Del Prete Italian Pastry — Restaurant in Bridgeport

Good food, but terrible customer service — especially when you’re ordering from out of state for something important.

I placed an order last week for a birthday cake from Del Prete Italian Pastry. I called from out of state to make sure everything was in place for my mom’s special day. Unfortunately, Michelle, who took the order over the phone, was incredibly rude — dismissive and lacking any basic customer service skills. I let it slide, hoping the in-person experience would be better.

It wasn’t. When we arrived to pick up the cake, Michelle was the one working. She questioned whether we were even at the right location, and when I mentioned I had spoken to someone named Michelle, she repeated her name back at me with attitude and brushed it off, saying, “Well, it doesn’t matter, we have extras,” before finally getting the order started — which we expected to already be completed.

The cake itself was good, but the attitude and service we received left a bitter taste. If you care about how you’re treated — especially during a meaningful moment like a birthday — I’d recommend...

My daughter ordered me the same cake I get for my bday, for Mothers Day. It was wrong. I asked for cherry juice soaked with cannoli filling. Simple. This is the second time they messed up. Cherry juice soaked with chocolate and vanilla pudding and fruit. And it tasted like cinnamon. I called that day, the young woman was super nice. Said just call when we’d like to get another one made and order it.

So I call yesterday to order it. Older woman “she shouldn’t have told you that without checking with the owner. Now you need to bring us a slice of the cake” ummm we ate a bite and hated it and ate the frosting and tossed it. I said “I can prove I tried it because when I called I said “and it tastes like cinnamon”. She told me you put cinnamon in the chocolate filling” so she angrily says fine and ordered it. My daughter picks it up today and it’s MUCH smaller than what she paid for. It’s whipped cream frosting not buttercream. I called and told them exactly what was on my mind. And won’t be going there...

As a lifelong Southerner, I always thought that our cookies and pastries were the very best. Then, I was introduced to Del Prete's cookies. On my first trip to Connecticut in 2002, our hosts sent us back to North Carolina with a box of their cookies. I was stuffing them into my mouth with both hands as we crossed the George Washington Bridge. None of those delightful morsels made it into Pennsylvania, much less up our driveway! I have never been a big eater of sweets, but Del Prete's made this little ol' Southern gal a true convert! I have only one regret...they don't deliver to my neck of the woods. Of course, if they did, I'd be a BIG ol' Southern gal! I look forward to each trip above the Mason-Dixon line, mainly because of the cookies and cakes (ohhhh, the rum cream cake!) from this fine establishment. Now, that is high praise, indeed, from a Southern woman! A request, though...please don't tell any of my aunts that I...