This small chain of Cuban influenced family-owned restaurants features sweet and savory delicacies. The sweet options range from cakes and pastries of the usual chocolate fair to uniquely tropical flavors including guava or mango. The savory options include flavorful sandwiches, hearty fried goodies like croquettes, and so much more.
Where To Get It
Porto’s Bakery and Cafe is a Southern California foodie hot spot with locations in Glendale, Burbank, Downey, West Covina, and Buena Park.
If you don’t live in Southern California however, you can still try Porto’s with their Bake At Home pastries. Delivery is available nationwide, although the ordering menu is limited. Still, with some favorites like cheese rolls and potato balls on the menu, there are plenty of reasons to order through their Bake At Home option.
How To Get It
Under normal circumstances, the cafe is crowded with boisterous food lovers jostling to find a seat or line up to place an order. The system to order inside the cafe is a bit complicated. The first step is to decide what you want because the line can move rather quickly and you want to be prepared to place your order as soon as you get to the counter so that you don’t hold up the people behind you. If you have ordered drinks, you will need to pick them up from a separate counter. You will be notified of when to pick up your food order using a vibrating coaster. Finally, if you have a bakery order, you will need to find the counter specifically for large bakery orders such as platters and cakes.
Given the current situation with social distancing, however, the system has changed. While some locations may offer limited outdoor seating the most efficient way to get your Porto’s foodie fix is to order online and go through In-Car Pick Up.
In-Car Pick Up is simple. When placing the order online, you will be given a time to pick up your order. The time you are provided is often based on the cooking time of your food and the number of other customers that they need to serve, so in some cases it can be a few hours from the time you order. Keep this in mind so you can plan accordingly. When your order is confirmed, you will also receive an order number. You will be required to take a mask and wear it when picking up your order, as well as have your order number ready. When you arrive at the designated In-Car Pickup area (denoted with signs), the Porto’s staff will direct you to park with your hazard lights on. They then take your order number, retrieve your order, and hand you your order directly through your car window. During this process, the Porto’s staff takes all of the necessary safety measures, including the use of masks and gloves.
What To Eat
If you are looking for something yummy to eat, you really can’t go wrong at Porto’s Cafe and Bakery. With a variety of foods all bursting with flavor, Porto’s is perfect for just about everyone's palate but they are particularly fitting for group orders. Their splendid cakes are delectable and sizable enough for a family birthday. Their pastries are available by the dozen so you can feed a group or gorge yourself on heavenly treats for days on end.
Meals
The Porto’s menu options for individual meals include soups, salads, and plates filled with rice, beans, maduros, and your choice of meat. The most popular choice, however, is probably their sandwiches. The Cubano and Medianoche sandwiches are both great picks.
If you are in the mood for breakfast, a personal favorite is the Cuban Style French Toast called Torrejas. It’s served with rich amounts of butter, comes with tropical fruit and guava syrup on the side, and a fantastic whipped cream. I have no idea how many calories the Torrejas has, but every one of them is worth it. Also, the Guacamole and Cheese Omelette Sandwich is amazing but sadly their limited menu means it isn’t currently available. If you see it come back, let us know. We miss it.
Drinks
Porto’s offers a variety of bottled drinks, including their signature fresh squeezed orange juice. But for those who like exploring interesting new flavors, Porto’s also sells Guava Lemonade and Jamaica Strawberry Lemonade.
Fried Favorites
If you have only heard of one thing when it comes to Porto’s, it’s probably that you have to try their famous Potato Balls. These fried treats are filled with a core of seasoned ground beef, enveloped in mashed potato and then coated in a layer of bread crumbs. They are small enough to be bite size but hearty enough to fill you up too. Sometimes you can even get a version of these sold with a seasonal twist, including a turkey version near Thanksgiving time.
Similarly, they have Cheese and Spicy Pepper Potato Balls and Croquettes that come in both Ham or Chicken.
Pastries
As delicious as Porto’s cafe section is, I’ll admit it’s their bakery offerings that keep us coming back over and over again. Mouthwatering: that’s the only word to describe these pastries.
For breakfast, a snack, or dessert, the baked goods at Porto’s will satisfy your hunger for all things sweet and savory.
Some of our recommendations of “Pastries To Try” include: Cheese Rolls, Spinach Feta Empanadas, Guava and Cheese Strudel, and Chocolate Croissants.
Cakes
Go to your calendar and find the nearest holiday, birthday, or anniversary because I guarantee that the best way to celebrate is a cake from Porto’s. All of the cakes feature light fluffy cake sponge with otherworldly frosting flavors that will make you regret every birthday spent with a bland generic cake.
Check out some of these delectable cake choices: Mango Mousse, Milk ‘N Berries, Tres Leches, Parisian Chocolate, Chocolate Raspberry, Red Velvet, and Tiramisu.
Price
The sandwiches are really great and not all that pricey in the $6.50 range. Still the tastiest menu items for your money are definitely the bakery goods. The pastries and fried potato balls are better priced when bought by the dozen. The cakes are pretty large (averaging around 9 inches) and reasonably priced, costing about $27.00. The most expensive items are likely the drinks, which are priced at the fairly typical price of nearly $4.00 but are rather small.
For more information go to: https://www.portosbakery.com/
Have you been to Porto’s Bakery and Cafe? What was your experience like? And if not, what foods from Porto’s would you like to try, if you had the chance? Let us know in the comments below.
