Azucar

Crisis Averted It was only six months ago that I had my first Cubano sandwich ever, and after that first bite, I was an instant fan. Then with the recent news of Cubano Kings leaving OB, I had an instant void for that style of sandwich. Many people then pointed me to Azucar (located on Newport Ave and Sunset Cliffs Blvd) and said I must try their Cubano sandwich. To be honest, I had no idea Azucar offered a Cubano sandwich as I thought they only offered pastries. So on Saturday, I stopped by, and what I tasted ABSOLUTELY blew my mind! I'll admit, I am very, very late to the party and almost embarrassed to admit that (to me) Azucar might be one of OB's biggest secrets as I also found out they just celebrated their 16th-year anniversary. Congratulations!! How did I not know about this incredible Cubano sandwich hidden in plain sight? If you are like me and haven't tried it yet, I'm smiling because I know you too will have that jaw dropping first bite so get ready to become an instant fan. Their bread is perfectly pressed and toasted to a golden-brown crisp, providing a delightful crunch that gives way to a tender interior. The succulent roasted pork that was slow cooked/marinating for 12-18 hours was juicy and seasoned to perfection. Hands down this sandwich is a must-try, and I'll say it's a perfect five stars. I also had a funny experience. At first, while I was taking a photo of this sandwich, I thought, "Wow, this sandwich is almost too thick." It wasn't until I almost took my second bite that I realized it was actually a sandwich cut in half and stacked on top of each other. I also tried their plantain chips. The chips by themselves are great, and with their garlic creamy dip, it excelled the taste, completing this meal and making it unforgettable. I'm SOOOO happy to have finally found this sandwich on Newport Avenue! I'm definitely going back this week for another one! If you've tried this Cubano sandwich or if you try it soon, please report back to this post and share your thoughts.The other wonderful thing about this new find is their hours of operation. They are open 7 days a week from 7 am-4 pm, with Saturday and Sunday opening at 8 am.

This is truly a gem in the heart of downtown Ocean Beach. We literally went every single morning for Cuban coffee and a pastry (Cuban meat, pickle and mustard was to die for). We also tried the guava pastry and a mango cheesecake. You'll want to arrive early as the like for this hot spot gets super long. Totally walkable if you are staying in the immediate area. Otherwise they have convenient bike parking right out front. The staff are kind, patient and personable. While they are super busy they still take the time to genuinely greet and chat with every single guest. Highly recommend!

The line was out the door which tells you that this place is fabulous! The line does more quickly. You order at the register and they grab the order as you are there. You don't need to wait after that or wait for a # to be called. They had a bunch of people working which tells you they have a well oiled machine. Their pastries and desserts look amazing! Tried their cookies which were delicious. Their cubiano pie and guava pastry were delicious. Their quiche was also amazing! Parking is street parking which can be challenging. Man this place was a big hit for us!

First time here and already a fan. We came here early on a Sunday morning and glad we came early because it got packed quick. The ladies behind the counter were super knowledgeable and nice. The coffee and pastries were amazing. The coffee is super strong which I love. I got the meat pie and peach champagne scone. Both so good, fresh and flavorful. The meat pie was flaky and tasty. It also comes with a dude of hot sauce. The inside is pretty small but the smell of all the pastries being baked smelled so good. I like that they have outdoor seating so you can enjoy the baked good and your coffee. If you're in the area come try this spot out it will not disappoint. I can't wait to come back and try some of their pastries and mini cakes. Thank you Azucar for a tasty first time.

Such an adorable little place. Walking in you are greeted warmly by the staff and also by the delicious looking cakes. Everything was so tempting. We decided to try the Little Havana cake and also a passion fruit raspberry scone.Once we procured our pastries we settled ourselves outside to indulge. The Little Havana cake was really rich. It is a rum soaked white cake with dulce du leche and vanilla frosting. Splitting it was a great decision because it saved room for another treat. The dulce du leche was smooth and had great flavor the cake itself was light and fluffy and paired really well with the vanilla frosting. It was a great little treat. The passionfruit raspberry scone was light and had a nice balance between sweet and tart. You could really taste both the passionfruit and raspberry flavors. When coming to ocean beach this is a great place to grab some treats to take to the beach or just indulge in the cafe. I am already planning my next trip back to try some of their other tempting pastries.

My family and I visit OB Noodle House frequently as it is a staple visit for us. Today we were walking back to the car and o was in the mood for something sweet. I googled local pastry shops and Azúcar was the most appealing to me. The feeling when you walk in there is similar to a little bakery shop in Italy or Spain. You can smell fresh baked pastries as you walk in and then your eyes head towards the case. The pastries and cakes in there all look so tasty. I wasn't trying to go crazy, so I decided to just go with the Carrot Crazy cake. The Carrot Crazy Cake was a stacked cake with multiple layers. On top it seemed like they mashed marshmallows and burned the tops of them which was a good snack before I dug into the cake. The cake was very moist and each stab down the cake was so delicious. The staff was very inviting and made you feel like you were at home. The only lack I would have to say was the timing it took for me to get the cake. I waited at the counter for a few minutes before being helped, but I understand because they were spending the needed time with each customer. Sorta like an Apple Store experience. I would give Azúcar a 8.5

Been going to this bakery for yrs now, and wish I could like it more. It's convenient because it's n y neighborhood. Most of the food and all of the drinks I've tried have been okay... not bad but more like a one and done kinda deal. Maybe I'm spoiled because I'm from Los Angeles, home of Porto's Bakery a famous family-run Cuban bakery where EVERYTHING on the menu is amazing. Seriously, you can't go to party without one of guests showing up with a box of Porto's goodies.The star of the show, which keeps me coming back from time to time is their Cubano Pie. which is similar to a Cuban or Medianoche sandwich except in a flakey, slightly sweet pastry crust that perfectly compliments the savory pork and pickles stuffed inside. My biggest problem is everytime I come in the staff seems to be in a bad mood/not friendly. One of the last times I came in Iordered a dessert online since there's always a line on Sunday mornings. I stood at the pick up section of the counter and multiple employees glanced at me, I smiled, no hellos or verbal acknowledgement.... Not even a smile back. Sadly this is what I've come to expect here, so I stood there patiently, it was busy after all. One of the staff came over to clean the display and asked if I had been acknowledged. I said no, so she told someone to help me get my pick up order. Thank you!!Since I don't come in often I opened the box when I got home and was surprised it looked smaller than I remembered. I ordered the mango cheeecake as a birthday treatfor a friend. It was $10, the normal price. I showed it to my roommate who also goes from time to time and asked her if it looks smaller than usual and she agreed it did. Guess that's shrinkflationfor ya! Wish they would just mar the same size as before and raise it by a dollar or something. I feel like it was smaller than if I got a slice of a notmal sized cheesecake...

Loved the pastries here.Cashier was a bit curt, likely due to the long line, but excuses are excuses. Tres leches was decadent!I'll be coming back to try out their plain guava pastry without the cream cheese since I felt the ratio was off in the combination one. The guava jelly was SO yummy. So much to select from, there's something for everyone's taste.

I had been meaning to try out Azucar for quite some time, and an invitation to dinner at my friend's house with a request to bring dessert turned out to be quite the perfect occasion.Anyway, I stopped in Azucar during my lunch hour around 12:15 on a Wednesday afternoon. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I didn't know if I would buy a whole cake or pie, or a bunch or cookies, or some random desserts.When I entered, I felt really confused. There were customers walking all over, several employees that we could see in the back, and one walking into the front. She then said, "Whoever's next". The person looked confused and the employee said, "Go ahead".Well, I waited an watched, as there were no prices on many of the items and descriptions were minimal. I walked around to the front register after looking at the desserts in the side dessert case, and I saw a price list, but that was confusing too. Anyway, I got a general idea how much things would cost. I chose four desserts that looked big enough to share.Anyway, I brought them to dinner, and everyone loved them. It was great to have a variety, and we cut them in several pieces to share. I tried a small portion of each. They were all delicious. My favorites of the four were the Dark Corner, which was a decadent dark chocolate dessert, and the Little Havana which was a bright pastel color with dulce de leche in the center.All in all, Azucar was a great choice for dessert and I would definitely go back. However, it would be nice if I had been greeted and if the staff there would have shared information about the desserts. I did not feel that the employee I spoke to wanted to be there, nor had any interest in the product she was selling. I also don't know why there were so many employees standing in back with customers waiting in front. I think the food is great, but customer service could be improved.

The best spot to start your morning here my husband and I got a few pastries a cafe con leche and dulce de leche and it was AMAZING! Great flavor coffee perfectly balance of sweet, smooth and strong. Our regular spot from now on!