La Gloria Bakery

This may not be the most welcoming place to sit down with the in-​laws and talk about how well you’re doing financially, but it will knock your socks of if you’re looking for an authentic, homestyle, grandmother from the rancho made it, Mexican meal… I should know because my mother is from the rancho somewhere in Michoacán. I managed tow have brunch there finally and it has my stamp of approval in the flavor and freshness of the food. It may not look like it at first glance but I haven’t gotten sick yet… They cook from scratch and the smells are delightful… the fresh Mexican pan dulce that is being baked fresh daily will give you the experience of actually being in Mexico! I feel like it may well be a nice kept secret because it’s appearance may turn some people off… The ordering can be a hassle because of their confusing hand written menus but the people there speak English fairly well and have a great attitude for the most part… Always been satisfied customer so far…

This place is pretty awesome, I’ve driven by here a handful of times and am bummed at myself for not having come in sooner.
Great little market with some awesome produce and the bakery section is why I come! Love getting my bread and sweets in the back. It’s a real treat.
Staff here is friendly and helpful. I also appreciate that they get you in and out despite the crazy rushes of customers they get. Definitely happy to have stumbled upon this gem, next time id definitely like to stay and eat inside.

I love the tacos and tortas here. I’m a fan of taco stands in general but am picky about them too. i give it a thumbs up

Stopped in for some tacos after an appointment in the ‘Nard. As usual, everything was good. Had one asada, one pollo, and one al pastor for variety. Washed it all down with a mandarin jarritos and a piece of chicharon grueso. MMM nice n greasy. Grab a table and hold it while they’re preparing your order, otherwise you’ll be standing! 2 of us ate for nine bucks…

Having lived in Ventura county for about eight years, I think it’s a huge tragedy that I had not given this place a chance until I had already left and returned as a visitor of Oxnard. La Gloria is too incredible of an institution to have passed up.
Living in California, it’s never too far of a travel to get some Mexican cuisine, whether it’s legitimate street food like tacos at a taqueria, or if it’s even Americanized chain brands like Taco Bell or Del Taco. But the one aspect of Mexican food that I personally have overlooked (and can only assume that people not of Mexican heritage may have as well) is baked goods.
And why should I pay attention anyways? It seems like every ethnicity has baked specialties. Ever been to a Ranch 99 Market? Chinese bakeries have it down with sweet AND savory. As a Filipino, I’ve got Goldilocks, Valerio’s, Red Ribbon, you name it. With all the baked good options, what’s a Mexican panaderia to me?
Apparently, it’s the whole world to me.
It’s just one item, the concha, a not-​incredibly-​appetizing-​looking mound of pan dulce topped with a seashell (hence «concha») design of sugary topping. It appears overly doughy, not very soft at first feel, and probably heavier than you need it to be for your bread-​and-​hot-​chocolate breakfast. But whatever. I’ve had conchas before. I guess they’re alright. Let me just take a bite real quick…
It was incredibly messy, leaving crumbs and sugar all over my friend’s passenger seat. The pan dulce dough gave way to my teeth at the consistency slightly firmer than a raised donut… think twice a donut. The texture of the dough was fluffy but elastic with exactly the perfect amount of sweetness. The sugar topping was plentiful but not overpowering, and made eating neatly a fun challenge.
But besides the concrete details… besides all of the specifications of the bread and topping and texture and flavor and whatnot… besides the concha itself… there was this «thing» behind it. There was this remeniscent, homey, familiar essence of it. Remember when Ego took that first bite of Remy’s ratatouille and he was taken back to his childhood? That’s what happened the moment I took that bite into the concha. That first bite brought me back to family, to warmth and hugs, to Christmas with the cousins, to happier simpler younger times. That’s something I never thought you could pay a few cents for at a Mexican bakery. Apparently, I was wrong.
All things taken into consideration, the concha from La Gloria was the ultimate representation of this fine breakfast baked good. That item alone, aside from their other great baked offerings like their pineapple turnovers and sugar cookies and many others, is enough to enthusiastically award this fine facility five stars.

I see that people have written reviews for the taqueria section here, so I’ll copy and paste my review from the sister page:
Groceries, taqueria, carniceria, salsa bar, fresh fruit bar, aguas frescas, nieves stand, bakery – even a shoe shiner! Everyone who walks in here says the feel like they’ve stepped into Mexico – and that my friends, is a great thing.
When you enter, don’t be intimidated by the dominantly Spanish-​speaking atmosphere, instead, practice your español here – they’ll find it endearing when you stutter. Besides, the staff is great here (and bilingual), I’ve been here since I was a kid and never felt out of place. Truly an Oxnard gem.
I recommend eating at the taqueria indoors (enter through the doors on the left, the doors to the right enter straight into the grocery section). The cooking is authentic and the meat… THE MEAT… is very good. I especially enjoy their buche (pork stomach) here, very tasty – hands down the best in Oxnard. Tortas are excellent here: toasted pan, choice of meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatos, onions, jalapeños, avocados… DELICIOUS.
Second best thing: the nieves (sorbet) stand. Very refreshing. I recommend mamey (Wikapedia describes the flavor as a «combination of pumpkin, sweet potato, candied yams, maraschino cherries with the texture of an avocado»).
Bakery is great, as well. I love their pan – partly the reason why their tortas are so good. Also, try the tres leches cake.
Groceries: not going to lie, I shop here for all those goodies I used to buy from the ice cream man. You can buy Lucas in bulk! LOL.

My gal and I got ripped off, we went to get beef burritos, they gave us pork burritos. They acted rude when we complained. They even gave a lame excuse that they didn’t have any beef ready. They lost my money, I’ll spend it somewhere else.

La Gloria Bakery is located near the bus and train station, and inside La Gloria Plaza (go figure). The minute you enter the restaurant section, it’ll feel like you’ve walked out of Oxnard and into Mexico. That may seem pretty hard to believe, but it’s exactly what you would picture a Mexican food court to look like. Splashed with vivid colors and pinatas that would look tacky anywhere else, I was honestly surprised that this place had even existed. There’s a taqueria, juice and shake stands, and of course, La Gloria Bakery at the very back of the court.
For $ 2.25, you can pick up a huge pink sugar cookie, a beautifully decorated mound of bread with sugar on top (Pan Mexicano), and a pineapple turnover. What a deal! Even though you might seem out of place, just grab a cafeteria tray, a tong, and pick your desserts to your delight. Don’t worry, those trays should be clean.
The highlight of the desserts here, surprisingly, are the turnovers. The outside looks to be glazed with an egg wash to get that beautiful golden hue, and inside of it was a sweet pineapple filling. Yummy. There were other flavors as well that I’m definitely going to pick up next time I get the chance: vanilla, strawberry, apple, and pumpkin.
Want something less sweet? The pink sugar cookies actually has a milder flavor in comparison. Even the Pan Mexicano is a great dessert for people who don’t have much of a sweet tooth as it seems to have more bread than sugar. The top is outlined with valleys and creases that kind of made me wonder how it was made. If none of those strike your fancy, they also have other options like cornbread, churros, strawberry strudels, and other tempting delicacies.
Final Mood: Relieved, because the chicken taco before this meal kind of made me queasy. If you recently picked up something at Super Taco or TDM across the street, get your dessert here. It isn’t going to cost you much and turnovers are yum-​stuff.