Mr. Ed’s Bakery is a community anchor that some refer to as a Hawaiian historical landmark. It’s a quaint little bakery that has offered fresh homemade baked goods and treats for many generations. Anyone who visits the Big Island has probably heard about this one-of-a-kind bakery. Located right in the heart of the Hamakua Coast in the old sugar plantation village town of Honomu this little piece of bakery heaven continues to serve visitors homemade fresh baked goods, jarred preserves, unique gift items, and so much more.
If walls could talk, Mr. Ed’s Bakery would have many wonderful tales to tell. Formally the Ishigo Store and Bakery is in the good hands of Dean and wife, June Edmonton. The former owner, Mr. Ishigo retired and passed the torch to them in 1999. From the outside, Mr. Ed’s Bakery looks like an unkept building with the original facade, “Ishigo’s, Since 1910”. The structure inside still has the same ten-foot-high ceilings, wood shelving, hardwood flooring, and original ceiling lighting. Simply park outside and you are a hop, skip, and a jump from the front door that is usually standing wide open. Walk right in and expect to be amazed!
There are many reasons why everyone travels far and wide to see Mr. Ed’s. Although the structure’s appearance looks the same as it did more than 100 years ago, it’s the delightful aromas of freshly baking goodies created here and what is filling the shelves that make customers instantly forget about the aging building. Some feel the building has character and adds to the ambiance of the overall shopping experience. Whatever your feelings about the building, you are going to love exploring and tasting amazing homemade treasures.
There are hundreds of tantalizing freshly baked cookies, sweet and savory bread, pastries, turnovers, donuts, and more. One of the first baked goods Dean, an avid home baker, began making is the bakery’s popular banana bread. Each loaf is made from locally sourced bananas and ingredients that grow nearby. Ed uses mostly his own recipes but continues to bake one of the shop’s most popular treats, Mr. Ishigo’s manju. Manju is little Japanese cakes filled with sweet red beans, and they are an out-of-this-world sellout. If manju isn’t your favorite that’s ok. You will enjoy shelves and shelves of monkey bread, Kona coffee coconut brownies, ginger cookies, and more. You can also order a breakfast sandwich or lunch to go. Need a cup of coffee, shave ice or shake? They will make that for you, too. This little bakery has a very big menu with very big flavors.
One of the most requested and popular items at Mr. Ed’s Bakery is the tastiest seasonal spreads and preserves. They are all made from locally grown fruit, made from scratch, and jarred with Aloha and a smile. They will also carefully and conveniently box and ship an order back home or anywhere in the world, for that matter. There are more than 170 different flavors that line the shelves just waiting to dazzle your senses. Most of the fruit, just like the bananas for the banana bread, grows right on the couple’s own property. Other varieties are gathered from an empty lot near the bakery and gathered from local friends, relatives, and community members. Talk about taking a village!
The team at Mr. Eds Bakery loves to combine unique ingredients to create amazing flavors. Some favorites include lilikoi and chocolate, purple sweet potato and haupia, and mountain apple and li hing mui. One very popular flavor is made with a secret recipe Dean humbly refers to as “the rarest fruit on Earth.” That’s one to definitely sample when you arrive!
Insider Tips:
-Mr. Ed’s Bakery offers take-out and delivery.
-There is convenient on-street and bicycle parking.
-Vegan options are available.