If we are anywhere near Porter Ranch or Burbank, we make a point of stopping at Porto’s. Usually it is Brad who runs in, because he can get in and out fast. When the girls and I go in, it takes us forever to decide. There are so many options, and when there are that many, I freeze. So here is the cheat sheet I wish I had: what we always get, what is worth trying, and what I would skip.
What We Always Order
- Cheese rolls: a staple in our house. Easy to eat, and nobody argues over them.
- Guava and Cheese Strudel: flaky puff pastry with guava cutting through the cream cheese. It is Porto’s top seller for a reason, and part of a pastry line the family calls “Refugiados.”
- The Cubano: slow-roasted pork, ham, Swiss, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread, pressed until the crust shatters. I swear by it, and I wish I could order it for lunch every day.
- Plantain chips: phenomenal, and the only plantain chips Charlotte will eat. Plus, they go perfectly with your Cubano.
Worth Trying
For something different, the pineapple empanada is unique and very good, and a nice change of pace from the guava strudel.
What I Would Skip
I know a lot of people swear by the potato balls and meat pies. We order them, and I think they are just okay. Honestly, I am not that impressed by any of the hot savory items. The sweets and the sandwiches are where Porto’s shines.
I have never ordered a whole cake, but I have had the fresh fruit tart and the Milk’N Berries cake, and both were just okay for me.
My Best Tip: Order Ahead
There is always a line, so order online and go straight to the pickup line. It will save you a lot of time, and if you are like me and freeze in front of the pastry case, you get to make your decisions at home.
If you do go in person, weekday afternoons between 2 and 4 p.m. are usually the calmest, and Sunday mornings are the busiest.
Which Porto’s We Go To
Our Porto’s runs are almost always to the Porter Ranch location, and the hauls in the photos above came from Porter Ranch pickups. The menu is the same across locations, so the order above works wherever you go. The lines are a different story, which is why ordering ahead online matters so much.
Our Porto’s Order, Short Version
- Always: cheese rolls, Guava and Cheese Strudel, the Cubano, plantain chips
- Worth trying: the pineapple empanada
- Just okay for us: potato balls, meat pies, the fresh fruit tart, the Milk’N Berries cake
- Best tip: order online and use the pickup line
A Little Porto’s History
Porto’s began with Rosa Porto, who baked cakes in secret in Manzanillo, Cuba, to support her family after the revolution. The family emigrated to Los Angeles in 1971, Rosa sold cakes from home, and in 1976 they opened a small storefront in Silver Lake. The move to Glendale in 1982 was the turning point, and Porto’s has been a Southern California institution ever since.
Not in Southern California?
Porto’s ships frozen pastries nationwide through Porto’s Bake at Home, so you can get a box of guava strudels without the drive. A new Porto’s with table service and a full bar is also being built at Downtown Disney. Check their website for the opening date.
