This Queens, New York Colombian Bakery Keeps Morning Crowds Coming Back For Arepas And Empanadas

The doors open at 6:30 a.m., and honestly, fried or baked empanadas sound like a pretty solid reason to stop hitting snooze.

This New York bakery even makes its own hot sauce, which gives breakfast a little extra personality.

The pastry case keeps the temptation going. Pandebonos bring yuca and cheese together, while buñuelos, guava pastries, and a guava bear claw make choosing just one thing feel wildly optimistic.

I love how the same counter can handle breakfast, lunch, and dessert without making the decision easy.

This family-run Colombian spot has fed its neighborhood for decades. A commute feels a lot more reasonable when warm pastries are waiting at the other end.

The Early Birds Get First Pick Of The Pastry Case

Rico Pan Bakery opens its doors at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, which is earlier than most people find their shoes. On Sundays, the doors open at 7 a.m., so you get a tiny bit of mercy.

Those early hours suit a neighborhood where commuters start moving well before the typical breakfast rush.

Inside, the counter displays Colombian breads and pastries alongside savory snacks ready for a quick breakfast.

Pandebono, buñuelos, and empanadas are among the familiar choices, with baked and fried items providing plenty of variety.

Round cheese breads, crisp pastries, and sweet slices each offer something different, making a simple morning order surprisingly interesting.

The compact interior emphasizes counter service, with limited seating and a steady focus on food that travels easily.

Monday through Saturday, the bakery generally stays open until 7 p.m., while Sunday service ends at 5 p.m. Selections change as the day progresses, particularly among freshly prepared items.

An earlier visit allows more time to choose between cheese bread, an arepa, and something sweet. The bakery stands at 58-13 Woodside Avenue, near the 61st Street-Woodside transit station.

Fried Or Baked Empanadas? Good Luck Picking Just One

Empanadas are the star of the show at this Colombian bakery, and they arrive in two forms. You can go fried or baked, which turns a simple order into a real decision.

Fried Colombian empanadas traditionally feature a crisp corn-based exterior wrapped around a savory filling.

Beef empanadas are an established choice at Rico Pan, while baked chicken empanadas provide another option. The difference in preparation changes the texture considerably.

Fried empanadas offer a satisfying crunch, while baked versions have a softer pastry shell surrounding the filling. Both are convenient for a short breakfast stop or a quick lunch.

Then comes the bakery’s house-made hot sauce, an accompaniment that adds brightness and spice to the savory pastries. A small amount provides an appealing contrast to the hearty beef filling.

In New York, portable breakfast foods are especially practical, and empanadas fit naturally into a busy morning. They also work well as takeaway snacks for an afternoon outing.

For anyone exploring Colombian food for the first time, ordering one fried and one baked empanada offers a straightforward introduction to both styles.

Sweet Corn Arepas Deserve Their Own Spotlight

Sweet corn lovers, this one’s for you. The arepa de choclo con queso pairs a sweet corn patty with cheese, and that salty-sweet combo is hard to beat.

Unlike a plain corn arepa, this variation has a naturally sweeter flavor and develops a lightly golden surface during cooking.

The cheese provides a savory contrast, making the combination appealing without requiring an extensive list of ingredients.

At Rico Pan Bakery, the arepa de choclo with cheese is part of the savory selection alongside empanadas, stuffed potatoes, and traditional breads. Its texture is another distinguishing feature.

The exterior develops a gentle firmness, while the center remains tender. Warm cheese contributes richness that complements the sweetness of the corn.

Arepas have an important place in Colombian food culture, where corn is prepared in numerous forms for breakfast and other meals.

The arepa de choclo demonstrates how a simple combination of corn and cheese can become something distinctive. Coffee makes a natural companion, especially during the morning hours.

Cheese Bread So Good It Deserves Its Own Fan Club

Yuca flour plus cheese equals magic. That’s the simple formula behind pandebonos, the small Colombian cheese breads offered at Rico Pan Bakery.

Pandebono traditionally combines yuca starch, cheese, and other ingredients to create a rounded roll with a distinctive texture.

The lightly golden exterior surrounds a tender, slightly chewy center, while the cheese provides a pleasant savory note.

That combination makes pandebono particularly enjoyable when served warm. Buñuelos introduce another traditional preparation.

These rounded Colombian treats are fried rather than baked, producing a golden exterior around a soft center.

Their texture differs from pandebono, even though both rely on ingredients commonly associated with Colombian cheese breads.

Pan de queso also appears among the bakery’s familiar offerings, providing another option for anyone interested in traditional baking.

New York has plenty of breakfast breads, but these Colombian specialties stand apart through their ingredients and preparation methods.

Trying pandebono alongside a buñuelo offers an easy comparison between an oven-baked roll and a fried cheese-dough treat.

Sweet Treats That Make Skipping Dessert Impossible

Guava and cheese make an appealing combination, especially when surrounded by flaky pastry. Colombian bakeries have long used these flavors in sweet baked goods.

At Rico Pan, the dessert selection extends beyond traditional breads to include cakes, custards, and other treats.

Tres leches cake is among the bakery’s familiar sweets. The sponge absorbs a mixture of milks, creating a soft, moist texture that contrasts with the crisp exterior of an empanada or the chewiness of pandebono.

Flan provides another traditional option, combining smooth custard with a caramel topping. A guava-and-cheese pastry, when available, introduces something different.

The fruit filling offers a concentrated sweetness, while the cheese balances the flavor. Flaky pastry adds texture to the combination.

The dessert selection can change throughout the day, so particular varieties may appear on some visits and not others. That makes browsing the case part of choosing what to take home.

A slice of tres leches works as an afternoon treat, while a smaller pastry can follow a breakfast of coffee and cheese bread.

For anyone who enjoys trying several Colombian specialties, adding something sweet rounds out the bakery experience.

Stuffed Potatoes Bring Another Savory Favorite

Papas rellenas offer a different kind of Colombian comfort food, and they have a place among the savory snacks at Rico Pan Bakery.

These stuffed potatoes begin with a mashed-potato mixture shaped around a seasoned filling. The outside is fried until golden, creating a crisp layer around the softer potato interior.

The contrast makes papas rellenas distinct from empanadas, even though both are convenient, self-contained snacks. A stuffed potato can serve as a substantial snack or the centerpiece of a light lunch.

Other savory offerings include Colombian sausage and crispy pork belly, extending the selection beyond pastries and cheese breads.

These foods show another side of the bakery’s kitchen, where traditional snacks share counter space with freshly prepared baked goods.

The house-made hot sauce provides a lively accompaniment to richer dishes. A small amount can brighten the flavor of a stuffed potato or another savory selection.

For visitors exploring New York’s Colombian food scene, the combination of empanadas, arepas, and papas rellenas offers several traditional preparations in one stop.

Coffee With A Clever Milk Trick And A Famous Hot Sauce

Hot milk or cold milk? The coffee counter has offered both, allowing customers to adjust their drink to the pace of their morning.

Cold milk cools freshly prepared coffee more quickly, while warm milk helps maintain its temperature. It is a practical detail for a bakery where many orders are taken away rather than enjoyed at a table.

Coffee pairs naturally with pandebono and buñuelos, balancing the mild saltiness of cheese bread and the richness of fried dough.

Colombian-style hot chocolate has also been part of the drink selection. Its smooth, chocolate flavor makes an appealing companion to a warm pastry or sweet corn arepa.

Juices and other refreshments provide additional choices, although availability can change. Then there is the bakery’s house-made hot sauce.

At a counter filled with beef empanadas, stuffed potatoes, and savory snacks, this condiment plays an important role.

Its bright, seasoned character adds contrast to hearty fillings and crisp pastry shells. The combination of warm drinks and savory snacks gives the bakery two distinct sides.

Coffee or chocolate complements the breads, while a little hot sauce brings extra flavor to the empanadas.

Decades Of Family Baking On The Same Corner

Decades of baking on Woodside Avenue have made Rico Pan Bakery an established part of the neighborhood’s food landscape.

The business has served traditional Colombian breads, empanadas, and other familiar foods here since at least the 1990s.

Its location near public transportation makes it convenient for residents and commuters traveling through Woodside.

The bakery’s offerings reflect ingredients and preparations closely associated with Colombian cooking.

Corn appears in arepas and empanadas, while yuca starch and cheese contribute to the distinctive texture of pandebono.

Savory fillings, stuffed potatoes, and freshly prepared snacks broaden the selection beyond typical bakery fare.

The interior remains compact, with a display counter and limited seating. Takeaway orders fit naturally into the routine, particularly during the early morning hours.

Coffee and cheese bread make a straightforward breakfast, while empanadas and papas rellenas provide more substantial options later in the day.

For anyone interested in the Colombian food traditions found throughout New York, this bakery offers several familiar specialties under one roof.