have been a loyal customer of Ponce's Bakery for over 10 years. Their pan Mexicano is excellent, fresh, and one of the reasons I continue coming back. If you're looking for great Mexican bread and pastries, this is definitely the place. However, on Mother's Day (May 10th), I decided to try their menudo for the first time and purchased 3 orders. Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. The menudo was extremely bland and seemed to be missing basic seasoning like salt and oregano. Normally, bland food can be fixed at home with a few spices, but the bigger issue was the large amount of grasa (grease/fat) in the caldo. The grease was very dense and excessive. I tried removing as much as possible, but there was still too much. In fact, I had to serve my mother the menudo without the broth because of how greasy it was. My recommendation: stick to the bread -- it's great. As for the menudo, maybe this was just a one-off experience, so others may want to give it a try for themselves. I personally hope they improve the recipe because it's difficult finding a good Sunday morning menudo spot in the Downey area. read more

I've read some negative reviews about thisbakery supposedly getting upset when you order certain amount of tamales, but my experience has been nothing but positive. I've ordered up to three dozen tamales at a time and never had an issue. The staff is polite, they greet you when you pay, and that's all I need no need to chat about their weekend or personal life. I'm there for the bread and tamales, and both are consistently fresh and delicious. This is definitely a regular stop for me! Rated by a TEAMSTER read more

This bakery has the best bolillo and pan dulce. It can be a bit hot in there, specially during the summer but it's definitely worth it. They also sell tamales and tamales. Service is decent read more

Waited in line to get service. Everybody else looks like they got what they came for and I still was still standing there 25 minutes later I still wasn't even able to place an order. I don't recommend this place. read more

If you're looking for an authentic Mexican bakery with the best pan dulce? Look no more! Ponce's Bakery has the freshest and softest bread ever! Their friendly service and great prices keep you coming back. Go and support your local mom & pop shop! You will not regret it. read more

Ponce's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Downey, California

This morning my mother in law went in to buy bread and the Lady that attended her was very rude to her. she even said "Don't put words in my Mouth" based of a misunderstanding on what time did you guys open. Thats no way to treat a customer. Owners should have a word with her regarding her attitude. read more

Best bakery in Downey. I love that they have mini conchas which are my go to for special events. The birote is best in the morning, and their tamales are yummy too. Most of the workers are amicable. There's two ladies that sometimes lack customer service, I just ignore them. Place is clean but it gets very hot in there, guess because it's a bakery but summer days are bad, to the point of breaking a sweat in there from just grabbing pan dulce. read more

*** really good no frills Mexican bakery *** OVERALL No frills is the best way to describe Ponce's Bakery. ENVIRONMENT The sign is noticeable as you drive by the southwest corner of Stewart and Gray Road and Old River School Road. When you walk in, the place is small. It's - again - no frills. The left side has all of the ready-to-go pastries and breads. The rules may change in the future due to COVID, but grab a tray from the counter and some tongs hanging near self-serve area and load it up! SERVICE I asked if the gentleman who served me was the owner (9/4/21). He chuckled and said he was the owner's brother. Not only was he friendly, but had a witty, sarcastic sense of humor. An employee after my own heart. Lol. MY FAVORITE PART... Pan dulce! They offer a wide variety of sweet bread and cookies and more... NOT SO FAVORITE PART... The front door was propped open probably to help cool it down, but as soon as I walked in this bakery was toasty hot. THE GRUB Their oreja (also known as palmiers) were my favorite. Galletas de sandía... the watermelon cookies are not too sweet. They look like really sweet sugar cookies, but they aren't! I like them like that! Others rave about the menudo and tamales. I can't vouch for those, yet, but "if tomorrow comes" I'll update this review. PARKING This plaza gets packed. There really aren't that many parking spots - just a heads up. | Food: 4 | Service: 5 | Environment: 4 | Price: 5 | read more

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The bread is really good and soft! My favorite part was definitely the customer service from gentlemen working last night and cleanliness of the bakery. Will definitely return :) read more

I love this spot, down the road from my job and I like their service and bread. Definitely recommend if you're in the area and want something sweet. read more

Delicious pan dulce and tamales. Friendly staff. Would be nice if they sold their masa preparada. read more

Ponce's Bakery - Tamale prices as of 6/7/24 - Bakeries Near Me - Downey, California

Ponce's is located in a strip mall and parking is a bear in their lot, get over it and find a space and go in. It is a tiny place and a little warm inside, get over that as well. This is an amazing Mexican bakery, and they sell food as well. There is not one thing we have tried that we don't like. The cookies with the sprinkles on them are so good and you have to try their watermelon cookies, they are not too sweet at all. They are just wonderful. They also sell bread and everything else you would expect at a full service bakery. The best part of Ponce's is their tamales. They make them there and have a few kinds. We have had the pork and chicken and they are out of this world. The service is super sweet and sometimes the owner is there and if not you may see his brother, a super nice man. You will love this place. read more

A great little family owned Mexican bakery that has fresh pan dulce and fresh home made tamales! The bread is made fresh every day. Bread is always soft and they have a very large selection to choose from. I could spend hours there! Breads, muffins, coffee cakes, cookies... Tamales are made fresh every day also, and sell out quick, so you either need to be there as soon as they open, or if you know when you need them, it might be easier to place an order ahead of time. Not sure if they make the sweet tamales, (I think they do), but they have chicken, pork, and cheese. Champurrado is good there also, piping hot and very tasty. #SupportLocalBusinesses #Downey read more

Yay or nay? 1/2 Tried their Pork Tamales. Thought they were decent. Too much masa for my liking and not enough meat. The masa tasted good though. Pork was okay. Expensive? 0/1 4.65 for two tamales isn't bad if they are good but these weren't worth it to me. Location 1/1 Medium sized lot with free parking. Didn't have trouble finding a spot. Location was clean. Staff was nice. Plan to return? 1/1 I do but only because it's right next to Stewart and Grub and I really wanted a cheese tamale but they ran out. Hopefully the cheese tamale is better. read more

Great customer service, all the pan dulce is good, if you put them in a baggie they will last a whole week nice and fresh. Tamales are also very good. It's a must try read more

I'm very picky about the cleanliness in bakeries. This place is very clean. Smells delicious inside. I want to go back and try the Menudo that everyone's talking about. The bolillos are super super soft and delicious. Supports my businesses. read more

Ponce's Bakery - Bolillos - Bakeries Near Me - Downey, California

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Tamales for the win!!! My wife and I had been looking for a local place for years in Downey. We finally landed here. Enjoy!!!

El pan no esta mal , pero el servicio es PESIMO principalmente de la duena , la Sra Rosa , es muy grocera y tiene una muy mala actitud , ya son muchos clientes que se quejan de su servicio , es una persona sumamente voluble y a sus empleadas tambien las trata muy mal , por lo menos mi familia y yo , no regresamos a comprar a esa panaderia , yo no le doy ni una estrella , cero estrellas para esa panaderia ,y PESIMO servicio de la Sra Rosa PESIMO . read more

We went late in the day so we didn't have alot to chose from but we did get some Bolillos which were bomb and sone Tamales to go. The Tamales were awesome. So moist and tasty. read more

This is a great family owned bakery here in Downey. I have stopped here several times on different days and they are usually busy but quick, easy service. Their tamales are wonderful, along with their pan dulce, bolillos, and champurrado is so good. I love supporting locally owned businesses and this is one of them! read more

Stopped in on my way to work because I am a little fatty and I love my pan dulce. Plenty to choose from and the service is quick. Fast paced for the early morning rush. Seems like they have some seating if you are lucky enough to sit and enjoy. read more

This is literally a small panadería (Mexican bakery) no a/c at all, but I DIDN'T CARE because their small selection of sweet bread was just perfect...I ordered 75 pieces of bread, which were the Conchita (esponjas), elotes which is my absolute favorite, and I believe a Salvadoran quesadilla, (which looks similar to a corn muffin) which is another one of my favorites and a beautifully braided or knotted bread with a nice shiny egg wash lightly sweetened and super soft. All of these sweets were freshly baked! I heard nothing but great comments from my family including my very finicky 83 year old mom I will be here more often when I have a large family gathering or a few for myself to enjoy read more

Wanted to call this place my new stop for tamales. Prices were good- ordered 3 dozen for the office. Good meat to masa ratio. However the quality of the meat was questionable. I found there to be remnants of tendon or something strange in the pork especially. Had more than 1 person say the tamales upset their stomach. Tamales with cheese and chili were good, worth having again. 3 stars because the bread is really good. Jalapeño cheese bread was delicious as were the conchas I picked up for the kids. Friendly customer service a plus also. read more

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Come here all the time for their delicious tamales and decided to try their menudo and let me tell you it was not good. Watered down with no flavor. Disappointed! Very little meat too. read more

Ponce's Bakery - Tamales, menudo - Bakeries Near Me - Downey, California

Reviews are accurate! This was a sight for sore eyes! Except for one decent bakery in Hawthorne, good luck finding fresh quality pan dulce in the South Bay/Westside. Leave having beautiful beaches up to them. For the rest of the little good things in life, you'll have to drive east. This humble little bakery had a nice selection of sweet breads. Customer service was excellent, she was on the phone, but acknowledged me, took care of me, and said to come back. They had my favorite Sandia cookie (Watermelon looking, tasty!) Oh yes I will!! They also had other goodies to purchase, loved it! read more

Scrumptious bread pudding with bananas on top. Great Mexican sweet bread. I highly recommend.

Las mejores conchitas y orejas en Downey! Manejo desde otra cuidad para complacer a mi familia. Se lo recomiendo 100%

Ponce's bakery was amazingly fresh, soft and delicious. We placed the order and they were ready as promised. The prices were very competitive. This is my forever bakery going forward. Thank you Crystal. Your mom was very attentive to our needs read more

Great cheese & chili tamales. I have yet to try the others. Good service, will return.

Bad customer service!!!! I absolutely love their bread, especially their croissants & tamales. But BEWARE, they will get upset if you buy all the croissants, and don't you dare buy more than a dozen tamales because they will get super upset. I seriously don't understand its not like they are giving me the food, I'm PAYING for it. So what is the problem???? I have NEVER been to a place where they get upset for selling out. I'm so confused & scared to ask for 2 dozen tamales. I don't know that I want to go back. If anyone who reads this knows of a better tamale place, please share location. Thank you! read more

El pan es delicioso y fresco. Their bread is delicious and fresh. Los tamales de aqui tambien me gustan. I like the tamales from here as well. read more

This is the best pan dulce bakery in Downey. All of their bread is always so good and fresh. They have a nice big variety too. Their tamales are also very good. Staff is nice and the place looks really clean. When we moved to Downey, we spent some years trying different bakeries and just didn't love any of them. I'm so happy we found this place. read more

As soon as you walk in your welcomed by the warm inviting scent if fresh baked pan dulce. I felt like a kid coming in to choose my favorite breads. Except since now I'm the adult and my mom is not telling me I can only pick one. So I got a butter bread, calabaza empanada, polvorone, corico, quesadilla, jalapeno cheese bread, horeja, and a flan which is also made in house. All the bread was soft, fresh, flavorful and not too sweet. The cookies were perfectly crunchy but not hard. So far I love everything that I tried. They also have homemade chocoflan, tamales and some coolers with milk and other drinks. Cannot wait to try more things. read more

i called right before they closed to ask about mini conchas & lady who answered was very informative as to what time they come out fresh & by what time they finish & when they make more plus the price! she was helpful. i stopped by the next day in the morning & i can see place gets busy. customers are in & out. i noticed it was very hot in there & a fly flying around maybe bcus front door is wide open. conchas were good but noticed they were yellow dough usually i have white. read more

All I could say is the menudo is amazing. When ever I have the craving for menudo this is the go to place to go. I still need to go back and try the rest of the food and sweet bread (pan dulce) read more

Yum! The bread here is so delicious and the staff are super friendly. I personally love their conchas and their tamales are delicious too. My family and I got our Rosca from Ponce's Bakery this year and it did not disappoint. Make sure to check them out if you're in the area! read more

Ponce's Bakery - a close up of a pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Downey, California

hay una vieja que se llama Rosa creo es la dueńa tiene un carácter horrible trata muy mal a los clientes esta amargada pésimo servicio al cliente jamás vuelvo a ir read more

I've lived in Downey half my life and I never new of this bakery. It wasn't until the fabulous yelper Miguel R. told me about it. Its located in a small strip mall. I was shocked because I could see my grandparents old house from the bakery! It's so close and yet I had no clue. So they sell pan dulces, tres leches pasteles, tamales, and a whole bunch of other goodies, yum! But what I decided on was an empanada de manzana, chocolate chip cookie type of pan, and a coca mexicana to wash it all down all for $3. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ponces-bakery-downey?select=ea2kyFb72FdUVgV4M7jkYg http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ponces-bakery-downey?select=IMagEGHL9RlpHwnFLwLM1g The empanada was large and filled with lots of yummy apple. The chocolate chip thingy I got completely crumbled when I went to break off a piece, and when I say crumbled I mean I made a huge mess everywhere (on my clothes, on the floor, and across the table onto Miguel!) I was totally embarrassed. I tried to take a couple more bites but due to the mess and the dryness I just couldn't eat it and ended up throwing it away. There was quite a number of people came in and out while Miguel and I munched on our goodies and drank our cocas! I will come back and pick up some pan dulces and empanadas for my dad and grandma in the future. I will keep you all updated but until then 3.5 stars! read more

Ponce's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Downey, California

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Awesome little bakery with delicious pan dulce. Not very many in Downey. I craved tamales and pan dulce while I was pregnant and this place fulfilled both as well as the exercise being able to walk there. Tamales are okay. Not bad. A bit greasy. Pan dulce is fresh in the mornings. My favorite item, but sells out fast is the bolillo with cream cheese and jalapeños! Delish!! The filling is just right, unlike the wannabe ones winchells sells that barely have any. Cash and card accepted. read more

Miguel R and Lili H are right on the money, baby! Following these two glorious Yelpers' recommendations, Sister and I stopped in to check things out. The bakery is located in a tiny plaza on the southwest corner of Stewart & Grey and Old River School Road, for those of you searching frantically for that baked goodness. When we rolled up, we saw a sign that warmed the cockles of our hearts - I love the word cockles lol - and it glowed in my mind, like a shining beacon: TAMALES. I was game to see if they were all that and a bag of Funyuns. They were! Sister and I tried the cheese & jalapeno and the chicken tamales, and they were luscious. The right amount of masa, freshly made, tasty with a nice little spicy kick. I took a half dozen home for Boyfriend and my dinner. Even better, they were a thrifty $1.49 each, and decently sized. I know where my holiday tamales are coming from, and let me tell you, it ain't downtown! The proprietor, Mario, was sampling a banana topped bread pudding that blew my mind, it was so damned good. I took a piece to go. And before I go any further, I need to say that Mario's customer service was superb - I felt like visiting royalty! I also picked up, and devoured, their flan chocolate, essentially flan atop a very moist layer of chocolate cake - absolutely scrumptious. I also need to thoroughly recommend their tres leches cake, and the pumpkin empanada. I'm so stuff I'm about to keel over, but man, it was worth it. I should mention that this unpretentious little bakery only currently seats a handful of patrons, but there's room for more once they get them. They also carry a variety of Mexican breads/baked goods, but I haven't tried them - just yet :) I'll be back for more once my bellyache goes away. read more

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