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Recommended Reviews - A Leonard's Bakery
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Fried dough dipped in sugar...hits the spot! Nice central location that's been at Waikele Shopping Center since the 2000's. The red & white striped lunch wagon is iconic to see from the freeway & gets all my kids excited & asking if we can stop. There's numerous lunch wagons after Petco & Leonards is between Laverne's & Mountain Shave Ice. You can order original sugar, cinnamon or li hing mui (local fave) for $2.20/ea. Or $2.70/ea if you want it filled w/haupia, custard or dobash (Kapahulu has more options). It's a better deal to buy 6, 12, 18 or 24 pieces. There is a wait since they make it fresh. The employees do their job, but aren't chatty with customers, which is a mix of locals and tourists. Don't forget to roll your malasada in the sugar on the bottom if any part of it is bare!!. Happy grinding!
Ample parking. Convenient if you're in the area. This wagon does not have the flavor of the month malasada. And they are debit/credit card only, no cash.
If you need malasadas, you gotta go to this truck!!! This Leonard's malasada food truck at Waikele Shopping Center is hands-down my favorite place to grab fresh malasadas! Located with all the other food trucks near Pet Co, this spot seriously beats the original location for me because they make all their malasadas fresh to order. I love how fresh it tastes and they are consistently hot and perfect. Today I got a box of six regular malasadas which was about $12. Pro tip: you have to eat them right then and there for the best taste. Trust me on this! There's no seating, but the service is fast, the staff is friendly, and the quality is unbeatable. If you're in the area, don't skip this food truck--it's the best!
This food truck is convenient if you are on the west side of Oahu near Waikele. You'll find it next to Lowe's in the parking lot. They make the malasadas fresh to order. Service was quick and efficient even if you see a line out front. Eat these malasadas fresh for the best flavor and texture. We ate ours out of the back of our Jeep!
We stopped by the food truck park to grab some grub on our way back to our hotel. There was a small line and the bit of a wait to receive my malasadas but it was worth the drive, the entire trip, to taste these amazing pastries. They are served hot and fresh! I got a custard, and plain one. It is so crisp yet pillowy soft inside. I love how tender the dough is. Thank you to the family who brought these Portuguese donuts to the masses, they have become so popular, they are a Hawaiian icon and staple.
Everyone told me that Leonard's Malasadas were the best. I had to go see if they were right. Yup! They were. They make them hot and fresh while you wait. And it isn't a long wait at all. Five minutes tops. They are I think like 2.50 each but if you buy 6, they are $2.00 each. You get to try one of each. I paid $4.50 for ONE Holy Grail Donut. When I can get tasty malasadas why buy an overpriced donut. When you are on Oahu go get yourself a malasadas...or 6!
Stopped here in the early afternoon after we went to breakfast, and there was no line. We ordered six traditional and one custard, and they came out piping hot in the cute pink box. They are cashless so be prepared for that. It's in the back area of a parking lot, and the other trucks are all conned off, so that helps. There is also nowhere to sit, so don't plan to stay here unless you're eating in your car.
What a delightful treat after hiking Koko Crater! We'd heard about Leonard's Bakery from multiple people, along with the long lines, so finding this little Leonard's mobile wagon was a delightful surprise. We learned that malasadas are Portuguese fried donuts and I don't think I've ever had a donut I don't like. Leonard's mobile wagon malasadas were fresh and hot. We tried a variety, original sugar with haupia (coconut filling), original sugar without filling, and cinnamon sugar without filling. Each one was absolutely yummy! A perfect post-hike snack, and we'll definitely be back!
10/10 would recommend hot portuguese donuts with multiple fillings to choose from Fresh from the truck I want more now.
You could never go wrong with Leonard's as a dessert or even breakfast item. I've been to several locations and mobile wagons and they've all lived up to the hype and quality. Huge fan of their custard and Dobash malasada. The malasada's are inexpensive and worth grabbing a half dozen or even a whole dozen. I could easily down 2-3 within minutes. I will add to others reviews about their hours, be warned that it is not 100% guaranteed. I got there this morning, but they were closed at 7:45. They had a sign stating that they wouldn't open until 8:30. Sad we couldn't get our Leonards fix early in the AM
This is the only kind of breakfast worth waking up for and immediately hitting the road to pick these up and demolish My favorites are plain, cinnamon, coconut, custard, or guava filling depending on the sweetness I'm going for. The coconut filling is not too sweet and just a hint of coconuts. LiHing flavor when I'm feeling sassy and have a cold bevvy to go with it.
As much as I like to go to the store I went to growing up in Kapahulu, the mobile "food truck" style still does a great job. I know there is one in Waikele and one in Koko Marina shopping center. You have to eat these hot to really enjoy them. There are lots of options but the original is what made them famous so I'd definitely get those. The filled ones are good, but not as good, to me, as the original. Enjoy!
I love this truck ! It's so much faster than the regular Leonard's location and they make it fresh and hot as you order it. There was no line and I got my malasadas within 5 minutes. If you're in the area I would recommend coming here instead (unless you want a picture with the Leonard's sign).
2 years ago
5 months ago
2 years ago
First time having a Malasada and it was amazing! Loved the custard filling inside, especially when it was warm. read more
Absolutely obsessed with these malasadas. It's our go-to when we're on island. Of course, the original malasadas is the best, because it's so fresh and warm!!! But the haupia (coconut) filled malasada and cream filled malasada are also worth a try if you like those fillings! I personally enjoy everything, because it's so fresh and made to order. Great prices and parking availability (since it's parking in a huge parking lot). read more
2 years ago
I love Leonard's Malasadas but the QUALITY at this location has gone down significantly.. who wants to eat a malasada with no sugar??? Ordered on 4/3. Maybe they were having a bad day... all the other locations are great! read more
There is almost no difference in coming to this mobile pop up Leonard's and the original bakery near Waikiki. I prefer this location because it has a more spacious parking lot and you can also order food from other food trucks. The hours of operation displayed on this cart does not match the hours on its website. They open at 7:00 am. The food is to-go only, so no ambiance score. It is nearby other food trucks which is helpful if you like cheap food options. read more
2 years ago
We picked up a box first thing in the morning on a Sunday when they just opened and the malasadas were bitter tasting like the oil needed changing as you can see in the pic the dough looks dark almost burnt. Please change the oil more frequently! The malasadas were horrible and we were very disappointed! DO NOT go here! read more
3 years ago
WTH is going on! I ordered 4 cinnamon sugar which I got, 4 custard which I got & 4 Haupia and got NO filling?!?!?! Empty promises don't work for me as well as empty malasadas! Need to go back which I will have to make an extra trip out there just to return the empty malasadas! So disappointed in this! read more
1 year ago
We were the first to order but received our order after two others who ordered after us. Maybe, they ordered less and ones that are more commonly ready? We ordered a dozen with a mixture of original, cinnamon sugar, custard, dobash and haupia. They definitely were fresh and warm! It was however difficult to differentiate between the haupia and custard as they're the same color filling. It also seems like they were a tad sweeter than what I remember them to be. Definitely would order here again since it's the closest one near Ko' Olina. read more
1 year ago
What can I say? So delicious. My husband and I stopped by one of the food trucks as we were heading to the park. We got one of each of the malasadas on the menu. There are six offered. Absolute heaven. Hands down the best malasadas ever. Our favorite was the coconut cream filled. However, they are all good. You cannot go wrong with any of them. We saved some for breakfast and reheated and still just as good. This is a must if you visit Oahu. They have a bakery and several food trucks for convenience. read more
These Malasadas were fire! Dropping by Leonard's was a must during our trip! I was so happy with the options so had to order a few of em! The truck line wasn't too bad when we were there. The service was friendly and very aloha. These Malasada taste so good when hot and fresh! My personal favorites were the custard and chocolate malasadas. Thank you, Leonard's! read more
1 year ago
I was looking forward to ordering Malasadas this morning, Sunday Fatherʻs Day, but they're NOopen yet. The sign says 7 AM open but the staff said 8:30 AM. That's an hour and a half past posted opening. read more
I was skeptical coming to this place. Usually, mobile versions aren't as good as the brick and mortar, especially when it comes to pastries. This "mobile wagon" used to stand alone, but nowadays it has some company, joined by other food trucks. On this Friday evening, it was crazy busy. We joined the que and before long, we got to the front. Went with a half dozen, six regular sugar and six cinnamon. They are all fresh fried to order, so bring your patience. 100% worth it though, we got our box and found a spot to go to town on these things. You must eat these within 20 minutes or so. It just wont taste the same otherwise. Bit into the sugar and my childhood memories just came alive. It's so pillowy soft on the inside with a nice crispy outer shell. I can't describe the taste of the inside. Not sure what it is, but just a semi sweet dough that hits the spot on all your tastebuds. The sugar is the perfect finisher. Cinnamon is ok, but because I grew up on the OG version, I couldn't appreciate the cinnamon as much as maybe it should. If you like cinnamon, try this out, otherwise still to the tried and true OG sugar. read more
Seriously one of the best things I put in my mouth while on vacation. Once we got that rental car, I mapped the way to the nearest Leonard's. These large nuggets of yeasty bliss are magical when hot/warm... but get sadder with each cooling kelvin unit. Also, we ordered a dozen, and were only able to finish five and a quarter. Make sure to order only what you can finish in an hour's time. These gems will live forever, rent free, in my head read more
You can't go to Honolulu without stopping at Leonard's right?! So glad I stumbled upon their food truck. The stand alone store front is always so crowded so I was pleasantly surprised to have no wait for fresh hot maladada's!!! Will definitely be back!!! read more
3 years ago
These are a must if you visiting Hawaii! Tried my first one and instantly couldn't get enough. Line wasn't very long and service is fast. read more
4 years ago
It's a donut that's filled in, no hole. We went to the truck instead of the store. It was fresh and hot, I got a cinnamon and my husband got the chocolate one. This was one and done for us though, they are super filling and I don't see anything spectacularly significant enough to go out of my way to get one again! That said, if you are on Oahu definitely stop at one of the trucks instead of the bakery and try a filled donut! read more
5 years ago
We absolutely flipped a U / detoured to stop for some malasadas! What a sweet surprise! We don't have to wait in line at the Honolulu Bakery for this epic treat! To our surprise they were piping hot! Fresh out the fryer. My favorite is Hupia. Hope ya like it!! read more
This little truck in the parking lot of Sears ROCKS!! Every now and then you need a malasada. This truck is extremely convenient and always produces a great product. I like this truck better than the original location. Nothing more to say than this place delivers and I keep going back. Nuff said! Now it's your turn..... GO and enjoy! read more
I love how fresh the malasadas are! They were piping hot when we got them and the smell of them was so enticing that it was so hard to resist them on the car ride back to our hotel. Too bad they only had 3 flavors for the filling when we were there :( If you want to try more flavors, you should go to the brick and mortar store! We got the custard, dobash (chocolate), and haupia (coconut) filled malasdas. Each was stuffed with filling and dusted with sugar. The custard had a hint of coconut flavor, the chocolate was rich, and the coconut wasn't too sweet, which I liked. Would recommend going to the actual shop since they have more flavors to choose from. We got there at around 8:30am on a Sunday and there was only one group in front of us and a couple of other customers who were already munching on their malasadas. Right after we got in line, a whole crowd came! read more
02/20/2023 Leonard's mobile Malasadas. Thank you for putting it on the west side. Flavor is still there. Can't go wrong with these sugary puff donuts that they call "Malasadas" . All flavors are awesome including the filled Malasadas. One of the main tourist attraction here in Oahu. Happy read more
2 years ago
So at work we are participating in an event with some out of town guests. And everyone know gotta let them try some malasada's. So on the way to work stoped by the waikele one but the line was to long, so I said chance um stop by the Aiea one. The two ladies were really nice and very quick on getting the order out. And oh yeah the malasadas were great We got 6 regular, 6 lihing mui, 3 custard filled, 3 dobash (chocolate) filled, 3 Haupia (coconut) filled Will stop by again read more
Another coveted 5 Stars for Leonards Malasada Mobile Wagon. These ladies are slaving away in the heat and humidity frying up these perfect puffy pastries (Say that 5 times fast) and then topping them off with powdered sugar and serving them to anxiously waiting tourists and locals alike. These are a must have!! Your cannot leave Hawaii without trying one. Run, don't walk to Leonards Malasada Mobile Wagon or hit the Mecca in Honolulu. Pro-Tip - Eat them hot and immediately. Also, but a dozen for your friends. read more
Conveniently located at the Waikele Shopping center. Lots of free parking nearby. I ordered their original and cinnamon malasadas for my flight back home to Vegas. These were delish!! Always hits the spot! Service could have been friendlier and was a little slow but totally worth the wait. Would recommend. read more
Synopsis: From the view of a tourist - Probably one of the most famous pastry places in Hawaii. This particular location is not the original brick and mortar but more of a satellite mobile truck located in a parking lot of the strip mall serving up the famous malasadas that made Leonard's famous in the first place what a fraction of the wait (or so I assume). On a recent family trip to Hawaii, we stop by the truck to get lunch and the same as malasadas. We were coming back from a snorkel excursion and this was off the freeway on our way back to the hotel. It's located in a strip mall with other food trucks so it serves as some sort of cool little food court. It was early in the day since our snorkel excursion started in the wee hours of the morning, so there was barely any line. I put in an order (the folks were nice and helpful - especially since this was the first time ordering) and got a few of each of the different flavors/fillings. Original, cinnamon, chocolate, haupia, custard and Li Hing. I think the haupia was my personal favorite because I am partial to coconut flavors. My sister-in-law love the Li Hing. They were made fresh to order and they came out piping hot. I recommend eating them sooner rather than later as they are the best when fresh. I will say that we still had some leftovers the next day and although I ate them because I hate wasting food, ha ha, they were definitely better fresh. Really nothing bad to say about the mobile place. I hope to someday get some malasadas at the actual brick-and-mortar location, but I felt like this was a good representation. Just good vibes all around when ordering with the folks there and with the fellow patrons. Another funny note is that we had to go back to the airport to switch out rental cars at the time, and the shuttle driver noticed my box of malasadas and got excited about Leonards ha ha. I wanted to offer one, but it is probably a faux pas during the pandemic. read more
2 years ago
The right amount of sweetness and very soft. Great service and the line wasn't as long in early morning. Plenty of parking space. read more
4 years ago
2 years ago
This truck stop had such a charm to it. The Malasadas were one of the best we had tried while on the islands! We were lucky to not have a line in the morning. Definitely give it a try if in the area! read more
Coming back from an outing at Kunia, we had a stop planned at the shopping center at Waikele and the Leonard's Malasada Mobile. It was perfect timing, since after their boiler to produce the custard filling was down since Sept 23rd, Leonard's announced that their boiler was just fixed and will be making their filled malasadas again. This would also save us a stop at the Kapahulu store, which tends to have line. The truck is located at the shopping center across the street the Waikele Outlets. We got here at 2:10pm on a Saturday and there were only two people in line. The menu had three regular malasadas in original, cinnamon and li hing at $1.70 +tax and three filled in custard, dobash (chocolate) and haupia (coconut) at $2.10 +tax. We ordered two originals and a haupia. In about 10 minutes, the order was ready. First, the originals. Compared to the other main competitors, their interior is lighter and less dense. Reminds me a little of a Chinese sugar puff interior. So if you like a lighter interior, you'll like these. As for the haupia, there was one other place I tried that had filled. If you like filling, these are the ones for you. You bite into it and the filling is oozing out of it. I would guess almost half of the malasada is filling. We finished all three as we know from past purchases, Leonard's are best eaten fresh and that they do harden after several hours. I can see why many still like their Leonard's. For sure, the haupia is one of my favorites. read more
Absolutely love Leonard's Malasadas! This is actually my first time at this location. We normally go to the location in Waikele. It was even better because it had little to no people vs. the long lines in Waikele on account of tourism. The worker was very nice and polite. Our order was ready in just 5 minutes - freshly made. They are conveniently located in Pearlridge Center parking lot. They are right off Kamehameha Hwy - so easy in and easy out. Of course, the Malasadas themselves were absolutely delicious! read more
6 years ago
11 NOV 2020 (V-day) Holy cream-filled sweetness!! I just bought coffee so it was only logical that I paired it with malasadas since I was walking right by Leonard's Bakery lunch wagon! This is my first time having Leonard's malasadas and I wanted to try all the flavours but, I had to have some restraint. Right?!?! So, I settled for haupia, cinnamon, and original. When I walked up, there was only one other customer in front of me. After he ordered, I was able to take some time to review the menu and make my decision. I asked a few questions about mixing & matching; the employee was pleasant and was able to answer my questions. I then placed my order and waited only a few minutes before the malasadas were ready. I didn't know what to expect but, I was surprised by the professional and eye catching pink box that I was handed with my malasadas. It was professionally labeled and the employee taped the sides to secure the contents (a waste since my nephew and I dug in immediately)! Be forewarned, it is a lot of sugar! Of course, my nephew didn't mind that and gobbled his down in a few bites! When I tried mine, the outside was warm, as expected, but the haupia filling was cold. (Is it supposed to be cold?). I think I would have enjoyed it more if the filling was warm. Also, there was a huge guap of haupia filling (again, too much for me but, whatever floats your cream-filled boat!). Nevertheless, the malasadas were good overall. I am looking forward to the original and cinnamon one I have left. read more
6 years ago
While vacationing in Hawaii, my cousins friend recommended we try Leonard's. I believe they have an actual shop, but we were by the food truck so decided to get it from there. I didn't really know what Leonard's was, but I'm glad it was recommended to my cousin. They serve malasadas, which are like donuts, regular and cream filled (my fave). On this day, we were coming back from visiting the Pearl Harbor sight and stopped by in this random lot with a Sears and chili's. There were two other food tricks here, but we had our hearts set on Leonard's. My cousin ordered a dozen malasadas, with two of each flavor. They were being made fresh to order so we waited about 15 minutes while they made our order. The service was excellent and they are really nice and welcoming. I got a chance to try the chocolate cream, vanilla custard, and sugar one. I'm usually a vanilla cream person, but the chocolate cream is probably my favorite. They were really good, especially when they are fresh. I'm glad I got a chance to try this place. Will recommend to anyone visiting. read more
More info about A Leonard's Bakery
94-894 Lumiaina St
Waipahu, HI 96797
Directions
(808) 737-5591
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Visit Website
http://www.leonardshawaii.com
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Ask the Community - A Leonard's Bakery
Do they stay at 1 spot all the time? Since they are on a truck. My concern is that they will move to places
I think this particular food truck does not move. I always see every time I drive past. The other Leonard's truck is actually mobile. I used to see it in Kaneohe at certain days/times only.
Is the malasadas still good , the mobile wagon in waikele areA?
All mobile wagons are good, waikele location get busy once it opens .
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