Four Thumbs Up for Porto's

We went to a great place for lunch in Burbank. We were up that way for our tax appointment and decided to have lunch with our pals Tommy and Christine afterward. They selected a new place that just opened up near them: Porto's Bakery.


This is Porto's. We forgot the real camera that day, so you'll have to settle for a cell phone pic. (3/11/06)

Porto's Bakery is a family-owned and operated Cuban bakery and cafe that has served Glendale and its surrounding communities for over 35 years (yet in that entire time, I had never been there before, even when I lived in Burbank years back). The Burbank store is their first ever expansion to a second location. And by the looks of the crowds inside, it appears to be a hit.

The place is crazy busy. It was almost like being in the first McDonald's in Moscow, or the first KFC in Beijing. Seriously. It was nuts!

But the food was worth it all. The pastelitos (Cuban meat pies) were incredible, and paved the way nicely for my Pan con Lechon, oven-roasted pork with Spanish-style mojo (garlic dressing) on Cuban bread. The plantain chips and dulce de leche latte complemented the meal nicely.

And then there was dessert: Selected Cuban pastries. Yum. We'll definitely be going back there.