I love that my hometown of San Diego has so different cultures and ethnicities, and with that comes lots of unique and tasty cuisine and food culture! Azucar is a busy, vibrant, and cheerful little Cuban-inspired café where desserts are bright, colorful, tantalizing and dangerously delicious! Between the strong Cuban coffee, ridiculously good desserts and sugary diabetes inducing treats, you'll feel a rush of energy and ectasy. Azúcar isn't just a bakery--it's a strategic mental test of your self-control. $4 Cuban guava cheese pastry is a flaky, buttery puff pastry layered with a sweet-tart stripe of guava paste and a creamy ribbon of mild cheese. $6 Pistachio Passionfruit Macaron...so nutty and sweet, yet fluffy and heavenly, true Cuban Treat(That's Haiku BTW) $3.75 Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookie...perhaps the boring looking thing here, but its elevated far above your Chips Ahoy crap...rich sweet decadent chocolate chunks in a moist chewy buttery cookie dough..so good! read more

Checked out the famous guava patties this week and they did not disappoint. I didn't eat them right away and the pastry stayed fresh for sitting for a day. Service was good. The line wasn't too bad but it seems pretty popular. read more

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I came here about 15 minutes before they were closing and I was surprised to see how many items they had left. I was happy I got to have soo many options, but I also had a really hard time deciding what to get because everything honestly looked soo good! I ended up getting a few different goodies to try and while they all weren't "to die for" persay, they were all very yummy and enjoyable to eat! Only one of the items was a bit too sweet for me, but I thought the other ones had a perfect balance of sweet and tarty/sour. I would honestly come here again! read more

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Friendly staff and even better pastries! We ordered the guava and cream cheese and the Cuban pastries. They were both so delicious that I wished we ordered more! We definitely need to try the cookies and other items they have there next time read more

Azucar - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

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Highest recommendation of all the places I've tried in OB so far! We got the Cubano and latte for drinks. Pastries included the meat pie, florentine, coconut cake, passion fruit caramel, guava cheese pastry, and sweet corn scone. Honestly they were all pretty impressive and I can't wait to come again. Total cost was about $37, super affordable for the quantity and quality. Lively and loud inside, they had a small line out the door so we waited for about 30 minutes but it's worth it I think - people taking too long to decide with the many many choices available inside. After ordering received the order in about 5 minutes. Limited seating inside, about 8 seats with two larger benches outside. read more

Azucar - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

So glad to have found a go to Cuban coffee spot in San Diego! All the locals will tell you about this place, and I thought it would be overhyped until I actually got the chance to try it. It was outstanding and the coffee was super authentic and yummy. There were so many options of delicious looking pastries to choose from, and I didn't know what to pick. I chatted with the staff and they recommended the quiche for me so I ordered that and got to sit outside, do some work, and do some people watching while enjoying my treats. I always recommend this to other friends now that I've gotten a chance to go. Sometimes there's a really long line, but it's definitely worth it. No, I can probably say I'm one of the locals who will recommend azucar to others! read more

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Tried their new coconut cake, DIVINE!!! Not too sweet & super moist & fluffy. And of course their Divina cake (moist white chocolate soufflé cake w/ passion fruit & raspberry curd & toasted marshmallow IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE, if you're a passion fruit fanatic like me. read more

Azucar - Mini size - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

Such good pastries! We had the chocolate croissant and guava pastries and I would eat them all again! Service was very friendly and it was a cute spot. It is on the smaller side and can get quite busy but the line moves pretty quick! read more

Azucar - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

I can't believe I'm actually saying this after my very first visit and amongst my family, friends, and fellow foodies, what I'm about to say might be sacrilegious, but after eating the pastry, scone, and savory item, I might be scorned and shamed. I've got to be true to my foodie self and boldly make this claim. Azucar is a better Cuban bakery than Cuban bakery institution Porto's. Yep, I said it and I'm sticking by it!! Brought my better half here and we spoke effusively about what we chowed down on. We glowingly raved about Azucar that my wife, who works in the patisserie business, took the time to let one of their employees know that she enjoyed every item she ate. 5 stars for their baked goodies, but their white chocolate latte with hazelnut was okay. Azucar is located in Ocean Beach (OB), which is a laid-back, bohemian neighborhood in San Diego known for its authentic surf culture, independent shops, and dog-friendly atmosphere, especially at Dog Beach. It's a short drive from Sea World and Mission Beach. OB with it's eclectic Mom and Pop small businesses interspersed with name brand retail shops appears to be a fun place to walk around. Azucar can be found amongst these shops next to the Sunset Cliffs Blvd. and Newport Ave. intersection, next to Newport Avenue Optometry and Speedway Express gas, and across the street from Sourdough & Moore. Parking is 2-hour street parking. Azucar has a small footprint with a few tables inside and a couple of tables outside. As you wait in the long, fast moving line, you'll see the blue and white palm tree wall with the different languages for the word sugar; the blue decorative lighting and cylindrical wooden artpiece hanging over the register; and there are framed pics of Cuban life. The gentleman who assisted us was friendly and worked fast. My life partner was familiar with Azucar and wanted to indulge in their scones for her early Mother's Day treat. Apparently, Azucar's owner has Cuban roots and has Cuban-inspired food, but it serves a variety of desserts, pastries, cakes, and confectionary delights. Besides their sweets, they also serve barista style coffees, teas, cold drinks, and sandwiches. Please don't be deterred by the long line flowing out the door because Azucar's staff hustles. Plus, it gives you time to ogle at the beautifully crafted desserts and pastries. I haven't eaten everything we purchased, but solely based on the three items I ordered, I made the lofty claim that Azucar is better than Porto's. These three pastries are Must Order items if you visit this bakery: Cuban Cheese Roll, Cuban Meat Pie, and Sweet Corn & Honey Scone. That Cuban cheese roll had a salivating, sweet, and creamy filling and the pastry itself was flaky and addictively tasty. I savored every single bite of the meat pie that packed a lot of yumminess in that small package. I just wished it was bigger. Make sure to ask for their hot sauce to add spice to that meat pie. The sweet corn & honey scone was like a biscuit, golden yellow, had a balanced taste, and it ate really well with my white mocha hazelnut latte. We also ordered the following: raspberry and passion fruit scone, peach scone, blueberry coconut scone, tiger butter cookie, salted toffee oatmeal cookie, and chocolate chunk cookie. I'm sure they will be as delish as the three items I raved about. We've visited Porto's in Orange and Los Angeles Counties and I've always questioned why there isn't a San Diego location. Welp, after my first visit to Azucar, we don't need a Porto's in San Diego any more. read more

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Brought a friend here for some pastries last week and we absolutely loved everything we tried. The corn scone was a fave, and I enjoyed trying an assortment of sweet and savory treats this time around. read more

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Service was great, the baristas were busy making things but took the time to jot down my order. Cuban pie and 5 ledges read more

Azucar - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

Yum. Yum. Yum. We saw a line out the door and hopped in it. Sampled the Espana and a Guava Pastry. Took a little while for the Espana to come out but it was worth the wait. Both of the items we tried were so delicious. Cute space too. Will be back for lunch and desserts! read more

Azucar - Guava pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

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Such a great Cuban cafe and espresso bar! A local favorite! Try anything and you won't be disappointed! Friendly well trained baristas. Cafe has inside and outside seating! So many Cuban and other dessert pastry choices!!! read more

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Located in Ocean Beach, San Diego, Azucar is an amazing spot for Cuban Pastries. It trumps even the best cuban bakeries we have in Los Angeles! Despite having a small footprint with limited indoor seating, they pack incredible flavor. We had a banana cheesecake that was light and delicious. Their guava pastry on puff pastry was delicate and delicious! They had addictively good toffee oatmeal cookies, their meat pies were flavor bombs, and their cheese roll was crispy, gooey, and wonderfully chewy. I couldn't pass up getting a half "Espana" sandwich, which had a Spanish omelette with Manchego cheese. It was made to order and when it was out of the panini press, it was deliciously hot and crispy. What a great bite! Overall, this patisserie was one of my favorites of this year and I know that I'll be back when I come back to SD! read more

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I had to reread my old review to figure out why I'd ever give this place 4 stars. Looks like I was less than pleased with the service, but gosh, the pastries are such a hit here, it deserves nothing below 5 stars. I'd also say that people have been friendly the last few times I've come, so I'll chalk it up to a bad day! Azucar is one of San Diego's best bakeries. They truly make some of the most delicious treats. At this point, I've tried almost everything and it's all a hit. The scones are so incredibly and they always have such interesting flavors whether you want corn or passionfruit, peaches or chocolate. I love the guava and cheese pastries and the sour cream cake is to die for. My husband recently got me a full sized cake for my birthday and it was so incredible. Beyond the taste, it was so beautifully decorated! I'm not a caffeine drinker, but indulge in the occasional decaf latte. They make an outstanding one. Everything about this place is the best! read more

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Ez website ordering ... I skipped the queue . The best part about ordering the night before is forgetting what was ordered and being surprised when the box is opened (and consumed). Very good choco croissant and very sweet sweeties. Not your typical coffee place and pastries eateries in a place crowded with coffee places. I loved the raspberry 'thing' ... sweet and flaky read more

Azucar - Can't wait to try the Cubano ! - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

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Came here for the first time and am shocked I haven't been here sooner! We had their pumpkin latte and cafe con leche. Both were delicious. Just be aware they were both on the sweeter side but that's normal for Cuban drinks and we loved them. As for the pastries all of them were fantastic! Special shout out to the pumpkin snickerdoodle, the meat pie, pastelito with queso, and the manchego and jamón pastry. Their desserts were GORGEOUS and perfectly sized. In the future we will be returning to get items for whatever party we will be going to where we want to impress. It's a cute small little coffee shop. There are three tiny tables inside and two outside. Parking is street so I could foresee that taking a hot second, especially when they are busy. We went on a Friday AM and the line ebbed and flowed but was constant so just be aware of that. Highly recommend! read more

Azucar - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

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This is a nice neighborhood bakery in Ocean Beach area. Parking can be a challenge and the lines can be long but it's definitely worth the visit. The shop offers a nice variety of Portuguese style pastries and beautifully decorated cakes. It also has dog treats too and nice bitter coffee and latte drinks. The service is also friendly and efficient, which I appreciated. The only thing I wish they could improve is their bathroom sanitation issues. I went to use the bathroom and my legs got covered by gnats / sink bugs that were crawling in and out of the drains on the floor. Totally gave me the heebies jeebies. It would also be nice if it had an automatic faucet and soap dispenser as well. Looking forward to revisiting again in the future, nonetheless. read more

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Nice Cuban bakery with outdoor seating. Parking is hard to come by in this area. Walking in, the bakery was very warm inside. I guess they are relying on the ocean breeze to cool this place down. We got here around 2:30pm on a Sunday and they still had some sweets left. The meat balls were pretty good and I prefer these over Porto's. I grabbed their last cheese roll and it was crispy with a cream cheese filling inside. Again, I enjoyed this more than the one at Porto's. We also ordered an iced coffee that was also good. Definitely of high quality. I really wanted to try their pastries like a croissant or something, but since we came so late, the only thing left was a pistachio croissant and I wasn't feeling it as I just wanted a plain one. If you are in the area, make sure you stop by, but just be aware that it's very warm inside, so I would suggest you eat outside. read more

I have been coming to this little Cuban cafe for last two years, I just love, love this place, What should I say, it's a laid back, casual little place with so much charm. There is always have a long line stretches outside of the cafe. But honestly, that's the part of the fun. It's kind of forces you to chat to people in front or behind you. By the time of your turn to order, you've probably meet a new friend or two. I obsessed of all their savory pastries, Cuban meat pie, cheese rolls... so good. As for their cakes, they are too sweet for my taste, but everything else keeps me coming back. read more

Azucar - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

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You know, the most frequented visited spots that are extremely good in taste and price are often not reviewed. I find myself forgetting to write a review - but not today! I've been coming here forever and I'm very satisfied with the quality and prices ($1 croquettes & pastries under $4!) They had an abundance of pastries, muffins, scones, cookies, and high quality desserts in the pastry case. Today we ordered: - 4 Ham Croquettes: these take 4 min to fry up. They are tasty, but was missing the creamy dipping sauce that I'm used to. If they have it, I recommend ordering their Potato Croquettes because those are VERY good. - Guava y Cream Cheese Pastry: these are the OG pastry that they've had since they opened. They warm it up for you and it comes out piping hot, so watch out for the lava guava. It's perfectly flaky and the flavor is not too sweet either. The guava paste isn't too stodgy which is great as well! - Blueberry Coconut Scone: Delicious and not dry at all. Would recommend this or any of the other scones. Would highly recommend Azucar! They do NOT accept cash though. And no dogs are allowed in, unless they are service dogs. read more

Azucar - Guava Cheese Pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

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Their pastry case here looks amaaazing! I almost didn't know what to pick because I really wanted to say "all of it please"! There's a few tables inside and a few outside as well. The staff is very friendly! We got some quiches because I saw someone making a video of it outside - I asked if it could be heated up and they said yes. Soooooooo delicious! We also tried a peach pistachio pastry and it was also yummy! You can see and taste the quality (and for me - love the unique flavor combinations). They have scones, muffins that have a lot of blueberries in them, and cakes! I can't wait to try more next time! read more

Azucar - Azúcar Quiche - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

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Wow! This is a delicious pastry/dessert/coffee shop. We came here multiple times on our short weekend trip to ocean beach. Tried their savory breakfast items, delicious dessert pastries, cookies and coffee. Really enjoyed the señor peanut, a delicious peanut butter mousse on a chocolate shortbread cookie covered with a chocolate ganache. What a dessert bomb! read more

Azucar - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

Nice little location in Ocean Beach! The service was friendly, and the place was pretty busy as they have quite a few Cuban options. I went with the dessert and got the "It's Your Birthday" in honor of a buddy of mine. It was a very rich confetti cake, with vanilla frosting as well as being soaked in vanilla milk. I recommend getting a coffee with it, to cut the amazingly wonderful sweetness. For a good dessert in OB, this is the place! read more

i went here about two weeks ago with my family because i'm visiting and she said "this place is quite literally the best". I don't take that lightly and let me tell you this was quite literally the best. The place in itself is smaller but nicely decorated and homey. The service is amazing and the lady serving us was so beautiful! The peach and pistachio cream tart literally sent me into an out of orbital loop my genetics cosmically altered me. It was so soft, yet chewy with the juicy peaches and crunchy too! Today I got the pistachio and passion fruit macaron and it was literally absolutely delicious perfect and amazing. I also was chemically altered and turned into a macaron. The passionfruit compote/filling was so tart and sweet. The macaron shell itself was hard to the touch but so soft once bitten into, i really did love it. The Dulce De Leche Macchiato is literally so amazing. When I leave California i'll be dreaming of this coffee. It's not overly sweet and still has a nice, tainted bitterness if you know what I mean. Definitely the best Macchiato i've tried since visiting. read more

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Beautiful bakery and well worth the long line. Beautiful displays of cakes and pastries. We tried lots of stuff - guava, guava queso, potato balls, chocolate croissant, and a couple cookies. My absolute favorite was the guava pastry - light, great texture, and amazing flavor. Liked it more than the one with cheese (was expecting a little sweeter like cream cheese but it was more on the savory size - still good though!) read more

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If you're anywhere near Ocean Beach, you should try this spot! Azucar is a Cuban-style patisserie where the owner has combined French baking techniques with classic Cuban flavors! What I ordered: * Divina Cake -white soufflé passion fruit raspberry cake with marshmallow on the outside * salted toffee oatmeal cookie They are definitely a sweet treat, something that's good to share! Anything passionfruit is a win for me and that salted toffee cookie was a nice balance - I'm usually a soft cookie person and this cookie was more on the crispy side but it worked out here! Will continue to stop by as they do change out what treats they have going! Need to try their guava cheese pastry next time to see if I will still need to drive to Porto's to get my fix lol read more

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Awesome coffee and pastries!!! Will definitely be back! I want to try every pastry behind the glass!! read more

Cute cafe with outdoor seating but way too crowded and inefficient service. Had to wait 30 minutes on line just to buy something that's already in the display shelves. Hot sandwiches took forever to come out also. They should have separate lines for hot food orders vs already made pastries. Their desserts and pastries are beautifully decorated but too sweet for my palate. The sandwiches are delicious but not really worth the wait. read more

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Azure is a stellar Cuban pastry shop with a wide variety of offerings from traditional croquetas to scones to various cakes and cookies. They had a lot of inventory to offer of individual desserts, so we were able to try multiple. The bourbon butterscotch cup, birthday cake, cinco leches, and divina (white chocolate cake with passion fruit curd and raspberries, topped with torched meringue) were all fresh and tasty. They also offer various coffee options if you need an afternoon pick me up - I'll always recommend a cafe Cubano. Would love to try more savory options in the future, cubano puff pastry? Yes please. read more

Azucar - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

Went on a Saturday afternoon 1 hour before closing and there's still a steady flow of customers. The place is small and not a lot of tables, so we were lucky that a table opened up a few minutes after ordering our coffee and desserts. My favorite is still the scone - it's not dense or dry like other bakeries. Perfect amount of sweetness. We also tried the tiramisu and it's not the traditional tiramisu, so this wasn't my favorite. read more

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I'm so happy I randomly stumbled upon this place! I was looking for a cute pastry place to get pastries for my husband's birthday. He's not big on the traditional cake and since it was just the two of us celebrating tonight I wanted to get something small yet to tasty. The original pastry place I was going to was closed. So I just Googled somewhere that was relatively close and found this place! And omg, their pastries are amazing! I definitely will be back to try other items. This time I tried the Cuban tiramisu and they are tres leches pastry. read more

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This bakery is small with limited seating, but being just steps from the beach more than makes up for it -- it's the perfect spot to grab a treat and enjoy the view. The guava pastry and strawberry pistachio scones are the real stars. Perfectly textured, rich, and indulgent without being overwhelming, they're a must-try. Pair them with a cup of their great coffee, and you've got a little slice of heaven. Everything here is so beautiful! Everything is reasonably priced, making it an ideal stop whether you're a local or just visiting. A charming, flavorful bakery. TLDR - get the guava pastry and strawberry pistachio scone if available! read more

Just stopped by to say that if you like Azúcar, you must get the seasonal Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Cream Tart. From the first taste I literally almost shed a tear of joy, and felt like I was in dessert heaven. The sweet, tart and sumptuous almond paste flavors atop a flaky, crunchy base are out of this world delicious. My #1 bite of 2025 so far! Vivian, please keep working your culinary magic forever at this one of a kind OB destination. read more

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Azucar is an absolute OB gem! This Cuban-style bakery ticks all the right boxes. A huge assortment of wonderful sweet and savory baked goods, plus pressed sandwiches and various coffees are waiting for you. The shop is small, but cute and clean, with Cuban music playing overhead as well as inside and outside seating. The staff is ever-cheerful and helpful while the kitchen crew makes quick work of the orders. As much as I wish Azucar was nearer to me than 3000 miles away because everything is so amazing, I think I'd have to buy bigger pants very often. Definitely make a stop. They're quite busy on the weekends, less so on weekdays. Either way, it's worth your time! read more

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The coffee here is phenomenal. It is honestly some of the best coffee I've had in San Diego. It is so hard to find good authentic coffee or espresso, and this place does it so well. I got the cafe Cubano and it was perfect, there was a nice layer of creama on top, and it wasn't overly sweet. I finished it off with the guava cheese pastry, and that was also delicious. The cheese is not as sweet as I thought, but with the guava jelly it was so balanced. The line here is always long, but they move people through quickly and the pastry's and cakes are always being restocked so nothing is out even if it looks like it. The staff is so nice and answered all our questions. I will totally be coming back. read more

Azucar - Pastry box - Bakeries Near Me - Ocean Beach, California

I'm a little torn on this place. There's a lot of good and some not so good. The positives - the service. Staff is honestly so kind and helpful and when I had an issue after the fact, a manager responded to my inquiry and refunded me a portion of the bill. That's an issue I won't mention here but it is part of the not-so-good category. I had to give the cheese roll and guava cheese a shot since those are the most famous Cuban pastries, especially from places like Porto's up in LA. The cheese roll is different but I don't care for it as much, mainly due to the pastry itself. I love the cheese filling and amount of filling but the pastry is a bit drier and softer. The guava cheese was a bit bland. The chocolate espresso cookie however was absolutely fantastic. One of my favorite cookies I've had. My second favorite cookie is the mojito cookie which is a mint lime to imitate the drink. It was tart, fresh, slightly sweet, and delicious. The cubano sandwich pastry was so salty and soggy. And the strawberry pistachio scone was just okay, nothing to write home about. read more

Hard parking but cute hole in the wall bakery/cafe with lovely staff members, an array of baked goods, and decent prices (given thay everywhere amd everything is just pricey nowadays). We tried the cubano sandwich, the coconut cake, and the Divina. Cubano - the slow roasted pork in the sandwich was a little heavily salted but delicious. Comes with an arugula salad. Coconut cake - beautifully layered and loved the custard like filling. It's like coconut pie, custard, and cake had a baby. Actually eating this with the passionfruit curd from the Divina and some fresh blueberries (added at home) brought it to a whole nother level. Divina - very tasty BUT WAS NOT IMPRESSED by how when I brought up that our cake did not have any raspberries in the middle and only had the ONE raspberry on top the situation was dismissed. Not only does the description displayed on their cake sign and online menu show that this should have raspberries, but I also verified this with the business. This may seem like a small oversight; however, it sounded like they didn't forget to add the raspberries (which brings that necessafy freshness the cake meeds), but intentionally have been leaving them out. If that's the case, then I would rather the menu description be updated than our situation being dismissed / beaten around the bushes. Giving 4 stars because overall Since I feel bad for giving 3 stars. It's hard to be a small business during these times. read more

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This place is the epitome of getting a sweet little treat. There is nothing on the menu I haven't enjoyed. Are the fancier pastries on the more expensive side? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Some highlights are the Divina and the giant pistachio macaroon (can't remember the name of it you will know it if you saw it). Outside of their pastry items I would say the rest of the menu is decently priced. They have great sandwiches and delicious hot coco. Speed is not the name of the game here, the staff puts their time into making a good product that I will, personally, happily wait for. This is the perfect place to sip and snack with your neighbors and watch the characters of Ocean Beach go about their sunny San Diego day. read more

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Amazing desserts, friendly staff, and beautifully crafted cakes and pastries. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful. Highly recommended for anyone with a sweet tooth! read more