Cuban Bakery Draws in Hundreds to Dine
At Porto’s Bakery, they let the food do the talking. Then the people eating the food talk and, of course, they always say good things. Or rather, type, share, tweet, and tag until the rest of us are left with major #FoodEnvy.
Of course, the anticipation and anxiety levels were high in the world of social media as urgent questions like, “When will Buena Park Porto’s open? I’m so excited!” began popping up on the company’s Instagram more than two months before the location’s opening.
Then the day came. On March 1, Beatriz Porto hustled to the door of the immaculate glass building at 4:30 a.m., and there was already a line forming.
You know what they say, the early bird catches the worm, or in this case the flakey sweet pastries, chicken empanadas, and triple chocolate mousse.
Five days after opening, the line stretched past the lot, long after the typical lunch rush had ended. It was still a great improvement from the crowds earlier that week, when the line wrapped around the building and even down Beach Boulevard past nearby hotels.
To manage the flow, a sharply dressed greeter, complete with an earpiece and walkie talkie, kept the crowd moving smoothly. He ensured no more than 245 guests were inside at once, keeping things safe and within fire code. When it was my turn, he radioed for Beatriz—Betty, as he called her—and she greeted me warmly, guiding me in with a bright smile.
As the scent of fresh-baked bread, rich coffee, and home-style dishes filled the air, Betty shared a bit of history. Her mother, Rosa Porto, could have never imagined what this place would become when she first opened her bakery.
“She started the mom and pop for us [kids] to get an education,” Betty said sweetly of her now 87-year-old mother.
Rosa and Raul Porto’s journey began in Manzanillo, Cuba, before they left in the 1960s, seeking a better life. They arrived in the States with little more than love, Rosa’s baking skills, and Raul’s work ethic. But that was enough. Soon, they were filling orders from their tiny, 300-square-foot shop in Los Angeles, one pastry at a time.
Now, standing in a location more than 50 times that size, Betty explained that her mother’s wish for her and her two siblings, Raul Jr. and Margarita, to graduate from college became a reality in the 1980s. After graduation, the children stuck together, combining their unique skills to improve the business further and turn it into what it is today.
Betty explained that much of their recent growth had to do with the company’s expansion to Facebook and Instagram. Not to mention, a BuzzFeed feature on their tres leches cake that was viewed a mere 13,000 times, and a number one spot on Yelp’s List of 100 Best Places to Eat in the US. That being said, it’s easy to see why the Buena Park grand opening has been the company’s largest yet—we still have to wait and see how the upcoming West Covina location goes!
The rush of new and returning customers didn’t seem bothered by the lines, as they smiled and chatted.
Kids waited in line, too, clearly quieted by the promise of baked treats. The consensus on what customers were anticipating the most was a tie between the Potato Balls and the boxes of baked goods that guests stocked up on as they left the bakery.
One family even drove over an hour from Rialto to Buena Park. When asked what their favorite item was, they responded with “todo,” meaning everything. They narrowed it down to guava pastries and “Platos Cubanos,” dinner plates with chicken, steak, or pork and pickled red onions, steamed rice, black beans and golden fried bananas. They even gave a thumbs up to the new Vege-tariano Sandwich with eggplant, cucumbers, artichokes and herb aioli.
Come to the newest location bearing in mind that good things come to those that wait, and it’s definitely worth the wait!
Porto’s Bakery
7640 Beach Boulevard
Buena Park, CA 90620
714.367.2030
@portosbakery
Written By: Ashley Ruiz Porto’s Bakery Buena Park
This article is brought to you by one of the many talented writers associated with Locale Magazine! We are a group of locals (whether born and raised or transplanted) who love this county we now call home!
