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    El Merendero

    3.3 (74 reviews)
    InexpensiveBakeries
    Closed 5:30 am - 8:00 pm

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    Desiree R.

    There is usually parking at their parking lot or across the street when they're packed. I got the fajitas which were super flavorful and i found no fat on the meat, perfect! The portion is huge and served on a hot skillet. Your side if rice/beans/sour cream/ lettuce and tomato come on a separate plate. The agua de pepino was very yummy in this heat but pretty sweet. I asked for a cup with water and i added it to the agua de pepino and it was perfect. I wish they had more options for kids (you have to ask for the kids menu). My parents also enjoyed their meals. The neat thing about this place is that you can bring your pot from home and purchase menudo to go! The service is fast and the restaurant also had a bakery - yummy desserts!

    Chili relleno and enchiladas
    Aaron B.

    Small place on the Main Street and we thought it was closed because of the tint on the window but it was open. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and a table was set up for our party of seven. After placing our order the food came quickly (10 minutes or so). Everything was cooked perfectly, large portions and was delicious. We will definitely come back!

    Cakes
    Vivianna R.

    Stopping by to grab a tres leches cake! I got a slice just to try before buying a whole cake. I loved this tres leches.. i believe it was around $25 for a round cake, they do not write on the cakes which is not a huge deal for me. But it was moist, flavorful, not too sweet, and still held its shape. They have pan dulce and other treats there which i would come back to try. The service was nice and i did not have to wait long.

    Kids "chicken tenders" are actually Dino nuggets.
    Elsa L.

    Food is just ok, nothing to rave about. Ordered the kids chicken tenders and got Dino Nuggets with fries for $8.50. My other kiddo ordered kids hamburger which had a large piece of burnt grill. See pictures. So sad we will not be coming back.

    El merendero menu

    The food was absolutely amazingly delicious. The portion not so great, but it was so tasty. Since we walked in the waitress in the front was really kind and patient and attentive. Her name was Vanessa. She definitely made it a good experience for us. Her CUSTOMER SERVICE was impeccable. The restaurant was cleanand temperature was good where we sat. Definitely taking my family there again.

    Menudo
    David L.

    I come for the menudo to go en hoya but man they need to turn on the AC! So hot in there on top of its so small. Get it together turn on the AC

    Inside
    Lora M.

    Always the best go to breakfast, delish & always fresh. The food taste like homemade & the place is family ran. The prices are very well priced & they don't charge you any extra for more salsa or chips (they are generous). We always come on the weekends or even through the week to have their delicious huevos rancheros, it's so good. This place does get crowded so come early or you could be waiting. They are connected to a Pan Dolce Bakery that has some of the best sweet breads around.

    Last year's tamale:(  Left behind  Was in the freezer

    I order a tamale (beef) was very very dried I showed the waitress and she said they had just made them you be the judge

    Zoey M.

    WATCH THE VIDEO I POSTED. I hate leaving small businesses bad reviews but omg it's really bad. This bakery is located in the heart of down town, and is personally convenient for us. We tried it out for the first time this morning (at around 11:30) and were extremely disappointed. I can hands down say we will not be returning. The customer service was not bad, and the bakery was your typical Hispanic bakery with lots of different breads, cakes, and small pastries. However, the multiple breads we purchased we rock hard. Not just multiple but a variety as well. We went in on a Friday morning expecting fresh bread, and that was further from what we got. The breads were stale, and hard. They were difficult to even bite. I can't even believe we paid for old bread. It doesn't even feel real that a bakery can sell something this unpleasant. I don't know if it might be the lack of proper storage throughout the day, or that the bread was flat out old. But it really made the over all experience a waste for us. We didn't enjoy any of the bread. I wouldn't recommend.

    This is what I asked for.

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    5 months ago

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    4 months ago

    The beef was extremely tough. The nachos only had tough meat, beans and cheese. This was the worst Mexican food I have ever had.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    My favorite Mexican restaurant in the Pomona area ! Wet burritos are the BEST! Pandulce is also really good and the tamales

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The bread is fire and next room over they got great food the posole is bomb and there is a lot of other great food and bars around

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    2 years ago

    El Merendero has good Mexican food. The beef cocido is fresh and flavorful. Their shrimp cocktail is also fresh and tasty. Check it out

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food and some of the best Menudo I have had in a very long time. El Merendero is our new go-to spot for authentic Mexican food.

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Amazing service! Very sweet! Take the covid procautions VERY seriously! i will definitely come back soon!!

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Look no further, the food is delicious, the service is wonderful. I love the pozole and menudo. The pan dulce and the cakes are to die for.

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    Spike's Cake Shop - Tres Leches Cake with fruit topping, half sheet.

    Spike's Cake Shop

    3.5(378 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    All it took was one concha. A coworker introduced me to this bakery three months ago with a single…read morepiece of pan dulce, and I was instantly hooked. Since then, I've gladly driven 20 minutes just to pick up their bread, it's that good. Their Mexican sweet bread is consistently fresh and flavorful; the crumb on that bread is impressive. I was so impressed that I ordered 45 conchas as a thank-you for celebrating with us gift for my son's wedding. They were a huge hit. Beyond the pan dulce, my husband and I have tried their burritos, carne asada, and carnitas, and everything has been absolutely delicious. We even ordered cabeza and lengua for my brothers, and they were just as impressed, especially with the flavor and the freshness of their flour tortillas. I also ordered a cake for a party and served it at the restaurant; it stole the show. It was so good that our waiter had a slice himself and asked where we bought it. From their bread and cakes to their savory dishes, this bakery consistently delivers quality and flavor. I highly recommend them.

    The meat guy at Bocanegra Meat market next door told me to visit Spikes if I wanted some carne…read moreasada. They told me that they had the same owners. When I went in there, they told me they couldn't sell it by the pound, but, instead could sell me a taco or burrito. They told me that I could buy carnitas by the pound. I chose to try their carnitas. There's something that doesn't seem right about buying cooked meats from a bakery. Their carnitas was just okay. Nothing special. I've had better. My wife tried it and said that the Costco one is better. Not a fan of this place especially when the meat guy next door says it is available. Perhaps I should stick to the cakes when coming here.

    Photos
    Spike's Cake Shop
    Spike's Cake Shop - Cake

    Cake

    Spike's Cake Shop - $4.16 charge, didn't get my full order. When I called they told me this was my mistake.

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    $4.16 charge, didn't get my full order. When I called they told me this was my mistake.

    Paris Baguette - Almond pastry

    Paris Baguette

    4.4(385 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    One of my favorite bakery franchises and this spot is one of the best. This specific cafe is always…read moresuch a vibe. Very clean, friendly and quick staff, just super efficient overall. Among the pastries, I've tried most of them, and my favorite has to go to the Smoked Sausage Bread and the Walnut Cream Bread. Both are always so addicting to munch on, and honestly just a must purchase every visit. I often grab a box of Green Tea Roll Cake for my family and they absolutely love it as well. Very well presented and not too sweet. Perfect mix of flavor as well, highly recommend. Cake slices here are a must try if you're ordering a cake. They're perfect size to test all the flavors of cakes. Selection is extensive so there's all kinds for each taste bud. My favorite is definitely the tiramisu and strawberry soft cream. The soft cream is very flavorful, melts in your mouth and best part is that it's not too sweet. I love the presentation as well since it's not too flashy nor too cheap. Serves plenty which is perfect for any special occasion. My wife loved the selection as I got that to celebrate her birthday. Drinks wise, I've only tried their matcha latte but it's absolutely one of my favorites hands down. Cup is huge for a large, and I was handed the drink fairly quick on a busy day. This cafe has plenty of tables and I often see people doing work here or just hanging out, a perfect spot in a busy plaza. Overall, one of my favorite spots, always a pleasure to purchase anything here for snacks or a meal filler. I highly recommend downloading their app to get rewards, deals, and a free cake slice of your choice on your birthday.

    Paris Baguette is one of my top 3 favorite bakeries of all time. I prefer this location in Chino…read moreHills even more than other locations I've visited. The store is decently sized with an ample amount of tables and seating, as well as a wide variety of sweet & savory pastries, cakes, sandwiches, beverages, and even more baked goods. Some of my favorite pastries here are strawberry croissant, pastry frank, and walnut cream bread. I've also had many of their other pastries, which are always delightful to eat. The textures and flavors of everything are spot on. For cakes, I believe the strawberry soft cream cake is one of the best cakes you can find. The cream is soft & light and does not taste overly sweet, which is perfect for me. My wonderful husband bought me this whole cake for my last birthday. Candles can be provided at no additional cost. If you don't want a whole cake, thankfully this place offers roll cakes, in addition to many of their whole cakes available as cake slices. I just tried the rainbow cake recently, which tasted pretty good and also felt light. Each of the six layers had different fruity undertones. One thing that really surprised me from here is the iced matcha latte. I was impressed by the quality of the matcha and smoothness of the latte. You are able to customize the milk selection, ice level, and sweetness level. It was a refreshing beverage that I enjoyed. Make sure to join their rewards program to collect points!

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    Paris Baguette
    Paris Baguette
    Paris Baguette

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    R & J Bakery - Wedding cake made by R&J

    R & J Bakery

    4.4(80 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    These cakes are fire!!! Service is straight forward, they take of business. Every time I call and…read moreorder something it's wonderful. Perfect for any occasion!! My go to order is white cake with strawberries and whip cream with almonds on the outside!!! Highly recommend trying this place. Don't let the location scare you it's well worth it!!

    I was super excited to find this bakery on Yelp as I grew up on old school Chinese cakes from LA…read moreChinatown / SGV and my family prefers them to Non-Asian cakes (i.e. Costco/supermarket/Porto's, non-asian bakeries). I called in a few days ago to order an 8" strawberry cake for my husband's birthday and requested no almonds on the side since my kids are allergic. I went to pick it up today and found the bakery in an Asian shopping plaza next to the Asian market. They had a few buns in the shelf as you walk in, so I picked up a coconut bun to try (only $1.50! Yay!). The interior is bare bones, with a few dusty fake cakes for display. The bakery shelves are covered up since they don't seem to sell anything besides cakes and a few buns. We ate the cake tonight but I was silently crying tears inside. While the sponge cake itself was nostalgically good, I noticed that there were barely any strawberries in the cake. It's summer and full on strawberry season, so to see that they were so skimpy on the strawberries was a major disappointment. This has got to be the saddest Asian strawberry cake I've ever had. In. My.life. All of our slices of cake had a sliver of strawberry hiding in a massive amount of cream (I guess to make the cake look bigger and taller). I ordered a strawberry cake, not a cream cake with a strawberry garnish. I added an extra star for the cake quality, but am not a fan of the excessive cream-to-cake ratio or the lack of strawberries in the filling. There are better Asian cakes available on the other end of the 10, so I won't be back. Cash only. Also, fyi, this bakery is in a neighborhood where I saw 5 scantily clad prostitutes walking the streets (at 2:00 in the afternoon) and about 6 homeless people were hanging out in the plaza a few feet away from the bakery.

    Photos
    R & J Bakery
    R & J Bakery - Birthday cake with strawberries inside

    Birthday cake with strawberries inside

    R & J Bakery - Can you find the strawberry filling?

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    Can you find the strawberry filling?

    El Merendero - bakeries - Updated May 2026

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