Les Délices Lafrenaie Pointe-Claire — Restaurant in Pointe-Claire

[TL,DR: I won't be ordering a custom cake from here again, and I'm seriously debating whether I should stop shopping here altogether... If management sees this, I implore you to read to the end.]

So, after thinking it over, I've decided to write this very detailed review of my February 2024 experience with Lafrenaie... I ordered a custom cake for the first time for my birthday. I picked Lafrenaie because it's my favourite bakery, and based on the pictures they have on their website, I was very confident that they could make my cake. It was supposed to be a Dungeons & Dragons-themed cake with a 3D red dragon on top. As this was my first custom cake order, and my drawing skills are lacking, I asked a friend to draw my cake design so that there would be no confusion...

Part 1: Exactly 3 weeks before my birthday celebration (a Friday), I emailed the bakery with my order and attached the image. I provided the necessary information and any additional information. I waited the weekend then called them on Monday to make sure they received it. They confirmed that they did and that I would get a call sometime that week. I waited the entire week until I finally called the following Monday. According to the employee I spoke to, the email was opened but the order was never actually taken down, so he did it over the phone with me... He asked me if I wanted to simply buy a dragon figurine to be placed on top, which would reduce the cost to $200 for the cake OR they could make the dragon and the cake would be $340. I accepted having the dragon made and inquired on what it would be made out of. The employee explained that the extra cost was due to the bakers needing to actually make the skeleton and whatnot and it might be made out of rice crispies (tldr: dragon would be edible). So, I paid a $90 deposit that Friday.

Part 2: On the day my fiance and I went to pick up my cake, we were both surprised and disappointed to find that the dragon on top was NOT a 3D dragon, but instead a 2D dragon on a stick (pictures added). I'm too awkward of a person to say anything in a public space and the rest of the cake was already done and was too my specifications, so I accepted it and my fiance paid the remaining amount: $250. However, on the way to my b-day celebration, I thought about it and became more disappointed in what I received, especially in having paid the extra $140 for the dragon. So, I called the bakery from the car. They remembered my cake and the order and I was told that they told the bakers that it was supposed to be a 3D dragon, but they still made it 2D. They said they wouldn't be able to refund me the whole cake, which I wasn't expecting at all. Anyway, I was instructed to return to the bakery the next week between Tuesday and Friday to speak with the manager "Joy".

Part 3: My fiance and I returned to the bakery on Tuesday and spoke with Joy. I tried explaining the situation, but she seemed to already know it. She said that the reason for the issue was that the person who took down the order didn't specifically write "3D" on the bill. She refunded $100 from the order, which I didn't fight against and am glad I didn't.... Once she walked away, after having asked an employee to issue us the refund, she audibly told another employee "you need to credit $100 from yourself. The lady..." I really, REALLY hope that I'm wrong, but that sounded as though this employee was being instructed to take $100 out of their paycheck. If that's truly the case, then I'm glad that I didn't insist on the full $140.

Joy, if you see this, please PLEASE tell me that's not what you did. I hope that's not a policy of the bakery either. It was a simple mistake, especially considering that the instructions from the bill were to make the cake like the image I provided, which shows a full 3D dragon on it. I wasn't angry, just disappointed, and wanted the price to match the cake that I actually received. But it wasn't worth it if that means someone else's pay was reduced. Times are already tough, don't make it tougher...

I purchased a frozen Death by Chocolate cake July 4th, 2020. It was on the highest shelf in the freezer. There were other cakes in the far back end of the shelf and one right up front. Being short I was not able to choose and figured it would be fresh since I've had great experiences at the Montreal West location (always great!). It looked a bit abused as it was a bit messy inside but it was for an informal bbq. When it was defrosting I couldn't resist taking a taste of some of the chocolate shavings that topped the cake. I immediately realized the cake was stale. I looked for the a date stamp on the lid or tray and couldn't find one. After it defrosted, the cake was noticeably dry and freezer burned. I have had this cake before from frozen and it was amazing (Mtl West)! This one was very obviously stale. I was very embarrassed that I sang the praises about this cake to everyone at the party only to have it be stale and dry. Not only was it a complete disappointment and embarrassment, the Pointe-Claire location charged me $32 for a cake I purchased just last month for $30 at the Montreal West location. There is a lot of competition in the bakery industry, now I and 15 of my party mates associate Les Delices Lafrenaie Pointe-Claire with poor quality and lack of integrity. I suggest that dates be placed on the frozen cakes for staff and customers...

BEYOND UNSANITARY EMPLOYEES WORKING HERE- I knew I should have left when i noticed the two girls working the cash register were rubbing their noses/ sniffling repeatedly while taking the order. I should have left however I continued placing my order hoping that the Canollis were prepackaged and that these 2 employees wouldn't be handling them.

After waiting the few mins, she comes back from the kitchen and opened the box up to showcase the goods...They looked incredible!!! I was so excited to bring them home have them for dessert! (This is where things went downhill.)

I noticed the server was bleeding on her right hand finger - SHE THEN PROCEEDED WITH THE UNTHINKABLE!! - RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME THE SERVER PUT THE BLEEDING FINGER DIRECTLY INTO HER MOUTH while asking me what method of payment i wanted to pay with?

I was standing there in shock (I am actually embarrassed to say that I actually paid the $12 to avoid the awkward conversations ) . I immediately walked outside after the incident and launched it directly in the garbage!

Avoid this place ...unless you are a vampire who enjoys...