Porto's Bakery and Cafe

I learned something important...Cuban's make great sandwiches. My knowledge of Cuba, for long, has been limited to Ricky Ricardo, cigars, and Fidel Castro. Naive? Maybe - but no longer. Sandwiches were far from my associations with Cuba, so when I heard there was a Cuban cafe that apparently makes great ones, I was skeptical. However, after my first bite, Porto's Bakery and Cafe proved that sandwiches are far from being only an American food, as I once had ignorantly assumed. It was at Porto's that a love for Cuba I never knew was in me, began....

Bueno. Bonito. Barato. Good. Nice. Cheap. When asked why Porto's Bakery and Cafe is distinct, I was confidently answered with those three words. Thankful I took high school Spanish, I understood two out of the three words and after I got the last word translated, I couldn't agree more. With Cuban-type music echoing in the background, I walked into Porto's and was met with an inviting and lively air. Two long lines formed on each side of the cafe
and after wandering into one, I was mesmerized by the long pastry cases filled with countless perfectly constructed and mouthwatering desserts. Expecting to have plenty of time before reaching the counter, I came up to the front in no time at all and, wishing it had taken longer, I immediately began to panic. Quick decision making led me to order the Turkey Melt which consisted of turkey, provolone cheese, roasted red bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and mustard on grilled sourdough bread. I also tried Porto's Veggie made up of roasted eggplant, roasted red bell peppers and zucchini, with havarti cheese, hummus spread, lettuce and tomato on wheat bread. With the Cubano being their most popular, I'm convinced that no matter my choice, I was going to leave happy.

Taste:  Full of flavor. The Turkey Melt was well-rounded and bold in flavor. It was rich yet not overwhelming, perfectly grilled and juicy with the melted cheese. Porto's Veggie tasted healthy but was still hearty and substantial. The sandwiches were served with plantain chips and while I still don't understand what exactly a plantain is, I'm convinced that if a banana and a potato had a child, a plantain would result. They were light, crunchy and mildly salty, an unusual yet surprisingly complimentary companion to the sandwich.


Atmosphere:  Very diverse, it was filled with people of all races and ages. It is spacious with a variety of seating and served all sorts of people, from business men to gym-goers and little kids. The workers were extremely friendly and gave genuine quality service. The line went quick and the food was promptly delivered to the table - not what I was expecting with the cafe full of so many hungry people. I visited their newest location in Downey but there are two more, the original in Glendale and one more in Burbank.


Price:  Cheap. Okay yes, this word is relative. However, for what I got and the service received, I think cheap is an appropriate word. I paid $5 for my sandwich, the average price for all of their sandwiches. Their pastries start at under $1 and that combined with the whole atmosphere, you are definitely getting your money's worth, and then some.

Porto's Bakery and Cafe doesn't stop there. The Cuban tradition infused in the sandwiches finds its home in their pastries. No one can deny the inevitable goodness of bread, butter, sugar and everything else great that combines to make one of their raved about pastries. I tried their two most popular, the cheese roll and the guava strudel. After one bite into the flaky sweetness, it suddenly made sense why they sell thousands of these daily. Sandwiches and pastries - quite the dynamite duo.

No longer am I naive to the ways of Cuba. Bueno. Bonito. Barato. Porto's Bakery and Cafe got it right.