Each week, San Diego's "Porto's Guy", actually a husband-and-wife team, reportedly drives up to Los Angeles to stock up on boxes of goods from the legendary Porto’s Bakery & Café before returning to San Diego, where fans eagerly line up in parking lots across South San Diego County - including outside Seafood City and 99 Ranch Market - to grab a taste of the Cuban bakery’s most iconic treats without the two-hour drive north. The setup is simple: two hatchbacks stacked high with bright yellow boxes filled with Porto’s greatest hits - potato balls, cheese rolls, meat pies, empanadas, guava pastries, sweet cheese balls, and even the bakery’s signature plantain chips.
Social media has exploded with sightings, from TikTok videos racking up thousands of views to Facebook posts celebrating the surprise pop-ups. “THE PORTO’S GUY WAS THERE!!” one local foodie exclaimed, describing the experience as “a total score.” Despite Porto’s offering official nationwide shipping through its Bake at Home program, these San Diego trunk sales consistently sell out within hours, fueled by the bakery’s cult following and the instant gratification of getting fresh goods locally.
For those unfamiliar, Porto’s Bakery is a Southern California institution. Founded by Cuban immigrants Rosa and Raul Porto, the bakery began as a small home-based business in the 1960s after Rosa fled Havana and started baking cakes for friends and neighbors in Glendale. The first official Porto’s storefront opened in 1976, and the family’s commitment to quality and affordability quickly earned a devoted customer base.
For those unfamiliar, Porto’s Bakery is a Southern California institution. Founded by Cuban immigrants Rosa and Raul Porto, the bakery began as a small home-based business in the 1960s after Rosa fled Havana and started baking cakes for friends and neighbors in Glendale. The first official Porto’s storefront opened in 1976, and the family’s commitment to quality and affordability quickly earned a devoted customer base.
@teddygrubs DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN NOW FIND PORTOS PASTRIES IN THE SAN DIEGO AREA IN BACK OF A TRUNK VAMONOS FUIMONOS LETS GO #portos #sandiego #teddygrubs #fyp #viral ♬ original sound - Teddygrubs
Today, Porto’s operates bustling cafés in Glendale, Burbank, Downey, Buena Park, West Covina, and Northridge - with lines that often wrap around the block. The bakery’s mix of Cuban and American comfort classics - guava-and-cheese pastries, chicken empanadas, tres leches cake, and the legendary potato balls - has made it one of California’s most loved culinary exports.
While Porto’s has expanded its reach through national shipping and frozen bake-at-home kits, there’s something special about the fresh-baked originals - and that’s where the “Porto’s Guy” fills the gap for San Diegans. Local influencers, including DJ Xavier “The X-Man,” have shared clips of the bootleg bakery operation, joking that “they’re slanging it out front of the 99 Ranch Market.” Videos show fans eagerly waiting in line or rushing to catch the seller before he runs out of stock.
It’s unclear whether the operation is officially sanctioned by Porto’s - and likely it’s not - but it’s undeniably become a local phenomenon, although there are other reported "Porto's Guys" doing the same thing in other California cities. For many in San Diego, where the bakery has no official presence, the “Porto’s Guy” has become something of a folk hero, bridging the pastry gap between LA and America’s Finest City.
While Porto’s has expanded its reach through national shipping and frozen bake-at-home kits, there’s something special about the fresh-baked originals - and that’s where the “Porto’s Guy” fills the gap for San Diegans. Local influencers, including DJ Xavier “The X-Man,” have shared clips of the bootleg bakery operation, joking that “they’re slanging it out front of the 99 Ranch Market.” Videos show fans eagerly waiting in line or rushing to catch the seller before he runs out of stock.
It’s unclear whether the operation is officially sanctioned by Porto’s - and likely it’s not - but it’s undeniably become a local phenomenon, although there are other reported "Porto's Guys" doing the same thing in other California cities. For many in San Diego, where the bakery has no official presence, the “Porto’s Guy” has become something of a folk hero, bridging the pastry gap between LA and America’s Finest City.
For now, you can still order Porto’s Bake at Home directly from their website, but if you’re lucky enough to catch the man with the yellow boxes in a Chula Vista parking lot, you might just get the freshest taste of Porto’s this side of the county line.
According to recent social media posts, San Diego's "Porto's Guy" can be found in the 99 Ranch parking lot in Chula Vista Tuesday, Thursday and Friday starting at around 11am.
Originally published on November 11, 2025.