TL;DR: Definitely a hidden gem you should find if you're in the Santee area. Bakery is tucked in an unremarkably-looking business plaza so might need to drive around a bit to find it. Don't be intimidated when you enter and see an office-looking area with no display counters; in the back there is the factory and an employee can quickly prepare a small box of baklava for you. The lady baker I met was a total sweetheart. I got a variety pack (10 pieces for $12) and the baklava is super delicious; still pretty good a few days later in the fridge! I'd say that the box of baklava would make a great food gift. ---------- So I was in the area and I was intrigued that there was a bakery nearby that was purely dedicated to baklava. I'm gonna admit.....I think I've only had baklava one other time and I think I remember it tasting good haha. But anyway, this place is a bit hidden as it's located deep in a business plaza where all of the connected buildings look the same and the sign of the bakery is on a small window. I enter the place and I straight up see in front of me a computer and an office desk.....huh?? Lol. A lady approached me and it turns out that she's one of the bakers (found out later that she and her husband run the bakery). I asked her if I can buy baklava here (there were no display counters or anything like that at the front) and she was like "sure sure! Come on in!" Even though she led me straight into the small open factory area, I still felt like I wasn't authorized to be there haha. I didn't want to be rude and take pictures of the factory, but it was gorgeous (as far as factories go lol); very clean and pristine. Turns out that this bakery mainly does wholesale business activity of bulk orders, BUT people can still come by and purchase a small pack of baklava to bring home. She offered me some free samples, suhweeeeet. I tasted the pistachio one.....one bite of it and I was in heaven lol crispy, flaky layers with a sweet (but not sickingly sweet) syrup and a hint of pistachio flavor to top it all off (are you salivating yet??). I asked her for a small variety pack and she offered me a box of 10 pieces for $12. I got that deal and she prepared me a box, delicately placing freshly made baklava pieces into it. She was such a sweetheart and I can tell that she was genuinely grateful when I complimented on the taste of the baklava. I've tried some of the other baklava in the variety pack and for me the walnut and the pistachio ones are the winners so far. I've had the box in the fridge for a couple of days now and the pieces are still holding up well. I'd say that the variety pack would make a great food gift! read more

Baklava King - Variety box makes a great food gift :) - Bakeries Near Me - Santee, California

The best baklava! They ship all the way to remote Alaska and it arrives perfectly. can't say enough good things about Baklava King. I have tried the baklava Burma and Revani. It's all superb!! read more

Omg! I ordered these delicious Baklava after reading about them online. My family loves Baklava, and in San Francisco there are many choices, but a friend of mine said I need to try these. And she was right! The reviews online also made me want to try these. I ordered the pistachio , & the walnut baklava, the Revani little cakes, & the Burma assortment. First, they arrived quickly just a couple of days. They were packaged beautifully, & with such extra care. I was very impressed by that. Then the flavor! Wow! Extraordinary. The baklava's were so fresh tasting, crispy, & just delicious. The best we ever had. And The Burma's were the best We ever had. Pistachio, Cinnamon-Walnut, Chocolate-Walnut, Hazelnut, & Almond-Pecan. I loved them all & so did my family. I decided to also order these little " cakes" called Revani. Boy I am so glad that I did. They had a delicate flavor of lemon with coconut, & were very moist & melt in your mouth a burst of pure deliciousness. I have never had anything like it before. Just excellent! I definitely will be ordering from them again in the future. read more

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Baklava King is the absolute gold standard in authentic baklavas. Even if you have never purchased these treats directly from them, chances are you have enjoyed their goodies as these folks supply baklavas to a number of restaurants in San Diego. We have been customers for a over a decade (I can't believe I've never left them a review!) and never once have we been disappointed about any aspect of our order- consistently great quality products with excellent service. Given that we have been cooped up at home during these unusual times, we recently called them to check if we could pick up a couple of boxes of 48 Burma assortment (think baklava rolls). They promptly accommodated us and we have been happily stuffing our faces with baklavas morning noon and night! The pistachio and hazelnut rolls are my personal favorite but my family loves the cinnamon ones. If you like to stock up like we tend to do, these taste amazing and hold up the texture and taste when refrigerated! read more

I recently received this as a gift. It was mailed impeccably packaged. It was tasted wonderful. I really enjoy the variety pack. Highly recommend read more

Baklava King - Bakeries Near Me - Santee, California

The best Baklava ever! They bake a wonderful assortment of different nut and spice flavors all carefully labeled on the box when you open it. You can order online and if you pick up in the afternoon your order will have been baked that same day. I gave full and half size boxes to family and friends for Christmas and received rave reviews from everyone. Warning! they are hard to stop eating, so delicious! This will make my Christmas list so much easier to shop for next year. I'm taking my list directly to Baklava King. read more

I preordered a box of 32 about a week before Thanksgiving, and picked it up the day before. I got a mixed box, half traditional baklava and half (burma) rolls. I also got an assortment of pistachio and walnut and some of the burma rolls came drizzled with chocolate too! They were perfect! I liked that they were not as sweet as other baklava i've had. Its because they use a simple syrup (sugar and water) rather than honey. I prefer the pistachio over the walnut, but they are both very good. The price is right too, 32 pieces for $33, much cheaper than what you'd find in a restaurant, and other baklava places charge by the pound, which is confusing. Also when i came to pick them up she gave me a few pieces to try too! How cool is that?! They were a big thanksgiving hit. I might have to bring these to other parties as well. Be sure to preorder, they may have the 10 piece box for $11 if you walk in but its not guaranteed. read more

Baklava King - Box of 32, $33 - Bakeries Near Me - Santee, California

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I have been going to Baklava King for years and have made many purchases for Christmas and other occasions. They are very detail oriented, fresh and quality products, and never a bad experience. Amazing customer service they label all their back of us and their box is beautifully packed. I can't go anywhere else going forward. read more

I have been eating baklava at upscale Greek and Middle Eastern restaurants for decades. Baklava King is absolutely the best. We sent a box of the Baklava Ensemble to our friends for the holidays, and they were amazed. read more

I went to a Christmas party where the host had this Baklava. It has to be the best I have ever had so I had to purchase a box of it for my 20 - something boys. Half the box is already eaten! read more

Excellent quality, fresh and delicious baklava! Also, they have an incredibly responsive customer service and they responded to my change of delivery request right away. I'd not think twice to order again! read more

Baklava King has the absolute best baklava you can buy. They offer a variety of flavors and sell an assortment box that makes a wonderful gift. They are housed in a small production suite off Prospect Ave in Santee. It really doesn't even look like they are open to the public; however, they are. It is definitely worth going here if you want quality baklava. read more

I've never been to the the location. My mom said they are very friendly. I'm not a fan of Baklava, but whoever is making the baklava knows what they are doing because I can eat the entire tray. One year I even asked for a tray for my B-day. A must try! read more

My parents give me baklava from here for special occasions. I used to get the best baklava when I lived outside Ankara at the local bakeries and was never impressed from most places in the states until my parents got me an assortment from Baklava King. This is the only place I bother eating baklava from. read more

A friend of ours from San Diego has brought Baklava King's pistachio Burma to our house in Los Angeles on two different occasions. Each time it was the best. The quality reminded us of the time we were in Istanbul. We Highly recommend it and you will not be disappointed. read more

These are so delicious and very fresh. You will find there are so many types of baklava I never heard of- all fresh and delicious! Great holiday gifts and party desserts. I am proud to take these anyplace! The owners are very nice and friendly.You can go in to order or do it online. Either way these are fresh and delicious not like the ones I have gotten other places I would highly recommend them! Thanks Sarka read more

Received this as a gift from work and it is hands down the best baklava I've ever had! Its not too sweet, it has good integrity and texture is perfect. Now I will pass it forward and gift this to friends and family! read more

If you want really delicious baklava I would not go anywhere else but here! This is seriously the best I have had in San Diego. I will continue to buy here for all my baklava gifts or for myself when I am craving this wonderful treat! This place is technically like a wholesale place so its not set up like a restaurant or pastry shop, BUT you can walk in an order and they are extremely nice and very helpful. From what I noticed it appears people place a lot of online orders. But I lived so close it was nice to go in person and I am glad I did because I got to meet the owners. The owners are so sweet and very helpful, they really love what they do and it shows! It was a joy to speak to them. What I also really love is their Baklava is the traditional taste that we all love AND they have different types that are more like americanized fusions which were awesome to try. I picked up an assorted pack of all the different types they provide: Cinnamon Walnut, Hazelnut, Almond/Pecan, Chocolate Walnut, Walnut, and Pistachio (traditional Baklava). I tried a tiny bite of each and I will say that every single one was so delicious its hard to pick a favorite! I love the traditional pistachio of course but man I was blown away by the almond pecan. I bought a pack of 16 for me and a pack of 16 for a friend as a gift since she was visiting. She loved it and couldn't stop raving about the flavors. I am going to savor my box and try not to eat it all this week! Do yourself a favor and try it if you love Baklava! read more

By far the best Baklava I have ever tasted. The staff is so friendly. It's in a warehouse type of establishment and google took me on a slight detour but I eventually found it. Worth the money! read more

This place is by far the best baklava we have ever had. The portions are satisfying sized, elegantly displayed in their box or container, and just delicious. We bought a container to bring as a hostess gift, and we got ourselves a larger box to enjoy at home. The owner is wonderfully charming and engaging, and the lovely woman that got our order ready was very friendly and personable. Qualities I love to see in a family owned business. We will definitely be back - these make great party and Christmas gifts. Support your local businesses - they need us now more than ever. read more

The baklava is exceptional! Customer Service is fantastic, and the people there are so professional and friendly. I look forward to coming home and having my baklava with tea as if I'm staring at the Bosphorus. Outstanding taste second to none. read more

The staff there is soo nice and friendly. They def take pride in their produxt and deserve the name baklava king! Their baklava are def amazing! read more

Best Bakalava around!! Freshly made, and the owners are pretty awesome too! Somebody have a party so I can bring the Bakalava ! read more

Undeniably the best baklava. The only flaw of this place is that its too far from my home

It was our first time visit to Baklava King after hearing great things about the business ...we met the owner Cevdet and his wife, outstanding people! We had a very nice chat with them and they offered us a few sample items that were out of this world Delicious!!!! Their baklava is the closest thing to the top baklavas I've had in Turkey. You can tell it's made with top quality ingredients. The place is very clean and every staff member seemed like they love what they do! One thing for sure is that my quest for finding the best baklava in the US is now over. Baklava king is the best I've had so far!!!! Keep up the good work and hope to see you guys again!! Many thanks for a tremendous product! read more

Baklava King - Bakeries Near Me - Santee, California

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By far one of the best baklava specially the Pistachio baklava give the joy! As well all other flavors too I would recommend to anyone with having great low prices read more

Baklava King - Baklava's - Bakeries Near Me - Santee, California

I got the chocolate Baklava and it was amazing I would get again I would. Tell my friends and family to go there

I can't be friends with you unless you have a muffin top. There. I said it. I mean that in the sincerest way as this season has been ALL about not working out and ALL about eating. Kidding aside (kinda), I've been letting myself enjoy a few carb dessert items here and there this season. I recently drove to Santee to buy a few pastries directly from Baklava King. I blog about food so I figured their baklavas would be a fun topic for a holiday post. I was humbly surprised at how genuine yet intense the wonderful bakers are here at Baklava King. Baklava King is located in an industrial area so you have to drive to the very back of the buildings to get to them. There's one entrance and it's gated shut after you open the glass door. I heard a voice yell out that someone will be with me soon. Sarka, one of the bakers and I believe owners, greeted me and took me immediately to the back. I took a bunch of pictures that day (with permission). It felt like controlled Christmas baking chaos in their kitchen. I was so excited. There's a hustle & bustle with the close knit bakers here. I heard laughter and I felt the intensity of these female-only bakers that afternoon. There is so much to choose from. They have the standard triangle baklavas or the rolled burma baklavas. There are three nuts used here: pistachio, hazelnut, and walnut. The sugar water used here consists simply of filtered water, sugar, and lemon I believe. I asked Sarka if it makes a difference if the baklavas are eaten cold or room temp. She said it's a preference and that's it. Her kids, for example, enjoy eating only cold baklavas whereas others enjoy them fresh out of the oven. The samples I had were cold and I must say that I prefer them that way. There's something about the cold phyllo dough with the almost bottom heavy thick layer of sugar that makes me incredibly happy. My favorite item I sampled that day was the pistachio burma. I bought their 10 item sampler for $10. I so wanted to bust open that pack and try the chocolate burmas. Next time. I plan on re visiting this week to buy their ensemble pack ($32 for 32 pieces) for two holiday parties this weekend. My goal is to make everyone have muffin tops so we can all be friends this season. read more

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OMG! Some of the best desserts ever! They had such a great selection and everything I tried and had was delicious. Everyone that ate the desserts I took to a gathering, couldn't stop raving about them. Definitely a favorite. So glad they're in El Cajon, close enough to us. read more

Best Baklava in the USA. I love all the flavors they offer. I met the owner when I pickup in person twice and she is a very polite and service oriented person. read more

I have been coming to Baklava King for a few years now and I have to echo the great reviews from everyone else. The baklava is probably the best I have had and that's saying something considering there are quite a few great baklava businesses in the east county of San Diego. I like the the friendly and welcoming atmosphere when I just show up at the door and ask if they have a 16 piece box available for sale. They are always nice and willing to make you happy. So if you haven't tried their amazing product, I would give them a try and I am sure you won't be disappointed! read more

My friend Sandra sent me a box last month as a surprise, and if this wasn't the best baklava I've ever had. I devoured it. I have a feeling I will be ordering regularly from now on. I've been craving them all, but the chocolate burma especially. I tell everyone to order from you all now! read more

Baklava King - Baklava + Burma - Bakeries Near Me - Santee, California

Where should i start?! From the packing, to the customer service to the main event :) their delicious baklava !!! They are just so delicious !! I'll be giving these as a Christmas gift this year, to all my friends and family :)! read more

Baklava King - the back of the package - Bakeries Near Me - Santee, California

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I am certain this is the best bak on the planet. The owners and staff are also amazingly nice and genuine.

Good selection. Service was great. If you are looking for some good desserts this is the place. I would recommend to family

This is taken from an email that I wrote to Jeff (The Baklava King) Our order arrived today - 5 days ahead of projected delivery date. Packaged beautifully, as usual, and the pistachio nuts in the bag is great - none were disturbed in shipping Given how good these are, I can't imagine how you guys are able to keep up - I would think you would be inundated with orders and if you aren't, then people just haven't discovered your products yet. The Greeks make baklava, but it doesn't even come close to comparing with your Turkish product. Thanks again for the wonderful product and super fast shipping. read more

We tried to call in our order but was told to submit our order via email instead. Response was very prompt. Fast forward to pick up: the gentleman who greeted me at the door was very friendly and personable. He answered all of my questions about how to store the baklava and how to best enjoy them. I was buying them as a gift for someone so I wanted to make sure they could enjoy it to the fullest. They are so yummy! I ate two of them right away. 100% worth the 30min drive to get them. read more

arthur ashjian can't tell u enough how incredible this baklava tasted, found it by chance at a local Luna Grill in Menifee California about a mile from my house it was moist, sweet and full of flavor it was simply delicious and baklava king uses real high quality ingredients butter walnuts pistachios i finally found a company that makes Armenian pastry like my grand ma made when i was a child talk to the owner was extremely kind and pleasant told me all the hard work an ingredients that go into every piece ,i am a customer for life thank you again for a great product god bless read more

Can't even begin to say how amazing their service is! I ordered some Baklava online and within hours it was delivered. Its absolutely delicious! It's the best Baklava I have ever had! read more

Baklava King - Bakeries Near Me - Santee, California

The absolute best baklava in San Diego. They were able to fulfill a last minute order made fresh with the most incredible customer service. Please support this fabulous mom and pop shop. read more