La Monarca Bakery & Cafe

Got three pastries this morning (3/24/2025), a ham and cheese croissant, pina taquito, and guava and cheese. I topped it off with a hot cafe de olla. I am not a real fan of cafe de olla, but I wanted try their version. It was bad, metallic finish with little cinnamon taste, more of just an aroma. Trashed. The ham and cheese croissant was horrible. It also had a metallic/chemical taste. Then I looked at the filling, unrecognizable as anything ham or cheese. See photo. The pina taquito, ok I fell for the clever naming, was equally as bad with that same metallic/chemical taste. See a theme here. I am not even going to try the cheese and guava thing. What a waste of $17.

This is my new go to spot. I love how fast they do my drinks. Shout out to Veronica for recommending the Oatchata latte.

Every time I order through uber eats the frozen lattes taste absolutely disgusting. This is the second time I purchase a champurrado latte and not only do they forget my whipped cream (twice already), they gave me a smaller cup size for the same price I paid the last time. The latte taste extremely milked and watered down it tastes nothing like champurrado. this location is trash.

I got this cake for my foster daughter , we literally had to SKIP the cake . when i picked the cake out the one in the front of the display refrigerator looked really good , i didnt check the one put in the box for us . once i took it out of the fridge to sing her happy birthday, we saw how awful the strawberries looked . After singing her happy birthday i grabbed some of the wip cream to put on her face & she said it tasted horrible. ..im not sure what the correct term for this is but i tasted it and it taste like refrigerator. A really strong taste of it too. Nobody wanted cake . Im writing this review because its not fair that we had to skip this because they cant give us a dam good cake. Its so obvious these strawberries were bad and idk why it taste so much like refrigerator but my goodness they make cakes they should know how to prevent this from happening.

A busy morning before starting our day, my little brother suggested a sweet pan dulce and hot chocolate. As you walk in, you'll be received with a friendly welcome by associates. It's clean, organized, and the fresh smell of bake pastries all around. I was happy to have an option of almond milk or oat milk for my creamy, delicious hot chocolate. Fluffy fresh, sweet bake baby conchas to enjoy with family and friends.

Very friendly staff and awesome selection of cookies and coffee! Got to try their latest cookie invention and it was really good.

The coziness of the place is so welcoming.the workers are always sweet and very helpful and the drinks and pastries are always fresh and well served.never had a complaint and is my daily spot

came for pick up and it was very quick the staff was soooo sweet and they even helped me bring my stuff to my car :D

I've always liked La Monarca for their cookies and pan dulce back when the South Pasadena location was newly open. We were recently around the corner from the Highland Park location and walked over. We got 2 guava taquitos ($2.75), 3 bolitas de dulce - pineapple ($2.50) a bag of Mexican wedding cookies & a bag of churro cookies. They were $6 each. My cousins also got Mexican hot chocolate drinks. We also got a slice of horchata cake & a slice of Mexican mocha. We liked all the baked goods we bought. Their Mexican wedding cookies have always been good. The one that stood out was the bolitas de dulce (pineapple). They were so good. Flaky, buttery, sugary and pineapple filled. I really liked it. My cousin heated it up first and he said it was delicious, Service was friendly. This was later in the evening about an hour before closing so a lot of their pan dulces had been bought by then. Use your tongs and trays, people! Street parking, feed the meters. There are a few tables and stools to sit and enjoy their pastries and goods.

went to get a rosca in this bakery and it was cute inside. everything is hispanic themed and their drinks sounded delicious. they have various pastries and desserts. we ordered the champurrado and a horchata de olla iced. the champurrado was alright and the horchata de olla was alright too. the service was good but i think i'd like to try different drinks next time. their cakes looked delicious and you can buy them by the slice or the whole. they have some merchandise like coffee beans bags or various cookies

I wasn't sure what to eat today so decided on La Monarca they use to sell these little tacos but they don't have them anymore. I ordered this pastry with ham and cheese it was ok nothing to run back for. I ordered an agua fresca hibiscus and lime they were out of Tajín but the drink was ok. I would say stick to your favorite coffees if you're coming here. I wanted to try something new so I ordered this drink it was ok. I did get 2 Mexican wedding cookies which are a must they are small and always yummy. This place has no parking lot so you will need to find street parking. The staff was friendly.

I love coming to Monarca's! The bread and coffee are always the best. Everyone is always friendly, when arriving everyone greets you. Staff is also very helpful with the menu or just in general. The one complaint I do have is that the last several times I've been there the staff is sweeping around you.

I was grave searching this particular day that brought me here near by. I walked in and ordered to go. Lines 3 or 4 ahead of me. It was busy upon entrance folks having breakfast at several tables quite busy. Looking frantically where to begin. First timer here no clue what to order. I'm sure it's written on my face ! First employee spoke spanish my luck someone helped me translate I was looking for suggestions. I ordered a chipotle breakfast sandwhich which was great fresh and hot with taste. I also picked up a container of butter cookies however, the cookies had a off after taste unfortunately we decided to toss them. Parking is tight here it is a busy neighborhood business is located right on corner

I really enjoyed my coffee and bread. It was later in the evening so there was no people and fast service. Environment was nice and clean. Ambiance is definitely hipster. Cakes are super good between.

Cute little Mexican Cafe in Boyle Heights. The coffee was good. And there were tons of pastries to choose from. The servers were friendly and accommodating. I only ordered an Americano which wasn't on the menu, but they had no problem with my request.

I've been craving dulce de leche cake for some reason. La Monarca delivered and hit the spot! I'd like to try the polvorones some day. I saw that they have another location in Boyle Heights and several others in Los Angeles area. This one on Cesar Chavez has street parking, but most of it is metered. It would be so nice if they could just fill up some meters for the customers who are just getting stuff on-the-go! I'd say DO NOT GET THE ORANGE JUICE. The barista told me they serve OJ freshly squeezed every morning, buttttttt I think she might have lied! My OJ was overly sweet and super thick. I was dying of thirst after drinking only half of it. The next morning, it separated (see photo)!!! They have free wifi here, but they close at 8 PM!

Amazing coffee. Cashier was very friendly. Place is clean. Best hot chocolate in Los Angeles

La Monarca seems to be one of the very few bakeries/coffee shops still opening early enough for most of us actually going to work early in the morning! I'm glad they are and I was happy to be greeted by a friendly cashier so early in the AM. Parking wasn't too bad here as I had read other reviews complaining about it, but there is plenty of street and meter parking. The pastry cases weren't all filled but there was still a good selection, so I ended up choosing a concha and croissant which, come to find out later were actually a vanilla concha and sweet cheese croissant. One thing I wish was that the cases were labeled better because all the chalk writing was faded or mislabeled. I also ordered the Cafe Oaxaca to drink and enjoyed them inside. The cafe was okay, I know the menu read it as "hot chocolate with a shot of espresso" but I think the girl forgot the espresso because it just tasted like straight hot chocolate. Not necessarily a bad thing but I wanted more of the espresso flavor too. The croissant was flaky and soft filled with the sweet cream cheese, it wasn't too sweet either and went well with the drink. The concha was soft, crumbly, and dense. Both pastries were light and tasty.

I bought some of the .50 cent pastries at the counter. They didn't taste fresh. They had the refrigerator smell. The later who helped me seemed annoyed by doing her job. Will not come back to this location or maybe any location.

First time coming to this La Monarca, and had a very enjoyable experience. We went for a meeting, and although the interior is fairly small, seating was plentiful. Nice, quiet and relaxed ambience. We had the chicken mole torta which they sell in half or whole quantity. They split it for us in two separate baskets with your choice of either red or green salsa. It was really good and flavorful! Would recommend it. They also have a great selection of specialty coffees. In the latte category, our server recommended the "Cafe Guaymas" which is latte with chocolate and coconut, which we were happy to try. It was delicious! Although the coconut flavoring does have sugar, it was not overly sweet but added a such a nice blend of flavor with the chocolate. Also highly recommended. Also they have coffee happy hour Monday through Friday from 2-5 pm--- buy one, get one free! So we got 2 large Cafe Guaymas Lattes for $4.95! Service was also good. Meter Street parking available.

One visit and I'm hooked! Excellent customer service. Best Cafe de Olla I've tried and of course they have the best Polvorones cookies to compliment my coffee. I don't live near by so when I run low on coffee, I order online now and have my delivery within a couple of business days! La Monarca is simply awesome...Not only do I enjoy brewing my daily coffee shipped from them but also make my own Champurrado frappe with their mix. I definitely recommend this place.

Went here for dessert after having dinner across the street. The man behind the counter was super helpful. I asked what was the best dessert here and he said the tres leches or the flan. I went with the tres leches and it was great! SUPER moist and sweet. It was a perfect end to my day. I'll be coming back to try more for sure!

Oscar, Gloria, María gave me a great order and people that helped me where very respectful and had a great heart for serving the community

Had a cake today that was bought here and it was spoiled. Made me vomit. Horrible !!! Attempt was made to call and notify business of problem but they never picked up phone. Was put on hold for eternity. Poor way to run a business

Horrible customer service and my food was half cold after they "warmed it up". They were half-interested in my concerns and rolled their eyes when I asked them to warm up my food again. I was being nice and understanding. The manager, her name is Alejandra, was super rude and came up with so many excuses and gave me attitude. It was so unnecessary. I won't be coming here again.

This past week I had a bad exprience with this store. I made an online order and called the store to verify my order was received. I was told my order could not be found and put on hold . I heard someone say (male I assumed) " Just hang up " to the person who had picked up the phone. I was hung up on and tried calling back a few times. They finally answered and he mocked me me saying " Blah blah " and hung up again . I showed up to the store with proof of payment and someone filled my order. I ended up talking to the manager and the baker came to the front who was the one who hung up on me. His name is Roberto and he lied and said the phones were not working and that he did not hang up on me. The way the manager and Roberto handled the situation was unprofessional and upsetting .

20 minutes for a coffe with 6 employees, and nobody in line, and they forget to put lechera,

They have mini conchas! They're offering a deal when you buy Pan dulce 10 you get 2 free. If you're in the area and feeling a bit festive yet chill, this Mexican Cafe has several sweet choices They have Organic Oaxacan coffee and a popular Horchata latte. The breads displayed as a pick and choose your own before heading to the register. It's also vegetarian and vegan friendly offering vegetarian chorizo on tacos or tortas (sandwiches) and bollilo.

This place is amazing. I travel from Lakewood for my coffee and sweat bread. Come and try it out.

Who needs Starbucks in L.A when you have access to La Monarca? I'm addicted to their piña danishes and oatchata lattes. They used to have a 2 for 1 special during the weekdays but they recently removed it. Please bring that back, it was the best!

La Monarca is located on the corner of Cesar Chavez Ave and Chicago Street. The parking lot behind the bakery has a sign that says no parking for La Monarca customers. Street parking was fine on a Saturday morning. Spots were available on both streets (metered spots on Cesar Chavez). The bakery has a good variety of bread, pastries, cookies and cakes. They also have quite a few coffee options including speciality ones like tres leches latte, horchata latte and champurrado. Cafe de Olla *Strong cinnamon taste and smell *Coffee itself was subtle but had a slight earthy taste *Lightly sweetened Vanilla Concha *Crunchy topping was not overly sweet *Bread was a little dense Flan *Not too sweet so you can indulge in the whole slice for dessert *Smooth texture throughout except for the bottom *Bottom had a subtle egg taste Overall, the coffee was delicious and I plan to visit again so I can try the cakes! Customer service was great! While I was browsing the cakes, the lady offered me a sample of the dulce de leche cake. It was a bite of ooey gooey caramel goodness!

So you know on your way to and from work that place you say to yourself sometime I'll stop? That is La Monarca. I finally made it and was I taken aback. The place is impecable clean and the staff is young, energetic, and helpful. Especially Allan who gave us the load down on the place and its gastronomic offerings. The place is set like a Mexican bakery but with a hip atmosphere. Try everything. The quiche, all of them are great. You heard "real men don't eat quiche?" Forget it Real hombres do eat these quiche. The place has the traditional Mexican bakery confections and they've added different flavor cakes and cookies. You must visit it is a sweet discovery in Boyle Heights.

Came in for one of those buckets of coffee for the entire office and some panes dulce (sweet bread) and was all good. The service was nice as well.

I've loved several of their locations but I do have to comment on the management of this one. Who's bright idea is it to clean the machines after opening on a Monday morning? I came in for an iced latte and was offered regular hot coffee/ caffe de olla instead. I quite frankly have a deep distaste for hot coffee but at that point it was either hot coffee or no coffee so I took the hot coffee. Quite disappointed and will not come back to this location.

I was in the area to meet a friend who works at the Keck medical center. We found street parking easily. Atmosphere: The inside of the bakery is beautiful with high ceilings, lots of natural light and open seating. I saw a few people studying and it would definitely be a nice spot! Food: There's pastry's lined up on the wall for you to place on a tray and pay at checkout. There's also a glass case showcasing things like quiches and larger pastry cakes. I tried an empanada and the chorizo quiche. They warmed up the quiche slice which was awesome. They ran out of the horchata latte :( but I tried the dolce de leche latte which was good. Overall this place was a nice gem, unexpected since the street it's on is a little run down.

I've been a costumer for almost a year now, I'm usually against leaving bad reviews but I think this time I just had to do it... I don't know what's going on at this location but since the las management team left this place is just a total mess, and I'm not talking about the employees, they're just trying to do the best they can with the resources they have. The last two times I've walked in there's q group of ladies all dressed up with monarca shirts and hats (I believe they're some kind of supervisors) just sitting there, eating and talking, they don't care if the girls working are struggling they just don't move from their sits... Also you can feel the the vibe has changed since the last team leaders left, this used to be a happy place with happy employees and a great service, now you can feel the stress this people bring to the employees... that's a shame!

A must try: Quiche Rachero with Coffee Dela Joya this is a Mexican organic coffee with brown sugar and cinnamon. Customer service is good. Vibe of the place is awesome too.

When I tell y'all this is one of the the BEST cafes in LA... BELIEVE ME. Where do I start... I ordered the fat ass special. 2 veggie chorizo tacos, a chicken mole burrito, one chai latte, one tres leches latte and flan of course! This chain should have more recognition! The veggie chorizo is one of the best chorizo dupes I've ever tasted, I wish I could explain the unique flavor but it's not your average greasy dupe. I can explain the mole, it's thick and on the sweeter side like a red bean paste. The FLAN is what everybody's flan should taste like... perfect consistency & sweetness, not overboard. Lastly, the coffees are very true to flavor and honestly, if you add any sweetener to it, you're ruining it cause it's perfect as is. I've also been to the Santa Monica location, great consistency in service & food quality. Love this place, will return.

La Monarca is a nice Pan Dulce/ Coffee shop. Speaking of Pan this place is pretty good, much better than most places that sell Pan Dulce. I only tried the mini cookies and just about everything with Cajeta in it. For coffee I had the tres leches with caramel. The coffee was a little too sweet for my liking with the caramel added. I would probably get the regular tres leches next time or another ice coffee. I plan on coming back and trying some more things next time.

This place is really cozy, the coffee is excellent and the bakery is great. I love the tres leches cake and they have the horchata cake as well! The staff are very kind, Liz is always very attentive, friendly, helpful and so kind! I love coming here!

Ordered delivery from this location. My iced coffee came with spoiled almond milk. Paid $4.65 for it and can't even drink it.

THE HORCHATA TRES LECHES CAKE????? Are you KIDDING ME???? This is DIVINE. Immaculate. I'm thankful to be living in the same dimension as this cake. You MUST try this. It's the best I have ever had honestly.

This is by far the best coffee shop. The horchata cakes are the best. My favorite coffee is the cafe de la olla. More important than the food and coffee they serve is the service. Everyone in this store is very approachable and kind. I have visited others like the one in Pico Rivera, Lincoln Heights and even the one on 1st and Boyle and hands down, the one on Cesar Chavez trumps them all on service! They provide a very welcoming environment. This store is the best and I will continue being a loyal customer. So I tried the chorizo quesadilla along with the slushito's and they are amazing. This bakery, specifically the one on Cesar Chavez and Chicago Street, keeps getting better. Great Job!!!

I am trying the oatchata blended drink and its awful I dont recomend it. I was excited to try it but it taste like milk just plain with ice

This location has been one of my favorite bakery to get an awesome cup of coffee. They make it with LOVE&have wonderful options of pastries &lunch meals. Every time I come here to this location it NEVER disappoints with the friendly CUSTOMER SERVICE&helpfulness the employees give Manager : (Rosa). The bakery is also very clean &well organized inside, especially with the whole pandemic going on. They also have a great happy hour on weekdays i recommend giving a chance !!

Love this new location in Boyle Heights! Monarca has done it right this time, easy to get to and plenty of space inside to have a pan dulce y Cafe. I tried anew drink tonight, Iced Cinnamon coffee. The used days blend Mixtec with powdered cinnamon, not to complicated but simple and tasted good. I added to pan dulces, elotes to go with my drink. Been to several most of the Monarcas and by far this is my favorite! Good Job!

Encantado con el servicio y producto siempre fresco . Buena actitud las personas que atienden servicio rapido.siempre amigables. .

Full disclosure, I am a fan of this indie chain of Contemporary Mexican Bakeries. I enjoy the consistency found across La Monarcas shops. Growing up the traditional panaderias focused on- pastries & breads and we never expected more. However, add great coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, a selection of hot food- with an inclusive effort of vegan, vegetarian, and organic options- and you have a contemporary take on tradition. Warm, friendly service, and vibe too.

Always fast great service. Gotta have that iced tres leches latte. No long lines at all

I was walking around the area with my dog and I wanted done bread and coffee , but oh surprise no pet allowed so I had the bright idea to call them And mentioned I was outside with my dog and I could not get it the girl Who picked up the phone was so kind and said can you wait until I finish with the people in front of me I say yes she cane outside took my order and I left happy , Excellent service

Tried this place out for the first time and it was more than amazing thanks to Eloisa! Who provided us with 5 star service, answered all our questions, and made the most delicious champurrado I've had in a long time. Make sure to try the dulce de leche croissant.

Super cute modern bakery at Boyle Heights! They have amazing Mexican cake and great selection of assorted pastries. There's a lot of seating and perfect for getting some work done.

The employee with the pretty eye's does some wonder's there .. Very helpful &polite with customer's .. The bakery always look very clean inside with fresh bread baked .. She also makes my drinks perfectly Happy hour is a must there ! (: Thank you Rosa

Great coffee. Great pastries and great customer service!! You won't regret trying this place, I promise.! Support local businesses!!

If you grew up Mexican American in East LA you probably have your favorite panadería that your mom took you to. Monarca, which is a chain of panaderías is kinda of a Starbucks meets a panadería. They have a lot of typical coffee drinks you would get in a Mexican household (Café de olla) and drinks with a Mexican twist (aka the famous horchata latte). Overall, the drink prices are about the same as Coffee Bean or Starbucks. The pastries are what are a little overpriced when you compare it to your local panadería. But, the extra charge in prices is probably due to the fact that the bread is probably not cooked with lard or other ingredients that are in a pan. They carry all the favorites (concha, galletas, etc). I actually like their bread because it tastes healthier, and they are fresh. My favorite thing to get here is a café de olla and some cookies with powdered sugar. I do like cocha's but even at my traditional panadería I always get the cookies with sprinkles. If you bring your traditional mom her, forewarn her that it's trendy. Cuz if she's like my mom, she's gonna feel out of place. This is a great addition to East LA and Boyle Heights. Cesar Chavez is changing and it's interesting seeing what's moving in.

Super cute place inside on the corner on Cesar Chavez. Parking is hard at times though. Clean and so good for big parties!

Highly recommend! I tried their horchata latte and its soooooo good! I really love the cup gloves design! This place is perfect for college students to study at. There's plenty of space & WiFi.