Gigi’s Bakery & Café

If you haven’t been her you need to stop by! Their food is delicious and it has a variety of different things to choose from. Their chicken Cuban plate is amazing and it comes with a lot of food. Must try!

GiGi like my girlfriends nick name, so of course I’m gonna love it. 5 stars duhhhh. Kidding this place is 5 stars because its good, ok great. But I only eat one thing here and that’s those gosh darn it Potatoe Balls! OH señorita and mama mia its freakin awesome good! mUST get it and eat it right away. Do not wait on it, must eat once you get it, texture, taste, prices, those POTATOE BALLS are good.

We recently had a party at our home and got our food from Gigi’s bakery. What a delicious success. Our guests were going back for thirds! The food was the talk of the party. It was fresh, high– quality and SO TASTY. And the best part of the whole experience was working with the kind, friendly and attentive people at Gigi’s.
Gigi’s Bakery and Café is a well-​run operation. Next party, we will go straight to them. Next Sunday — brunch at their sweet little café.

I used to come here all the time for the media noche. It was, in my opinion, the best in LA when you’re not in Miami. I had stopped when I found that the bread of my sandwich was hard, the meat was dried out on the corners almost like it had been run through the microwave too long. I know the microwave is a great invention, but there is a significant difference. Of course I ate the parts I could that day because I had ordered it to go and I didn’t want to turn around to complain. After all, it had been one of my favorite places. They were busy that day; it could have been an off day.
I came back today because I missed that sandwich so much. This time I stayed in and requested to not put the sandwich through the microwave. A lady from the kitchen came up and assured me it was going to be pressed. I get my sandwich and it was pressed but it was cold. I was so embarrassed of myself because I went back to the counter and told them thank you for pressing my sandwich but it’s cold. I hate complaining. So the guy told me they could press it again. He came back and he told me that they had put it in the microwave. Oh goodness, I just wanted to go back there and make it for them. It goes on the grill not the microwave. Anyway I just let it go. And did not finish my sandwich. Unfortunately, I may not be coming back. But with the gentrification, I am sure authenticity will not matter and they would be unaffected by my participation.
On a positive note, café con leche is still pretty good as well as the pastries.

I wanna say Ive been around resturant for 10 years. The pastries are great. But the staff are rude ass mother fuckers. They wanted to take money over beead. They dont know their prices. They dont care about their customes. And ordering food takes about 30 minutes or more. I hope the people that work here read this so that their manager can tell them how they are fucking lowlifes. Fuck you

So it seems like it’s home made Cuban verses corporate Portos… The verdict??? Well it’s difficult. I like to support home made, small businesses… But Portos has things down to a science… Since I have only tried Gigi’s once, I can’t say much. It tastes delicious! I can tell you that much.
Honestly, I don’t want to sit here and compare. I have to say that if this little spot can get itself in comparison to a huge well known bakery like portos… They have accomplished a lot.
The staff is nice, the food is good, and if I’m in the area, I would totally come by here again. I would recommend trying it!

My mom ordered me cake pops for my birthday from here and they were really good and they delivered them for me!

This place is gross. I can’t even believe some people compare it to Portos. Ha! First off, they are dirty. I witnessed the «head chef» wipe his hands on his DIRTY jeans and continue to cook multiple times. The young female at the register is rude! After I asked her about a certain dessert she simply replied «I don’t know. I’ve never tried it» with a blank stare on her face. Really???
The dessert is bland, tasteless, and I’m sure you can find a better selection at your local Vallarta.

Gigi’s is basically the reason why Unilocal exists. A mom and pop shop type of feel but incredible food! I had the guava pastries and potato balls, I wish I had room for a meal. I was eyeing the fried plantains and veggie sandwich, I will be back for you!

Grilled veggie sandwich is so delicious. It comes with plantain chips and a garlic oil to drizzle on your sandwich. It is one of those things I have to fulfill my craving for when I have one. Kind of like pizza. I also come just for the guava and cheese pastries and a coconut latté. Everything here is made so deliciously. Today I tried the trés leches cake… and of course it was amazing. It’s definitely one of those bakeries you have to be walking by to notice, but when you find it, it’s definitely a goldmine.

Love this local joint! It has a welcoming, community vibe, serves good coffee and tasty, Cuban-​inspired, super affordable food. There’s a lovely selection of pastries, too, and their coconut flan is scrumptious. I’ve been coming here for a few years now, and there’s almost always a charming cadre of older Latin gentlemen livening up the place. You can tell that the neighborhood is changing, though, as I’ve started to see a hipper crowd during my visits. Only bummer? No bathroom

I bought one potato ball. For only $ 1, it is quite cheap. I like it a lot. Tastes and looks like Porto’s but I think Gigi’s has it better with pricing and size. Gigi’s ball is slightly bigger than Porto’s.
There’s parking lot but a lot of people coming in and out, so finding an available spot might be bit difficult sometimes.

They have great café con leché, it’s delicious & all their pastries are delicious. I’ve tried potato balls, meat pies, guava and cheese pastries, tamalesv, bollillos, Cuban crackers. I bought a tres leché cake that was great too!
Service is great too

What can I say, I love their café con leche. I’m a sucker for coffee and since this place is now around the corner from work, it’s my quick fix. $ 3.75 for a 16oz. Not cheap anymore that was what I liked about it in the past. Food is good but since they sort of remodeled they increased prices, drastically, it used to be very affordable. Now they’re trying to compete with Silver Lake or something. Sometimes this is my second or third choice before work. Their service is better since they hired actual baristas but sometimes they are not there in the morning, so I leave. Mr Aparicio, PLEASE PLEASE SCHEDULE THE BARISTAS IN THE MORNING, OPENING TIME. We are trying to get to work on time. I’m sorry but the ladies are suuuuper slow.
Oh yea I almost forgot, parking is a pain. Only for about 6 cars. Also narrow driveway, one car at a time. So if a car is coming out while you’re trying to go in, or vice versa, good luck.

place looked clean, pastries looked fresh, very good selection, good amount of customers, no annoying music, very affordable.
husband ordered a cuban, it was SO good.
I wanted to build my own omelette (an option on the menu), but the cashier didn’t want to work through our language barrier and seemed exasperated with me, and gave me the wrong thing, totally. So I was pretty disappointed with that, however it was still not bad food, just not what I wanted or paid for. We also asked for water, which she obviously dismissed in her mind immediately after we said it, and the line situation there is confusing, waited for a weirdly long time to be helped. I work in customer service so I know its hard and frustrating, but I do my best to make people happy and she was just not down with it.
The kicker is that on my way out i saw a guy with the exact omelette plate I ordered. So I guess i wasn’t being that difficult? Again, language barrier, maybe he didn’t have that issue.
bottom line, excellent food, bad customer service, order something simple. I might go back for the cuban, hopefully I get a more attentive cashier next time.

Porto’s who? No disrespect to Porto’s, but I prefer this small Mom & Pops vs driving into Burbank or Glendale for ½ priced, great quality and delicious Bolillos, Pastelitos de Guayaba and other great things you’d find at Portos. I’ve been going here since I was a kid back in the 80’s when it was on 6^th street in my old hood. This was the original «El Cubano bakery» as we would call it, before it was burned down during the L.A. Rodney King Riots. It then found a new home still within my old community and has continued to be amazing. As unfortunate as the events that caused the relocation, he move was probably the best thing that ever happened which now allows of a dining room and expanded to also serve coffee and other Cuban food.
Pastries, Bolillos and food is all great and their prices are very reasonable. It’s hard for me not to spend $ 30 bucks on Pan alone when I go there. Being from El Salvador, it’s hard to find quality Quesadillas (Corn Bread) that tastes much like that of the Mother Land’s style. They make em perfect, small or large and It’s worth driving across town to get one to enjoy with some Coffee with Family.
They are always grateful for my business, as many of the employees have been there for as long as I remember. I doubt it, but I hope that the gentrification that’s threatening the city will ever crush Gigi’s Bakery and the History of the Westlake, McArthur Park District.

Been here a few times before, sadly Gigi’s Deli sandwiches have gone wrong.
A few moths ago I’ve order the Pollo al Ajillo sandwich 3 times before and it was delicious! It was tasty, fresh and the presentation was clean and appealing to the eye. This last 2 times the Pollo al Ajillo sandwich was a disappointment, the panini looking sandwich bread was burn, the piece of chicken was very very small it was only on haft of the bread, the lettuce seem old, and the worst is that the bitter taste on the onion tells me that I’m not wrong for thinking they sandwiches are no longer fresh, sadly I ate it because I hate to see food go to Waiste.
But I still love this place for their delicious pastries, the Beef turnovers Ned Guava cheese pie are out of this world! But let’s face it pastries are not a ideal for lunch.

if you are ever feeling hungover or sad or tired or negative in any way then you need to come to this place because they have really nice potato balls and they have meat inside so if you are a vegetarian then you might want to avoid them or close your eyes while you eat them or something anyway these potato balls are deep fried and a little crunchy but also squishy it’s hard to explain but they are very cute in a way similar to how macaroons are cute but just with potatoes instead
the line is very long so if you do not like waiting for food then you need to tell everyone to hurry up or you need to distract them with a loud noise and just cut everyone but it has to be a good loud noise such as screaming
they also have a pineapple soda that tastes like medicine and i did not like that at all but maybe if they had told me that it tasted like medicine before i got it then i would have liked it more and i don’t think it would be that hard to change its name to medicine soda and it is always better to be honest

Even though this place gets crowded, no matter what time of day it is. The service is always great. No complaints.
I stopped by Sunday night with my partner. We ordered a Medica Noche along with some bakery goods and coffee.
One of our pastries was really dry and hard to eat, my partner nicely asked if we could exchange it for another and With no questions asked, the lady over the counter gladly gave us another pastry.
The Horchata Latte was on point. I’ve had many at other locations and it’s super sweet. But the way they make it at Gigi’s is perfect.
This is the reason why I keep coming back. Always very pleased with the service here.

I ordered A birthday cake from Gigi’s a few years ago for a friend. Its the cake with fruits. They did not disappoint. Created Just the way my family likes. Just the right amount of sweetness.
Ambience is charming. Service is fast. They could use a friendlier cashier or order taker. Smile a little.
Yesterday would be my 3^rd lunch escapade at this treasured Cuban delicacies spot. My 1^st review. I am always happy with the plates in the past. This time I ordered The Tuna Salad in croissant sandwich. It was a little dry and the bread was crumbling.
I love the Berry salad though. My friend was happy with his Pollo plato. We plan to come back for some dulces y caffes.

Gigi’s is a great alternative to Porto’s. It’s a smaller bakery and café, and the food is amazingly delicious!
For starters, my partner and I ordered a cortadito, which is the Cuban espresso with milk, it’s super smooth and delicious. I add sugar to give it some sweetness.
We ordered the chicken sandwich which is out of this world! I dip it into the garlic olive oil, and munch on the crispy plantains that come with it.
We also ate the potato balls (yum!) and ordered some of the guava and cheese pastries.
On our way to a beach potluck now and I ordered 20 potato balls to go. All my friends will be so grateful!

I enjoy Gigi’s. I’ve tried their cheese/​guava cheese pastries, muffins, cookies, croissants, bread pudding, cakes — pretty much if there is sugar in it, I have tried it, and I’ve enjoyed it. I like that there is generally no line and that parking isn’t an issue. That being said, Porto’s will forever be my favorite.
However, Gigi’s does the job when you’re not in the mood to drive out to Glendale. That being said, the selection and quantity of pastries that they is definitely more limited than Porto’s, so come early rather than later.
Note: for some reason they’re always run out of blueberry muffins when I go, no matter what time of day it is. So if you’re reading this Gigi’s, plz make more blueberry muffins for your girl, thank you in advance.

Gigi, if you are a real person, can we get married? Bloody hell I am regretting that I didn’t order everything on the menu.
As I was taking some extra food to nibble on at an outdoor movie screening, I ordered small finger type food:
1. pastelito pollo
2. croqueta de jamon
3. potato ball papa rellena
4. empanada de carne
5. empanada de pollo
Surprisingly, what they have out on the counter is all they have and they don’t give you an option to wait so… it’s either a daily limited quantity or they make more on their own time. I tried to order some other things but they were all out, and my cashier would actually shout and check to see if something I ordered was there before he rang it up. That was somewhat disappointing because you feel pressure to spontaneously order from the long list of items, allthewhile the people standing in line behind you are getting impatient. Nonetheless, all this stress is worth it because the food was so legitimate and delicious.
To be honest, everything was amazing BUT the croqueta de jamon (ham) was the worst thing I had in a while. Even my dog refused to eat it HAHA it was a smashup of ham inside a croqueta fried encasing, and the ham was extra salty and gross. Nope, no thanks!
Will definitely be back to try the sandwiches and the other sweet pastries! Parking is relatively easy on the street but it can easily get too crowded and you would have to end up walking quite a bit. Seating inside the café is limited but not many people eat there anyways so it should be okay unless you go with a huge group of 5+ people and expect to sit all together.

Porto’s is great, this place is better! I love it when I discover these little gems. The top sirloin Cuban plate was under $ 8 but wow, it was loaded. It comes with two strips of sirloin, fried plantains, brown rice, salad, and yucca. The service was quick and the people there were very friendly and engaging. With a can of Coke it came out to just over $ 10. Can’t beat that!
There’s limited parking in the back so car pool or get there early. There is plenty of seating inside and some on the sidewalk. It’s a great place to pick up pastries, cakes, lunch or dinner. I highly recommend this place!

Who needs Portos!!!
Actually…I do. Ha! Wham… bam…thank you ma’am! It’s so cliché to pit the two cuban bakeries I know up against each other, but hey, fugg it! Hidden up along Echo Park’s dead Temple street is this hidden jewel without the craze and insane lines of Portos.
Although the selection isn’t as vast as Portos what they do have are authentic combination plates with juicy… ohhh so juicy chicken or pork or roja (whatever that is) as your main ingredient.
Feels like Cuba. In Los Angeles.

I stopped by to try their cubano. I was told by my co-​worker who has a Cuban wife that they have the best cubanos in LA.
The cubano was good, but it lacked some flavor. I’m not sure if I was supposed to put hot sauce or something in it. Presentation of the sandwich was great. Maybe this is how an authentic cubano is supposed to taste.
I loved their potato ball and it just might be better than Porto’s. They were all out of the guava refugio roll, so I settled a guava danish.
I loved the mom and pop feel. It was also less hectic than Porto’s.
Great selection of Cuban sodas including Iron Beer and Materva. They also have a variety of other cool sodas such as Bundaberg.
I found metered street parking across the street. No restrooms to wash your hands, but they will offer you a moist towelette.

perfect setup for a nice croissant or baguette, friendly girl at counter

First off, there’s parking in the back if you happen to see the little alleyway that’s to the left of the store, so check there for parking first before you circle the block.
Gigi’s is this cute little bakery with delicious food. I had the sandwich Cubano with plantains which was so juicy and good that I couldn’t finish the other half of the sandwich. The plantains I thought were going to be the sweet little banana type deals, but instead were dehydrated slices of the green bananas that were salted and tasted like chips. The mister had the chipotle bacon burger which looked small but was really filling! The patty was cooked medium well and was thick and juicy. I ordered 1 potato ball to try and I should’ve ordered 8 to take home. I also tried the guava and cheese danish, pastelito de piña, a pineapple empenada and a guava pie. They were all good and great treats to take home. The winner for me was the flan! This flan was like butter and sugar in my mouth and not like any other flan I’ve tried before! I would definitely stop by Gigi’s again next time I’m in L.A.