Choco Mania Cafe — Restaurant in Birmingham

(Just skip this place next time you're in Birmingham & craving dessert)

1: Checked google to see if dogs/services dogs are allowed in establishment. Confirmed by business, dogs are allowed. I attached picture below.

2: When my husband & I walked in (with our service dog) (in my husbands arms), we're standing in line for about 5-10 minutes, then a worker loudly says over the counter "Is that a service dog" and I say "yes". She then asks for his vest/papers and I let them know I didn't have them on me and I'm sorry, she then asked us to leave. My husband leaves, while I continue to wait in line

3: I wait another 5 minutes in line, while I pull up choco mania's google info where it says that "dogs are welcome".

4: I get to the cash register/check out area where the cashier & girl who asked to see my service animal's vest/papers (2 different works), and politely show them their business's google info where it says "dogs are welcome", and then explained, that since I checked beforehand before walking inside and the business said dogs are allowed, I left his service animal vest & paperwork at home. I also informed them, I'm the health care professional who writes service animals paperwork and confirms them for people with needs for service animals. So I could pull up my own credentials if needed.

5: Both workers responded with "we know and no". And did not care about anything else I said.

6: Okay so here is the issue, eh... multiple issues*. As a business owner, I understand that there are legal health codes when it comes to animals inside working businesses, especially businesses that serve food. However, it's the business owner's responsibility to configure and organize their website/google info accordingly. It's unprofessional to have misinformation about your business on the internet. It's not my job to research your business info when it comes to dogs, then additionally call & confirm through phone before walking in. I don't need to micro-manage businesses. I also don't have the time, and neither does anyone else. Poor professionalism on top of not being considerate to your own mistake is WILD. I understand these workers are young, but that's when a manager (who is older and has more business experience) can handle this type of situation. From what it looked like, both girls were really young (teens if not early 20's) and its just not fair for kids to be in that situation in the first place to have customer/business owner type conversations. This place just isn't the vibe. You can skip it for a dessert spot. Better dessert recs below.

7: Skip choco mania, and head over to Paris baguette, dairy deluxe, or my personal fav Cannelle by Mat Knio. You're...

Disappointing and Overpriced—Not Worth It!

I had high hopes for this dessert shop, but it was a complete letdown. First off, the prices are absolutely outrageous for what you get. I don’t mind paying a premium for high-quality, freshly made desserts, but that’s not what this place offers. Almost everything on display looks and tastes store-bought, and not even the good kind—think generic grocery store pastries passed off as “gourmet.”

I tried a few different items, hoping to find something worthwhile, but everything was painfully mediocre, and the presentation was nothing special. For the ridiculous prices they charge, I expected at least some effort in making their own desserts, but instead, it seems like they just resell pre-made goods at an insane markup.

The service wasn’t great either. The staff seemed disinterested and unhelpful, barely acknowledging customers. And don’t even get me started on the ambiance—zero effort to create a welcoming atmosphere. It felt more like a cash grab than an actual dessert shop.

Save your money and go somewhere that actually makes their desserts fresh. This place is a total ripoff, and I...

Wow, this is a cool place. Nice pastries, coffee, gelato and more. The atmosphere is quite fun and not serious. This place offers a wide selection of treats that doesn’t have a unified theme, it almost feels like a jumbled mix. For example the sell typical end cap type candy bars & EU style crepes in one place. It’s not a bad thing, just unexpected. While nice it sure seems a lot more expensive than you’d find compared to the numerous middle eastern/ French influenced bakeries…I guess it’s the location. Aside from price this place is really cool. Lastly, I tried the famous Dubai Chocolate Bar filled with Pistachio filling. Considering everything outside it's crazy expensive price ($18) this was a very tasty dessert. It had a very nice balance of crunch and rich chocolate. I thinks its in the same league as many EU style and or higher end chocolatiers, however it's hyped too much for the price tag. I guess its nice to indulge once in awhile. I've one can dish out $9 for a hot dog at a base ball game this seems...