Cascara Café & Bistro — Restaurant in Gatineau

--- LATEST EDIT:

A "sincere apology" followed by paragraphs discrediting the customer experience. "Convinced it's not a real review," but offering a refund.

Now I understand the 4.9 stars if people are being driven to remove it afterward by the owner's aggressive attempt to discredit genuine experiences.

Yes, I did regrettably proceed to make the purchase, but that was before the price issue, the other customer going through my food, and being unable to find clean tables and cutlery.

I was not planning on leaving a negative review because I know how hard it is for business owners. I even waited a day to see if I still felt as strongly about it. I'm glad I did it, so potential customers can see how the owner responds to customers and why there are nearly no negative reviews.

I will repeat — there's no indication on the website that the price for the combo does not apply to orders at the counter. About your "broad assumptions" comments; yes, customers WILL judge your business based on the appearance of your food and establishment. You can argue, but if the food looks and tastes stale, it is stale.

If you spent as much energy on your business, rather than discrediting genuine experiences from your customers, perhaps you wouldn't have to work so hard to get people to remove their reviews.

---- EDIT based on feedback from the owner:

Prosciutto: (...) The meat color was not due to the sauce.

Combo Pricing Puzzle: (...) I saw it on the website - screenshot attached.

Photographic Phantoms: (...) This happened on Sunday.

Spoon Sanitization Saga: (...) Clearly the scrupulous scrubbing was not sufficient

Given these facts, it appears this review may not be based on an actual experience at our café. (...) I've attached the receipt to this review.

I'm aghast at the sarcasm and lack of professionalism. I'm not interested in the $100 reward, consider it a gift.

----------------ORIGINAL REVIEW:

The Order: Sandwich, soup, and latte.

The Good:

The person serving at the counter was very kind and took the time to tell me about the food. The coffee was very good and generously sized.

The Bad:

The sandwiches looked really, and I mean really old, like they had been prepared days ago. The meat was grey in some of them, and the prosciutto was almost green. Because the person at the counter was so kind and spent time explaining what each sandwich was, I felt bad to leave without buying anything, so I picked the least old-looking sandwich. I deeply regretted it, as it tasted just as old as it looked. The bread was dry and crumbly, making it feel like I was eating a large crouton.

When it was time to pay, I expected to get the advertised soup + sandwich combo price on the menu, but I was told I could only get that price if I had the app (which I didn’t have installed).

I was told I could sit while the food was prepared. While waiting, the food was placed on the counter. A potential customer arrived and started hovering over my food, taking pictures of it while the person working at the counter was right beside her. That was not a quick or side snap, she kept going above my food for quite some time. At one point, I was so bothered by her breathing all over my food and the thought of her dropping her phone into my soup or coffee that I went over to retrieve what had already been prepared. The moment I arrived, she immediately stepped back and apologized. I understand the person working at the shop may not have felt comfortable telling the customer to stop and explain that what she was doing went against basic hygiene and safety protocols, but she could have simply moved the food to the inside counter (right behind her) to prevent contamination.

I went to get spoons, but the ones available were dirty (with dry food particles on them). So, I went to the counter, and the person got spoons from inside the sink. I couldn’t see inside, so I’m assuming they were clean, but the experience left me wondering and uncomfortable.

Every table in the place was dirty.

Service was not...

I had the best pizza I have ever had at Cascara Bistro last week! I took advantage of the 2 pizza for $22 special that night, and boy I’m glad I did! Not only did I enjoy a delicious pizza, but was able to gift the other one to my neighbour who is going through Chemotherapy when got home. The vibe at Cascara is always hopping on a Friday night when I join my friends there for a welcome evening out. The owner is so gracious to accomodate our large group, which I really appreciate. This week, I believe is Small Business Week, and I intend to support this establishment for my regular Friday Night meetup with my friends. Thank you, Jasmine for graciously hosting us each week….you and your staff are truly...

Such a gem of a find! It's a little hard to get to right now due to construction, but it's COMPLETELY worth it. The cafe itself is so cute and has ample seating (so you don't feel like you need to rush out). The drinks are unique and really delicious. If you like matcha you HAVE to stop by. Best of all is the service, the baristas will actually spend the time to speak to you and explain their menu to you. I live in the wrong country to come often, but I'll...