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Highest recommendation of all the places I've tried in OB so far! We got the Cubano and latte for drinks. Pastries included the meat pie, florentine, coconut cake, passion fruit caramel, guava cheese pastry, and sweet corn scone. Honestly they were all pretty impressive and I can't wait to come again. Total cost was about $37, super affordable for the quantity and quality. Lively and loud inside, they had a small line out the door so we waited for about 30 minutes but it's worth it I think - people taking too long to decide with the many many choices available inside. After ordering received the order in about 5 minutes. Limited seating inside, about 8 seats with two larger benches outside.
So glad to have found a go to Cuban coffee spot in San Diego! All the locals will tell you about this place, and I thought it would be overhyped until I actually got the chance to try it. It was outstanding and the coffee was super authentic and yummy. There were so many options of delicious looking pastries to choose from, and I didn't know what to pick. I chatted with the staff and they recommended the quiche for me so I ordered that and got to sit outside, do some work, and do some people watching while enjoying my treats. I always recommend this to other friends now that I've gotten a chance to go. Sometimes there's a really long line, but it's definitely worth it. No, I can probably say I'm one of the locals who will recommend azucar to others!
I can't believe I'm actually saying this after my very first visit and amongst my family, friends, and fellow foodies, what I'm about to say might be sacrilegious, but after eating the pastry, scone, and savory item, I might be scorned and shamed. I've got to be true to my foodie self and boldly make this claim. Azucar is a better Cuban bakery than Cuban bakery institution Porto's. Yep, I said it and I'm sticking by it!! Brought my better half here and we spoke effusively about what we chowed down on. We glowingly raved about Azucar that my wife, who works in the patisserie business, took the time to let one of their employees know that she enjoyed every item she ate. 5 stars for their baked goodies, but their white chocolate latte with hazelnut was okay. Azucar is located in Ocean Beach (OB), which is a laid-back, bohemian neighborhood in San Diego known for its authentic surf culture, independent shops, and dog-friendly atmosphere, especially at Dog Beach. It's a short drive from Sea World and Mission Beach. OB with it's eclectic Mom and Pop small businesses interspersed with name brand retail shops appears to be a fun place to walk around. Azucar can be found amongst these shops next to the Sunset Cliffs Blvd. and Newport Ave. intersection, next to Newport Avenue Optometry and Speedway Express gas, and across the street from Sourdough & Moore. Parking is 2-hour street parking. Azucar has a small footprint with a few tables inside and a couple of tables outside. As you wait in the long, fast moving line, you'll see the blue and white palm tree wall with the different languages for the word sugar; the blue decorative lighting and cylindrical wooden artpiece hanging over the register; and there are framed pics of Cuban life. The gentleman who assisted us was friendly and worked fast. My life partner was familiar with Azucar and wanted to indulge in their scones for her early Mother's Day treat. Apparently, Azucar's owner has Cuban roots and has Cuban-inspired food, but it serves a variety of desserts, pastries, cakes, and confectionary delights. Besides their sweets, they also serve barista style coffees, teas, cold drinks, and sandwiches. Please don't be deterred by the long line flowing out the door because Azucar's staff hustles. Plus, it gives you time to ogle at the beautifully crafted desserts and pastries. I haven't eaten everything we purchased, but solely based on the three items I ordered, I made the lofty claim that Azucar is better than Porto's. These three pastries are Must Order items if you visit this bakery: Cuban Cheese Roll, Cuban Meat Pie, and Sweet Corn & Honey Scone. That Cuban cheese roll had a salivating, sweet, and creamy filling and the pastry itself was flaky and addictively tasty. I savored every single bite of the meat pie that packed a lot of yumminess in that small package. I just wished it was bigger. Make sure to ask for their hot sauce to add spice to that meat pie. The sweet corn & honey scone was like a biscuit, golden yellow, had a balanced taste, and it ate really well with my white mocha hazelnut latte. We also ordered the following: raspberry and passion fruit scone, peach scone, blueberry coconut scone, tiger butter cookie, salted toffee oatmeal cookie, and chocolate chunk cookie. I'm sure they will be as delish as the three items I raved about. We've visited Porto's in Orange and Los Angeles Counties and I've always questioned why there isn't a San Diego location. Welp, after my first visit to Azucar, we don't need a Porto's in San Diego any more.
Located in Ocean Beach, San Diego, Azucar is an amazing spot for Cuban Pastries. It trumps even the best cuban bakeries we have in Los Angeles! Despite having a small footprint with limited indoor seating, they pack incredible flavor. We had a banana cheesecake that was light and delicious. Their guava pastry on puff pastry was delicate and delicious! They had addictively good toffee oatmeal cookies, their meat pies were flavor bombs, and their cheese roll was crispy, gooey, and wonderfully chewy. I couldn't pass up getting a half "Espana" sandwich, which had a Spanish omelette with Manchego cheese. It was made to order and when it was out of the panini press, it was deliciously hot and crispy. What a great bite! Overall, this patisserie was one of my favorites of this year and I know that I'll be back when I come back to SD!
I had to reread my old review to figure out why I'd ever give this place 4 stars. Looks like I was less than pleased with the service, but gosh, the pastries are such a hit here, it deserves nothing below 5 stars. I'd also say that people have been friendly the last few times I've come, so I'll chalk it up to a bad day! Azucar is one of San Diego's best bakeries. They truly make some of the most delicious treats. At this point, I've tried almost everything and it's all a hit. The scones are so incredibly and they always have such interesting flavors whether you want corn or passionfruit, peaches or chocolate. I love the guava and cheese pastries and the sour cream cake is to die for. My husband recently got me a full sized cake for my birthday and it was so incredible. Beyond the taste, it was so beautifully decorated! I'm not a caffeine drinker, but indulge in the occasional decaf latte. They make an outstanding one. Everything about this place is the best!
2 months ago
10 months ago
Azúcar is such a gem in OB! Woke up this morning craving their meat pies, and they did not disappoint--perfect little Cubano bites of happiness. The staff here is always so warm and welcoming. They've got tons of options, and whenever I can't decide, they steer me in the right direction every time. You can really tell they care about making sure everyone leaves happy. I went on a Sunday morning, so of course there was a line, but honestly it moved quickly. They're so efficient that the wait felt like nothing. Totally worth it. If you're in OB and want something sweet or savory (or both!), do yourself a favor and stop by Azúcar. read more
5 months ago
Went Sunday morning for some croquettes ordered pistachio macaroon. They have the best croquettes I recommend this place. read more
2 years ago
*Azucar is described as a Cuban style patisserie, that is located in Ocean Beach (OB). I was curious about "patisserie" because it is French in origin. So I visited their website and found out that the chef owner draws from her classical French cuisine training and Cuban roots to create tasty pastries, drinks, and sandwiches. Sounds good already! I don't remember how I found out about Azucar, but it has been on my radar for a while. It was easy enough to find and there was a fair amount of parking. It is OB, so sometimes you might have to circle around, but I usually don't have a problem finding parking. The morning of my visit, as I walked up there was a line outside the door. It moved pretty quickly... I was inside within a few minutes and they were taking my order a few minutes after that. Might have been a 8-10 minute wait. By the way, my next visit, there was no line out the door. As I waited in line, I was able to check out the menu and see all of the pastry in the display case. Everything looked really good, I had some difficult choices to make lol. I thought I would just go with the Cuban pastries on my first visit. I ended up ordering: two cheese rolls, two guava pastries, and two guava cheese pastries. I also ordered a Dulce de Leche Macchiato (hot) which was good. The cheese rolls was delicious... it was crispy and flaky with my initial bite, then softer inside. The cheese filling was creamy, and a bit heavier than Porto's cheese rolls, at least from what I could remember, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, I actually enjoyed it. Later in the day, I tried the guava cheese pastry. It was also delicious, and had a similar texture like the cheese roll (crisp outside, softer inside). The guava cheese filling was a nice mix of sweet and creamy. I enjoyed the pastries here. During my other visit, I ordered a Passion Fruit Raspberry Scone. It was pretty good, I ate it with coffee which seemed to make it even better. The prices aren't as good as Porto's, but there is no Porto's in San Diego. I will return to grab a sandwich from Azucar one of these days. The menu states sandwiches are available at 11:00 am and on. Service was good. The staff there is friendly. They have seating indoor and outdoor which is a plus. I'm a fan of you can't tell. *Azucar is the Spanish word for sugar. 4 / 5: Pastries & Coffee 4 / 5: Service 4 / 5: Cleanliness 4 / 5: Overall read more
Insane quality coming from this bakery. Loved everything I tried - especially the pistachio peach pastry. Even the decaf was good. Service moves fast for a long line. Not a lot of seating but great for to-go ordering. You really just need to experience it for yourself because this place has some mind-altering good treats on the menu, and good coffee to back it up. read more
This place is amazing, amazing. So many unique pastries and I wanted to try them all. I even came back two days in a row which I typically don't do on vacation. The first day I had the mango cheesecake which was yummy. I got the pistachio passionfruit macaroon on the second day which was even better. The iced chai was decent but paled in comparison to the pastries. Everything tasted so unique and fresh. The prices of each pastry were the only thing keeping me from buying more-- $10.75 each. The workers were super friendly both days. I got lucky with seating since the place is pretty small. The color scheme is fun and lively. If you're close to this spot, you must check it out! I highly recommend. read more
2 years ago
Checked out Azucar on a Saturday morning. Because it was early, parking wasn't a problem but it can be a nightmare depending on when you go. Five minutes before opening, there was already a line out the door and after trying their pastries, I can understand why. Line moved pretty quickly and our food came out after 5-10 minutes. There were a few outside tables that can seat 4-6 and there were many 2 person tables inside. Pretty pricey for each item but worth it. I enjoyed their: -Guava and Cheese pastry ($3.75) -Cheese roll ($3.75): we don't have a Porto's nearby so I love that we have this availability here. I wanna say Azucar's cheese roll is a little heavier than Porto's and the crust on the pasty was nice and crunchy. -Cinco Leches: so sweet but so good -Pastelito De Carne ($3.75): this was my most favorite item and what will make me continue coming back to this place. I have to say that this might be the best meat pie that I've tried-- flaky pastry (was still good after air frying at home) and the ground beef is so juicy and flavorful! read more
Loved all my bites here! There was a bit of a line, but it actually moved faster than expected. Their guava cheese pastry was my favorite. It was absolutely delicious. It's a must! For a savory treat we tried the cubano and it was just as good. Amazing flavors and everything was well balanced. Coffee was pretty good too. The raspberry almond tart had the perfect texture. The sugar on the pastry was amazing. read more
Such a cute and lovely pastry shop! They offer an array of pastries and cakes as well as Cuban sandwiches and meat pies. Both savory and sweet, this bakery has it all! They also have hot/cold drinks. We tried the 1) divina- white soufflé passion fruit raspberry cake with torched marshmallow. I wish it wasn't as dry, but overall it had a nice tartness as well as a sweet finish. 2) cheese roll- this was a winner! I almost liked it better than Portos! It had more substance and texture than the Portos version. 3) guava cream cheese roll- another amazing pastry that I highly recommend trying! The texture was perfect and the sweetness level was just right! 4) matcha strawberry scone- this wasn't the best scone I've ever had, but it was a solid one. Buttery and rich, I enjoyed the matcha strawberry combo. The prices are very fair for the quality you're getting, there may be a line but it moves rather quickly as you order at the cash register. We found free street parking nearby or there are metered spots as well. It's walking distance to the beach, so you could grab pastries and coffee and enjoy them whilst enjoying the beautiful view. read more
8 months ago
This is the best shop for true, Cuban pastries. My favorite is the pastilla de queso. You can't go wrong with this one! read more
This is truly a gem in the heart of downtown Ocean Beach. We literally went every single morning for Cuban coffee and a pastry (Cuban meat, pickle and mustard was to die for). We also tried the guava pastry and a mango cheesecake. You'll want to arrive early as the like for this hot spot gets super long. Totally walkable if you are staying in the immediate area. Otherwise they have convenient bike parking right out front. The staff are kind, patient and personable. While they are super busy they still take the time to genuinely greet and chat with every single guest. Highly recommend! read more
1 year ago
Arrived today 2/17 around noon there was a long line outside Is it very small inside They have a great variety selection of pastries and drinks I got a few and they were all delicious They were a bit on the pricey side but worth it for a nice treat Definitely would go back and try other desserts read more
1 year ago
Above and beyond as always, food and service at Azucar!!!! Today I was picking up an order I put online for a lot of meat pies, and pastries for my staff. While waiting for some of the scones to finish in the oven, I ordered a Latte and this amazing quiche. Everything was amazing, clean little café, as always the food & service excellent! Thank you so much, Evelyn. You are amazing as always, everyone at Azucar is amazing! I will see you soon! read more
5 months ago
Wow everything is so good. I can't remember what this strawberry pastry was called but it was amazing 10/10 recommend. The scone was also really good, just hard to compare to the pastry. They make their own vanilla syrup, my vanilla latte was so good. Also my friends tried the sandwiches and said they were good as well. Also located on a cute street. read more
First time here and already a fan. We came here early on a Sunday morning and glad we came early because it got packed quick. The ladies behind the counter were super knowledgeable and nice. The coffee and pastries were amazing. The coffee is super strong which I love. I got the meat pie and peach champagne scone. Both so good, fresh and flavorful. The meat pie was flaky and tasty. It also comes with a dude of hot sauce. The inside is pretty small but the smell of all the pastries being baked smelled so good. I like that they have outdoor seating so you can enjoy the baked good and your coffee. If you're in the area come try this spot out it will not disappoint. I can't wait to come back and try some of their pastries and mini cakes. Thank you Azucar for a tasty first time. read more
2 years ago
Pleasantly surprised by how good these desserts were we had a guava bread that was like a toaster strudel with guava and cream cheese. The marshmallow lemon was really good toasted marshmallow around the whole dessert almost. The lemon coconut cake was absolutely delicious and the lemon was just the right tart with the fluffy cake around it. The toddler loved it a lot. The chocolate one was pretty good, but I gravitate towards the other desserts more. The bread was pretty good. Could use a bit more corn and maybe a bit crispy but overall I enjoyed it. read more
I'm not sure if this place counts as a hidden gem but it's DEFINITELY a gem! A cute little shop with a cozy interior, it was a little busy when we went and there's not much room to wait (if you're ordering a sandwich/food) but the line moves pretty quickly. The staff were so friendly and had some great recommendations! Now for the food: Cheese rolls- 10/10 dare I say even better than Porto's! Generous cream cheese filling and crispy sugar coating. Cuban meat pie- 100/10 it was piping hot from the oven with the juiciest pulled pork ever! How they kept the pastry so crispy with the meat so juicy amazes me, it was so good! Chocolate croissant- 1000/10 the best I've ever had, huge chunks of chocolate and my new favorite pastry! read more
Me San Diegans touristing through ocean beach and seeing how the OBians live. Ours friends recommended Azucar. Tried the meat pies of all varieties, must say I like the cubano the best. The cafe con leche supper tasty and added to the whole experience. I have lived in San Diego most of my life, it's wonderful to always find new hidden gems I never knew. Thank you read more
Arrived about 10 minutes early on a Sunday. Good thing I did, because there was a long line by the time they opened at 8am. Everything behind the glass counter looked great. I just grabbed a few items to try: Passion fruit scone. The most soft and flavorful scone I've had. Buttery but not too buttery, and not overly sweet with just enough passion fruit running through. Cuban meat pie. So good. Stuffed with meat, but it also had depth of flavor with some mustard and other spices. I could've eaten a few more. The "Divina" cake. It has a bunch of my favorite dessert components, white chocolate cake, passion fruit, semi sweet toasted marshmallow meringue-like exterior. I would definitely return to SD just for this cake and bakery. read more
A great stop if you want pastries and coffee. Very busy especially during the weekend AM but worth it. Limited seating inside and out but clean and cozy. A few favorites include the cubano meat pie, cheese and guava pastry and coffee. read more
Cute little Cuban bakery & cafe with amazing food. The cubano sandwich was delicious. The cubano pastry was also divine, so flakey. The salted toffee cookie was by far my favorite. Mojito cookie was definitely a different flavor but still very good. The triple chocolate espresso cookie... so rich but so delicious. Staff was friendly as well. A must stop when in OB! read more
6 months ago
2 years ago
My family and I visit OB Noodle House frequently as it is a staple visit for us. Today we were walking back to the car and o was in the mood for something sweet. I googled local pastry shops and Azúcar was the most appealing to me. The feeling when you walk in there is similar to a little bakery shop in Italy or Spain. You can smell fresh baked pastries as you walk in and then your eyes head towards the case. The pastries and cakes in there all look so tasty. I wasn't trying to go crazy, so I decided to just go with the Carrot Crazy cake. The Carrot Crazy Cake was a stacked cake with multiple layers. On top it seemed like they mashed marshmallows and burned the tops of them which was a good snack before I dug into the cake. The cake was very moist and each stab down the cake was so delicious. The staff was very inviting and made you feel like you were at home. The only lack I would have to say was the timing it took for me to get the cake. I waited at the counter for a few minutes before being helped, but I understand because they were spending the needed time with each customer. Sorta like an Apple Store experience. I would give Azúcar a 8.5 read more
The cuban pasteles are delicious! All of them, but recent favorite discovery is the cheese roll. There is also an abundance of other sweets as well- decadent desserts, cookies, scones and cakes! There's also sandwiches and coffee. Snagged some pasteles for christmas eve! read more
6 months ago
Exceptional! Stopped before we headed back to Vegas to take home some goodies. Arrived around 830 on a Thursday morning and was about 10-15 min wait. I picked a bunch of things and everything was so good. The shining stars were of course the meat pies and the pistachio cherry tart. I ordered 4 meat pies and I should have ordered 20! Haha! We will DEF be back next visit. Very cute place and staff is very nice. read more
So happy that Redditors recommended this place to me when I was planning a trip to ocean beach. Such an amazing place: friendly service and super delicious selections. I ordered the carrot cake: ate it all in one seating. It was delicious! Perfect sweetness and loved the crunchy cookies on top. Definitely one of the best I've had in San Diego. I also ordered 2 meat pies and a guava pastry. Everything hit the spot. I've so glad I spent the first part of day fasting and hiking in Torrey Pines. This was the best end to my day. I walked here as I was staying in Ocean beach but there are plenty of spots on the street near by. If you are craving some delicious Cuban pasteries and yummy desserts, definitely come here! read more
Loved the pastries here. Cashier was a bit curt, likely due to the long line, but excuses are excuses. Tres leches was decadent! I'll be coming back to try out their plain guava pastry without the cream cheese since I felt the ratio was off in the combination one. The guava jelly was SO yummy. So much to select from, there's something for everyone's taste. read more
1 year ago
Such a sweet (pun intended) spot! As expected, there was a decent line midday on the weekend, but the friendly and efficient staff moved things quickly. We ordered a Havana and Cubano sandwich - one with the greens and champagne vinaigrette, and one with plantain chips and mojo. We both love a Cubano, but the Hanana was a surprise delight! The cream cheese and candied guava flavors with roasted turkey were wonderful. The bread is perfect for these classic sandwiches. Allll of the desserts looked beautiful, but I went specifically for the pastelito de guava. I picked up one of those, and also added a giant passion fruit & pistachio macaron. Both were fantastic, but I was especially crazy about the tropical flavor in the macaron. Fun stop for lunch, great for a pastry read more
1 year ago
8 months ago
1 year ago
I tried the Coconut Cake...best I've ever had. The Mango Cheesecake was delicious! To drink, I had a Double Cortadito, so good! What brought me here were the Guava and Guava Cheese Pastelitos. I have only ever had these from Portos. Sadly, they were too rich! Not the Guava or Cheese, they were way too buttery! The amount of butter used over powered the Guava. Hopefully it's just the batch I had. I will be back to try their other cakes and sandwiches. read more
2 years ago
8 months ago
This is a very small cafe right on the Main Street in OB, and when you try the food, it's easy to understand why there's always a line. Came on a Sunday and the line was out the door. We tried a few pastry items, a corn cookie, some of the meat options, and I had to try a Cubano sandwich. I still think of this sandwich even a month after having it. All the pastry items we tried were delicious but that sandwich, and the sauces it comes with are still stuck in my head. This place is a must try and believe me when I say it's definitely one of the best Cuban bakeries with better pastries than some of the more well known competitors. read more
More info about Azucar
4820 Newport Ave
Ocean Beach, CA 92107
Ocean Beach, Point Loma
Directions
(619) 523-2020
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http://www.iloveazucar.com
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Ask the Community - Azucar
Do they offer any Gluten Free pastries?
I believe they have at least a gf scone and maybe cookie? I remember they had a few options.
Do they make sugar free cakes?
Are they better than Portos?
Are WHAT better than Portos, which I know well? I would give the highest scores to Portos for virtually anything, with the added bonus that Portos' pricing is much more advantageous and are probably 50% less at Porto's. The guava/cheese pastries…
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Azucar - bakeries - Updated July 2026
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