For nearly 70 years, tourists and locals across Oahu have eagerly arrived at Leonard’s Bakery for a taste of their Malasadas, Pao Doce, and other fantastic baked goods. Made from scratch each day, their offerings never fail to satisfy cravings for sweet and savory delights of all kinds. In fact, their baked goods are so delicious that the line starts forming at the door before they open each day.
Although their Portuguese donuts and bread steal the spotlight more often than not, it’s well worth trying their many other baked creations. On the sweet side, you can get tons of imaginative pastries, cookies, pies, cupcakes, muffins, and even coffee cake. On the savory side, there are the world-famous wraps, which feature hot dogs, Portuguese sausage, or ham and cheese wrapped up in their iconic Pao Doce bread.
To complement your baked goods, Leonard’s Bakery serves up iced and hot coffee to order. You can get lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, and more. They go a little light on the cream and sugar to keep their high-quality coffee beans at the forefront of the flavor profile. So, ask for more creamer if you prefer to keep the robust coffee flavor an afterthought. Want to skip the caffeine? Just ask them to use decaf coffee instead.
Whenever you stop by, you can count on their team to offer the highest quality of service. In fact, Leonard’s Bakery is well known to have a sweet attitude to match the sweetness of their malasadas. Even when lines are long and seemingly never-ending, they provide every patron with an excellent customer service experience. Sometimes, they even throw a couple of extra treats in the box for good measure.
Want to avoid the long lines? Arrive at this Leonard’s Bakery between 2 pm and 4 pm for the best chance at zipping up to the front counter. Just keep in mind that if you arrive later in the day, expect to see the most popular items already sold out. If you’re craving something in particular, you just have to patiently wait in line bright and early at 5:30 am – or call in a huge order ahead of time.
The most popular items at Leonard’s Bakery include:
Malasadas
Golden brown on the outside and fluffy in the middle, the Malasadas promise to leave you wholly impressed from the first bite to last. You can get them coated in plain sugar, cinnamon-sugar, or li hing powder. For the filling, you get to choose between their many jelly and custard flavors, including chocolate, coconut, and guava.
Pao Doce
Available in large, regular, and mini sizes, the Pao Doce is a dinner roll unlike any other you’ve ever had here at Leonard’s Bakery. The light, sweet dough is pillowy soft inside, while the smooth crust provides an amazing mouthfeel. Although they’re built for dinner service, you’ll want to just grub on them plain as soon as the order lands in your hands.
Pastries
With more than a dozen different types of pastries on the menu, there’s definitely something for everyone. If you like puff pastry, you might want to try their Apple Squares, Crème Horn, and Mini Crème Puffs. If you prefer something a little heavier, there’s Eclairs, Raisin Snails, and Danish Tea Cake. They even have Butter Mochi on the menu for those times when you want soft, chewy, coconut-y decadence.
If you find yourself missing the malasadas at Leonard’s Bakery upon returning home, just order them off their website for delivery to your doorstep. You can also get tons of swag, like t-shirts, lanyards, and bumper stickers, so you can share your love for their bakery wherever you go. They only deliver to Hawaii and the mainland states, however, so you’re out of luck if you’re traveling internationally.
Insider Tips:
-There’s minimal parking in their tiny lot, so you’ll likely have to park along a side street. Choose your parking spot carefully to avoid getting ticketed or towed.
-If you’re ordering at least two dozen malasadas, you can call in your order at least one hour ahead of time. After that, you can just skip the line and go right to the cashier to pay and pickup.