Panaderia La Reina — Restaurant in Hemet

HIDDEN MEXICAN BAKERY! Panadería La Reina is a small Mexican bakery in the heart of Harvard District in Hemet. It's a hole-in-the-wall, so if you drive too fast you'll miss it. It's been a favorite of locals in the valley for many years now. This is my first time back in YEARS and the cookies are STILL top-tier. There's something about having a Mexican chocolate chip cookie in the cold that just feels so right.

I visited with a group and was met by a friendly, yet astonished lady who seemed to have never seen so many people in her shop before. My main targets (chocolate chip, sprinkle cookies) were available, however I noticed some of the pastry racks were missing quite a few items. My group was looking for conchas, however only one selection was available. We had to wait a bit for the staff to make some more.

The conchas taste good, but I've tasted better in years past. Don't get me wrong, I'm always looking for a chocolate concha fix, it just wasn't warm enough. I wanted a hot drink with it but unfortunately I don't think they sell Mexican hot cocoa here.

I spotted a small fridge with refreshments like Jarrito's and other popular Mexican cold drinks. The store is older, but well-maintained. I think it needs an update aesthetically, but overall it was very clean.

As for seating, I couldn't find tables inside nor outside (except one, without chairs). La Reina is very much a...

I really enjoy their bolillos rellenos. Ham, cheese and jalapeno stuffed into a fresh bread (bolillo) for 1.35. You have to be there before 8 AM typically. Also they have cream cheese stuffed mini bolillos. With or without jalapenos. Also really good. My fav. spot for bolillos rellenos. Only these ones I tried in my youth by a church member beat them out . I do not like the other ones offered in town. Maybe because you have to get these fresh or you miss out! They only cook them in...

They weren't very helpful when I asked if their sprinkled cookies contained milk or butter. All they said was "I don't know" in a dry monotone. If you work at a bakery you'd know the ingredients within the product. Maybe they were helpful to other people but they elicit prejudice if you aren't a fluent speaker of Spanish which is bad for business and is downright rude to their customer base. Non-spanish speaking hispanics, steer clear from this unethical...