They have variety of pasties, desserts and breads but my favorites are the Bolillo with cream cheese and jalapeño! The best I've ever had. The bread was crunchy in the outside and soft in the inside. The amount of jalapeño and cream cheese was so well balanced. They also have the best tamales in town! Staffs are all nice and accommodating. Store is clean and has plenty of parking space. read more

On our way home, we had pre ordered 2 dozen tamales to take home. They only make it fresh, no frozen. We enjoyed the chicken green sauce (the favorite) and pork red sauce over the next few days and froze a 1/2 dozen for another time. You should ask for them in a tray if you order that many, otherwise you have to take 4 plastic bags home. The cost came to $100+ with the tax but they're big and delicious. read more

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Best tamales in town and not to mention the bakery is on fire. Find me somewhere Better in SC and your tab is on me. read more

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Best tamales in Santa Cruz! We order the tamales ahead of time every year for Christmas Eve dinner. Our family's favorite are the pork with red sauce. read more

El Rosal Bakery has the best tamales in town!!!! I never been there, but had gone to that shopping center many times, and never even noticed that place!! Because so many people recommended this place on FB, I ordered 30 tamales, rice and beans for my family's NYE get together, and boy it was so good! Even my Mexican niece, who is a great cook, thought they were delicious!!! WOW, and they were the biggest tamales I've ever seen!! THANK YOU!!! read more

I live near Rosal so get my tamales there and my favorites are the red chicken and the green chicken. I also get my milk and sodas when I am not up for a long drive to other stores on 41st. I am allergic to HFCS and they stock Jarritos sodas with cane sugar so I don't get headaches from their sodas which I really appreciate! The staff is super friendly, helpful and they are open until 8pm except Sunday when they close at 7pm. They also sometimes have trump piñatas which as fun as well as kids ones. I know on special holidays they do a ton of business because I will see all the huge orders of tamales and piñatas ready to be picked up. I just love this place and the owners! Oh, they have great flan too. I have gluten issues so I cannot eat their baked goods but they look great and I always see people in line to buy large bags of them! They must be good! read more

I always enjoy visiting Mexican Bakeries. Since we were in town visiting friends, they recommended trying out the tamales at El Rosal Bakery. They advertise via signage that they have the best in town. I was a little disappointed that all he wanted was to make a quick stop to purchase tamales, but I admit, I need some self control when it comes to baked goods. Anyway, he raved about how delicious their tamales were and treated us to a couple each. They were hot and ready. Joe got beef and I got veggie which had jalapeno & cheese. Every one enjoyed the food. I on the other hand didn't notice anything outstanding about my tamale. It was just as basic as any others I have had, including frozen ones from the grocery store. But since this is my review, I give it an OK, three stars.... read more

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I went in late in the day to get some tamales. I love their tamales!!! However, I went too late in the day to get the ones that I wanted. However, they had substitutes.. Next time, I will hopefully remember to go earlier in the day. They also have Mexican pastries and bread. The bread and tamales are made fresh daily. They also carry Mexican herbs and spices that are less expensive than some places. If you are looking for a pinata-- this is a great place to go! If you don't have the time or money to go to a foreign country, and you have never been to a Mexican store or country--this might be great fun for you! read more

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We love getting our tamales from them. They are large, flavorful and would recommend calling ahead to order as they can sell out fast! read more

El Rosal Bakery - Pork Tamale with rice and beans (they sell them) - Bakeries Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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We were having some beers in the brewery a few doors down and stopped by here to get some tamales. We got there at the end of the day so the options were limited, but the green tamales were quite good, with a surprising spice kick that you don't normally expect with verde sauce. Nicely done! read more

What is happened to their tamales?! We haven't been there in a while and was surprised to see they've raised their prices and the quality has gone down. The pork tamales are now 4.59 and they're small but they taste good. The cheese and jalapeño are now 3.99 i don't like the cheese they use now it's hard, rubbery and squeaky when you chewy it. They give you 1 slice of jalapeño that isn't hot at all and has no flavor. It is significantly larger than the pork tamale. Now we're on the hunt for a new tamale place. read more

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Awesome tres leches cake! It's a store with bakery. Take cash and plan to eat outside.

these are the best tamales that i have ever ate in my life , i recommend the chicken with salsa verde. they give a generous amount of meat in each tamale. Do not go too late in the evening because they sell out very quickly. i like to get a dozen at a time and feed my whole family and the have a couple left over to take to work. Make sure to try these Tamales if you are visiting Santa Cruz. I wish they had these Tamales close by in the South Bay or Peninsula i would buy them very frequently !! read more

The tamales were just ok. They were humongous and two should be more than enough to sate most people; maybe just one for the non-big-eaters. Juxtaposed against the reviews and resultant expectations, my initial thought was 2 stars but I realised it's not bad actually. It's ok but nothing compared to Salvadoran style tamales. I was looking forward to the chicken verde tamales but they were unfortunately out, so I had to make do with the usual red sauce tamales. I asked for salsa however all I got was tapatio sauce in little dip cups. That was a bummer. Yea, it's ok. It's decent. But don't go expecting what they claim, or raise your hopes up based on the many glowing reviews. read more

El Rosal Bakery - Chicken tamale (red) - Bakeries Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I was craving some pan dulce while I was in Santa Cruz and found this place on Yelp. It's in a plaza near the 99 Cent store so you really can't see it from E Cliff. Upon entering, I noticed a large enough selection of the pan dulce to the left of the register. The guy was pretty nice but sermed like he did not care for any of my questions about the bread. Not very friendly. For 4 large pieces, it was about $5. Once I got into the car, I had to try one of the crescent shaped sugary ones. It was fresh and really good! I took the rest home to enjoy with some coffee. If you are in the E Cliff area and crave mexican bread, check this place out. read more

Got their Too Good To Go bag while visiting a friend, so that's all I can speak to. Small place in a sketchy looking strip mall. The door was locked already so a guy came to the door to hand me my bag. It was a large bag filled with Mexican pastries, which were all delicious. I had hoped for some tamales and meant to come back to try some but never did. I'd order a bag again and would definitely try the tamales. read more

For real the best!!!!Like for real the best place. There's a sign that says the best mileage in town and the time is great they are the best tamales in town once we got there there was no one in line, so we were able to get what we want it. We went inside and got for tamales and eat one chicken with red sauce one pork with red sauce in the car. After that we were hooked. Went back inside and ordered 14 more to go. They put them in a foil pan for us which keep them nice and warm and ready to eat them later.They smell good and they taste good someone was walking by and saw that I was eating tamales and the lady ass what are you eating and I said the best tamales in town. The bakery is on point as well got everything that you want and everything that you need and it looks good. Going back again one day make sure you stop by and get the best deal in town. The service is exceptional and I recommend everybody go here cause for sure we will be back read more

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Best tamales in Santa Cruz. The chicken red sauce tamales is the hit. I would recommend it. They are huge read more

El Rosal Bakery - Pork tamales/ cheese and jalapeño tamales - Bakeries Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

New to the area and we walked buy El Rosal several time s until a business friend gave a thumbs up to their tamales. Our next trip we stopped in a picked up two out of the five, the pork and sweet corn (sold out of the chicken and jalapeño/cheese). The staff was friendly and personable. The tamales were a nice size and they didn't skimp on the filling which had a great flavor. The masa was really good and was almost light... not super dense from compaction. We have been back and tried the other types and all were tasty. On another note their bakery item were quite enticing and we will be sure to try these as well. They claim the best tamales in town and I believe they are. read more

Their tamales are absolutely delicious and a decent price. Moist and savory, lots of meat inside. The green chicken tamales are especially good. Service was fast, employees speak both Spanish and English. Lots of Mexican snacks and ingredients as well typically harder to find in Santa Cruz. Easy going environment. read more

El Rosal Bakery - Green sauce tamale - Bakeries Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Best tamales ever. I live in Salinas and drive to get fresh tamales. The size of the tamale is huge. Also the bakery is excellent. And it is a mini market of select items. It's worth the drive! read more

It was ok. Tamales are good but messy. When I make them, the sauce is not all over it. Also has a lot of masa. I like masa but it's pretty thick. They're a little pricey too. Also they don't have the sweet bread I know by "piggies". read more

Some of the best tamales in Santa Cruz at a price point that can't be beat. Classic Latin baked goods as well as favorite treats. Support local business. Huzzah! read more

I am usually not a big fan of Mexican bread and pastries but this spot is pretty good. The best part was the Tamales, they were not kidding when they said they had the best in the area. This is also a grocery store so they have a lot of other goodies too. They are quite popular based on the line so be ready for that. read more

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Wow this place is legit!!! The tamales are very authentic. Not dry at all. Tastes like the ones my abuelita used to make. The bread is freshly baked and so soft. Perfect sweetness. I love the way they themselves grab the bread from the trays for you. No need to grab tongs and trays, they will take care of you 100%. I can't say how much I love that. Great service, great yummies, great musica playing in the back with happy employees singing my favorite Peso Pluma! It was meant to be to try this place today for the first time. I will definitely come back again and again. read more

El Rosal Bakery - Beautiful artwork. Pan display cases the workers grab from. - Bakeries Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Wonderful market with wonderful friendly service and the best home made tamales.I got the chicken tamales with the red sauce and it was very delicious.This market has been here a long time.I also like their baked goods.Also very yummy.I recommend this place read more

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Even though I'm just an annual vacation visitor to Santa Cruz, a stop here for the tasty tamales is always on the itinerary. Moist, savory, decent size and luxurious mouth feel. At $3 each it's a culinary bargain. Also I buy a small variety of pastries. I know my Mexican sweets (I lived in Mexico City for a year and California for most f my life). These here pastries are way above average in looks and flavor. The small market is sparkling clean. There are just a few short aisles with Latino canned and bottled goods. Will get you through a pinch when it's home made Mexican food night. Recommended. read more

Best tamales! Came to this little strip mall for the farmers market and found a piece of heaven serving some delicious Mexican pastries and hot tamales. The conchas were so fresh. They were warm, soft and just the right sweetness. And you can't come here without getting some tamales. My favorite is the pork with red sauce. I bought a dozen. read more

THE BEST TAMALES IN TOWN! Actually, the best tamales I've ever had! Tastes especially good when you eat it fresh. The store has a bakery inside as well. You order the tamales from the cashier. They provide you with napkins and forks if you need it. read more

Yum! The chicken tamales with green sauce were amazing! Perfect amount of spice. Highly recommend. Stopped in after strolling through the Sunday Farmers Market in Live Oak. Plan to return. Lots of parking. read more

Picked up tamales on Christmas Eve - it was really busy but they helped me quickly, my order was correct .... y fueron tan rico! Will be coming back to El Rosal whenever I'm in the area, so I can try everything else in this panaderia read more

Stumbled upon this bakery thanks to Yelp. They have arrows to show you which way to walk during covid. They have lots of variety from fresh tamales, groceries, snacks, candy, and baked goods. However, I wish they wouldn't leave out the bread because there were flies flying around them. Their bread is pretty good, but could've been a bit more moist. The chicken green sauce tamale was dry on the outside but very good towards the center with the green sauce. read more

El Rosal Bakery - Sweet bread - Bakeries Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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So good to have a panadería in Capitola/santa cruz. Pan dulce was great and reasonably priced.

Love love love this place. Indeed the best tamale. Our weekend routine is to pick up fresh tamales And go to Twin lake. Fresh, tasty and perfectly steamed tamale!!!!! ( literally right out of the steamer pot). Perfect hand warmer on a cold day. ;). Our fav = chicken verde. Pretty spicy. If you can't handle spicy, get the red sauce. By far the best tamale I have. Every my little chicks love them. (2021-1 price is 2.99) The young workers are polite and nice. We asked many questions about the bakery and they explained to us patiently. ( no sign nor price). Excellent single walkway direction COVID control and hand sanitizer at entrance. They did a great job in making the place safe. In the same plaza as the farmer's market. A couple stores next to the Dollar store. read more

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Big, tasty tamales. More like a tamale and a half! Enjoyed both the pork and the chicken. Pan dulce also looked amazing, but did not partake on this trip. read more

This place is a gem. The tamales are so good. They're authentic and taste almost like my family recipe(hard to find). Also a great place to buy pan dulce. It's so good and super cheap. read more

We were at a nursery on the west side and heard an employee talking about this place and their tamales, on E Cliff near 17th. We're staying at a house abut a 5-minute walk from El Rosal, so we stopped on the way home and picked up chicken in green sauce, pork in red sauce, and corn (elote). All delicious -- but do not miss the corn. All generously sized; my husband and I were happy sharing a total of the three listed here. We will definitely return. read more

Their tamales are extremely good but their side Of rice and beans were disgusting and they gave you SUCH a small amount for the money. The rice was like 5 bits and beans were 4 bites. What a rip off read more

El Rosal Bakery - a hand holding a container of baked beans - Bakeries Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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El Rosal is our go-to for prepared tamales. Their tamales are (in my opinion) large, and they keep them steaming hot, ready to take home and enjoy. I appreciate they offer a vegetarian (jalapeño and cheese) option, as well as great pork and chicken, so there is something for everyone. (If you haven't been there before, FYI they have plenty of parking, the store is nice, and if you are there for tamales, you just let them know at the counter/register what tamales you'd like, and they pack them up right then for you. There are signs with types/meats available, and prices.) I really appreciate that they offer a reliable source for fresh tamales daily. The store is a bakery too, and also has some shelves of products worth browsing for your pantry. I just have to admit I mainly rely on them for hot tamales. (Edit: reading other reviews, I'll add the tamales are about $3.50 now (2023) BUT (in an effort to be helpful to readers, and express that I think the value is there) they really are a good size, lots of masa and a real portion of filling, and I estimate one is maybe equivalent to a quarter pounder burger, food-wise. My last purchase, for example, was 4 tamales for 3 people and we each had one and were satisfied, and the fourth was reheated the next day and shared by two of us for an afternoon snack. Appetites of course will vary!!) read more

I don't like tamales. My teacher aide brought me a tamale from here. This is the only tamale I will eat. When she goes to Santa Cruz she has to bring back El Rosal tamales. I would make "the Best Tamales in Town" signs but someone already did. read more