Leon Bakery Mexican Restaurant

Good eats.
I had an al pastor torta and it was awesome. When I got home, I was pleasantly surprised how big the sandwich was.
It was also delicious!
The restaurant also has a pretty big bakery case if you’re looking for some Mexican pastries.

i love this place! their burritos and quesadillas are amazing

Chilequilas are excellent and the portions are very large. Not the fanciest place but great for take-​out or delivery.

Great food! Aside from going and ordering takeout, I’ve also placed 2 dozen tamale order for a party I was going to. The tamales were great and I was the hit of the party ;)

They have PAN. I am sooo exited. It’s a HOLE in the wall, you walk in and to your right you are blessed with PAN. I am totally coming back to purchase from this spot. Can’t wait. Sooooo glad I found it. AHHH I LOVE 9^th street.

Finally a great authentic Mexican place in midtown! Clean, authentic, fresh, well priced, and delicious!

Sometimes you don’t want to cook, but you also don’t want to spend too much money. You don’t want to sit down in a full service restaurant, but a generic place like Chipotle or Panera won’t cut it either (you ARE in New York City, after all).
I was in one of those moods yesterday. Walking around the City with some time to burn before an appointment, I was craving a cheap and filling dinner that didn’t leave a hole in my wallet (we lovingly call those «platos de obero» where I’m from, which translates into a working-​class meal). Xi’an Famous Foods in Midtown was packed (and they caution against taking out their noodles, anyways), so I kept on walking.
My phone was buggy when I tried pulling up the Unilocal app as I arrived in Hell’s Kitchen, but this place and its rating caught my eye. I actually missed it walking down the block, as Leon Bakery is quite unassuming and simple looks out of place. As usual, Unilocal led me to a great find.
In a neighborhood like HK, it’s quite an anachronism, but what a delicious one it is. I’d expect to see a restaurant like this in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, but not on 9^th Ave. The interior is painted in a bright orange hue, the walls are lined with Mexican staples (from canned beans to dried chilies and tamales flour). There are three tables by the back, close to a television playing the latest Univision telenovelas («Por qué María?! Rompiste mi corazón!!») I ate next to an extended Mexican family, further proof that this place is authentic.
The cashier let me know that they only made tamales during the morning (and I’ve read enough to know that they’re a very labor intensive dish). I settled on ordering a torta sandwich, which is layered with refried beans, iceberg lettuce, tomato, avocados, white Mexican cheese, and your choice of jalapeño strips or chipotle. My meat of choice was pork al pastor.
Sadly they only accept credit cards for orders over $ 10 (during this quarter, my credit card offers me 5% cash back on restaurants, but unfortunately all the places I end up craving turn out to be cash only! Darn!)
Back in Puerto Rico, we have a street cart that sells a sandwich known as «the tripleta.» It’s an assortment of meats piled high with lettuce, tomato, and mayo-​ketchup on a soft, cushy roll. This is the Mexican version, and don’t tell my fellow Boricuas but I actually liked this sandwich more.
The avocados (that Hail Mary of foods) were on-​point, green as can be. The cheese was slightly melted and slightly chewy, providing additional texture. I enjoyed the pork – melted in my mouth and well seasoned overall. And you can tell that bread is baked on site, probably. While at first glance you probably think it’s not sturdy enough to hold all of its contents intact, I think its soft texture is better suited for this type of sandwich.
My meal came down to $ 7. I ate half of my sandwich at the restaurant, and splurged on the remaining half as a midnight snack (to be fair, I had worked out and walked a lot that day).
The only flaw with my meal was that I found a piece of bay leaf in my sandwich. While bay leaves give great flavor during the cooking process, they’re not edible and should be removed before serving.
León is easily one of the top three lowkey Mexican places I’ve tried in the City. I’m rarely this far west, unless I’m going bar hopping later at night, but I am compelled to go back. Buen trabajo, León Bakery!

Tamales and chilaquiles topped with fried eggs for breakfast. Best spot in the neighborhood. Tamales run out fast… go early!

Always see this little restaurant when I am on my way to work… Today I decided to buy with my two coworkers.
I order the Gorditas (homemade stuffed tortillas) unfortunately the tortilla tasted like it was kept in the fridge from previous days. The pork rinds were soggy and had no salt what so ever. I also ordered a so called fresh water and it just didnt look like something I would want to drink at all.
My coworker order tacos and as he said they were so-​so and the other didnt even finish his food.

Came here after a 4 day binge of italian food street food of all sorts while on vacation in NYC (i missed my mexican food) and wow i had the best chicken chilaquiles I’ve ever had at any restaurant they were really good and it was a big portion i even joked with my wife that they were on par with my mom’s also they have mexican sweet bread and all sorts of and a variety of latin items. It’s a good place to try when you’re in the mood for great mexican chilaquiles.

Very friendly people, the bakery is authentic mexican bread, along with many other delicious products. Food was very good and filling. Yumm If your looking for mexican food in NYC check this small delicious place out.

Best Mexican food that I have had (besides my favorite food cart outside of Metropolitan Hospital) in New York City. Period. By far.
How real is this place? I ordered the bistec con nopales, and the lady went and got FRESH CACTUS OUT OF THE REFRIGERATOR.

The 5^th star will likely follow after I’ve tried more of their menu.
Leon Bakery is quickly becoming a normal stop on my morning commute. I would regularly pick up tamales (2 cheese, and one spicy chicken, delicious!) for myself and for friends, and today I decided to try something different. The lady behind the counter is very kind and friendly. Though I waited a little while for my Breaded Chicken Cemitas (with chipotle sauce) and guacacmole, it was worth it. Knowing it’s all made very fresh, I happily walked around studying their baked goods. I asked if they have Pan con Queso, and she even offered me a free roll. Light and fluffy, with a big wad of Queso Blanco in the middle. What a breakfast!
The chips were thick and crispy, the guacamole fresh and very tasty, and the Cemitas: Oh, so smoky, piled high with breaded chicken, guacamole, queso blanco and chipotle sauce. No filler, nothing but taste.
Prices are very reasonable, and if I have one gripe (if you want to call it that.), they don’t have a California Burrito on the menu. Perhaps I could just ask them next time for a steak burrito with refried beans and french fries, and hopefully she won’t look at me funny.
It may be a bit of a hidden gem in Hell’s Kitchen, but I’m so happy I found it.

So glad my friend showed me this place, just around the corner from my apartment.
Huge portions of delicious Mexican food at good prices. 5 years after moving away from CA, I finally feel like I have a local Mexican food spot that I can be happy about again!

my search for a good mexican place in nyc might be complete!
so i was walking around looking for lunch! first i wanted a turkey sandwich — than i wanted a chicken salad — than passed a different mexican place and got a craving for a burrito.
i guess i was just looking for a place to draw me in, and a place where i could get whatever for under $ 10 and i saw a sign «authentic mexican» and i was impressed by their menu and went on in.
it took a bit of time for them to make the burrito i must say, but it seemed like they had maybe 3 really big orders before me so i’ll let that pass. the burrito was (is, still haven’t finished it) so very good. nicely sized, proportioned right and extremely tasty.
I shouldn’t have put that much red sauce on it lol, but its not a situation where i cant eat because its TOO spicy so i am very satisfied and will go back again as their menu had lots of choices i need to try.

If you walk along 9^th Avenue, you’ll probably miss this little shop from all the other fancier & flashier restaurants that reside in the area. That makes this the perfect little gem in an otherwise pricey neighborhood.
Leon Bakery has as authentic Mexican food as can be found in the city. I’ve came here more than once for their tamales, a complete bargain at $ 1.50 per. The pastries are all baked fresh, but I find myself more entranced by the rest of their menu with each subsequent visit.
Having recently discovered the magical Tortas of Mexican cuisine, I ordered their Chorizo Torta and was not disappointed at all. Crunchy bread, fresh vegetables, and a nice little kick to the Chorizo.
If you’re ever looking for a quick bite for lunch or a small snack, look no further than this place. Their prices are modest compared to their neighbors and the food is delicious. I definitely see myself coming back to try the other things on their menu.

As a resident of Hells Kitchen for the past 4 years, I’ve walked by this place countless times until recently I noticed it on my walk home from the gym. I was in the mood for a beef quesadilla and popped right in. Immediately I felt like I discovered a foodie secret! This place is a bakery/​deli/​quaint sit-​down restaurant rolled up all in one. They’ve got fruity/​health juices as well.
I am a native Texan and know was good Tex-​Mex tastes like — this was pretty damned good. Also they’ve got the tv on a spanish language channel — it felt pretty authentic vs. playing top 40 music.
I was pretty satisfied with the beef quesadilla I ordered and the beans on the side.
They definitely did not skimp out on the beef portions!
The food was so good that right after I ate my fill, that I had a pleasant 3 hour food coma induced nap afterwards.
I will definitely be back soon! The service was quick and friendly too.

Pretty solid taco spot on Ninth… It’s not as good as the other 2 neighborhood staples tho — Guelgazeta and Tehutzingo, a bit further west…

Places like this will always bring me back its about good food and making it right.
Happen to stop by the double D’s next door and some how found this gem. The woman behind the counter did not speak much English, but kept the most beautiful smile. I went for the Chilaquiles, crispy tortilla chips cooked with green or red salsa & topped with sour cream and cheese for a little extra you can add beef or chicken don’t forget the to add to fried eggs $ 1.00 extra.
Leon Bakery is not the most aesthetically looking food. Same goes for the décor. Their purpose is to produce authentic Mexican food. Trust me I have a problem with food that sits on a plate and it’s all the same pigment, just weird me out, but when you take your first bite its walk in Mexico well worth the ugly palette.
Next I tried Cemitas just thinking about it makes my mouth water, beans, Mexican cheese, avocado, papolo and chayote. So if ever in HK stop buy have a taste of Mexico with out destroying your pockets.

Leon Bakery is one of my guilty pleasures in Hell’s Kitchen. I’ve been coming to this Mexican bakery for years for their pastries (see photo). The pastries are devoid of classical French or Italian sensibilities: they’re dry, sometimes chalky, typically covered with granulated sugar instead of powdered, and occasionally just plain greasy.
But they’re SOOOO GOOD and ADDICTIVE!
I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s just me, but I suspect it’s not. Oh and the prices are surreal, only about a dollar each.