La Gran Uruguaya Bakery

their desserts are very good, and taste fresh, better than the colombian bakeries which have a lot of popularity as well. The service could improve but they do get so many costumers i can see why they rush you.

One of the bakeries I enjoy going to. Feels like an authentic bakery as soon as you walk in. There is a large selection to choose from. I used to get the flan a lot but with my recent visits I didn’t enjoy it too much. But it’s a cozy bakery.

I am quite the adventurous eater. Well… at least in the beginning when I am greeted by a new cuisine for the first time. I try everything on the menu, but once I find something I like – that’s it. I settle on just that one thing, and I will not stray from that. This is why waiters, waitresses, baristas, and people behind the counter know exactly what my order is without my having to say anything.
Just like at La Gran Uruguay!
No matter how long the line is – and it can snake out towards the entrance – when the lovely workers see me enter, they pull out my favorite dulce de leche-​filled pastry (they don’t know what its name is! Do you?) and call me to the front to pay. It’s the bomb. The desserts I tried before I met The One are delicious too – the churros, alfajores, a dulce de leche cake topped with chopped walnuts, and apple tart. And like other Latin American bakeries in our neighborhood, the customers indulge in typical café culture: eating, drinking, chatting, reading the paper, watching the soccer game… not parked in front of a laptop.
Note that on Fridays and Saturdays, they are open until 11 instead of the regular 10 p.m. closing time.

This place is always hopping. They have a huge selection of pastries and breads and cakes, and a tray of tasty empanadas on the counter, and even a deli station. Cash only, and the most adorable yummy ladybug cake can be had for $ 28.

Every now and then I visit a place that makes me realize why I live in New York, this is one of those places.
A few weeks back from Argentina, I was craving empanadas and alfajores. My wife is a Portena, so I twisted her arm just a little to make the trek to the bakery. We feasted on beef and spinach empanadas, baked in the style she likes, although a different empanada variant which we did not try, appeared to be fried. Next up was a sort of ham and cheese pie with egg in a puff pastry crust. Dessert was a slice of flan con dulce de leche, with an espresso. Everything was excellent, although I have had lighter flan.
We took home some medialunas (large and heavy, better with some toasting), cheese bread and matambre.
The only caveat is the parking/​driving situation in the vicinity, chaotic to say the least.

Food is great, live entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays but watch out for «service charge» on bill before the tax so you don’t realize tip is already included. Buena comida, el show de los Viernes y Sabados es divertido, pero atencion al cargo «por servicio» incluido en la factura antes del tax para q no sepa el cliente q el TIP ya esta incluido. Me parece que el tip, aunque obligatorio, debe ser a discrecion del cliente.

Can’t vouche for their baked goods, but their coffee is delicious. Strong, but not bitter. So hard to find good coffee in NYC. Happy to stumble across this neighborhood gem.

Awesome baked goods. Love the alfajores and empanadas.
My favorites are the beef and the chicken empanadas. These are the best empanadas I have had in NYC, hands down.

Loved the skirt steak with rice and beans last night.
Tres Leche was a bit frozen but tasted good. I’ll be back to La Gran again.

Really enjoyed the alfajores (though I’ve never met one I didn’t like).

Desde la entrada excelente el servicio y la atención muy casual y amigable. El ambiente perfecto para una velada en el Restaurant. La carne al punto excelente sabor y cosida a la perfección. Satisfacción total. Hay q volver.

The bakery has excellent empanadas and good bread. Friendly staff and casual ambiance. Great prices. Café con leche is nice when it’s cold outside.
As for the restaurant, it’s a bit overpriced and I feel like they shortchange you by giving french fries and bland rice as sides to meals instead of something you may enjoy more– veggies, beans, salad? Be more creative. People coming here don’t want that. Or else they’d be going to Mcdonalds.

Todo es delicioso !!! Fresco, de buena calidad. El servicio es excelente y atendido por sus dueños!

For the restaurant side.
I still can’t tell the difference between Uruguayan and Argentinian food. The food here is good, but not the best among Uruguayan/​Argentinian restaurants in the city.
Things I had:
Bread: not heated thoroughly.
Gnocchi: I asked for red sauce with meat. The portion is huge. The sauce is decent but the pasta is cooked a little long.
Chaja: good but too sweet.
I like their ambience but the service is very slow.
The bakery looks very attractive but I’m too full to try it.

I had the parrillada for two and it was great. There was so much food I almost didn’t finish it.
Stated with a couple of empanadas.

Love the service. LOVE the coffee, it is just perfect!
Pastries and bread as well are always delicious and fresh :-). Great to meet with an old friend and relax.

Great pastries, good cakes and a very large selection of breads. This place does get very busy so I’d recommend you call ahead of time to place your order and pick it up. Also, you may have a difficult time if you do not speak Spanish, although some employees do speak English.

So happy that I live around the corner from this place — they make beautiful breads and pastries. A great variety of fresh baked goods is on display here; I’ve never ordered the same thing twice here in two years and I’m always pleasantly surprised. This is the Jackson Heights spot for a no-​nonsense café con leche and a sweet treat.

For the Restaurant/​Bar side, not the bakery:
I used to go to Margarita’s down the street to grab a beer, relax, watch whatever game is on, and maybe grab a bite to eat. It was always crowded, loud, and the service was inconsistent at best, horrible at worst.
Then one day I came in here and my neighborhood spot switched forever. It’s NEVER too crowded. There’s always a spot at the bar, and they will always switch to whatever game you want, if you want. [Note: it’s not really a sports bar, if that’s not what you’re looking for. They just have a few TVs in case you want.]
The service has always been pretty good and VERY friendly. Drinks are cheap and the food is fine.

They have an abundant selection of pastries, many of which I haven’t tried.
Empanadas are good and inexpensive. Not a vegetarian, but glad they have a vegetarian empanada option.
There is a pastry there that I LOVE! I’m not sure what it is called but it is a pastry square with guava and cheese and it has a lattice top. This is the perfect afternoon treat to have with your coffee.
The only downside is that they are cash only.

An amazing little café paired with a full restaurant. Tons of amazing food options from their endless trays of sweet desserts to a full variety of small sandwiches and empanadas. The friendly but curt staff speaks both English and Spanish, and they’re really helpful.
After sitting down and munching on all their snacks… take some time to reflect on how your whole meal cost less than anything else you’ve purchased in the past month… then take a huge bag home with you to go!
MUST TRY: the Sanguchitos de miga… they’re freaking amazing.

This is easily one of my favorite bakeries in Jackson Heights. Their pastries and baked goods are all pretty authentic, freshly made and quality things made using actual South American recipes and ingredients.

Most of the stuff here is Colombian and Uruguayan. They used to be a separate restaurant and bakery, but they have since come together and thus brough their respective spaces together, this contributes to a series of pros and cons…
Pros:
* Delicious foods — sweet AND savory.
* Great beverages.
* Ample seating room if you’re alone, with a significant other or a group of friends.
* Not too loud and an amazing smelling atmosphere.
* Friendly employees.
* Open pretty late.
* Really great coffee.
* Amazing bread selection, no seriously, BREAD is life.
Cons:
* Although employees are friendly it is sometimes super hard to get their attention, even if the place is empty. I speak fluent Spanish and sometimes I get exasperated after waiting 10 minutes for a cookie or a piece of cheese bread… but I wait it out and return repeatedly because the stuff they make IS THAT GOOD.
* Let’s talk empanadas. I’m Colombian, grew up with them ever since I was old enough to correctly process solid foods and I can make em’ myself — does this make me an authority on empanadas? Yeah, well… sorta. The empanadas here are pretty flipping awful.
* Empanadas here are cheap, that’s great, but their fillings are just NOT good — who mixes beef with raisins? Why is the beef weirdly mushy?! Go to Mama’s Empanadas nearby to get your empanada fix — they totally know what they’re doing and they have trigo (wheat), maiz (corn) and baked varieties with 50+ different flavors/​combinations/​fillings and they’re made FRESH TO ORDER, unlike the ones here where they will ask you if you want them warmed up and if you say ‘yes’ they will nuke em’ in a microwave for a bit — microwaving them makes them SOGGY and weird after they’ve been sitting there under a heating lamp. Blech.
Now, notice that although I elaborated more on the «Cons» section, I named more «Pros» — let that guide you. This place IS great because of the variety of stuff they sell and the quality and care they put into things like ingredients, recipe, presentation, etc. Just avoid the empanadas here and be nice, yes PERSISTENT, when trying to order and you’ll be fine.

I went there twice. It worth the trip from Manhattan.
I recommend ‘Milanesa al pan’, ‘Arrollado de chocolate con dulce de leche’ and ‘Bizcochuelo de dulce de leche y coco rallado’.
The pastries are amazing. Different kind of croissants, all great!
I didn’t try the empanadas yet, tha’ts why I still won’t give 5 stars.