Tell an Angelino that you’re Cuban and they immediately send you to one of two places: Porto’s Bakery or Versailles Restaurant.
But I already stood in line for 40 minutes on a Sunday morning for a Potato Ball™ (una papa rellena, meng). And I already discovered that the flan is more canela than leche. So now what?
Well, now I embark on a quest to find all things Cuban in this great city. And I’ll even discover non-Cuban things, but still find a way to Cubanify them, as that is the most Cuban thing to do.
Welcome to a Cuban’s Guide to Los Angeles.
A Cuban's Guide to L.A. 
Hey, why don’t you open a cuban ventana or….then you can use your “miami creativity” for us to enjoy!! I make my espresso every morning and fry platanos any time….good luck cubanita!!!!
Excellent. I’ll be at your house tomorrow morning a las siete en punto.
Check out Cuban Cafe in Hawthorne, Ca. More authentic and friendly than Portos !
Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll be sure to check it out!
Try Tropicana Bakery in Downey. I prefer them over Porto’s, but there is a wait for some inexplicable reason. The Cuban Sandwiches are pretty bomb though. Oh…speaking of which. The Havana Sandwich company in El Segundo probably has ONE (because there are others) of the best Cuban Sandwiches in the greater Los Angeles area. Trust me…I’m a Cubano gordito…I know my food. 😉
These are awesome suggestions! Thank you so much, from gordita to gordito.
Welcome to LA! Try Mambo’s Cafe in Glendale, most authentic joint I’ve found within a 30 minute drive. Porto’s no esta en nada 😉 I’ll be checking back to see what you find, five years here and that’s all I got, lol. Good luck!
Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll add it to my list! I just went to La Cubana last night, which is also in Glendale and it was pretty great. If you think of anything else mete un grito!
Try La Caridad at 2619 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles and El Cochinito at 3508 Sunset Blvd, also in Los Angeles
Try La Caridad at 2619 Sunset Blvd and El Cochinito at 3508 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles
Awesome! Thank you for that, I’ll add it to my list.