What's Best At Porto's?

[dmax]

Both locations in Glendale and Burbank are always packed. Any clues about what is the best item to try there for a first-timer?

http://www.portosbakery.com/lunch.htm

[kinipela]

everything.... yeah make sure u get in the right line. i LOVE their fruit tart. unlike most places, they don't go crazy with that sugar syrup that goes on top. other places put too much of that sugar syrup and it makes the tart have a gummy texture... yuck. porto's is all about the fruit.. which i jokingly and lovingly say is "fruit on steroids"... HAHAHA

[tatertotsrock]

This is the Crack-Like-Combo I use to get all my friends hooked on the place:

2 potato balls
2 meat pies-the small ones NOT in the pie tin
2 croquettes
1 guava/cheese danish
cafe cone leche
pineapple soda
and I usually grab myself the same with one extra...that rum-soaked cake-thing with the thin layer guava in the center...is it the boracha? it's boozey, whatever it is, it's good.
It's all good, been going there since I was a little girl, I was so happy when I moved back to town cuz I couldn't wait to get a potato ball.
That whole collection of goodies is really great hangover food too.
ENJOY!

[Ernie]

I agree, Porto's make good papas rellenas, croquetas, empanadas, and pasteles de guayaba

[alexfood]

We usually get a couple of potato balls, a medianoche con preparanda sandwich (basically a cuban sandwich on sweet bread with potato balls inside), and guava-cheese struedel. The sweet croissants are good too. That struedel haunts my dreams.

[mattesq]

This will seem random: but their pastrami sandwich is really good. Just make sure to order w/o mayo b/c I personally do not think that mayo belongs on a pastrami sando. Anyway their take is really good: they take the cuban bread, decent pastrami, pickles and mustard and then press it in their sandwich press. The result is really, really good in my opinion.

[jennp]

I always get a whole box of the cheese rolls and eat them throughout the week. Their tamales are good too, especially with a little bit of Tapatio on top.

Their cakes are also really great. I've tried the mango mousse cake, the chocolate cake, and the strawberry shortcake (cake?).

[ns1]

their potato balls are pretty good in small amounts. those damn cheese rolls should be illegal, they're so good. Their cakes are also quite good.

I have found their sandwiches to be dry and boring however.

[lillizkat]

Chocolate croissants...so addictive!
Cheese rolls
Guava and cheese rolls
Potato balls (Best when they're eaten there. The outside is no longer crispy when I get home.)
Roasted pork sandwich...definitely!
Parisian chocolate cake...the BEST chocolate cake...so so so good!! (Also offered as a cupcake)
Tamales

[snooze button]

oooooh.... I haven't tried their tamales. Are they much different from Mexican/Salvadorean tamales?

[Francesca]

Agreed, everything is quite good. You can't go wrong here.

[Kitchen Queen]

EVERYTHING! Don't forget about the banana chips! Always served w/the sandwiches but, you can buy separately as well. :)KQ

[lucylips]

Tres leches cake! They sell small individuals portions.

My other faves are the potato balls, meat pie and cheese rolls.

[Kat82]

The pan con bistec has fries right in the sandwich. If you go for that kind of thing, it's pretty tasty. I also really like their almond croissants, which haven't been mentioned by others yet.

[WINDELLA]

The Cuban cake with custard filling is WONDERFUL!

[JeetJet]

Please say more about this cake. The best cake I had in L.A. was from here and it had a custard cream between the chocolate cake layers. The frosting was chocolate but also had thin chocolate candy scalloped into it. Close?

[WINDELLA]

No,the Cuban Cake is a yellow sponge cake with meringue,you can choose vanilla custard 9my personal favorite),pineapple or fresh strawberries.
Check out portobakery.com to see which cake you had (which sounds wonderful too )

[ostudio]

cafe con leche. cafe con leche. cafe con leche

[ilikefood]

Can't argue w/ Prev Posters. I would add the Spinach Cheese Danish, Ham Croquettes, Cheesecakes and, if everything is as good as it looks- everything. Though I agree the Cubano Sandwich is not great but it's good. Haven't tried the other sandwiches, which all sound good.

[BearCity]

I have got to visit this place. Mmmm...cheese rolls and potato balls.

[Veggietales]

Second (or 4ths) on the Cheese Rolls, Potato balls, Ham Croquettes, Spinach pie, Medio Noche, and I think they have great espresso drinks

[kiwi]

Definitely get cheese rolls and potato balls. I only tried their Cuban sandwich once. Once was enough.

[Das Ubergeek]

The potato balls, the refugios (the aforementioned guava/cheese pastries), the chocolate croissants (boy, you get one of those warm and tell me it's not divine), and the pineapple-cheese croissants.

The coffee's really good, too -- the cortadito is wonderful.

[Chris O]

What is best at Porto's? To see your enemies driven before you! To hear the lamentations of their women!

Oh yeah, and those guava/cream cheese pastries. And I like the potato balls and ham croquets. The cuban sandwich is pretty good, but not as good as the one at La Conchinita.

[ozzygee]

Good one, Conan!

[mattesq]

Nice Conan the Barbarian referance.

[maybelle]

I like:

Roasted Pork Sandwich
Potato balls
Cream Cheese Roll
Fruit Tart

also - be careful about the lines. There's one line to order food, yet another ot order from the bakery. You cannot order lunch items from the bakery line.

[ozzygee]

The Burbank location moves fairly fast because it has 2 lines. One for stuff off the menu (and limited display case items) and the other one for menu/full pastry case.Don't get in the full service line if you just want some sandwiches or a few potato balls. (They also have a third, cake-only line.)

I think their sandwiches are not that great, with the exception of the Cuban steak sandwich and the potato ball sandwich. IMO, the pork for their sandwiches is too dry and not flavorful.

I would start with the potato balls (or potato ball sandwich, though you can make a whole meal out of several potato balls), but I'd probably also throw in a slice of their mango mousse cheesecake.

[arifa]

i second the guava strudel =)

[xica14]

The line at Burbank moves pretty quickly. The MediaNoche sandwich, the potato balls, and the guava/cheese strudel are all wonderful.