How to Pre-Order from Porto's for Thanksgiving 2026

Last checked: October 16, 2026

Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26. If a Porto's box is part of your plan, know this up front: ordering during Thanksgiving week doesn't work the way it does the rest of the year. Last year, Porto's switched to a limited holiday menu for every same-day order on the Wednesday and on Thanksgiving Day itself.

Here's what Porto's did in 2025, what that likely means for 2026, and how longtime customers get their pastries without losing the whole morning in line.

Porto's Thanksgiving hours for 2026

Porto's hasn't posted its 2026 Thanksgiving schedule yet. Until it does, last year's official hours are the best guide. Here they are next to the matching 2026 dates:

A few things worth knowing:

• The Friday closure is a tradition. All bakeries close the day after Thanksgiving so the team can spend it with their families. Plan on that again in 2026.
• Opening time on the holiday has shifted before. In 2023 the doors opened at 5:00 AM. In 2025 it was 4:30 AM. Don't assume the exact minute carries over.
• Porto's posts details late. The 2025 Thanksgiving page was last updated just two days before the holiday. Check back the weekend before Thanksgiving, and we'll update this table as soon as the 2026 schedule is out.

On a normal day, Porto's dining rooms are open 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM at all bakeries. Christmas and New Year's have their own schedule, covered in our Porto's holiday hours guide.

Can you order weeks ahead?

Not through the regular online pickup system. This is the part most people get wrong, so here's how it actually works.

Porto's online pickup is built around same-day orders. During Thanksgiving week it gets even tighter:

• Wednesday and Thursday are same-day pickup only, from a limited holiday menu. In 2025, café, kitchen and coffee bar items stayed available, but pastries and savories were sold mostly by the dozen, and cakes came in one size only.
• Pickup times vanish as each bakery fills up. Every location has a daily maximum. Once a time slot is taken, it's gone, and once the day is full, you can't order for that day at all.
• Online ordering reopens every night at 10 PM. This is the key detail. To lock in a Thanksgiving morning pickup, be on the site at 10 PM on Wednesday night. For a Wednesday pickup, be ready at 10 PM Tuesday.

A few practical tips for that 10 PM window:

• Know exactly what you want before you log in. Holiday slots go fast and you don't want to be deciding between dozens while the clock runs.
• Pick your bakery carefully. Porto's can't move an order from one location to another, and a canceled order can only be refunded through the bakery you ordered from.
• Use a US-issued card. Porto's doesn't accept cards issued outside the US.

What about large orders? Outside the online system, Porto's bakeries take preorders for big pickup orders (select pastries, sandwiches, dishes and salads) with at least 48 hours' notice. These are placed directly with your bakery, not online. Availability during Thanksgiving week isn't guaranteed, so call your location early in the week of November 16 and ask which days they're still accepting. Phone numbers for every bakery are on our Porto's locations page.

Walk-in vs online pickup on Thanksgiving week

You've got two ways in, and they come with different trade-offs.

Walk-in works at every location with no order needed. The catch: everything is first-come, first-served. The later you arrive, the fewer choices you'll have, and on the holiday itself the line can wrap outside before sunrise.

Online pickup skips the main line, but you'll go to the Preorder Counter, and Porto's asks for both the payment card you ordered with and a photo ID. A lot of people show up with just a confirmation email on their phone. Bring the card. If someone else is picking up for you, call the bakery first, because the counter will be checking the card and ID.

What customers say lines up with all of this. On Yelp, Porto's regulars describe Thanksgiving week as packed even for people with a preorder. One customer said it took close to an hour just to get inside at 6:30 in the morning on the holiday. Another noticed signs on the Tuesday morning announcing that preorders for Wednesday and Thursday were already closed. Those reports are a few years old, but the pattern still holds: the people who ordered the night before had the easiest time.

Porto's has six bakeries that take online pickup orders: Burbank, Glendale, Downey, West Covina, Buena Park and Northridge.

Go on Tuesday instead

Here's the move many longtime customers swear by: get your order in early and pick it up on Tuesday morning, November 24. One Yelp regular put it simply: order early and grab it Tuesday, before the holiday rush really starts.

Tuesday isn't one of Porto's special holiday days, so regular hours and the regular menu should apply. The lines are calmer, and you're not competing with everyone trying to grab trays on Wednesday afternoon.

The trick is choosing items that hold up for a couple of days:

• Cheese Rolls and Refugiados. Flaky pastries are the easiest to hold. Keep them covered, then warm them in a hot oven for a few minutes before serving to bring the crunch back. Skip the microwave, which turns puff pastry soft.
• Potato Balls and Meat Pies. These reheat well in the oven too.
• Whole cakes: get these later. Porto's own advice is to keep cakes tightly sealed in the fridge and eat them within 24 hours. A Tuesday cake for Thursday dinner is pushing it. Grab pastries on Tuesday, then pick up the cake Wednesday or Thanksgiving morning.

Seasonal items to look for

The star of the season is the Turkey & Gravy Potato Ball. It takes the classic Potato Ball and fills it with slow-braised turkey and porcini gravy, then fries it golden. It's a holiday-only item, sold in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

Pricing so far:

• 2024: $1.89 each at the bakery and $24.99 for an unbaked dozen on Bake at Home.
• 2026: It's already back on Bake at Home at $26.99 per unbaked dozen (as of October 16, 2026). The in-store single price for 2026 hasn't been confirmed yet, so check at the counter.

Also on the fall lineup: the Apple Strudel, which Bake at Home lists as a fall favorite.

For dessert, Porto's current whole cakes include:

• Tres Leches (box and round)
• Milk'N Berries
• Parisian Chocolate
• Mango Mousse
• Carrot Cake
• Chocolate Raspberry
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Red Velvet
• Tiramisu
• NY Cheesecake and Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake
• Fresh Fruit Tart
• Dulce de Leche Cake Roll

Remember that on the Wednesday and Thursday, cakes come in one size only. See our full cake menu with prices before you order.

Hosting outside LA? Use Bake at Home

If you're cooking in Phoenix, Dallas or anywhere else outside Southern California, Porto's Bake at Home ships its best sellers nationwide. Items arrive unbaked and frozen, and you bake them in your own oven.

Why it works well for Thanksgiving:

• You choose the delivery date at checkout, so you can plan around your travel and prep schedule.
• Most items stay fresh for about 40 days in the freezer. Order in early November, stash the box, and bake the morning of. No lines, no 10 PM alarm.
• Big gift or corporate orders need lead time. Porto's asks for at least a week's notice on large orders, and at least two weeks during the holiday season for bigger gift or company orders. For help, email bakeathome@portosbakery.com.

Check our Bake at Home prices to compare dozens and bundles before you order.

Quick checklist before you go

• Order time: set an alarm for 10 PM the night before your pickup day.
• Card and ID: bring the exact card you paid with plus a photo ID.
• Right line: online orders go to the Preorder Counter, not the walk-in line.
• Right bakery: orders can't be moved to a different location.
• Backup plan: a Tuesday pickup, an early walk-in, or a Bake at Home box in the freezer.