Azucar
Pastry shop · San Diego ·
Cuban pastries, coffee, sandwiches, and desserts made with skill
Cuban pastries, coffee, sandwiches, and desserts made with skill
"Price Range: $ Anchoring a low-key strip mall next to a gas station, the darling Cuban French patisserie on the Ocean Beach main drag beckons visitors to make a required stop. Owner Vivian Hernandez-Lopez started baking as a kid growing up in Miami with her Cuban parents. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu, she worked as a pastry chef at Claridge’s in London before setting up shop in San Diego over 17 years ago. Locals steadily stream into the shop during the weekdays, and on early weekend mornings, lines wrap around the corner for the scratch-made Cuban pastries made on the premises each morning. Showstoppers like guava and cheese Danish, sweet cream cheese rolls, and raspberry passion fruit scones are favorites. One of the few places in San Diego to grab Cuban meat pies, the soft bread, lightly brushed with cinnamon-infused sweet syrup, envelopes ground beef, tomatoes, green olives, and raisins. Don’t miss the Cubano sandwich, stuffed with a mojo-marinated pork shoulder that’s been slow-roasted for 12 hours. Know before you go: On the weekends, the Cuban Danishes and Cuban pies sell out early, especially on the weekends. For a large order, it’s best to pre-order online or in person." - Candice Woo
"Owner/master baker Vivian Hernandez-Jackson channels French pastry training into delectable desserts inspired by her Cuban heritage. The traditional guava cheese pastries or raspberry passionfruit scones are both must-tries." - Helen I. Hwang
"Chef Vivian Hernandez brings Le Cordon Bleu training to her Cuban-style patisserie. Desserts, like flan de queso, diablo, and divina, a type of panna cotta, are delightful, while the mojito cookies are must-tries." - Helen I. Hwang
"Owner/master baker Vivian Hernandez-Jackson channels French pastry training into delectable desserts inspired by her Cuban heritage. The traditional guava pastries, mojito cookies are both must-tries." - Darlene Horn
"Those with a sweet tooth visiting Azucar will have a hard time deciding among all the pretty pastries on display. Owner and pastry chef Vivian Hernandez bakes up individual-sized treats as well as full-sized cakes. And you can taste her Cuban roots in the Artemisa, a rum cake with Malibu coconut custard, rum-flamed pineapple with whipped cream frosting and coconut." - darlene-horn