#lahmajune

Zaatar Factory & Bakery is a traditional Armenian bakery that opened 12 years ago. They have various kinds of bureks, manaeesh, lahmajune, khachapuri, manti, baklava, cookies, etc.

They also carry grocery store items like spices, coffee, condiments, pickles, tea, canned goods, halva, etc. The building looks older. There’s a refrigerator with hummus, desserts, drinks, etc.

Zaatar Cheese Sandwich ($6.99): fresh thin dough wrapped around a thick slab of feta with zaatar. The cheese was too thick.

Spicy cheese burek ($3.99): Thicker than average, flavor was good but it’s too thick

Veggie lahmanjun: finely diced mushrooms, red pepper paste spread on a thin flatbread with crisp edges – a nice alternative to the usual meat based lahmajun

#6 Wrap ($10.69?): It was huge – 14 inches. The manaishe was thicker than I’m used to. It was wrapped around fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and mint. The tomatoes were mealy. The wrap was too dry and heavy.

Prices were not posted on the menu or for the baked goods in the display cases. Online ordering is available. It’s a good idea to order online or call first because some items take awhile to make (like 20 minutes). Parking was easy to find as they’re in a strip mall with parking.

3 out of 5 stars

Doesn’t get any fresher if you’re looking for Armenian baked goods…Taron is no frills and has a short menu, but they keep bringing out tray after tray of fresh baked beoreks, lahmajune, and maneishe. The line was constant as well.

Lahmajune ($2): Hot out of the oven, thin with crispy edges, ground beef, tomato, red pepper, and spices. Very thin, slightly sweet.

Spicy cheese beorek ($5): This large beorek is 16 inches by 4 inches and typically cut in half. Thinner than most places but I think that’s a good thing (less doughy/carb-heavy) with a layer of mild cheese (didn’t seem as salty as feta yet it didn’t melt like Monterey jack) and spices (not very spicy). The boerek has a nice chewiness.

Meat beorek ($4): A big baked turnover, thinner dough than usual, filled with ground beef and spices. It’s similar to a baked piroshky. The filling was a bit too salty.

The bakery is basically a lobby area with a counter where the register is, another counter with trays of baked goods, and the kitchen with the ovens. They have a fridge with cold drinks, including yogurt drinks, and two small tables outside.

If you pay cash, they won’t charge you tax. It’s in a strip mall next to Shakey’s with parking. Plan on taking it to go or eating it in your car. People always seem to smoke right outside the bakery. They have two other locations.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Pouri Bakery is a no-frills Armenian bakery in downtown Glendale. Signage is minimal and no prices were posted. They have Armenian breads like matnakash, pouri and barbary, lahmajune, lavash, cookies, cakes, etc. Some of the items (e.g., gata) are from other bakeries. It’s strange to see a bakery carry so many things from other bakeries?

Lahmajune: Very thin, covered in ground beef and a pepper sauce – slightly spicy. Not much meat. Good though.

Round bread: Chewy, soft, thin – similar to a thin focaccia.

I got a huge round bread and a 6 pack of lahmajune for $14. The price was about what I expected.

They also sell cold beverages. I found street parking easily.

3.5 out of 5 stars.