Off Wade Hampton Boulevard, on an unremarkable stretch of Lee Road in Taylors, Pereira Bakery has grown into one of the Upstate's real Colombian panaderías. Heated cases hold trays of fresh empanadas and pastries, the parking lot stays busy from morning on, and reviewers describe a largely Colombian and Latino crowd. It runs as part bakery, part neighborhood mini-market, and it also handles money transfers and package shipping, so for a lot of local families it works as a community stop, not only a place to eat.
The baking is the heart of it: arepas topped with butter, shredded chicken, or beef; empanadas with a crisp cornmeal crust and stewed filling that reviewers say to finish with the house cilantro sauce; buñuelos, chicharrón de guayaba, and empanadas de cambray filled with cream cheese and guava. There is a full plate menu too, from bandeja paisa to tequeños that come out hot and fresh, plus wraps, quesadillas, and wings for anyone at the table after something more familiar.
It is an easy first stop if you have never had Colombian food and want the real version, and a taste of home for the many who grew up on it.