Porto's Bakery and Cafe — Restaurant in Downey

I usually go to the Buena Park location, but visited the Downey location today because I was unable to purchase a Yuletide Log online at the Buena Park location. The Downey location was another massive and impressive Portos operation. We came at little after 5am, and it was packed with customers trying to get special treats for Christmas and employees trying to help customers quickly.

I was only able to purchase the Yuletide log in Mocha online and hoped that by coming early, I could purchase the Dulce de Leche log as a walk-in customer. I figured they limit how many of each item they should sell online to make items available to customers who walk in and wait in long lines. My gamble paid off, and I was able to purchase the additional Dulce De Leche log after waiting in a long bakery line that moved rather quickly. We purchased some drinks and some Cafe items to enjoy at Portos while we waited for our 5:50am pickup time window to come up. This is where the Downey location became a disappointment to me.

We drive up from San Diego, not Northern San Diego County, but close to the border San Diego. Last Christmas we had a dozen individual tartlets and Mango mousse bombs destroyed because they were packaged together and they didn't survive the ride home. I've since learned to ask Portos to please pack my small items in individual boxes since last Christmas every time I check in to get my pickup order at the Buena Park location. I've never had a problem with the Buena Park location. They always happily acquiesce to my request when I explain that I'm driving my treats back to San Diego and they get destroyed when they're packed together. The staff always takes the time to package all of my delicate treats for me in the individual boxes and I've been able to successfully present them to guests ever since I learned how to safely transport my treats since the disastrous Portos Xmas of 2022 event.

The worker who checked me in was pleasant and efficient. She smiled and said she understood and made it sound like I would be taken care of when I asked her to box my Mango mousse bombs in individual containers because they crash into each other on car rides back to San Diego when they're packed together in one box. To my disappointment, I found 4 Mango mousse bombs jammed into one box! In the disastrous Portos Xmas of 2022 event, two Mango mousse bombs were packed together, and they couldn't survive being transported back to San Diego for our Xmas Eve Party. There was no way 4 Mango bombs could survive the drive enact. I was very upset and went to look for a manager and couldn't locate one, so I went back to the online order line to tell them how I asked that my Mango bombs be packed individually, showed the worker how they were packed, and stressed that they will be destroyed on my drive down to San Diego. The worker asked if I wanted to repack them myself. I was surprised at her lack of apologies and care, so I just took the individual boxes to be done with this Portos. This trip to Portos started off great because I was thrilled to be able to buy both Yuletide logs, but this visit became a big upsetting letdown when the staff didn't care to safeguard my treats when I knew what would happen and specifically asked them to please help me make sure I get my treats home safely by simply packaging a few items individually. I think everyone that comes to Portos spends $$$$ big time to make the trip/wait worthwhile, so for employees not to be trained to take extra care packing delicate treats--especially for clients who specifically had previous disasters and ask employees to take extra measures---is shameful.

I attached a picture of how 4 Mango mousse bombs were packaged after I had already removed one and repacked it myself in an...

Here Porto's in Downey is a southern California institution that serves up delicious Cuban cuisine with excellent value and lightning fast service. From the moment you walk in the door, the tasty aroma of fresh-baked goods, sandwiches, and coffee envelop you. Lines move quickly as the staff efficiently helps customers choose from the wide array of options.

The real stars at Porto's are the cheese rolls, pillowy soft rolls flavored with a hint of sweetness and filled with melted cheese. They melt in your mouth and are incredibly moreish. Empanadas, both savory and sweet, are also must-try items. The roast pork sandwich, layered with garlicky mojo pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and yellow mustard on Cuban bread is a popular choice for good reason. No meal is complete without a slice of one of their many cakes, from tres leches to mango.

Incredibly, given the low prices, quality is high and portions are generous. Entrees range from $5 to $15, and most pastries are under $5. Porto's succeeds by offering great value, outstanding food, and speedy but friendly service. It's no wonder that locals flock to Porto's and often endure long waits to enjoy their affordable, authentic cuisine.

While Porto's has expanded to Glendale and West Covina, the original Downey location remains a southeast Los Angeles essential. The only downside is that Porto's is not available outside of southern California. Those unfamiliar with its charms will have to visit to experience this culinary wonder. With quality, value and efficiency in spades, Porto's in Downey is worth crossing state lines for. Their motto "taste the happiness" rings completely true. Porto's will make your taste buds happy and...

One of my favorite bakeries that I make a point of visiting every time that I’m in California. I always just load up on the dulce de leche cookies and bring a bunch home to Seattle to freeze. Highly recommend the dulce de leche cookies if you have not tried before. Everything else on the baked good menus is a hit though.

Food I got the dulce de leche cookies, cheese rolls, almond croissant, and tiramisu cups for the baked goods. All of them were very, very good. My favorite is the dulce de leche. I got the cheese rolls as well because that is apparently one of the famous items at Porto’s and it is easy to see why. The tiramisu cup was much larger than I had expected and got me extra full. No regrets though. The drinks were good (strawberry matcha and an iced coffee) but I liked the iced coffee more.

Atmosphere The bakery has a long line just to order what you want, and they also have another area where you can go to order drinks and food. Be careful which line you are getting into. The noise level is a bit on the noisy side since they are sooo busy. I always just get all my bread and drinks to go.

Pricing The prices for everything is reasonable for bread and actually kind of cheap compared to other bakeries that I have been too. The price point for everything is worth it.

Service The staff there are very busy and try to be as accurate as possible for your order. I would be clear in what you want and think about it while you are in line. Staff is friendly.

Other With so many locations I’m surprised by the consistently good quality that I get every time I’m here in Cali. Parking can vary location...