El Hornero Bakery

Pleasant little Columbian bakery right under the #7 train and across the street from the Q72 train to La Guardia. I could see it becoming a regular stop on the way out of NYC. The coffee was piping hot and fine for my tastes. Nothing fancy necessarily. The small coconut pie was gorgeous but a tad on the dry side but not enough for me to complain. Pleasant little neighborhood spot I’d be happy to drop by more often if not for the 1,300+ mile commute. Lady behind the counter clearly a native Spanish speaker but had very good English. Some very delicious items caught my eye. I may be back!

I love the empanadas! There pastries are good but the employees are rude. They never get my order right.

I followed my instinct and walked out a moment after walking in, due to the strong foul odor. It smelled like a mix of insecticide and sour milk. Their pastries might well be great, but with respect, I’m not taking the chance.

I had some awesome fresh baked goods. Really enjoyed everything here. Had some traditional Colombian bread thats name has escaped me, a great donut and tres leches cake. Really good and fresh– items were still warm and the price is right. In Manhattan what I got would have come to about $ 12 but instead I paid $ 5.

So all four of my stars are for the spinach empanadas. Que rico! Haha… Popeye would be in heaven. They’re baked, which is a nice change from some of the too-​greasy fried ones you may find elsewhere. The pastry is tender and not too thick. The filling is moist and flavorful. Sadly, they’re not always availabe. The beef is pretty good, too if you’re looking for an alternative. Only four stars because once in awhile they can be a bit heavy on the salt (I guess it depends who’s doing the cooking).
To be honest haven’t had any of the sweet treats in quite some time, but they are fairly good as far as I can remember. If you like very thick, rich and creamy flan, try theirs. You can get a generous individual serving in a to-​go cup for around a buck.

My vote for the best Columbian bakery in Corona happens to be here at the little store /​café of El Hornero. There are a dime a dozen bakeries in the area and the competition is cut throat all throughout Queens. But none have impressed me more than this little diamond in the rough.
From their sweet treats to baked eats, El Hornero wins in almost every category I’ve sampled. Tiramisu is so money as are their empanadas when piping hot. The Columbian style cheesecake is creamy and delicious and their mini guava pies with coconut dusting are to die for. La pastella blanca, aka white cake, is topped with just the right amount of dulce de leche and the frosting is light enough to shun any guilt when eating it.
Folks with wedding plans or special occasions should consider this place if they have something to celebrate in the neighborhood. I wish Manhattan had a place as good as this one, I just haven’t found it yet. The desserts are very reasonably priced and their less-​than-​a-​dollar mini desserts are the perfect compliment to a recession /​health crazed society.
That said, my two favorite items by far is their pasa biscocho (aka raisin cake) and their traditional Dominican cake. Each of these cakes have a ridiculously fluffy texture and buttery taste could trigger a heart attack in a matter of hours. The road to a badunkadunk booty is made quicker with every savory bite from this lovely bakery.