Stopped by Merengue Bakery & Cafe in old town Monrovia to pick up some pastries for tonight's wine…read morepairing dinner at home. Super excited because the mini fruit tarts are going to look amazing on my newly purchased dessert tray! I was feeling a bit sleepy so I decided to fuel up & eat breakfast while I was there. I ordered a Vanilla Latte & a side order of 3 eggs + Sausage Links. If you're a big eater and want the additional potatoes and pancakes, I recommend paying a few dollars more and ordering the Breakfast platter. The Vanilla Latte came in a paper cup (a bit bummed out by not being able to take a more IG worthy picture of that), but it actually tasted really good! Same with the sausage links - it was probably one of the best tasting ones I've had for breakfast in a while. Aside from their wide selection of pastries and food options, their customer service was phenomenal. Every customer that walked through the door was greeted upon arrival and thanked on their way out. The restaurant was very clean and the cakes looked so beautiful behind the glass case. I had a pleasant experience today at Merengue Bakery & Cafe and can't wait to come back soon to try a slice of their chocolate cake!

Located in the heart of Old Town Monrovia on Myrtle near Lemon Ave, this Cuban gem offers…read moresandwiches, pastries, coffee, cakes, & more. Street parking can be tough during peak hours, but there are public lots nearby.  For the past 12 years, this has been our go-to spot, and their Guava Cake is the ultimate family favorite! This past Mother's Day, Mom wanted that exact cake. We stopped by in the morning to pick one up as usual. However, the lady at the counter informed us they would not have any ready until 2 PM and was quite dismissive and short with us. I was next in line, it was now the second person at the counter helping me, ( male ) once he knew I was looking for a guava cake, he immediately went to the back going out of his way to check and ensure we took a fresh guava cake home right then and there. He saved Mother's Day !!! I must also mention Danny and Lissette are amazing every time we order cakes for family events. It's always a great experience, and we'll definitely keep coming back for their goodies.

4.5 Stars Great neighborhood bakery with large selection of…read morepastries to choose from. I personally find some of the pastries a little bit too heavy on the mayonnaise and custard. What I really enjoy about this place is actually their savory selection - I like to grab their steamed pork buns, sticky rice bento box, or stop by for a fresh egg pancake in the morning!

JJ Bakery is similar in concept to 85°C Bakery -- you grab the pastries you want as you walk…read morethrough a line and pay at the counter. The only thing is that JJ Bakery is MILES better as the food is so much more delicious and satisfying. My husband and I got their Curry Beef Pie and their Supreme Salted Rice Ball (with Chinese sausage, egg, and pork sung) for a quick breakfast. There was an explosion of flavors in the curry pie, and the light, flaky crust just elevated the pastry to a whole new level. The rice ball was the perfect combination of tastes and textures, from the crispy pork sung to the sweet and savory sausage to the fluffy, sticky rice. I couldn't decide which pastry was better :) Just note that this place is more grab-and-go (we ate in our car). Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area!

Dukes bakery It's been a hot minute since I've had Chinese…read morebakery bread. So let's see if they're pretty good eh or ew. It's fun here cuz you can get a little shopping cart and collect your breads. Kinda went crazy and got a bunch to try. The breads looked like they would be dry but weren't and were all really soft, pillowy, and fluffy. The Black Forest bread was topped with toasted almonds, had jiggly thick sweet custard, and a layer of semi sweet chocolate. The hades bread was the only kinda dry bread and was filled with bittersweet chocolate and had a thin sweet Oreo crust on the bottom like a cheesecake would. The pork floss bread had a swirl of sweet savory pork floss and was topped with nutty crunchy sesame seeds. The banana cream bread was filled with like this cheesecake tasting light cream and had some real bananas inside too. The garlic bread was really good, soft, and had a streak of yummy, savory, garlicy, cheesy goodness. They even had a cilantro pork floss cake?! Wasn't getting any cilantro flaves but the cake was nicely spongy, light, vanillay, and had a swirl of pork floss that actually worked with it. Their black sesame cake was also very spongy, jiggly, light, and airy with good black sesame flaves. They even let you try some free samples of bread which my grandma really enjoyed. Overall this place is pretty good. Black Forest $4.50 Hades $6 Pork floss $5 Banana cream $4.50 Garlic bread $4.50 Cilantro pork floss sponge $5 Black sesame sponge $3.75

3/16/26 Had to try Dukes after having breakfast at Moffett's. Great selection of pastries, service…read morecould use a little finesse, clean, modern ambiance. The pastry case was delightful n organized. I took photos of the ones I bought. Apparently, the lady at the counter has very limited English skills, friendly enough but could really use some upgrade in her customer service skills. I value customer service a great deal--that's how I become a regular patron. Thankfully there are other Duke Bakery locations to visit if the pastries happen to strike my fancy. There are about 3 sets of seating (tables with chairs & cushioned booth type to enjoy your treats. No outdoor seating available. Parking is shared among other businesses, so it can get hairy at peak times In this shop, there 3 different vendors, not just Duke's, there's a noodle shop to the right (if facing the counter) a smoothie shop in the middle & Duke's on the left. The pastry shelves encompass the majority of the space. The jury is still out re: pastry taste, bought some for friends.

Decided to try out one of their drinks after eating lunch in the food court. The employee…read morerecommended the matcha tiramisu latte so that's what we got. The price wasn't bad honestly for a 20z large cup, it was $6.50. They did put a lot of ice though. The matcha tastes authentic and the paired nicely with the cream top.

[3.5 stars] We also asked for candles, which they provided…read morebut also a match stick & match to light it which was nice! Bought the strawberry sweet cake for my bday & it was pretty cake! I believe there is strawberry jam spread between the layers, the red crunchy sprinkles reminds me of the Good Humor Strawberry shortcake icecream bars, however a little too sweet for my liking. The white cream used was interesting more of a solidified texture & a tad cream cheese like. Im not sure if I prefer that over softer whipped cream for cake. I think I also would have liked it more if it had some strawberries on top more real strawberry ingredients inside. But it was still yummy for what it was!

It was my first time ordering from this place and omg I LOVE this place. I needed a small cake for…read moremy friend's engagement celebration and I'm so glad I found this place. The cake was so delicious and honestly one of the cutest cakes I've ever ordered. The owner was super accommodating, I was able to pick it up a little early with no issues, which I really appreciated. And can we talk about the packaging?? SO. DAMN. CUTE. ( I forgot to take a pic but it was nicely wrapped) The original cake design had a little bear, but she changed it to a red heart, which was so nice and fit the theme perfectly. I'll 100% be ordering more from them for all my future occasions!!!

When I first saw this place, I thought it was just a specialty cake shop. I did not expect them to…read morehave an extensive menu of premium bubble tea drinks as well. It is amazing how much variety they offer at this small shop, including but not limited to cakes, breads, bubble tea, and other desserts. I like to stop by for a drink when I am nearby. The matcha drinks and house special milk teas are pretty good. I would recommend the Brulee Matcha Shake, which has a smooth and creamy texture and is somehow not overly sweet. Brown sugar boba is the perfect topping to go with this drink.

My go to 85° bakery! They keep it nice & clean every time I've been in!…read more I love to come in grab a Thai tea with boba or strawberry mango smoothie! They are both delicious (: The baked goods I grab are usually always stocked up & there when I need them! Love the Cheese dog if I'm looking for a quick lunch, Jalapeño cheese, ham & cheese, the blueberry tale & mango tale yummmm! Chocolate chip bowl once in awhile, marble taro, white chocolate strawberry, & the egg tarts! They do run out of NEW or seasonal items quickly! Like in October or November when they had those viral pumpkin shaped breads for fall lol I went at 7:50am & all gone! Crazy haha So that's a downfall. The parking lot at this one kinda sucks because there is very limited spots & it's always busy.

Came here on a Saturday afternoon around 10am…read more There was a lady who came in with her dog. Now, I know service animals are allowed. However, this dog did not have a service animal tag. Instead, the vest the dog was wearing stated "Best Friend" almost like the owner was trying to trick others into thinking it was a "Service Dog" vest. The dog was walking around the bread and even sniffing the bread. The owner saw and even tried to swat her dog away from some Strawberry Halfmoons that the dog was sniffing. As someone who is allergic to dogs, what if they are the person who touches that bread next? What if the allergy is very severe? I walked around the premises to check if there were signs on the windows/doors talking about no pets, only service dogs. Only one entrance had the signs stating this. The other doors did not. As someone who is allergic to dogs, I do not understand how someone can just bring their pet into an establishment that serves food. The dog even went up to some customers and was sniffing their shoes. I even watched the dog go up to a little girl and try to take her doll. **4/1/26 UPDATE** To Katherine (the business owner): Yes, I know you allow SERVICE DOGS. However, this lady's dog was not wearing a vest stating it was a service dog. Also, I think service dogs know better than to try stealing little girls' dolls. That lady's dog was NOT a service dog. She was trying to TRICK people into thinking it was with the FAKE vest it was wearing. Please put more signs up around the different entrance doors.

Some drinks and bread are good. It really depends on what you get. We've gotten cakes from them and…read morethey have been good overall. Thank goodness we didn't have any of the unpleasant experience that other people seem to encounter. Similar pricing to 85C Bakery & Cafe. Service is okay/fine. Got our drinks within reasonable time. DRINKS: Peach Oolong Tea 4.25/5 Decently good. Tried it when they have a BOGO deal. At 50% sugar, the sweetness level and taste is good. Lemon Cooler 3.9/5 Taste like an Asian Style lemonade. Light and not as tart. SNACKS/DESSERT: Napoleon Egg Tart 4.5/5 $1.49/ea. These are pretty good and the price is lovely. These wave edged egg tarts have a crispy/flaky outer shell (edge) and they're delicious. I like the ones from Little Swan Bakery too, but they're bigger and more expensive ($3.49/ea I believe). Portuguese Egg Tart 4/5 $1/ea. Like the price. This one is not bad just like the ones from Mumoo Cafe, which is also a dollar per piece.

Parking: plaza with a lot of restaurants and bad parkers/drivers parking on the top. There is a…read morelower level area to park. I came here for a cake that I saw on their website but it felt like a diy knockoff. But at this point I didn't want to go to another bakery to get a cake. I got the blueberry yogurt and it didn't match the picture on their website. It was shorter with less fruit and the decorations were smaller. The cake itself was mediocre. The blueberry jam was flavorless and the strawberries were raw, blueberries had a couple that were moldy or not cleaned, and strawberries were sour given that it was strawberry season. It seems like the ingredients weren't sourced very well. There was way too much cream. The checkout person was very friendly and seemed like it was a one woman operation or the owner only hired her for the day. She was working fast but definitely had a back up.

We stumbled upon this place and we were so happy that we did. We absolutely lost our minds in this…read moreplace but especially the hubs. He had about 10 items before I was able to walk around and see what was available. This is reminiscent of Porto's but I believe this place is more Asian inspired. They had so many different options to choose from and we indulged wholeheartedly! I don't even remember what all we got as nothing is individually labeled but I do know I walked away with the salmon fried rice, which was so damn delicious. We walked out of here full of snacks and our pockets still full as it wasn't super expensive at all. Everyone were in the area we will come here to try something else.

Slightly above average Asian bakery among the many copies you will find in the SGV. JJ Bakery &…read moreCafe is considered one of the many originators. Flavors and items that cater to Taiwanese cuisine. Bakery items include Asian inspired pastries and savory bakery goods. Items include pork buns, fried flat breads, and egg crepes that are excellent for breakfast. Options are long here and offer something for everyone.