David and Dad's Cafe — Restaurant in Baltimore

I had an absolutely disgusting/disappointing interaction with the owners/manager (never introduced themselves). I don’t know if it was classism, racism or just poor customer service, but I have never been treated like a literal criminal at a café before. Picture you finally get to come in with a gift card to learn the balance after never being able to locate the building as a newbie to the city. Only the staff says they don’t sell those cards anymore. However, the card has no expiry, so I assumed it’s still valid because it’s the same company. The staff calls a white male over who is accusatory, talking over me questioning “why did I wait so long”, they know longer have dealings with the vendor, and maybe I can try to call them. He told me “it’s not like I paid for it”. Which I did not respond, but that is the very nature of a GIFT card. I follow-up with if I get the vendor on the line, would he then honor the card. His response is he just doesn’t know if he can trust it (me) and walks off. He does offer that I can buy something and maybe they can take something off.

I do attempt to call the vendor and use the actual website to learn the balance. When I show the staff that it does indeed have a balance, they attempt to call him back. I guess I wasn’t worth it to him, and a white female was sent out who was just as unpolite. She proceeded to tell me how they haven’t been under that name sine “99”, then changed to say covid. Which is when I tried to get in that I didn’t move to the city until after covid. She also said more word salad about how the gift cards were a donation and they wouldn’t be able to get their money back when I questioned that someone would have paid for the gift card, so there for the business was already paid. Needles to say her story kept changing. My thought is either they would’ve been selling donated card or wrote off tax breaks for donations that they had no intention of honoring. Despite my being treated like a liar for attempting to use a gift card, I apparently am welcome to spend my money for some arbitrary “percentage off”.

As I left without having the card redeemed or spending my own money, the woman made disparaging comments to the staff. I honestly hope to forget this location and hope others don’t spend their money with a business that treats customers like criminals/liars and won’t honor unexpired gift cards. The onus should not be on the customer for your poor business relationship with...

"You Pay More for Less at David and Dad Café"

My very first visit to David and Dad Café at 111 North Charles St. was disappointing. Upon entering, I was hopeful but soon dismayed. The place appeared busy, and I noticed a menu overhead that featured a cold pastrami sandwich on rye, cold slaw and Russian dressing called the Cloak and Dagger for $10.95. When I ordered, I simply asked for a pastrami on rye with Swiss cheese and mustard.

While waiting, I observed that the floors were uncomfortably dirty and sticky, which was surprising given the café's otherwise charming architecture. When my number was called, I discovered my sandwich now costing $12.93 despite my opting out of the cold slaw and dressing! How can I be when I only have mustard and Swiss cheese? The cashier informed me that the price remained the same regardless.

Pressed for time during my lunch break, I paid with my Visa card. Back at my office to eat my lunch, I found that my sandwich had only one half-slice of Swiss cheese and we all know, Swiss comes with holes! My sandwich was absent of mustard entirely. I also noticed that my receipt showed a $10.95 charge for the Cloak and Dagger, plus an additional $0.50 for marble rye read, it was given as an option to me and no mention of an up charge and $0.75 for a half slice of cheese on 1/2 of the bread!

I called David and Dad Café to understand the discrepancies. I was first told absolutely there was no up charge for the marble rye - Until I told her that I’m clearly looking at the charge stating Mable rye of $0.50 on my receipt. Then it was said, the supplier increased the cost. Then the manner to began to say at any customization to their signature sandwiches despite requesting items taken off the sandwich that you don’t eat results in additional charges. Essentially, you end up paying more for fewer condiments on the sandwich then you do with them being on the sandwich??? This has to be some type of Covid math…

This experience left me with the impression that the David and Dad’s Café’s pricing and customer service are not aligned with good sound business practices to make a customer want to come back! It appears they have the attitude of "Take it or Leave it," which is disappointing and appears to be self sabotaging. Bon...

This is in response to the owner. This is very true. Had i ordered from uber directly or toast directly i would have received a refund. Since i ordered from the stores site the owner refused to give a refund. I went back and forth with uber and toast. Even still no honor you just admitted you stole since it was a delivery problem. You understand a customer ordered food and never received it and rather than being a honorable business, you choose thievery instead. So in the owners mind the customer should foot the bill rather than doing as the customer and requesting a refund. That means you understand and refused to refund my money. But since i ordered from the stores site they dont have my order in their system. The worst experience I have ever had. I ordered food from their site for delivery. Never received my food. I was informed by the restaurant they dont hand refunds. I called Uber and Toastmates was informed after i called the customer service to contact the store as I ordered from their site. DAVID thought that I should know as the customer why I didnt deserve a refund from them. We got into an argument as all I wanted was my refund. He thought I didn't deserve one because Toast takes a percentage of all their sales and that I should call and argue with toast or uber. By the end of the call it was concluded that he would not be issuing me a refund and that I would be filing a civil case. I would not recommend this place if for no other reason then their lack of honor and accountability. This place has a thief...