Porto's: Burbank vs. Glendale

[PseudoNerd]

Is there a difference in the freshness or quality?

[gnarlex]

Can a Porto's regular please explain the food ordering process in Burbank? I can navigate the bakery-only line on the west side of the store, but how does the food ordering work on the north side, eat-in or takeout? Can I also buy bread and pastries to go from that line, or is it savory foods and whatever sweets are displayed there? Owing to confusion, I've only bought bread & pastries to go. Gracias!

[ozzygee]

You can order the same thing from both lines (that is to say, everything). Yes, it's true. You just won't have the selection at the ready from the 'food line', so you'll have to know what you want.

Another helpful hint is that there is a third, somewhat hidden, cake line for ordering whole cakes only. You don't have to wait in the long lines if all you want is a whole cake (or if one the items you want is a whole cake!), since it is usually empty. It is at the far right of the store, next to the cakes, natch.

Lastly, it is faster to order something from their food menu (as opposed to bakery case items) to eat in. Of course, you'll have to eat in, or you can ask for a container, but they prioritize the sit-in food. But now I've ruined it. Sorry.

[Das Ubergeek]

Technically if it's busy they can limit your request to a dozen pastries on the cafe side. I've only seen this happen in Glendale before the Burbank branch opened, so I don't know this for sure.

You can order any menu item and any coffee from the bakery side -- this morning there were 10 people in line for the cafe side and 2 for the bakery side, so I got the pastries I wanted for a meeting, as well as a medianoche and a cortadito for myself, from the bakery side.

[jackattack]

Have the Napoleons gone up to $2.50 in Glendale?. I paid $1.25 last year, then went to the Burbank location this year and they were smaller and $2.50

[ozzygee]

The Burbank one is bigger and has their ordering system down. No difference in most of their products, since a lot of their breads is baked off-site.
The trade off in in-store waiting is that their parking lot is smaller, so you'll have to do your waiting outside!

[MeAFoodieYep]

Glendale has the atmosphere. The one in Burbank is quiet/more relaxed. The food is still the same at both locations.

[Tinitime]

There is a difference in what they stock. I asked for cappucinos (a cuban pastry) they said they carried them in Glendale not at the Burbank location. I thought it was odd that they asked if I wanted sugar in my Cuban coffee, by definition any Cuban coffee I have ever had in Miami was 90% sugar. The cuban savories I had were excellent (meat pastelito, tamales, potato ball and croquettes)!

[Das Ubergeek]

I was just in the Burbank Porto's 15 minutes ago and they had cappuccinos (the pastry) on both the cafe side and the bakery side. The lady helping me said they're not made every day, at either location.

[Das Ubergeek]

No, there's no difference in quality. Burbank is a little saner -- the lines move faster and there's not this scrum at the counter like there is in Glendale. (Glendale uses a pick-a-number system, Burbank has a queue.)

[risottoman]

i haven't been to burbank, but i sincerely hope there's no variation.
porto's should go nationwide, it's so good.
then again, maybe just an LA invasion would be good enough.