Porto's Bakery Party Store - Glendale

Actually, I've never been. But my friend brought over a brown baker box, full of different cross-aints and two chilled cream glasses. I have to say that was so delicious, it ruined my dinner! I love mainly her cheese crossaint “sticks”.. it has a sweet cream cheese center on an always slightly sweetened glazed and flocken Kreuzaint

The best thing to happen to glendale, after the galleria. i thank the heavens for the delicious potato balls, and sweet pastries. but beware… the lines are crucial.

Am I the only person who has a problem with this place??? I would give them 4 stars for food quality, 5 for value, but negative 1,000,000 stars for service if I could. Yes, their potato balls, chorizo pies, and pastries are good and very affordable. BUT their service is atrocious. Not only are the waits always long, I have never experienced such disgraceful treatment by cashiers or services as I have here. For the record, my statement is not based on one incident but many. I work in the Glendale area, and I have come here to grab lunch or a snack multiple times. They not only organize their cashier and pick-up counter as poorly as possible so as to confuse everyone, when you ask someone for direction or information with a menu item, they are inevitably rude. I have actually had on multiple instances a cashier turn to his or her co-worker and literally make ridicule of me in front of my face (speaking in Spanish or in low tones, thinking I cannot understand what they are saying) and then scoff at me, and not answer my question. I wanted to give them a chance, recognizing that it’s always crowded, it’s not the cashiers/servers fault, but after facing rudeness from so many of their staff, I refuse to go there now. Many of my coworkers have had similar ill-experiences there, and they don’t bother patroning them anymore. Yes, they are convenient to my office and offer many good items, but my dignity is worth more than a measly cheese danish.

I absolutely love this restaurant and really wish it were closer to me. I was looking forward to a celebration there because I enjoy so many of their dishes, so it was disappointing when the party had to be canceled. My all-time favorite item is their cheese rolls – these delightful pastries filled with sweet cheese are simply irresistible. They’re so good that one is never enough! I also recommend trying them with guava; it’s delicious too. Their sandwiches are fantastic, especially the Cuban sandwich. There are also tasty options like meatballs, potato balls, chorizo pies, and ham croquettes. Honestly, everything I’ve tried has been wonderful. The place is always bustling, so I suggest arriving early on the weekends. And don’t forget to grab some of their freshly baked bread – it's amazing!

However, I particularly visit for two things: 1) the fruit owls and 2) the potato balls. Honestly, if Porto’s only served their fruit pastries, they would still do incredibly well. The fruit varieties are simply outstanding. The freshness, sweetness, and abundance of the fruit is consistent throughout the seasons, featuring strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and apples, among others. The only fruit that doesn’t seem fresh are the candied peaches. You can purchase individual-sized fruit pastries at the lunch counter, which are about 3 to 4 inches in diameter, but the bakery side offers them in much larger sizes. I recommend getting the larger fruit cakes, as they have a different texture—they feature a graham cracker crust and a layer of sponge cake beneath the custard. The individual sizes have more of a pastry crust and a single layer of custard without the sponge cake. The potato balls are also fantastic. They’re essentially deep-fried balls of potato filled with ground beef, and I can’t get enough of them. I would also suggest trying the pastelito, a light pastry stuffed with cream cheese and guava jam. Pair that with plantain chips, served with a creamy mojo sauce—each small bakery item at the lunch counter has been a hit for me!