I made a pact with a friend to hit up all the coffee joints along Figueroa in Highland Park a while back. The last pit stop was Alfred, which is just next door, and the reason I noticed La Monarca in the first place. I thought to myself, "Ah, this place is segundo." Sticking to our plan, we just needed an excuse to celebrate. So in honor of Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, we feasted on conchas and bold, hot, creamy coffees. After all, it 'twas buñuelos season and La Monarca's festive ambiance invited us to step into a caramel wonderland laced with cinnamon & coffee. It tickled my nose with delight (or perhaps that was the fifty-degree chill outside). The bakery items in the glass cases in the back were self-serve. Everything was very neat and clean in the displays despite having a constant flow of foot traffic. Guests could also order a warm breakfast sandwich and hot beverages at the counter. ** CONCHAS (and conchitas) ** Since these items take over most of the real estate on the overhead menus, I figured it would be good to sample a few flavors. The flavor choices were plenty: Churro, Wedding Cake, Hibiscus, Cookies & Cream, Horchata, Horchata Matcha, Horchata Lavender, Cafe de Olla, and Champurrado. For the guilty calorie conscious, the conchitas are a smidge smaller, and they are the perfect sized excuse for needing to try two flavors. HORCHATA MATCHA was really good. It was flakey and sweet with a nice hint of matcha goodness. You can never go wrong with anything CHURRO flavored imo. Also, the HORCHATA was a pleasant mix of cinnamon and vanilla. And the COOKIES & CREAM was probably my fave. ** HOLD THE CINNAMON, PLEASE ** Now if you ask me, cinnamon has no business in my coffee drinks. That's totally a me thing. And if it's a you thing too, then I suggest either the TRES LECHES LATTE or the CAFE DEL CARMEN. My Cafe del Carmen was strong yet caramel-y without overpowering my Horchata Matcha Concha in sweetness. Win-win. As for the buñuelos, I only saw a selection of pre-packaged Mexican Butter and Wedding Cookies cookies at the front of the store. But I've recently seen their products in Costco too. So I suppose this java joint is doing well for itself, and it's no surprise to me. La Monarca really serves up un sabor de México más auténtico. read more

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Another stumble-upon while walking around Highland Park. Such a pleasant surprise! Our latte was delicious, the pastries were perfectly fresh with the optimum level of sweetness, and it was just super adorable inside all around. We also enjoyed a ham and cheese croissant, which was soo flavorful. Service was kind and quick. read more

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Delicious cinnamon roll and great coffee! The cinnamon roll was soft, fresh, and not overly sweet. The atmosphere was cozy, and the staff were friendly. I would definitely come back again. read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came in today and Teresa was very nice and polite and helpful. She was able to assist me and answer all my questions. I wanted to try something different maybe one of the cake slices and she was able to make some great recommendations. Parking is very ample and easy to get in and out of there is a parking lot located in the back of the building and there's street parking as well. I came in on a Sunday so I dodged the street parking fee. Everything inside was very clean very neat and very welcoming. Will probably come back read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Butter cookies are very delicious - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Went on a Sunday walk on Figueroa for a little thrifting and came across this cute bakery/ coffee shop. Being from Texas this place reminded me of home. Very nice and clean place to study or just to hangout. I grabbed a tray and started grabbing my bread to purchase. Little concha are my favorite. The girl behind the counter was so kind. She was all alone and was so fast with our drinks. If you ever in Highland Park stop by and give this place a try. I will definitely be back. read more

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Figueroa st in HP offers multiple options for coffee to fit a diversity of people. That said, Monarca can be a hit for some. What I appreciate about the brand is that I can work there if I'm looking for a quiet space to be, and of course, the coffee is reliable. The baked goods are pricier than a panaderia (bakery), but a cookie (or two) can suffice. The staff is friendly, there's free parking in the back and there's WiFi too. Favorite flavors: Mexican mocha, and cafe de olla. read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Daily fresh bread - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I was so happy to try the Cafe de olla the cold one but I had a super tasty one in the valley from a diff company that tasted better I got a dulce de leche cake it was also ok I'm ehhh about this place read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - It's alright - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

They have authentic Mexican flavored drinks and pastries. The iced horchata de olla has a light flavor so it's not too sweet. They also have refresher drinks if you're not craving coffee. read more

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Absolutely Horrible. Will NEVER come back again. I ordered the NEW soccer conchas. I got there and they handed me a small box. They were all smashed. I opened the box and it was a disaster. They were not soccer design concha nor regular stripe conchas, there were mush. Not only were they horrible looking but they were hard as a rock. I looked around and found some that looked a bit like a soccer ball and asked the guy to give me those instead. It was horrible and the conchas were horrific. If you're thinking of stopping by to get conchas DO NOT spend your money. I didn't try the other pastries but I wouldn't waste my time. Could be disappointing for the next person. read more

I absolutely love this bakery. The Oaxaca coffee and Mex sweet bread is amazing. Always fresh and delicious. Great customer service as well. read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Concha sweet bread. Yummy - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Perfect way to start my morning with a fresh cup of cafe de la holla! First time here in a few years. Glad to see this place remains consistent with their food & service. Great location for a quick bite. Menu limited but excellent options. read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Cafe de la holla - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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It's not a bad place to study in Highland Park. I usually like getting guava pan and enjoying some coffee while I work.

I placed an online order, and they were very efficient. They even called to let me know that one of my drinks couldn't be customized and offered me an alternative, which I really appreciated. I placed my order about 10 minutes before arriving, and everything was ready when I got there. They also made sure to label the drinks clearly. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to try their pastries, but they looked delicious. I'll definitely be coming back to give them a try! read more

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3 stars for overall. 5 stars the staff, pan is more expensive but the staff so good it makes up for the overprices. Thank you staff for making everything feel and taste better. read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Tested out this location, cashier was polite and service was pretty quick. - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The burrito s and the pan dulce are good service was great and friendly coffee is ok but not bad

I just had the worst conchas of my life here. Tastes like a stale thick loaf. Ordered some drinks as well and the mango tajin was sweet but good. The champurrado however was very thin and unsatisfying, I wouldn't really consider it as champurrado. Probably won't be back. I think any local bakery could run laps around the "pan dulce" served here. read more

Came here on a hot day to grab a drink after seeing a poster for a new Summer Matchata drink. Horchata + Matcha and made with oat milk. Sign me up! Prices are decent and you can get fresh looking pastries like conchas and croissants for 2 dollars or under. They also have cookie and bulk packs for parties. They are all easy to grab and the place is very clean. Service is quick and overall friendly. I asked if my drink could be less sweet so she said yes, less condensed milk. I think less sweet is the perfect sweetness..maybe a bit too sweet still. The drink is very refreshing. Give it a try! Parking is street or there are metered lots. read more

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DO NOT ORDER THE "SO CALLED" CHAMPURRADO. Extremely disappointed. They told me they make it instantly...to which I was shocked. I ordered it anyway and what I got was hot water or milk with a bit of flat chocolate flavor from a machine. Seriously? Owner... You call this Champurrado? Making Champurrado is a process. If you don't have the means of making this Mexican beverage... D O N ' T. What you sell to customers is a joke. read more

Nothing bad to say about this Gem. Staff is always attentive and friendly never had a bad attitude or bad service ever! I personally think the food here is underrated and if I had to pick top two food items I would pick ham & cheese trenza as well as chili verde burrito/tacos. (Pro tip: Ask for extra salsa verde for both items) if I would have to say my top drink is gonna be the Matchata (matcha with cinnamon to make like an horchata type hybrid). If they had drivethru I would order that everyday fr. Ambiance is very nice, good lighting good music and there's always people on their laptops chillin lol. read more

Seen this bakery driving by and decided to stop and try some treats. The croissants were delicious, buttery, and flaky. The ham and Cheese jalapeno croissant wasn't my favorite, but it was different from other bakeries (just a lil soft and soggy, not flaky). The chocolate croissant was good too! Definitely filled with chocolate and yummy. The best overall was the dulce de leche croissant. I haven't seen this at other bakeries and it definitely was amazing. Would buy a dozen next time I visit! Thank you for the friendly service and great food! read more

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Hi, This is by far one of my favorite locations; very neat, organized and CLEAN! Such a great spot to stop by for your local coffee. I got attended by Teresa; she was very attentive and polite. She provided me with samples including the new "Concha's" available like the cookies n cream! They were by far the best flavor in my personal opinion. Definitely a big help when deciding and determining what flavor I'd like best overall. A big help when deciding for my Mothers birthday cake. I will be returning! Thank you Teresa! read more

If you want a bang for your buck with all the over priced coffee shops in highland park right now just go too LA Monarca bakery Especially this one in Highland Park. With all the new coffee shops on Fig this is one of my Favs well I have two but this one is my go too. The Cafe Del Carmen w/ almond milk or oat milk is one of the best drinks that I think is on the menu & the barista's Samari & Maribelle are always great! Plus you could get fresh baked pastries and coffee for under 10$ read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Cafe del Carmen - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It's always a let down to hear that there is no whip cream. How can you run a coffee business and have no whip cream available? Monarca's bakery's quality has gone downhill in recent years. Their only location worth visiting is the one in Pico Rivera. Otherwise, don't bother. Especially the one in Pasadena, that one is terrible. read more

Always a pleasure to come to this bakery! Roxana provided great service not only was she friendly but made my coffee spot on!

Wow Roxana always above and beyond great !!I hope the company treats her well she hits all the marks service ! The store is too hot a lot ! And the crew is wearing jackets food is good read more

They have mini concha's that are the perfect size to not bust your diet. The regular size ones are too big and friends and family usually cut them in half which I find annoying! So mini concha's for the win! The last time I ordered the trenza's and the filling is not what you'd expect. The ham is cut into tiny pieces and everyone kept saying there was only cheese. Even the jalapeños were too small to even taste a hint of spice. The cakes we ordered - Guava - tasted just right. Not too sweet with a little hint of guava Horchata - didn't taste like horchata Flan - tasted like burnt caramel but the texture was creamy Tres leches - exactly what we were expecting tres leches to taste like. Will definitely come back for the concha's! read more

Been coming here for years and I'm always welcomed by warm smiles and great drinks. Shout out to Roxanna for the solid service.

Rude service. Make sure to clarify your order before it's processed otherwise they'll choose it for you and they'll be defensive at the counter when you try to correct the order. The machaca breakfast burrito is also gross. What a waste. It's definitely NOT machaca. It tasted like canned corn beef hash. read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Disappointed. After they got my order wrong this is what I waited for. Raw tortilla and hardly any machaca. - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The staff are always nice great service always! It's always nice and clean and the coffee is the best love stopping by for a cafe de holla read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I read that La Monarca was partnering with the Natural History Museum to "Save The Monarchs" by donating 1% of proceeds from the sale of their packaged goods during the month of April to ECOLIFE Conservation for their Monarch Butterfly Program in Michoacán, MX. They are also selling Milkweed seed packets for $1. (Milkweed is a crucial food source for the Monarchs.) Sadly, Monarchs are endangered, so last year my mom and sister started raising and releasing them. There is a La Monarca a few blocks from my house, so I stopped by to pick up some Milkweed seeds for them. I also picked up a few goodies for myself - a dulce de leche empanada and some mini spring conchas. The inside of the bakery is clean and neatly organized. Hand sanitizer is placed at the entrance with a sign asking you to use it before selecting any packaged items. The gal at the register was friendly and helpful. There is a small parking lot in the back and metered street parking. The dulce de leche empanada was dusted with cinnamon sugar. It was soft and the creamy caramel filling was not too sweet. It tasted like a churro but with a caramel center. The mini conchas were also tasty and they were the perfect size. Since they were small there was no guilt with finishing a whole one. read more

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Online review only- I'd be cautious if you're ordering online and on a time crunch. I arrived to the establishment at pick-up time and was told that the order just came through ("you ordered at 9:35, it's 9:36"). When I asked for a refund due to the time, I was told they wouldn't be able to process it and it would have to be processed through the bank, which would take 5-7 business days. read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I came in today looking for conchas. When I went to get some there weren't any and I had a moment of panic. I asked the employee if he had any and they had extras in the back and was able to fill my order. Very thankful for his helpfulness and going above and beyond to help me. The food, drinks, pastries are delicious here. The concha's are freshly made everyday and definitely try the Mexican Hot Chocolate. The vibe inside is calm and you can have some breakfast inside or work inside. Will be coming back soon! read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I ordered Uber eats here last week and they were out of one the items I wanted. Cristian called and let me know I asked him to refund no biggie, but he went above and beyond and sent the cutest and tastiest cookies and an extra sweet bread. If he wouldn't of sent I would've never tried these cookies now that he did I'm definitely buying more next time :) really sweet customer care, and jolly vibes for the season . Love this location most! :) read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - So sweet :) - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came in as I was exploring this neighborhood. Saw the Cafe Oaxaca on the menu and was curious to try it. WOW! blown away. It was a really incredible balance of sweet and earthy flavors. Incredible mixture of spices. I HIGHLY recommend you give this a try. The staff was incredibly nice and welcoming. Service was very fast and lots of tables and seating to enjoy taking in the ambience, doing a little work or reading. I'll be back for sure. read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Cafe Oaxaca to go! - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Great Service and great food Love the bread and food at this place.... Definitely recommend this eatery.

This is for the service and orders via Uber. I love their concha's, in particular their vanilla. Their chocolate has too much cinnamon for my liking . 9/10 times that I have ordered Uber, I receive the opposite of what I specifically request. I usually just keep it, but it keeps happening! I mean, why have that option if you're not going to give the customer what they are paying for? Such as today, I asked for 1 dz vanilla as I usually do, yet received chocolate and some green ones. Not a single vanilla. I wish they'd call me or cancel the order rather than take it upon themselves to change the order to their liking. I also ordered food and asked for red salsa yet I got 2 green. The green is so sour for me. I hate it. I had to ask for an Uber refund as I do not like these and will not be eating them. Please do better. read more

Went here to pick up breakfast for my friends! The lil croissants are such good options so you can try a bunch-- I got the Dulce de leche, guava, and chocolate! I think the Dulce de leche was the best! Love that they're open early (I went around 7am). read more

The service here sucks! Waited WAY Too long for a cafe de holla. I'm a patient person, but just watched the 4 or five people who came in after me all get their drinks before me. I'll leave it at that. read more

I had the berry cream cake not sure what the name of it is but it was absolutely delicious. The people on the phone when I ordered were very helpful and I would definitely recommend this place. We were celebrating my husband's birthday a couple of blocks down at the bowling alley and after the game I was able to walk over here, pick up the cake and not have to worry about where I would keep a cake cold while bowling. read more

La Monarca Bakery & Cafe - Vanilla and Fresh Fruit Cake - Delicious! - Bakeries Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Recently placed a large order for my office, 120 conchas and 5 carafes of Cafe De Olla. The staff was very helpful with placing the order, I walked in to pay and the cashier was very kind. My order was ready by 7:30am on the pick up day. Everything was fresh and ready to go. The location is very clean and they packaged everything perfect. Everyone at the office loved the food and coffee. Thank you, I will count on this location for future orders! read more