La Gloria Bakery

This hometown bakery is an institution in Mexicantown, and when I tried to find it this past week, I almost cried thinking it was gone forever. Turns out, I was in the wrong place, having come from an unusual direction this time. When I parked out front at 2pm on a weekday, the store was almost deserted, and yet the clerk was friendly and helpful and I felt at home. The delicious goods are all self serve, and you choose them by using tongs and a cafeteria tray as you walk down aisles of glass enclosed pastry cabinets filled with flaky, crispy, sweet delights of all kinds. The people are friendly and the neighborhood is safe, and no matter who you are or what you look like you will be treated to a delightful taste sensation at La Gloria.

My favorite things at the bakery are the things La Gloria is famous for: tamales and churros, although I also love the light and flaky “ears,” and also the caramel tarts, and oh…the lemon and cherry turnovers, and pecan cookies. Ok, yeah, I like just about everything they have that is baked fried or roasted, but my favorite sweets are the simple cookies and turnovers.

I love Mexican food, especially Tex Mex and cheesy and darkly sauced grilled meat dishes. Even so, I am not normally fond of tamales, because when you find them at restaurants and grocery stores they are often dry or rubbery and most likely: flavorless. None of these can be applied to the succulent morsels of wrapped yumminess found at La Gloria. Their tamales are tender, full of vibrant but not overly spice-y flavor, and usually still warm from having been made that day. they also have botanas and other lunch treats, but the pulled pork tamales reign as my all time favorite. The chicken and white corn masa tamales are a close 2nd place, and the spicey Christmastime tamales are a holiday tradition not to miss.
The baked goods are out of this world delicious, but nothing that your mom or even grandmother would make (unless your abuelita was a master chef in Mexico for over 20 years.) The choices abound, but the best known pastries are the churros. I dont usually like churros, because they are often stale, crumbly, or overly cinnamon-sugared for my taste. La Gloria’s warm churros are soft and creamy in the middle, and crunchy toasted on the outside. You can get them filled with chocolate cream, or strawberry, or even a wonderfully smooth caramel cream.
I went in thinking I would spend 15-20 bucks or so and left spending $30+, but when I got home I wished I had more to spend there. I hope it stays in the neighborhood for many years to come.

This hometown bakery is an institution in Mexicantown, and when I tried to find it this past week, I almost cried thinking it was gone forever. Turns out, I was in the wrong place, having come from an unusual direction this time. When I parked out front at 2pm on a weekday, the store was almost deserted, and yet the clerk was friendly and helpful and I felt at home. The delicious goods are all self serve, and you choose them by using tongs and a cafeteria tray as you walk down aisles of glass enclosed pastry cabinets filled with flaky, crispy, sweet delights of all kinds. The people are friendly and the neighborhood is safe, and no matter who you are or what you look like you will be treated to a delightful taste sensation at La Gloria.

My favorite things at the bakery are the things La Gloria is famous for: tamales and churros, although I also love the light and flaky “ears,” and also the caramel tarts, and oh…the lemon and cherry turnovers, and pecan cookies. Ok, yeah, I like just about everything they have that is baked fried or roasted, but my favorite sweets are the simple cookies and turnovers.

I love Mexican food, especially Tex Mex and cheesy and darkly sauced grilled meat dishes. Even so, I am not normally fond of tamales, because when you find them at restaurants and grocery stores they are often dry or rubbery and most likely: flavorless. None of these can be applied to the succulent morsels of wrapped yumminess found at La Gloria. Their tamales are tender, full of vibrant but not overly spice-y flavor, and usually still warm from having been made that day. they also have botanas and other lunch treats, but the pulled pork tamales reign as my all time favorite. The chicken and white corn masa tamales are a close 2nd place, and the spicey Christmastime tamales are a holiday tradition not to miss.
The baked goods are out of this world delicious, but nothing that your mom or even grandmother would make (unless your abuelita was a master chef in Mexico for over 20 years.) The choices abound, but the best known pastries are the churros. I dont usually like churros, because they are often stale, crumbly, or overly cinnamon-sugared for my taste. La Gloria’s warm churros are soft and creamy in the middle, and crunchy toasted on the outside. You can get them filled with chocolate cream, or strawberry, or even a wonderfully smooth caramel cream.
I went in thinking I would spend 15-20 bucks or so and left spending $30+, but when I got home I wished I had more to spend there. I hope it stays in the neighborhood for many years to come.