"La Especial Bakery" is a local bakery with a long history in this small town of San Benito, TX. Several generations have grown up on the Mexican sweet pastries and passed on the traditions to new generations. Walking through the doors is nostalgic invoking your own walk through history. If you've never been you won't be disappointed and begin your own experiences. Grab a box with one of everything and you still will have plenty more to sample. Ive traveled through many states and places specializing in this sweet pastries but never find anything as delicious. The staff is very friendly eager to help and always smiling. Even the owner will be there in the front lines assisting. Like the olden days. You can even get a cup of coffee and talk story. They also have a few grocery items in case you need to grab milk, eggs and a soda. The ambiance is just down home. Maybe I'll see you there grabbing your favorite piece of "pan dulce". Yes, they are "Special". read more

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Came here the other day to pick up some pan dulces. Small town vibe--of course, you're in The Valley! But very warm and welcoming spot. Small, but busy. They have quite a selection of freshly made items. I would suggest getting there early if you are looking for something specific as they did have several empty trays. Everything we ordered was delicious as usual. I did not see or get to try any barbacoa or tamales, but maybe next time. This place has a history and is an important part of San Benito. If you're ever in the area, put it on your list of places to visit. read more

La Especial Bakery - Ate some already...yum. - Bakeries Near Me - San Benito, Texas

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Everything! Great people! Delicious empanadas and rest of the pan dulce! Best there is in the VALLEY!

So disappointed at the service at this bakery. I placed an order for 20 dozen cookies and paid for them on November 7th and was supposed to pick them up on Tuesday 11th. When I got there I was told they had forgotten to make them and they were sorry. I was on my way to San Antonio and they were for my granddaughter's special event Wednesday morning. Will never go back again. Couldn't understand how they forgot when she found my order right away. read more

The best bakery in San Benito. The prices are very reasonable. They make fresh pan dulce each day, and it is delicious!

Amazing sugar cookies! I love Lara's bakery but this is pretty close to it! We ordered 600 cookies and we had none left!

Our favorite for Conchas and semitas! Place is not self service so You have to make your mind fast! read more

We absolutely love this bakery! The heart shaped cookies are the best and their iced sugar cookies are addictive.

As always, great service and amazing bread. La Especial bakery always has fresh bread and a wide selection to choose from.

Some foodie experiences make you feel like you're back in time. That describes La Especial Bakery to a T. Built in 1940, this bakery has been serving pan dulce to the city of San Benito for over 70 years. Its baking methods are timeless, and its bread is top notch. It's probably the best bakery I have ever been too. When you walk into La Especial, there is a vibrant energy that accompanies the delicious smells of freshly baked bread. My family and I went to this bakery three times during the four days we were in San Benito, and each time there was a line of customers waiting to order bread. With such a rich history in San Benito, everyone in town (and in the surrounding towns) knows the quality of baked goods at La Especial. During our last visit, my family and I had the incredible fortune of meeting the owner, which included a tour of the bakery. We were able to see the oven that was built in the 1940′s that is still used to bake bread everyday. The owner's father built the oven when he first opened the bakery. It's made out of bricks, and can fit up to 30 turkeys during Thanksgiving (to give you a sense of scale). We also saw the modern ovens that are used to cook barbacoa. Customers can bring in raw barbacoa, and the bakery will cut, season, and cook the meat. They had about 10 trays of barbacoa cooking in one of the ovens when we toured through the kitchen. On a personal note, it was really cool for my family to see this bakery. My Grandmother used to buy bread here when she was a child growing up in San Benito in the 1940′s. She would tell us stories about how much this small Texan town (located 15 minutes from the border of Mexico) had changed over the years. Despite that, it's incredible to see something that has stood the test of time. Not only has La Especial lasted - it has truly thrived. It reminds me of simpler times - before cell phones and internet. Before microwaves and the onslaught of American fast food chains. La Especial reminds me of the rich history of San Benito, and offers an opportunity for the next generation to create memories of their own. I wish there were more food establishments like La Especial Bakery. They're not concerned about expansion plans. They're not too busy to carry on a conversation with customers. They've found their niche and have stuck to it. They build relationships with the people that walk through the door, and do their very best to produce the highest quality bread possible. There's something comforting in knowing that businesses like this still exist. I can only hope that the next 70 years will be just as prosperous for this bakery as the last 70 years have been. read more

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Great sweet bread, great service, they're cakes and cookies are so good. Get there early if you haven't placed an order. Best of the best!

A South Texas gem! I've been coming to this bakery since I was a child and have only had their sweet bread (amazing). After reading reviews for their cakes, I decided to give them a try. Absolutely delicious! I was ordering from out-of-town and the team was very helpful with all my questions and overall order. Thank you for this very special cake! read more

La Especial Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Benito, Texas

I'm not a native of here, but my parents are. I spent my summers in Matamoros (back when it was okay to go to Matamoros) and in Brownsville. I grew up with this stuff, and every time we come back here, this is one of our joints to pick up some fresh Pan Dulce and other wonderful Mexican pastries. This place has a very humble storefront, and if you didn't know it already, you might just miss it. Inside the whole place is just lined with wonderful glass cases filled wall to wall with pastries. The service staff are all very friendly, and I think speaking Spanish is definitely a plus here. They have fridges filled with milk and other beverages to take to go, and so if you need a pan dulce fix, but forgot to pick up some milk, no need to fear, they got it covered. All-in-all, this place has Authentic and delicious treats, and at a price you can't complain about at all. read more

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They have a big selection of sweet breads, and the owner and staff are very nice. Once we tried them, we were very pleased with the pan dulces. read more

Plenty of choices, great prices. Baked goods were pretty average. Tamales were mostly masa with very little meat. I'll keep looking. read more

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fresh sweet bread loved the semita de anís. also purchased some chicken tamales and they were under cooked

Been going to this bakery for almost 30 years and it still taste just as great as it did then. $6.00 can get you a huge amount of sweet breads and it stays soft for days. I always make a point to stop by when cruising down from San Antonio or just passing by on the way to South Padre Island. Try the pink cakes as they are my favorite me they so good they do sometimes sell out. Friendly staff and some familiar faces every time I stop in. read more

Great price, great variety, great history. Just an awesome bakery for any occasion! Bread is always the freshest and with less than $10 I took home a big box of different bread/cookies, and a half gallon of milk! Definitely stop by to try. read more

Whenever I travel to the valley to see family, I always stop here to get my pan dulce fix. They have a large variety of pan dulces, as well as other breads which are made fresh at the store. Pastries like conchas and marranitos, which are normally hard at other places I've been to, are soft and have just the right amount of sweetness, and stay soft for a few days after- I like to save up on my bread as long as possible - it's so good! Service is pretty quick, and they have milk and other drinks that you can take on the go. Speaking Spanish is a plus here, but not required. My Spanish is a little rusty. Love this place! read more

Love this place,the community is very amazing,the workers there are quick to respond and always there to help.The bread is fresh and tastes nice.Been going here for years and they haven't changed a bit.Even after the fire people still kept coming love the community and people serving us bread read more

My husband is from the valley. Every time we go back to visit his family we have to stop for sweet bread (several times). Everything tastes amazing. You can't find anything fresher. read more

This is a wonderful family orientated place. I have been going off and on since 2005. No matter the time loss as I travel I am always greeted with a warm smile and update of what has happened since last visit. I am a transplant Valleiate and have since introduced my husband and children. We stopped in after a loooong time and My husband said I have did a great Mia justice by not stopping in more often and purchasing from other bakeries so we are set to go once or twice a week now.....I'm prepping as I type this. We love pecan pies and the various low sugar pieces. I have taken it as far as Ghana, West Africa! To Your Success! I was told they keep it simple, they keep it Tasty, We say. read more

Awesome bakery. The pan dulce is delicious and fresh every time i visit. The prices are amazing. I can leave here with a full box of sweet bread for under 7 bucks. You cant beat it. My favorites are the pierdas and the polvorones. read more

Hope to always come back to this place when I'm down in south Texas. Not sure I'll ever have time to try all the amazing looking pastries.

This bakery reminds me of my childhood. It's so nostalgic, the workers treat you like family, and it's authentic. The sweet bread is the best I've had - nothing can compare or match up. The best thing is how incredibly affordable it is. You can get so much sweet bread for so little. Highly recommend. read more

I live out of state and ordered by phone a b-day cake to be delivered to my friend's workplace. It was delivered on time without extra charge, and I hear the cake was delicious. Thank you. read more