La Imperial Bakery

La Imperial Bakery, a tiny panaderia and Mexican breakfast cafe in the East End, functions like a popular grandmother’s neighborhood kitchen table. People pop in and out, trading gossip and life updates, while plucking conchas from the pastry case or filling up personal mugs of coffee. The bright space is comfortably worn in from years of serving made-to-order huevos a la mexicana with handmade flour tortillas, bolillo with savory frijoles, and licuados to go. Head to La Imperial for a quick, quiet, and satisfying breakfast for under $10, and snag some pan dulce before leaving. 

photo credit: Chelsea Thomas