I did a "tamal crawl" bike ride with friends today and sampled 5 different tamales across East LA and La Mascota had the best tamales de pina I've ever had. The masa had an incredible consistency, somehow soft yet hearty. The pineapple and raisins were incredible. Service was a little slow, so relax in the beautiful courtyard or wait inside. You won't be disappointed. read more

La Mascota Bakery - Tamales Sign in Courtyard - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The tamales were average. If I am honest- they lacked flavor. Next time I will follow my instincts and go to the Home Depot parking lot before 8:30am. I know what I am looking for: Mexican grandma or aunt (45 or older), line of loyal customers, no signs, cash only, Spanish preferred. The legendary tamale exists. This is not it read more

La Mascota has been a staple for my family and I for quite a while... going back to the 80s! This has been our go-to spot for tamales ever since. The sweet bread is pretty good too, don't get me wrong, but the tamales are what they've been known for. The chicken, cheese, and pineapple tamales are especially good - those are the ones to get, no doubt. Yea, wait times can be long, especially during the holidays when they get super busy, so be aware of that. You'll need to be especially patient if that's when you decide to come. But, there IS a reason this place has been in business all these years. read more

First off, I've been to this Bakery many times. Deep in the heart of LA. It is an old school Latino neighborhood. Locals know it as a place of morning coffee & fresh Pan Dulce. During the holidays it is known for its famous tamales. How good are they? Check out the line at 8am to get in the bakery. Also watch the multiple bags people are carrying out. Christmas morning is not complete without a Beef, Pork, Chicken & Sweet tamales. Masa is so moist. They are full of meat & spice. So fragrant. I'm drooling just thinking about them. I recommend you pre-order during the holidays but you can wait in line to purchase. The pre-order line moves a lot fast read more

La Mascota Bakery - Delicious tamales - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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A family friend brought a beautiful box of Mexican sweet bread and I was instantly curios! Never seen detail taken to a nice presentation so naturally the taste test came next -- amazing! I had to go. La Mascota is a star in your map of best panaderías in LA, and it's also a restaurant! With friendly service, the space invites you to slow down from your busy day and enjoy time to eat, drink un cafecito, and enjoy. Ample parking in the back and plenty of space in or out for dining. read more

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Good traditional Mexican food there. Go for tamales. They have delicious menudo on the weekend.

Fresh is all I can say. Come get some delicious pan dulce. Everything in here is made fresh. Pineapple, guava and raspberry are some of the flavors. Don't forget to grab some leche and enjoy read more

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La Mascota Bakery at 2715 Whittier Blvd is another top spot, known for authentic tamales with great seasoning in their masa and traditional beef versions. They also offer a variety of other Mexican baked goods and have a loyal local following.[lataco +2] we tried to leave Tamales they look good. This is our first time here so we were just trying to see what we thought taste good.! read more

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I liked the interior of the place. It's quiet and spacious enough to enjoy your meal. The layout of everything is nicely organized. The service was friendly and very helpful. FOOD: The blue/white concha i bought was 2x the cost of what it normally pay at another panaderia. The concha itself was very soft yet held it's structure with every bite. Here's why the 4 stars... The tamale inside a bollilo was unfairly dry, incredibly lacked red sauce and could have included more pork in it. The bollilo itself was standard. It does come included with a cafe de olla so that's going to help with how fairly dry it was. They have other items on the menu that I look forward to trying. I'll come back and try something else. read more

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While visiting my relatives in Los Angeles for the holidays, my brother-in-law's good buddy suggested getting tamales and Mexican pastries from Boyle Heights's La Mascota Bakery. I had never heard of La Mascota Bakery. Still, we were assured that this 65-year-old plus East LA bakery was renowned for its tamales, tortas (sandwiches), Hispanic pastries (pan dulce), barista-pulled espressos, lattes, and drip coffees. We arrived at the bakery around 10:30 AM, and there was a line out the door. Luckily, we snagged the last parking stall in La Mascota's parking lot. I wandered into the bakery to look at their menu and mouthwatering assorted pastries and cookies while the rest of my family stood in line. The line moved quickly, and we noticed that most of the customers behind us spoke Spanish. Luckily, my brother-in-law's friend speaks Spanish, so I could only point to the items that caught my eye as he translated my selections to the bakery worker. Our order consisted of a dozen tamales (four each of pork, chicken, and beef), assorted conchas, and various cookies. The counter help packed all of the steaming hot tamales in a plastic bag but didn't separate them, as the outer wrappers were labeled with their tamale filling. The service was friendly and efficient because at least four ladies worked at the bakery counter. That evening, we re-steamed the tamales and ate them with salsa roja and crema. The generous fillings were encased in an evenly layered and thin masa, or tamale dough, which made us appreciate their authenticity more than those we have gotten from some Mexican restaurants or stores in Honolulu. Because the tamale dough wasn't thick or heavy, we ate three tamales apiece and finished our dinner with delicious buttery and nutty Mexican wedding cookies. read more

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I thought I had reviewed this place years ago but upon going through my reviews, it appears I failed to provide a review. If you have ever read any of my other tamale reviews, you know I always give props to this place as being my go to spot for tamales. Well, we've encountered what I thought was merely a one time snag but it appears to now be a quality control issue. Last year I noticed my tamales were missing the meat despite having ordered red chili pork tamales. By missing I mean all I got was a tiny little piece of meat at one end of the tamale as pictured (and evidenced by the video). I attributed that to perhaps the holiday rush. Fast forward to this year where so far I have had three of what were supposed to be red chili pork tamales but should probably be renamed "red chili tamales" and all three had the same quality control issue - no meat! I know the cost of everything has gone up but this is unacceptable. So, beware if you buy from here because it looks like the pork tamales have taken somewhat of a vegan approach by failing to include the meat. Mascota, I'm waiting for you to make this right for me.... read more

La Mascota Bakery - The amount of meat in a red chile and pork tamale - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Horrible customer service. The lady behind the counter seems like she hates her job, (manager) I had a bad experience I won't be back. read more

This bakery is incredible! Love La Mascota, they have amazing sweet breads, delicious coffee, friendly staff and the best tamales ever! My family and I have been coming here for years and even when they changed owners the quality and service stayed the same, Excellent! read more

Negative 10 for the service here, Pre order is a friggin JOKE. Pick up time was set for 11 am but had to wait in line for an hour and a half plus. One and done for this, never again. read more

Hidden little gem! Food was delicious. I went during working hours and it was packed. Staff was nice and helpful. Found a new spot to eat for sure! read more

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My husband and I were in the neighborhood and stopped by on a whim for lunch. We ordered the two tamale chicken plate and torta de puerco (Pork sandwich). The portions were generous and the food was delicious! The agave tea was exotic and sweet as a mojito! Highly recommend this place. read more

La Mascota Bakery - La Mascota Bakery, love this place! - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The conchas! The conchas! Unreal! Highly recommend them and the Cajeta Rolls. Went in and got about two dozen of their pan dulces. By far one of the best panaderias we've been too. If you show up on the weekend, there might be a bit of a line... Well worth the wait!! I don't really know the names of the panes we picked but check out the pictures. We also had a Cafe De Oya, the bread and that coffee make a great combination. We were also getting pushed towards the tamales but there was only so much we could get... Next time we will for sure get a few, we heard very good reviews from the folks that were at the location on that day. The ambience was really authentic. The place has a good vibe. read more

La Mascota Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This is absolutely the best bakery I cannot believe it does not have a higher rating this absolutely ridiculous I know my Mexican bread and this is not the better than this I will drive miles and miles to go here read more

This was our favorite place for tamales. Masa is so good and moist. However we haven't been there in awhile and like everything else, prices have gone up. Now it is $2.99 per tamale which would normally be ok since their tamales are so good. So I ordered cheese and pork tamales. The cheese ones were still very good but the pork ones had 2 little chunks of pork and sauce. Not worth the price even though their masa is still wonderful. My recommendation is the cheese tamales, not the almost meatless pork ones unless you're cutting down meat in your diet. read more

My friend had a friend whose dad drove down to LA from the bay AND up the same day to get these tamales. I can see why! I wanna go back and try more of their pastries and desserts Super affordable prices! Flan ($3) - so pretty and yummy flan! I haven't had that much flan in my life LOL but my friend really liked it Concha ($1) - one dollar Super fluffy and love the crunchy bits. They had vanilla + chocolate + other flavors that I want to just get a bunch of Tamales ($2.50) - so affordable and delish! They're so much cheaper than the ones at the USC farmers market, these would be nice to just buy a bunch of and freeze whenever you're craving one! read more

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First off this review is in regards to the owner of La Mascotas' decision to DISCONTINUE to sell masa preparada for tamales to make at home. For over 20 years, every Christmas we have preordered around 40lbs of masa to make tamales during the Holidays. Masa was consistently light, and passed the masa floating in glass of water test right out of the bucket. ALWAYS produced tasty tamales. This year after several phone calls to order "masa" we were told that La Mascota will NO LONGER sell "masa" for tamales. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!!! End of a 2 decade tradition NOT only for our family but for the legacy that the original owners Salcedo family created. Since we made it a point to drive from Pasadena to buy masa from La MASCOTA, for our annual Christmas tamale making tradition, and while there, bought some pan dulce and champurrado, sadly our tradition has come to an end. Tho their pan is good, we have panaderías closer to us with pan dulce just as good. Ultimately we no longer have a reason to patronize La Mascota read more

Drove 30 miles to get some tamales for new years. Tamales were pretty good. The masa had a creamy texture and with some crema and pico de gallo they were tasty. But, I thought they were a little light on the filling and they are pricey. read more

Best bolillos in L.A Nice staff , pretty nice decoración and best of all prices are very accesible read more

If you're looking for good and affordable pan dulce, La Mascota Bakery is the place for you! The bakery offers different sweet items (e.g, sweet breads, flan, cookies, and cakes) as well as savory items like burgers, tortas, and tamales. My friend and I came to pick up some items and it was our first time. The owner and the woman working the front were so nice! They offered us samples try as we weren't sure which pastries to get. Delicious desserts and savory pastries at an affordable price. Definitely check out this place if you're in the area! read more

La Mascota Bakery - Flan and fruit tart - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Why pre-order if the pickup will be 2+ hours? Still waiting and thebline isn't moving. If I hadn't pre-paid, I would never stay. Nothing is worth this wait, with no idea of how much longer it will be. read more

Delicious food there, the bolillo with chorizo are really good, the service is faster and really nice, the ambiance is great.

So disappointed - tamales were DRY! Spent over $200 - all three different households were disappointed! read more

I came here because my sister recommended their tamales. Stopped here and bought: pan dulce, tamales, chicharrón, and Mexican wedding cookies. We loved everything that we got and ate it on our drive to the Bay Area. They accept cash and credit cards so it was very easy to pay. Would I go back? Definitely, if I'm in the area. read more

La Mascota Bakery - a person holding a bag of bread - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My favorite tamales. And I also come here to buy my rosca. The tamales are very moist and fresh. read more

Food is good. My only complaint is that when I order ahead, it is never ready. Food is always good though. Don't be in a rush.

4+ this bakery is an institution having been open for 70 years. This bakery, located in the Boyle Heights area, offers pan dulce, desserts, and savory items like tamales. I came here a long time ago to buy a bunch of tamales for a Super Bowl party, but on my most recent visit I just got a couple of baked goods, some coffee, and some tamales for dinner. The tamales here are really reasonable priced at under three dollars each I believe. I got the pork, cheese, and beef. They heated up really well, and I really enjoyed them for dinner later that night. Further earlier in the day, the coffee with the pan dulce that I ordered was a nice early day/ late morning meal/ snack. Parking in the area wasn't too hard to fine within a couple of blocks. The folks behind the counter were super friendly and even offered me some samples of tamales when I was waiting to order. The atmosphere and vibe is like an old-school bakery. Lots of beautiful things on display and I wish I could eat them all. Lol. This place is a little bit out-of-the-way for me, but definitely is on my short list when I want to grab larger orders of tamales for parties. I would get their cakes or other delicious dessert baked goods for parties as well. read more

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Amazing authentic mexican bread and food in the heart of East LA would recommend a trip if you're into sweets and Mexican food

Annual holiday tradition to do a tamale run to LaMascota. Two keys tips: (i) order in advance online, and (ii) arrive as early as possible (before 9AM). Otherwise the wait in line for both to go / pickup can range from 1.5-3 hours after 10AM. Then another long wait for the servers to pack up the tamales. I've been eating LaMascota tamales since my childhood when my dad's employee would bring us dozens every Christmas. Now, I return the favor to my boss and take in dozens to work. Using Uber for several stops to our besties' homes to drop off tamales. Such a fun way to kick off the holidays! There is a vegetarian option that doesn't use lard for the particular friends list. The tamales freeze well, too! Some for now, and some for later. read more

La Mascota Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Great service and food! Everything is made fresh! Friendly staff. You will enjoy the atmosphere and the food. read more

La Mascota Bakery - Great bakery! - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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So my mistake to hit up a bakery half hour before closing..of course they were totally out of most pan dulce staples. My family has been coming here for decades so when I was in the area I had to pop in. Since they were out of most things because it was the end of night I picked up a cheese muffin, flan, giant cookies, a plain kind of concha hybrid and tres leches. The tres leches was gooooood kind of had a little bit of a orchata flavor. The cheese muffins was also great it was big and tasted like moist pound cake kind of. Finally I tried the kind of concha looking bread and ohh yeah that's the flavor I remember from being a kid! The flavor of cinnamon sticks used to make it is a whole different level. For those who don't know the difference of using a stick verses the cheap powder stuff it's a different flavor all together. I don't know what else they use but it was just tasty not just bread with sugar on it. So glad I stopped by and happy they are still in business decades later! read more

So glad I found this place! They open at 5:00am and it's convenient to place an online order for tamales a few days before and just pick them up on the way to work in the morning. Tamales are fresh with a good masa to filling ratio and a plus that the masa is moist. They're also reasonably priced. Only thing is that staff couldn't find my online order slip so it took a while to wait for them to figure things out and pack my order. Would recommend going earlier than your order time just in case there are any delays if you need it at a certain time. They also have a large variety of breads and pastries to choose from. There's curb parking in front of the building. read more

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I have been purchasing tamales here for 35 years. They have become a Christmas staple in my family. They are delicious. I bought 3 dozens, pork red chili sauce, my husband's favorite. read more

Horrible order pick up. Waited in line for 2 HOURS for something that was already ordered and paid for. Line wasn't even long. They were just taking 20 minutes to get each customers order. Horrible. Tamales are delicious but unfortunately this will keep me from coming back read more

What can I really say about this bakery ? They are better than Pronto's and the team there is so much nicer too. I am a Caucasian that goes from Rancho Palos Verdes to Boyle Heights just to get my Tamales almost every 10 weeks to get my fix. This is a real old fashioned Mexican bakery. Yes, I am willing to make the drive for something that is really good. Go for the Tamales and get some pastries take for your family, they will never complain. read more

I LOOOOOOVE their conchas!! Like OBSESSED. I dream about it, lol. I found this bakery through Yelp and my first order was 2 dozen conchas that I bought back to my office. They were such a hit!! And eating La Mascota's conchas made me realize I've had some really bad conchas and had no idea. The conchas here are just enough sweet and I like to microwave em for 5 seconds, they are sooooo soft and tasty. I've also ordered their tamales before, not bad, not the best I've had, but still good. And even better for lunch!! One tamale is only like $2 and some change. So I can easily get an LA lunch for less than $7!!! That's a win in my book. I'll be back! read more

La Mascota Bakery - Conchas!! - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California