Merengue Bakery & Cafe

Omg their sandwiches are really good from the fresh bread to the right amount of spread and the layering of sliced mozzarella and spinach. I got the caprese sandwich I fell in love at first bite Yasss for a sandwich and a darn good one! Fresh mozzarella slices, spinach and balsamic vinegar spread hold off on the mayo and tomatoes as it’s a current food allergy for me. The guy working there recommended the tres leches dessert and it does not disappoint so good yet so deadly the cake is perfectly sweet and drenched nomzzz, the carrot cake ball it’s impressive for a carrot cake not too dense yet moist but I wanted more shredded carrots and pecans hehe, potato cheese balls (no meat :() are ok maybe because I got them cold and it wasn’t warmed up I felt like it was mediocre and the cheese roll needs to be slightly warm then it’s comparable to portos otherwise it just taste cold crunchy and sweet lacking something hmmm. I would highly recommend their fresh baked croissants not overloaded with butter just super flakey hah. This place is health conscious even their chicken noodle soup was pure chicken broth and it didn’t taste like it had a ton of salt in it. Will definitely go back tho :)

Went here for the first time on monday, i can’t wait to go back! Friendly service, i got the Two For You with a chicken caesar salad and a medianoche! I liked the salad more than the sandwich, but I’m down to try more of their sandwiches! There’s plenty of parking around here, you can either park on the street right in front of the store, or you can park in the back and the time limit is 8 hours haha, you can’t go wrong! So anyway, i got the Two For You and a Cheese roll (but they call it something else, i can’t remember right now i think its called crema. something) and my total was $ 10.03. The amount of food was perfect too, will definitely be back soon.

My sister works nearby and she loves this place and was the one to suggest I purchase my mother-in-law’s birthday cake here. I selected the 6″ strawberry shortcake, but when it came time to cut the cake it was immediately obvious it was a chocolate cake with strawberry frosting layered in between. And that was a major disappointment because my mother in law HATES chocolate and I specially said that to the employee that helped me select the cake. On top of that, the cake was just too sweet, was only ok in terms of moistness, but the worst was seeing the disappointment on my MIL’s face.
I plan to come back if I’m in the area to try the food and other pastry items because it’s a cute place. The staff is very friendly and the vibe and food options is like a hipster’s version of Porto’s. So my review my go up, but for now this review is based on the cake alone. Merengue need to do a better job labeling their cakes or a least make sure their staff actually knows the flavors of the cake. People typically purchase cakes for a special occasions and in my case it put a damper on ours.

Love this place! We’ve ordered a few cakes for birthdays and stop in time to time for lunch. The staff is always helpful and friendly and the food is amazing. The Cuban sandwiches are super tasty and the sweets are amazingly crafted and flavored. Will definitely keep coming back

Whenever my gf is back in Arcadia, we would pay a visit to this fine food establishment. We define this place as our hangout spot. FYI, Every couple should have one!
Location: Located in downtown Monrovia across the street from Mokomi Sushi. Easy peasy!
Parking: Parking can be found on Myrtle Ave. Might have trouble finding parking on the weekends.
Ambiance/​Décor: Small little bakery with nice modern furnishings.
Service: Service is great. Staffers are very nice and are very attentive. Food comes out pretty fast also… well depending on how long the line is. Catering and custom cakes are also offered.
Pastries/​Desserts: The must haves are mainly the potato balls (meat or cheese. I prefer the meat), cheese rolls & guava cheese (not as great as portos, but it is still yum), and the oreo cake (oreo fanatics will definely love this).
Toodles!

We ordered a tiramisu for my nephew’s birthday and it was delish! It’s hard to find places that sell a good tiramisu since a lot of times the ladyfingers are soggy or the espresso overwhelms the overall taste of the dessert. At this spot, the ladyfingers were not soggy and they used dark chocolate so the dessert was not too sweet. This tiramisu came close to being authentic, like the ones I’ve tasted in Italia.

I like this place because of the atmosphere. We had Cuban omelet for us and bought papa rellanos for my dogs. They liked it but they weren’t so anxious as in Porto’s chicken croquettes. I will be coming back someday when I am driving through. Overall, they are good.

Came here for brunch — to go — on a Saturday. I ordered the Cuban Omelette with fried plantains, and a Carrot Cake Ball. The Cuban Omelette was pretty good, on the plain side. The fried plantain chips were good, but very salty. It was a decent portion of food. The Carrot Cake was ok. There was very little carrot flavour which was disappointing.
Price was ok, $ 6.75 + tax for the Cuban Omelette and $ 4.50 + tax for the Carrot Cake Ball.
My order was taken quickly and the wait time was ok. The lady offered me a cup of water while I waited, which was nice.

Ordered a cake for moms b– day it was very good. If you haven’t tried it it’s the dulce de leche. It was a great hit at the get together old and young loved it.

Red Velvet cake… delish!
Also got to have breakfast there. Also delish. One up on Porto’s the variety on their breakfast menu

The cakes here are absolutely amazing. Had the Kalua cake and salted caramel tart. They were rich and creamy. Paired with a cup of great tasting coffee I found myself in sugar heaven.
The staff is great, and one of the bosses (George) let us sample the Cuban cake made with guava and cheesecake… Unreal.
You can go to any grocery store chain and pick up a cake that tastes like any other cake, but it’s places like this that separates the best from the rest

It’s like a mini Portos. They have Cuban cakes, pastries, appetizers, sandwiches, coffee and drinks. I’ve only been here once and have only tried the potato balls and cheese rolls. Both were delicious and I actually like it a little better than Portos. The cheese rolls had more cream cheese filling and the outside was more crispier than other cheese rolls I’ve had. Only thing is that it’s more expensive than Portos. $ 1.25 per each potato balls or cheese roll. The plus is it’s not as crowded as Portos. I’ll definitely be back here whenever I find myself near the Monrovia area.
Update 6−5−16: came back here today and bought some more potato balls and cheese rolls. I also tried their Cuban cake. It was just ok. It has guava filling and covered with merengue. I really wanted a tres leches cake, but they only had it in a cup. I really wanted it in a traditional cake form. I really wish the potato balls and cheese rolls were cheaper/​comparable to Portos prices. If it were, more people would venture this bakery. People would also buy more in bulk for parties, potlucks, etc.

The beef potatoes balls are my favorites. yumm yumm !!!
And the best part is nearby :)

If Porto’s is the definitive 5 star Cuban bakery in the San Gabriel Valley, Merengue is a smaller, slightly-​more-​expensive, 4 star imitation in Monrovia.
The food is decent. When I’m craving Porto’s, but I’m not willing to drive all the way to Burbank, Merengue is a good-​enough-​though-​not-​great alternative.
The «Refugees» (guava cheese pastries) and «Queso Crema Rolls» (cheese rolls) are denser, more caloric and pricier than those at Porto’s.
Their sandwiches are decent as well.
The interior of their great new location on Myrtle is beautiful and there is typically enough space for their current amount of customers.
They seem to care about customer satisfaction and managers can be seen wandering the seating area confirming customers are happy. Each time I order sandwiches here it seems to take forever, but that’s the case at Porto’s as well.
They have certainly stepped up their game since the move. My hope for them is that they continue to rework their pastry recipes for lighter, less dense versions of their current offerings. I anticipate they will continue on their path to becoming a Monrovian institution and I look forward to seeing their continued growth.

I know what I’m about to say may seem blasphemous but #sorrynotsorry. Merengue Bakery trumps Porto’s. Tucked away in Old Town Monrovia is one of the most incredible, little Cuban bakeries you’ll find. Besides sandwiches, coffees, potato balls, pastries, it really is dessert galore here!
With so many choices, it was hard to choose and since it was my first time here, I went a little dessert crazy. I ended up getting a couple slices of the Cuban cake, Dulce de Leche cake, Oreo Cake, Guava strudels and a Medianoche sandwich. The Medianoche had roasted pork, honey cured ham, pickles and Swiss cheese sandwiched between two slices of sweet Cuban bread. I’m not a huge fan of café sandwiches but oh man, this was AMAZING. The Cuban bread was so soft and pillowy with a delicious subtle sweetness. Think King’s Hawaiian Bread. The roasted pork and honey ham was melt in your mouth tender and flavorful. Definitely a must have if you come for lunch.
But really, it’s the desserts here that steal the show. I was supposed to go to a wedding later that day and since I was already going to have cake, decided to eat only half my Cuban cake slice for the day. I’m only slightly ashamed to say that I ended up eating the whole thing because yes, it was THAT good. Yellow cake with guava jam and merengue frosting, it doesn’t get any better than that. The dulce de leche cake was also very tasty as well and was more on the extreme sugary sweet side, but worth a try if you’re all about that sugar rush. As for the Oreo cake, not sure why there was the subtle flavor of alcohol in its aftertaste, but I’d skip this one.

YUM YUM YUM! Came in on a quiet Wednesday afternoon for some fresh and delish pastries for a birthday party and was not disappointed! After deliberating for a few minutes, I finally decided to take home the oreo chocolate cake slice and a fruit tart. They tasted delicious, fresh and just the right amount of sweet!
Service was friendly, quick. Parking is available in the back (it’s a public parking lot). Accepts cash, credit. The inside was very clean, organized. Will be back-​perhaps for a sit down lunch this time!

Today I premeditated a crime. Okay, it wasn’t a crime against anything except my girlish figure, but my ongoing quest to find the ultimate Cuban sandwich was my target. Kill confirmed!
Although this was my first time here, I sampled their wares recently at an event down the street at Brooks Berdan audio. I loved the croquetas and pastries, but despite the «Eat Cake» motto on the ceiling I didn’t care for the icing on the house signature cake. Call me picky, you’d be correct!
The menu is huge, but my first impression was how friendly everyone there is. The gorgeous gal who took my order suggested that I try the daily made plantain chips over fries, fruit, sweet potato fries and something else. She also suggested a potato ball, which was cool because I love the ones from Portos friends brought to parties in the past so I selected the beef-​filled type and a Cuban soda, the unique Hatuey malt that isn’t carbonated.
Want a little history about Hatuey? When the Spaniards conquered Cuba in the early sixteenth — century they maltreated the Indians on the island. One day, after a dog killed one of his people, Hatuey protested. However, the arrogant Spaniards just laughed until he led an insurrection. Captured, he was to be burned at the stake in a public execution (the medieval way). In Europe a «heretic» would be offered a chance to recant and have the «privilege» of being strangled first before the fire was set. What a choice, right? Hatuey famously proclaimed after being offered a chance to «confess»: «Are there Christians in heaven? If so, I’d rather go to hell.»
Today he is immortalized on the label, but few know his story.
I’ll be back soon for more. I found the sandwich to be one of the better I’ve tried of late. I should add a bit more mustard, or a spicier mustard but as is, the meat was plentiful, moist and bread fresh and well matched. Bravi!

Insomnia strikes again so I might as well be productive and write a Unilocal review, right? Right. Here we go.
Merengue has been around Old Town Monrovia for some years now. Recently, they moved to a much better location right on Myrtle Avenue. Their décor and overall aesthetic definitely improved since the relocation. Think Porto’s but smaller and lowkey. They have a whole assortment of pastries including Cuban favourites like cheese rolls and guava and cheese rolls. Aside from those, they have the usual bakery suspects such as danishes, cakes, cookies, cupcakes, you name it. In my book, Porto’s cheese rolls, guava/​cheese strudels, empanadas, and potato balls still remain SUPREME. Maybe my taste buds are just spoiled by Porto’s over the course of years and many, many Filipino parties that which include mountains of cheese rolls. Whatever, right? I still have to give Merengue much credit because I just can’t stay away!
Potato Balls. There are two kinds offered here: cheese and meat. The cheese was just okay. Just tasted salty to me. Not enough cheese. The meat potato balls are delightful. Even more amazing if you come right before noon as they’re more fresh that way. When I first tried a Beef Empanada, I found it to be a little TOO salty. I tried it for the second time to see if it was just a bad batch that first time but nope, it’s their recipe man. Salty and overpoweringly so! Ham and Cheese Croqueta is delish. Great with a little bit of Tapatío. Actually — who am I kidding? Even the potato balls are great with some Tapatío. Also the fried plantain chips aka mariquitas? Pour some Tapatío on those and you’re golden. I just love Tapatío. Period. If Tapatío had a Unilocal page, I wouldn’t hesitate to write a glowing review. Okay, enough about my love affair with T.
Iced Dulce de Leche is a must here. It’s crack. So addicting. I keep coming back for more. Yes, that good. I swear I don’t normally like to order these kind of sugar-​laden coffee drinks but OH BOY is this drink freaking godly. Strong and godly. Hands down a winning combination.
What else? Order the Spanish style omelette. It’s a big serving too. Leftovers are possible. Overall a great bakery/​café in Monrovia. Glad they’re around making magic and providing delicious pastries for residents to savour.

Omg!!! Why the hell have I not gone to this place before now!!!
We bought 4 desserts and they were all delicious. Carrot cake ball (cupcake), Crème brûlée, tiramisu, and a small fruit tart.
My daughter inhaled the fruit tart so I didn’t even get a chance to taste it… I’ll have to try it when we go back.
The carrot cake was full of large shreds of carrots, the tiramisu was very coffee-​y, and the carmel on the Crème brûlée made me melt! It was so darn delicious… writing about it is making me want it again!
Now we have our go to place not only for small desserts but birthday cakes too.

I wish I could give five stars because the food is as authentic as you can get! Unfortunately, I have given four stars, not for the food or service but for the lack of tables for customers.
I had a medianoche sandwhich with a side order of sweet potato fries. After eating my plate, I realized that there is no comparison to Portos. Merengue bakery blows Portos out of the water. The food was so delicious and the pastries were even better. I drove about fourty five minutes to give this place a try and I promise you I will be back next week.
Merengue Bakery has a huge variety of Cuban sandwiches, appetizers, drinks, pastries just in case you don’t know what to order. Although I felt very crammed, it was worth it.
As a Cuban, I can gladly say this is as good as my abuelitas homemade food.

I popped in for a quick sandwich.
Ordered a Cuban sandwich, but they ran out of fries so I opted for their side salad + their in house avocado cilantro dressing for $ 7.75 + tax. The sandwich was comprised of pickles, swiss cheese, honey cured ham, and roasted pork pressed between two slices of Cuban bread. I felt like the sandwich could have used a little more pressing because everything felt very separate and the tastes didn’t quite come together for a Cubano bite. I also found the roasted pork to be very porky in aroma. There was a strong pork aroma as I ate the sandwich, and it was slightly offsetting. I eventually peeled the pork out.
I wasn’t particularly wowed by my first visit here, but I would definitely come back to give the sandwiches another go and maybe squeeze in a potato ball, or two, during my next visit.

We stopped here for breakfast and it did not disappoint. I did not try any of the sweet bakery items. But I did have the hearty breakfast, and it was enough to feed two people.
We also had the meat& potato balls, the meat pies, ham rolls, and fried plantains. Everything was delicious.
The prices are reasonable, the location is charming with patio and indoor seating. They have a good selection of flavored coffees and one of those new touch screen soda fountains.
Strongly recommend a visit.

I’ve driven by this place numerous times, but as usual Unilocal led to me actually stop by. I picked up a second birthday cake for my Daughter’s 1^st and some other goodies. The cake was moist and good, but I could’ve done without the million sprinkles, which ended up everywhere (my car, dining room floor, the tiny cracks on my wood dining table)! The cheese rolls are tasty and the chicken empanadas are soooooo yum! I also purchased some beef treats, but was too full to try em. I am definitely going back to try a sammie.
The décor is very cute and modern. It is very cramped, but it’s not a big deal. It reminds me of Portos, it’s almost a splitting image when it comes to what they offer.
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New discovery! I don’t know any Cuban bakery and café other than Porto’s, good thing I searched and found this place in Monrovia.
The lady over the phone when I preordered was really patient and gave me a tip to get the Chocolate Parisian since it’s their best-​loved cake so I listened. The 8″ cake was only $ 33 which is cheap. Most bakeries sell that size for $ 40. Everybody loved the cake! It was moist, light and not too sweet.
When I went to the store, I browsed and opted for some slices of Dulce de Leche, Parisian, Carrot cake and a piece of Cinnamon Twist. DDL was bomb! Can’t go wrong with Dulce de Leche with anything ever! The carrot cake was dense and the frosting was super yummy. I didn’t get to taste the cinnamon twist but I guess it was good because it was all consumed.
Parking situation can be tough because it’s in Old Town Monrovia so street parking will be the best if you don’t mind walking a block or two.
The store was new and neat with clean and decent bathroom.
The lady staff were nice with full make up on! Nice!
This won’t be my first visit for sure!