Locals Can't Get Enough Of The Cuban Pastries At Porto's Bakery In Southern California
By Natasha Kayes|Published November 14, 2022
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Natasha Kayes
Author
I was born and raised in sunny Southern California and will never tire of the West Coast, although I spent several years living in Southeast Asia, about as far from California as you can get. Wherever I am in the world, I love straying from the beaten path, experiencing local life, and discovering hidden gems - camera in hand. The beach is my happy place and when I am not there (or writing), you will usually find me baking, watching movies, and cuddling my pugs. I have traveled around the country and around the world, and it never, ever gets old. Being able to combine my passion for travel and my love of writing is nothing short of a dream.
If you live anywhere in Los Angeles County, or even the counties surrounding Los Angeles, you know that the question, “How about Porto’s Bakery?” is almost always followed by the sounds of car keys and a hurried, “Let’s go!” If you are not a Southern California native, it is high time you got to know this Southland staple and some of the most loved pastries in Southern California.
Porto’s bakery started with Rosa Porto and her love of baking, first in Cuba and then in the U.S. Her first non-residential bakery was opened in Los Angeles in 1976 and has only grown in popularity since.
Porto's is still run by the Porto family, who are involved in the day to day operations, and committed to Rosa’s motto that "quality is the number one ingredient in everything we do." Popularity among Southern California locals has led to the opening of a total of six locations, all in the Los Angeles area, and each location still provides the finest home baking experience.
No matter which location you choose, and whatever time of day you arrive, chances are you will not be able to see the baked goodies from the door due to the almost constant lines of people waiting to order and pick up their pastries, cakes, sandwiches, etc.
When you finally get a look at the bakery cases, the selection borders on overwhelming, from whole cakes to napoleons and croissants to cookies. It is no wonder locals keep coming back to try them all.
Arguably the best-selling pastry on the menu is the cheese roll. Traditional puff pastry surrounding Porto’s own cream cheese filling has customers stocking up by the dozen. If you are a newbie, this is a great place to start.
Another extremely popular pastry is the Refugiado, or Guava and Cheese Strudel. This Porto’s Bakery Original creation is flaky, crispy, and stuffed with guava jam and Porto’s cream cheese filling.
Even the boxes celebrate this bakery’s early beginnings and emphasize the family tradition that keeps the quality, flavor, and warm service consistent.
In addition to sweet and savory pastries, cookies, and cakes, Porto’s also bakes a variety of fresh breads daily, including Cuban rolls, sourdough loaves, and Gullets Cubanas (Cuban crackers).
Consistency and attention to detail is obvious, and every pastry looks almost too good to eat. Trust us, though, and dig in because they taste every bit as good as they look.
Desserts at Porto’s take the cake - pun intended - but the savory pastries are as delectable as the sweet ones. Among the most popular are Potato Balls, Meat Pies, and Chicken Empanadas.
Porto’s is more than just pastries, although it is admittedly hard to even look at anything else. You can also enjoy homestyle traditional Cuban dishes and sandwiches. Just make sure you save room for dessert.
There is good news for non-locals! Porto’s Bake at Home now means that a selection of the bakery’s best-selling pastries, including the legendary cheese rolls, can be shipped to you frozen and unbaked so you can enjoy them fresh from your own oven.
Have you ever been to Porto’s? What is your favorite pastry? We would love to hear from you in the comments. Follow Porto’s on Facebook or check out the Porto’s Bakery website to keep up on news, find locations, or order some of Southern California’s most loved pastries for yourself. Not to overload your sweet tooth, but you may also want to check out a few more unique Southern California dessert offerings.
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