Espiga Bakery

All I tried was the doughnut. It was horrible. It tasted like white bread with bad chocolate frosting.

I had a Danish and it was almost stale and pretty bland. I am giving it three stars only because my son liked the vanilla muffin. But he’s three years old so take that however you want.

The place is really far from Raleigh downtown and it does not have a clear sign so when I got there I wasn’t sure if it is the right location. So be patient and walk around then you will see the shop.
Okay, I am glad that I tried some Mexican version bakeries. However, I am not a fan. It is just too dry to eat. However, it seems the bakeries are less sugary.

Visited here last Saturday after 3 PM and they still had a nice selection of baked goods. This is definitely an upscale Mexican bakery. They had the typical selection of basic Mexican breads and treats (conchas, puerquitos, bolillos, ect.) as well as a lot of nice cookies, turnovers and other delicious treats.
We’ll definitely go back! I’ve heard that they have great empanadas. Next time I’ll have to try those. Every thing we bought was excellent. Compared to other Mexican bakeries in the area, this one is tops. Delicious, fresh and a spotless store. This is a family business and the owners are very nice. They were happy to explain what each of the breads/​pastries was made with and I enjoyed visiting with them.

Not sure about this place. Tried a cookie and it was a little stale. Tried an empanada and it was kind of greasy. Didn’t really try enough to know if it’s bad, but nothing I tried made me want to go back for more either.

I wanted so much to like Espiga, I truly did. I sincerely appreciate small, local merchants like them and admire the incredible amount of fortitude it takes to survive these days. While the baked goods were a feast for my eyes, they actually tasted a little stale to me. I went on a Monday afternoon and the bakery cases were full, but the shop was empty, so maybe there were left over from the weekend? I dunno. I also tried a beef empanada. It was different in that the dough was bready, not crusty, which I liked, but the filling itself was somewhat bland.
I would give Espiga 5 hugs if I could, but the goodies made me kinda sad… :(

I love the presentation, price & taste. My first time going in made me feel like if I was back home at the bakery :)

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the name «espiga.» I figured it was something in Spanish, and sure enough, upon asking the owner, found out it refers to wheat. It’s a family business that rotates about half of their items daily, keeping the most popular items on the shelves every day. Tons of Mexican/​Latin baked goods to choose from — empanadas, conchas, cakes, and more! There are no name tags for these items, so it’s hard to figure out what it is or what the filling is (if there is any). Some have mango, some have guava, some have cream cheese, etc. Best thing to do is to ask the cashier — she’s more than happy to help identify the many options! There are also no price tags associated, but they’re about $ 3.50 each, or so. There is limited seating, but most people come in and out very quickly. It’s a small place with a wide selection. I had something with guava, and it was absolutely delicious! Also, plenty of parking in the lot.

So what if I can’t pronounce anything. I love it all. The sugar coated crème filled empanada has to be my favorite. Ecuadorian cookies, doughnuts and pastries, God, ain’t life wonderful. Seriously this place is a hidden gem. The people are very friendly, proud of their shop and oh so helpful. Pay them a visit, you’ll become a regular.

Husband wanted something sweet, and boy did we find sweet somethings at this bakery that was open close to 9:00 on a Saturday night!
This bakery is in a small strip center in North Raleigh near Triangle Town Center (near Fu-​kee Express). If you’re looking for it, you won’t see a sign that says Espiga. Over the door it says «deli»…“bakery” is barely visible. So, seek and ye shall find!
Inside you will find cases of all kinds of delicious looking baked goods. We just started saying we’ll take this and that and this, and when it was time to ring it up, I was stunned that our box was just $ 6.41!
Husband has already eaten one pastry with cream cheese and declared it very good.
They had a case full of empanadas also, and some great looking cakes.
You need a bakery? This is what you’ve been looking for!

Dude! They have Empanadas !!! TAKE and HEAT at home! I think they may heat them for you there (not sure if they still do)! These Empanadas are Simple, Delicious and Simply Delicious! Simple in that they are, Not Spicy and have very FEW ingredients and they are Baked not Fried!
Very Good Cookies! Baked Goods! Lots of Variety! BEST Cream Horn I have eaten in the Triangle so far!!!
Cream Horn Wars Nominee for RodO Awards! My Bride even liked the Icing saying «it actually Tastes like something» ! It tastes like Angel Cream ! ! !

So you have been charged with the task of finding some goodies to bring to the office or some event. You need a big selection without breaking the bank, so you jump on Unilocal and try to find something that’s not the normal chain stuff that is half baked, frozen, and then baked completely in the store. You want fresh, you want good, and you need cheap!
Well look no further than Espiga! For those of you who are afraid to go out side your comfort zone and walk into a place you’re not familiar with the layout and how it works, just fold that little fear up and tuck it away in your pocket for another day. Here’s the scoop on how it works.
When you walk in you will notice 3 giant cabinets packed full of a huge variety of pastry items. Just let them know you want a box, and trust me, YOU WANT A BOX, and they will give you a box and a pair of tongs. update: went back a 2^nd time and instead of a box they have big plastic orange trays and a pair of tongs. You then proceed to the cabinets and load yourself up with as many of whatever treats you desire. The contents very from day to day. So it’s fun to go back and see what new item is there that wasn’t there last week. Sometimes there are no signs explaining the contents, but don’t worry, much of it is self explanatory and for what you are not sure about, the owners/​staff are SUPER friendly and will be glad to explain anything you want to know about what is in the cabinet.
The first time i went they gave us a box to carry it home in, the 2^nd time we went it was all put into a plastic bag and off we went. I kind of like the box better, but it’s not a deal breaker. (I brought them home and put them in plastic baggies and took them to work, and they were gone before morning snack time even started. I got 3 kinds of croissants, 2 big cookies, 6 conchas, a cupcake that looked like a ho ho and 4 kinds of fruit or cheese filled pastries for 14 and some change… can we say CRAZY GOOD PRICES?!)
We were lucky enough to be there when fresh made Conchas were coming out of the oven. (Conchas: Are a mexican lightly sweet bread top with a sweet dough. They usually come in a variety of colors. They have kind of a swirly pattern on top. There are pink and yellow ones in my pictures!) And they offered us a fresh warm one.
.GOODNESS! SOOOOOOOOOOOO good! It was light and airy, warm and just enough sweet to give you a fix. We got a chocolate one to go. It was still good at room temp, but even better warm! So warm them if you get one!
We got a couple cookies, and 2 other pastry things, and the conchas and all were awesome! (dont’ worry we didn’t eat them all in one sitting. we broke off a bite of each and are saving the rest to eat throughout the week!)
We paid a third of what we would have paid across the street for what we got. YEA!
They also make cakes and empanadas! There is a cooler packed full of empanadas of various flavors. Chicken, beef, cheese, ham and cheese and pepperoni and cheese. I (on another visit) took home a chicken, beef, and a cheese. I took them home and ate them for dinner and then breakfast. They are wondeful! I would call these «healthy» empanadas. They are not fried, they are baked! and i must say i LOVE the difference. The bread is slightly sweet and the insides are very basic. In the meat, is just meat and a few spices. Although simple the flavor is still wonderful. Personally i like the simplicity of them, it makes them easy to eat as is, or to top it with some of my own stuff. They are reasonably priced at a little over $ 3 each, but one is really enough for a meal, although i ate more like 1.5 at each meal… and boy was i full.
All in all, it was a great experience, from the friendly staff, to the fantastic bake goods. And the best part? You’re supporting local when you shop here! So head on over and give it a try, and don’t forget, just go ahead and ask for a box for your goodies. You won’t regret that you did!

Don’t let the small locale fool you. This place is great, and the staff is very welcoming. Make sure to try the buñuelos and the pandebono. The other pastries and cakes looked good as well, but we were on a hunt for buñuelos and pandebonos, and therefore didn’t try anything else. Not sure of their food items, but the pastries and baked goods are worth it. Try them with confidence.

Very good. I had the pork sandwich, and I can’t think how a sandwich could be much better than this. I especially liked the salsa, which is unlike any other I have had.

What a friendly local-​owned bakery. I stopped by one afternoon to pick up a late, light lunch. It specializes in Ecuadorian food. I opted for a chicken empanada and two small cookies. The chicken empanada was different from any I’ve ever had (not bad – just different). The bread was a lot thicker. The filling as also pretty dry (basically just shredded chicken).
The cookies were good – the bakery assortment looked delicious. I opted for sandwich cookies – one filled with white chocolate and one filled with mint (they also had dark chocolate). In addition, there were a variety of cupcakes, ginger cookies, and some other treats.
The service was really friendly, and they have daily lunch specials as well. I hope this little bakery does well!

Great family owned local business with daily lunch specials and authentic Latin food. Haven’t tried the pastries yet but they look great!

The Espiga has good food, family service and inconsistent hours. If you want a great sandwich or Empanada, I would check them out.

I am from NYC… visiting my family in Raleigh NC, absolutely the best veggie empanadas, incredible ceviche, best yuca fries and to top it all amazing home made alfajor.
Corina, one of the owners very friendly.
Wish the would move to NYC… nothing compares in my town

I absolutely loved this bakery! Thank you fellow Unilocalers for directing me here or I’d never have found it. I’m a big cake fan, and I adore their small cakes. For $ 6 my boyfriend and I had enough coconut cake for 2 sittings. The cake was moist and decadent, and the coconut frosting was the perfect level of sweetness. I also enjoyed their cheese bread and the chicken empanada. For $ 3.50, the empanada was a satisfying lunch snack.
I will definitely be back for more and will be sure to try another one of the small cakes in a new flavor. The chocolate, irish cream, and mango all caught my eye. :) Cute décor/​atmosphere inside this place, too!

I think this place has real 5 Start potential, but I haven’t tried enough things here yet. I came across this place when visiting the post office next door. I wasn’t hungry nor did I have any business getting food at the time, but the store front is so cute and I saw the sign outside advertising their lunch menu and I just had to go in.
It’s an Ecuadorian bakery, so they have lots of sweets, including alfajores (Barbara C. has a god description of them in her review). I’ve had Peruvian alfajores before which are dusted in powder sugar, but the store clerk educated me on the variety and Ecuadorian ones are covered in coconut. I tried their Cheese empanada, it was unlike any empanada I’ve had but it was delicious. The dough was bready and airy (kind of like a croissant, but not as buttery), it was filled with queso freso and lightly covered in sugar. I enjoyed eating it and it was only $ 1.50.
The attendant in the store was very friendly and she told me that they also sell traditional Ecuadorian meals for lunch for $ 7 and I’m definitely going back to try!