The Best Bakeries on Hawai‘i Island in 2021
These are the best bakeries on Hawai‘i Island from our 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Hawai‘i Island is home to many great local bakeries serving delicious and homemade treats. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, bakeries have flourished and became increasingly popular on the island. Here’s how you ranked the best bakeries on Hawai‘i Island in our 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Note: Big Rob’s Bakery and Café, which took the No. 5 slot, is permanently closed.
Punalu‘u Bake Shop
Photo: Courtesy of Punalu‘u Bake Shop.
Punalu‘u Bake Shop is the southernmost bakery in the United States, located in Nā‘ālehu. The world-famous bakery is known for its sweet bread, dinner rolls and cookies. With its beginnings at Punalu‘u Black Sands Beach Restaurant in the 1970s, the sweet bread family recipe became a big hit and the bakery was opened in 1991. Now you can enjoy goodies such as taro sweet bread, macadamia nut shortbread cookies and pineapple fruit cake wherever you are by ordering online.
Highway 11, Nā‘ālehu, (808) 929-7343, bakeshophawaii.com
Two Ladies Kitchen
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Two Ladies Kitchen is a small shop located in downtown Hilo known for its handmade mochi (Japanese glutinous rice cake). The strawberry mochi—a fresh whole strawberry encased in sweet azuki beans and wrapped in soft handmade mochi—is the most popular item; you should pre-order these. Two Ladies Kitchen offers a variety of flavors, colors and shapes of mochi and a half-dozen varieties of manju (sweet Japanese pastry).
274 Kilauea Ave., Hilo, (808) 961-4766, @twoladieskitchen
Tex Drive-In
Malasada filled with Bavarian creme from Tex Drive-In. Photo: Courtesy of blueant808/Flickr.
Tex Drive-In, located in Honoka‘a, is known for its handmade malasadas (Portuguese fried doughnuts) and local food like the loco moco, grilled mahi mahi plate and saimin. Bonus: You can also enjoy the view of the vast Pacific Ocean from the drive-in.
45-690 Pakalana St., Honoka‘a, (808) 775-0598, texdriveinhawaii.com
Short N Sweet Bakery & Café
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Short N Sweet Bakery & Café in downtown Hilo is a family-owned and operated business serving fresh pastries, custom cakes and unique desserts. Maria Short, owner and pastry chef, originally opened the bakery in 2004 in Hawi and relocated to Hilo in 2010. Short was also a contestant on season six of Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship.” Short’s handcrafted desserts—macarons, Kohala crunch bars and liliko‘i (passionfruit) cheesecake—are loved by locals and visitors alike.
374 Kinoʻole St., Hilo, (808) 935-4446, shortnsweet.biz
