Dough Dough’s Hawaiian Cafe and Malasadas is a Delicious Downtown Discovery

By Scott Roeben, on October 25 2017
3 min read 6 comments
Downtown Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Restaurants

Yes, it’s got a weird name.

In addition, Dough Dough’s Hawaiian Cafe & Malasadas is in a weird location. The new restaurant is attached to the Gambler’s General Store in downtown Las Vegas.

Dough Dough's Hawaiian Cafe
At first glance, you might think, “That’s a thing?” You think wrong.

“Weird location,” however, isn’t a deterrent when a restaurant serves one of the best desserts we’ve ever had in Las Vegas. And trust us when we say we’ve had a lot of desserts in Las Vegas.

Prepare yourself for the Dough Dough’s malasada.

Dough Dough's Hawaiian Cafe
That sound you hear it Heaven opening its gates as a choir of angels sings.

Dough Dough’s Hawaiian Cafe replaces the former sandwich shop, Gambler’s Cafe.

The cafe has a full menu, including an excellent “plate lunch” that will be familiar to those familiar with Hawaiian fare.

This blog personally lived in Hawaii for a decade, and we can attest the plate lunch at this modest eatery is one of the best we’ve had in Las Vegas.

Dough Dough's Hawaiian Cafe
Teriyaki chicken, check. Two scoop (sic, it’s a Hawaii thing) rice, check. Macaroni salad, check.

The menu also features salads, burgers and sandwiches.

Dough Dough's Las Vegas
This is the Cliffs Notes version. Find the full menu on the Dough Dough’s Facebook page.

The Pete Kalua Burger is a hamburger with (wait for it) kalua pork on top.

Dough Dough's Las Vegas
“Kalua” means “to cook in an underground oven.” You’d know this if you were a cook in Hawaii, which, we’re pretty sure, is considered a Pacific Rim job.

Undeniably, though, the malasadas are the star of the show at the Hawaiian Cafe.

You know they take malasadas, basically fried dough smothered in sugar, seriously here because there’s an entire menu devoted to this Hawaiian treat.

The malasadas come three ways, as we all wish we did, as either Big, Mini or Bites. They’re all amazing, satisfying and utterly addictive.

The large malasas come with an extensive selection of fillings, including cherry, raspberry, strawberry, apple, guava, pineapple, vanilla, chocolate, coconut cream, lemon, blueberry, cream cheese, apricot and mango.

If you insist upon a filling, just save yourself some time and do the lemon.

Dough Dough's malasadas
These malasadas will change your life for the better. Or, at the very least, for the wider.

The malasadas also come in “Local Favorite Combinations” like “Lemon Drop,” “Strawberries and Cream,” “Apple Pie,” “Pina Colada” and others.

We are a malasada purist (shocker), so we prefer Mini Malasadas (six medium-sized malasadas) or Malasada Bites (a dozen donut hole-sized malasadas).

Dough Dough's Las Vegas
“Malasada” means “under-cooked” in Portugese. The malasadas at Dough Dough’s, however, are fried to perfection.

The minis and bites are rolled in a choice of sugar, including plain, pure cane, powdered or cinnamon.

When it comes to the malasadas at Dough Dough’s, your expandable waistband may just have met its match.

Dough Dough's malasadas
No reservation needed, at least until word gets out. Consider it out.

Despite the restaurant’s challenging location, these sugar-coated delights are an absolute Las Vegas must-try.

While you’re there, wander through the Gambler’s General Store. It’s a great place to get gambling-related merchandise and possibly to put a $2,800 craps table on layaway because you seriously need to get this blog a Christmas present.

Dough Dough’s Hawaiian Cafe & Malasadas is located at 800 Main Street, and has limited hours at the moment, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.