to grab a mai-tai with later. :)

We were on our way to kona from Hilo Big island Hawaii. This is a must try, they are famous for Portuguese style dougnut. We tried regular and Pine apple. I'm telling you this is the real deal. They put American dougnut to to shame. Its amazing. Great people. I saw them making the dougnut. It was a gentleman and he was the kindest. Middle of hard work he took time to smile at us and wave. Truly an island gem. Great place to sit and eat or Togo. Must try if your in Big Island.

Heads up- cash only, there will be waiting around, it will be freaking worth it. While you stand in line, you'll be mesmerized by the windows looking into the kitchen. You'll see the dough getting prepared for that oil dip. I had the chocolate, Bavarian cream, strawberry, and plain. Plain was my favorite, strawberry was delicious but got really "melty" and messy, both chocolate and Bavarian were ok. I did see some other tables with the loco moco and got jealous because it smelled and looked so delicious.

Best malasadas on the big island! Every filling we had was delicious - they were fresh and warm and melt-in-your-mouth to die for! An essential stop on your visit! Picture for size reference - these are huge! And worth it!!!

It's been about 20 years since we last came here and it's exciting to be back....but.... where's the filling? As we waited in line, we saw the dough going into the oil and sitting for a very long time on one side. After at least 5 minutes, they were flipped. It's an interesting process. The batch ahead had been sitting and then dressed in sugar. The food menu looks very good so we got a turkey wrap which is simply sliced turkey, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and mayo accompanied by sweet potato chips. Simple and satisfying. The sweet onions really made the wrap for me. I'm truly disappointed with the malasada and having the malasada cold now didn't help either. You live and learn right? You know my mantra...don't know unless you try. This is a long standing local business that you should try while traveling around the island.

We had been staying in another part of the island but were looking for some fresh malasadas. This place was opened early and appeared to have a clear window view of the bakery. We ordered a bit of food, but we wanted to try the different options. The malasadas were amazing. So many different flavors for filling, and then the standard malasadas. They tasted fresh and good. The other food had a lot of flavor as well. Some of the best corned beef I've had in a while. The staff was really great as well, very friendly. I'll definitely be returning

It was ok. Beef in beef curry was excellent also its flavor. Onion rings were ok, shrimp boat was ok, masalada was not great but whose is when you have had Leonard's. Service was ok. Bathrooms were not that great.

The guava malasadas (the pineapple and Bavarian cream too) are soooo good. I didn't try anything else so this review is mainly to say it was worth the quick detour just for the malasadas!

Dirty, broken, and overpriced.... Forgot to get pics of the menu, but it's about 20% higher than the most recent pictures... Sad to see this place in such disrepair. Went on a Sunday around 3. Malasadas were sold out. Highest prices around for very average food. Seems like they know plenty of tourists will stop so don't put in much effort anymore.

Tex Drive Inn's malasadas have undeniably secured the top spot in my favorites list. Without fail, they arrive fresh and steaming, a testament to their commitment to quality. The dough, slightly more substantial than typical malasadas, strikes a perfect balance between heft and airiness. I opted for the Bavarian cream filling, a personal favorite. Outdoor seating options and the added convenience of a drive-thru further enhance the experience. While the line's pace might lean towards the slower side, the eventual reward in the form of these delectable malasadas makes every moment worthwhile.

You MUST stop here and get the Malasadas! They are on steroids and they are fabulous!! We got the Bavarian cream, pineapple, apple and guava and they were all fantastic! Friendly staff and quick service.

On our way to Hilo and hit up Tex Drive in. A must to try, soooo good. I recommend the plain and guava. I bought three for $8.00, it's very good and not so doughy. Highly recommended!

Absolutely no service. We are from the mainland, first time on big island. When we order at the counter, we asked the lady if she had any recommendations. She said, order whatever you want. We explained that we are from out of town, would love some recommendations for local food. She replied again without even looking at us " I don't know. Just order whatever you want ". Very rude. Food was not that great either. We ordered Benton box and loco moco. Both were salty. The donuts were very doughy. We had much better ones somewhere else. There are tables and chairs outside if you want to eat there, which was nice. That's what the one star for.

We stop at this malasada place every time we are on the big island !! Got the chocolate, banana cream, and plain this time. The chocolate filling tastes like pudding it's so very good. We've been here before when the line is long but today there was no line at all, and the malasasas came out right when we ordered. There's tables inside and outside to enjoy your food. Would definitely recommend this place as a stop if you have a day planned in Hilo.

Stopped by Tex Drive In on the way to Hilo. Quiet unassuming place that didn't have a line. They have big rectangular shapes opposed to the familiar round ones. I chose chocolate filled because they didn't have haupia. Other selections they had today were flavors like Bavarian cream, apple, and guava. Was okay and they have other food like local plate lunch fare.

Eating Malasadas is must when you come to Hawaii, so we made our obligatory stop at the Tex Drive In for a sweet treat. The store itself is very quaint & they sell local food plates as well, which looked delicious. They have a glass window on the side of the store where you can see them proofing the Malasada dough! We ordered a variety of filling flavors. Our kids loved the chocolate & Bavarian cream. The mango flavor was amazing too!

You've been warned! The malasadas they serve are not your normal malasadas. They are huge with a crazy amount of filling. I ordered three and was amazed how heavy the box was. They were fresh, delicious, and messy! What more could you want. This is a must stop when exploring the big island.

In the mood for some Value Malasadas? Then Tex Drive in is the place to stop by. On the way back from the Volcano, we took the round about way and got some malasadas and they are big!! They were not the BEST Malasada's that we had in Hawaii, but they were still very good. They were very "doughey" and the fillings were OK. No wait, and quick service. I'd happily stop by again next time I'm there. It's a drive in, but you can also go inside to order. Ambiance is what one would expect from a place called "tex Drive In." Not too many options for the malasada's, but enough to find some that everyone likes. I love donuts, but I feel like I've become an malasada connoisseur when I'm in hawaii. 4 stars for the price to value ratio here!

A must do on everyone's bucket list when visiting the Big Island!,,, We dropped by again. to describe. prices remain reasonable. The size of their Malsadas are big. hot warm tasty. pick 4 of em different filings. cut em in half. if you've never heard of Malsadas. kinda like a donut bit much better. it's 15 minutes down the road from waipio valley. check it out!!!

Must stop if in the area! The malasadas are delicious. Warning: they are a bit dense/filling! I also got a cute dress and skirt in their gift shop.

Drove along the Hamakua Coast after eating a nice lunch at Big Island Brewhaus at Waimea/Kamuela (see my review on Big Island Brewhaus) so we were already full but still had to make a stop at Tex Drive Inn as this was a local favorite for their malasadas. I was told via text from a friend to get the "killer" guava malasada, so I got one of those and my husband got the lilikoi-filled malasada. Both malasadas were super dense and heavy, like giant pieces of dough filled with filling and granulated sugar coating our faces and lips with each bite. You can't keep these overnight due to the grease leaching out. Both malasadas about $6.00 so about $3 each. Dense, fat, like a sugar-coated sumo-wrestler, not airy and light like a typical malasada. Return factor - yes, if we are in the area, but we wouldn't make a special trip there.

This small place is a hidden gem in a small island town. Definitely a go to for cheap eats and to satay your sweet tooth with multiple choices of malasadas! They are fresh, warm and delicious! Come out support the Hawaiian people and get your self some lunch plates to go or malasadas for the beach or your drive to Hilo! Gave it 4 stars only because gift shop wasn't open.

"In life, it's not where you go, it's who you go with." Ahh Snoopy wisdom and so I close my eyes... I remember when Tex Drive In was... all that! The best Malasadas in the entire state of Hawai'i hands down! The first time, I was six-years old, first year in Judo, and already a Malasada aficionado. A favorite stop for Mom and Dad, the Kona to Hilo drive, and always a piping hot Malasada in my hands! Oh! A lifetime ago. I think the last time I was at Tex Drive In was with my ex. I do recall the Malasada still being piping hot and still the best I've had! Fast forward several years later, post pandemic years, and I'm passing through the beautiful Hāmākua Coast with my as beautiful Bestie! Of course, knowing we would be in the area I wanted to make sure we stopped off at Tex Drive In for the best Malasadas ever! The parking is in a big lot so no problems there. Views of the Hāmākua Coast made it a perfect stop for those driving for miles upon miles. As we approached the take-out window flashes of my childhood crossed my mind, but that was short lived as the order taker was just there, not rude, just not present. I didn't see any old Portuguese man or lady in the back frying the magical dough. Instead we were handed Malasadas already made. We had a Guava filling and a Classic and I can understand the filling ones being pre-made, but the Classic too? Hmm. It still looked good and the ginormous size of each brought back more memories of my tiny kids hands holding these giants to my mouth! It was heaven! But I was still in dreamland and had yet to bite into the best Malasadas as I remembered it! And as I bit down, I knew it was no longer the best ever! Heartbroken in a way as I was so confident that Bestie would love it! In the end, I still recommend Tex Drive In, but will no longer claim it as the best - Agnes in Kailua took my heart and mainly cause it's HOT and made to order! Maybe we just went on an off day or my childhood memories was of better times when people were present, food tasted better, and Tex's Malasadas insane! Just glad I shared these new memories with Bestie... even tho the Malasada missed, we had a fabulous time wandering, and she always on FIYAH!

On the Big Island, whether you are local or from out of state Tex Drive In is worth going out of your way to check out. Moderately busy at times, but most of the wait in line is probably from people staring at the menu paralyzed trying to decide what to get since everything looks good. The main draw here though, are their malasadas. They are epic. Freshly made to order, multiple filling choices (ono!), and each piece is HUGE. I mean, holy smokes. You could tear one in two pieces and one of the halves would still be larger than the average malasada served anywhere else. They must be the best malasada place in the islands. No contest. Go there!

Good food, nice people, beautiful environment... and lots of birds Tons of lasting memories from that Hawaii trip. Aloha

It's been a few years since I've visited this place. I believe it was back in 2009. I'm glad to say that not much has changed. They are still serving one of the best malasadas in all of HI. The place is amazing with breathtaking views of the ocean when sitting outside. Inside you are still able to see behind the glass window into the kitchen where they are proud to show you how it's made. The bonus is that they appear to be constantly making them as they are always busy. I like them plain but their cream filled versions are also good. I have not tried the fruit/jelly filled versions though they too look appealing. This is always on my go to list when on the big island. Definitely NOT a place to miss and should be added to your itinerary.

Had the famous malasadas. We live on Oahu, so call me spoiled, but we're used to Leonard's and Pipeline malasadas, which are both divine. When I had the Tex malasadas, I thought they were dry, too doughy, and too dense. The jam was also too sweet and artificial.

Take a dough brick, squirt some fruit into it, and you have a malasadas also known as a Portuguese Donut. Yes, there is lots of sugar coating. And these are heavy donuts!!! Very different. Worth a try. This place is a local hangout, food place with quick take away counter service. Menu is posted cause things move quick. Great value. Local flavor. And a gift shop on the way out.