They had so much to choose from and it was all fresh. The conchas were amazing and had several…read moreflavors to choose from.

I'll never go back to that nasty place... Tons of flies buzzing around in bread cases and we found…read morea cockroach baked into a pastry we purchased.... Girl we purchased from was sweet.. The nasty woman that tended to us when we went back next day was extremely rude and offered no apologies....... And forced us to take another piece of bread rather than refund our money.

I have been eating their bread since I was a little girl. I remember them always being stocked up…read morewith variety. Lately, when I go, it's either they've run out or are low. Conchas are perfectly soft when warm, if you're lucky to arrive when they just came out! The young servers do need to improve their customer service. Don't expect any coffee or sit down. It's a grab and go type of establishment.

La Especial Bakery es de esos lugares que se sienten desde que entras. Este pan está delicioso como…read moreno se dan una idea. Súper suavecitos y con un sabor que me recuerda al pan de telera que uno compra en México. Cada mordida sabe a casa y a tradición bien hecha. Siempre que vengo al valle paso por aquí. Vale la pena llegar tempranito porque el pan sale calientito y se acaba rápido. Eso ya dice todo. La familia que atiende es muy linda y se nota que le ponen corazón a su negocio y a la comunidad. Es una panadería que realmente es parte del alma del barrio. Me encanta llegar y comprar pan para llevar. Las conchas son lo mejor sin duda. Pero mi consejo es probar poquito de todo. Las empanadas están bien ricas y las galletitas también. Todo tiene ese sabor auténtico que no se imita. Este lugar sabe a puro México. Es tradición es cariño y es comunidad en cada bolsa de pan. Si pasan por el valle no se lo pierdan.

Delicious! Great service. Would recommend for fast service and great quality all day.read more

All the breads we got were incredibly stale and felt as if they were many days old. We got around…read moresix breads and we only ate one of the breads and threw the rest away. We took bites of the other breads to check if any of them were good and were very disappointed. The one I ate didn't even have any flavor to it, it tasted as if we were eating 4/5 day old bread. We were really hoping to get some yummy pan dulce and just ended up wasting money.

On a month long rotation down here in Harlingen, I needed to at least try their pumpkin empanadas,…read morewhich according to their board of tourism is one of the top 101 things to do in Harlingen. And, hey, they weren't bad. Not exactly what I would crave, but they were good. This place is awesome, cheap fresh baked goods from pan dulce to cookies to apple fritters, you name it. Although it's pretty cheap, I actually ended up finding a cheaper place across the street - just as good, but not as cosmetically nice as Nelda's. The menu behind the counter says they also serve breakfast tacos. I never got to try these, but next time I'm in the area, I'm definitely going to have to do a little taste testing.

I am from the Hill Country and I went down to visit some friends for the summer. I stopped at the…read moreTourist Center and one of the Things To Do when in Harlingen is to eat the Pumpkin Empanadas from Nelda's Bakery, so I did. All I can say for what I was tasting is Mmmmmm! Really good, soft, fresh bread. Very clean facility, unlike the one across the street or to the side which I too visited. I was impressed, now I am wishing I would have bought more and frozen them for later! Must go and eat!

Stopped in looking for lunch on a weekday, they only sell tortillas, tamales, and carnitas it seems…read moreduring the week. I opted for tortillas and carnitas and an avocado and made do with a very good lunch and tortillas for the road, yummy!! The cakes and pastries all looked amazing, wish I could have tried some of those. The staff was very nice and the main lobby seemed clean.

This place is authentic and delicious! The bread and…read moretamales are made in house and by hand from scratch. You can truly tell! Make sure you try the cream cheese filled triangle pastries. Barbacoa lengua is to die for. Lean and not greasy!!

Very small bakery near the not much except the border. We were happy they were open Sunday late…read moreevening on Easter. There was a nice selection and the man working was nice. He spoke Spanish and English. The prices here were good, kinda low for the wedding cake cookies but not complaining. Some of the bread was a little dry but the piggy cookies were sweet and moist. This location may be small but it carries all the traditional pan dulces. Also accepts Lonestar, which other locations such as on Monte Cristo do not.

This off the beaten track roadside Mexican bakery looks inauspicious in a mauve-colored building,…read morebut the baked delights found inside are well worth a stop. The owner and baker, Erik, is friendly and helpful for a visiting birder like me who is unfamiliar with the unique south of the border pastries. The shelves are filled with everything from your standard raised donuts to cream cheese empanadas and conchas to marranitos and other pastries I can't remember the names of. But the names don't matter when they're as delicious as these are. Custards and jellies added gloriously decadent highlights to the treats. If you're visiting the area, particularly if you're on an early morning birding trek visiting the refuges and parks along the border, this is a must visit.

I was pleased to arrive at Las Tortas for the "Barda" combo, which included a fresh side salad…read moretopped with light cilantro/cheese dressing. As it was my first visit, I suggested my friends order for me so I could soak in the moment. As we were all served the same thing, the cute side salad arrived first with the mandarin orange inside it. Topped with a light cilantro dressing, it first appeared to me as prepared with a high art salad style I had been drilled with in culinary school. I blinked for a moment. Okay, maybe not...but I thought to order the large one next time because it was delicious and I could have eaten 5 servings alone... When the torta arrived looking like a little pink ghost, I laughed at the presentation of the deli ham covering the bread, but it was very good in the context of of the plate. I moved slowly through it between sips of the cold, tangy Jamaica tea until everything was done. I was impressed. For a quick lunch/break stop, I am looking forward to putting this one on my map of McAllen, Texas, and returning often to try other menu listings. My note for the readers is to beware of the salsa verde: it was very hot and most gringos like me might mistake it for a mild salsa...

Came here recently with family to try the tortas. The service was quick. The ambiance was quiet. I…read moreenjoyed that they have so many different types of tortas. I tried the Barda torta, which was good but had too much ham. The choripan torta had too much of the meat. The chorizo tasted more like sausage. Overall would come back here to try different items.

The Mexican sweet bread was amazing. So soft and delicious. It will be the only place I buy Mexican…read moresweet bread.