Los Angeles and Porto’s Potato Balls: A Love Story
Are you as obsessed with Porto’s potato balls as we are? Read on for Rosa Porto’s fascinating story!
In a city as sprawling, diverse, and ever-changing as Los Angeles, few things remain constant. The skyline grows taller, neighborhoods shift identities, and trends vanish as quickly as they arrive.
Yet amid the movement, one tradition has baked itself into the hearts of Angelenos with unwavering warmth: a golden, crispy, delightfully gooey Potato Balls from Porto’s Bakery and Cafe.
To understand the enduring love affair between Los Angeles and Porto’s Bakery, you need only stand in one of its famously long lines. Whether in Glendale, Burbank, Downey, Buena Park, or West Covina, you’ll find hundreds of customers patiently waiting. Not just for papas rellenas, but for nostalgia, for comfort, and for family.
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From Cuba to California: A Family’s Journey
Rosa was born on the island of Cuba, where she grew up surrounded by the sweet smell of her mother’s baking with recipes handed down through the generations of her family, originally from the Galicia region of Spain.
For young Rosa, the kitchen, which was always filled with the scents of cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla, was her favorite place to be.
The story of Porto’s Bakery begins with Rosa Porto baking out of her home in Havana during the 1960s. When she and her husband Raul were finally granted permission to immigrate to the United States in the 1970s, Rosa brought with her little more than her recipes and an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit.
When they arrived in California, they had only the clothes on their backs, Raul Sr.’s strong work ethic, Rosa’s exceptional baking skills, and a dream for a better life. Soon after, Rosa began baking and selling cakes to friends and family that had heard of her fabulous cakes back in Cuba.
Taking Over Los Angeles
Within a couple of years, it was not uncommon to see a line of customers picking up cakes from Rosa’s small home. In 1976, Rosa opened her first official storefront, Porto’s Bakery, on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park, California.
Raul Sr. would help out when not working at another local bakery. After several years, he was able to join Rosa to continue to grow the business.
From there, Porto’s expanded organically, driven by loyal customers and the ever-growing demand for authentic, high-quality Cuban baked goods at affordable prices.
Despite its growth into a multi-location powerhouse with over 1,000 employees, Porto’s remains a family-run business.
Rosa’s children and grandchildren now manage operations. They have always stayed true to her original vision: delicious food made from scratch, served with love.
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Porto’s Potato Balls: The Star of the Show
Among the many treasures on Porto’s menu, the potato croqueta (or potato balls) holds a special place.
Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and filled with seasoned ground beef or cheese & peppers, this humble snack embodies everything Porto’s stands for: flavor, tradition, and comfort.
Angelenos’ devotion to the croqueta borders on obsession. It’s common to hear debates about whether veggie or beef reigns supreme. Or whether to pair it with guava sauce (a delicious innovation not found in traditional Cuban cuisine).
They’re a steal at just over a dollar and are often the first item to vanish from party trays, family gatherings, and office celebrations across L.A.
There’s even a thriving trade of bake-at-home croquetas, shipped to far-flung former Angelenos longing for a taste of home.
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Beyond the Ball: A Cuban Culinary Wonderland
While the potato balls may be the icons, Porto’s menu reads like a love letter to Cuban cuisine. And the culinary traditions of many other cultures that intersect in L.A.
Start with a Cuban sandwich, pressed to perfection with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on crusty Cuban bread. Try an all day breakfast empanada, sweet corn croquettes, flaky spinach and feta pockets or the delicious tamales.
Then there are the sweet treats:
- Refugiado – guava and cheese strudel – flaky puff pastry filled with bright, sticky guava.
- Cheese rolls – sweet cream cheese wrapped in golden layers.
- Dulce de leche besitos – soft cookies filled with caramel magic.
- Mango mousse cake – or anything else with mango that Portos makes!
- Tres leches cake – soaked in three milks, topped with whipped cream and strawberries. It’s a fan favorite for birthdays and celebrations.
- Milk ‘n Berries cake – a signature layered cake filled with fresh berries and silky custard. It’s as Instagrammable as it is delicious.
And don’t forget the drinks! Café Cubano for that rich, dark espresso kick, or mango smoothies for a sunny SoCal-Cuban hybrid moment.
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Porto’s Potato Ball Legacy – More Than a Bakery
Porto’s is more than a bakery. It’s a place where generations come together. Grandparents introducing grandkids to pastelitos. Couples splitting potato balls on first dates. Friends making road trips across the city just to stand in line.
In a metropolis known for its fast pace and fleeting trends, Porto’s offers something rare. Consistency, tradition, and the simple joy of good food made with care.
Rosa Porto passed away in 2019, but her legacy continues in every pastry box and every smiling face behind the counter.
Her motto, “quality is the result of a commitment to excellence,” lives on. Not just in the food, but in the love that Angelenos pour back into Porto’s.
Every time they take a bite of a croqueta and remember why they fell in love in the first place.
In the City of Angels, where everything changes, Porto’s remains. And the potato ball? That’s a forever kind of love. Buen provecho friends!
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Are you a fellow Porto’s potato balls addict? Let us know in the comments or tag @eightyflavors on socials!
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