Popular Bakery is many things - including living up to its name. It is a bakery, grocery store,…read moresandwich shop, cafe, and hang out, all in one. Located on Alberta Avenue, Popular Bakery fits well into the multicultural atmosphere of the area as a Portuguese bakery and restaurant. One of the few places where one can sit with a cup of coffee and enjoy conversation with friends (except when community coffeehouse The Carrot is open), Portuguese Bakery sells fresh baked goods, sandwiches made to order, and a few hot entree items such as Portuguese flame-grilled chicken and pork. A cooler contains a variety of beverages, both domestic and imported from Portugal, and there are a few short aisles of groceries, again, mostly Portuguese.
Despite being large and spacious, tables are precious few. I can imagine this place getting very full at lunch time, and doing a mostly take-out business. I was there around four in the afternoon, and the tables were around half full, mostly with older Portuguese men and women sitting around enjoying coffee and pastries, speaking in their mother tongue. My server was Portuguese, and I really felt like I had stepped into another culture - which is exactly what I want when I am visiting an ethnic establishment.
I ordered a quarter chicken meal with french fries (my other choice was rice) and a salad (which comes with the meal). I was asked if I wanted my food served regular or spicy and I opted for regular. My food was brought out to me a few minutes later, and consisted of a large plate almost overflowing with chicken, fries, and salad. The salad was a mix of vegetables in a light, almost Italian style vinagrette with a bit of a salty kick to it. The fries were average, but crispy. I thought perhaps they might make their own here, but I was wrong.
The chicken, however, was the star of the show. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, the meat was infused with a tangy season mix in oil, accented with salt and garlic. The grilled flavour of the chicken came through as well. Instead of giving me an entire dark or white quarter, I had a wing, a chunk of thigh, and two chunks of white meat. I enjoyed the variety, and it also made the meal easier to eat.
For dessert, I decided to try one of the many tempting treats in the bakery's showcase. An egg tart is a standard Portuguese favourite of mine and they were here, but looked rather burned. Some of the other items, such as danishes, eclairs, and other pastries looked delicious, but a bit too much to follow the meal I had. I opted for what looked like a smaller dessert - a slice of caramel pudding. As soon as my server handed me the plate, I thought my arm would drop. It was heavy for such a small slice! I also had a cup of coffee to accompany my dessert and keep me occupied as I finished reading a book.
The pudding reminded me of the filling of an egg tart, very firm in texture. The caramel part was probably the light syrup at the bottom of the slice, which tasted more like a lightly burned sugar than caramel. It was good, though, and it took me a while to fork my way through it. The big disappointment of the afternoon was the coffee. It was very, very average. However, it was also inexpensive.
The price for a meal is in the $7-$10 range. The sandwiches are on fresh bread or rolls and include a variety of meats. There is also soup. I plan to come here again to have more chicken and try the rice.
Portuguese Bakery closes daily at 6:00 p.m. and is closed on Sundays.
