Villani's Bakery — Restaurant in Charlotte

Let me set the stage.

My birthday was on a Tuesday, but the big celebration? Sunday dinner. Friends. Family. A gathering of the finest people in my life. I told my wife, “Please, no grocery store cheesecake this year—get the real deal. A proper New York cheesecake. Go big or go home.”

She found a charming bakery in Charlotte. Small business. Local. A $70 New York cheesecake was ordered, along with a $7 slice of Italian Crème Cake for herself. We even pre-tipped $15 because, hey, support small biz, right? Total damage? About $96.

We pick it up. The place is cute. We’re excited.

Fast forward to that evening: candles lit, “Happy Birthday” sung, the cheesecake sliced ceremoniously. I hand out pieces with pride, ready to bask in creamy glory.

But something’s… off.

One by one, eyebrows raise. Faces twist. Confused stares bounce around the table like a game of Clue.

This wasn’t New York cheesecake.

This was… citrus. The unmistakable zing of lemon and orange. A flavor that screams “Florida spring break” more than “Manhattan dessert classic.”

I called the bakery—still calm, still hopeful. I asked, “Hey, I think we got the wrong cheesecake. This tastes like lemon and orange, not NY-style.” She replies: “Does it have orange slices in it?”

Me: “Actually… yeah. What?”

Her response: “That’s our New York cheesecake. We make it with lemon and orange slices.”

I paused. Internally, the needle scratched across the record.

This wasn’t a mix-up. This was their intentional version of a “New York cheesecake.” Reinvented. Redefined. Citrus-fied. A bold choice, sure—but also, absolutely not what anyone would expect when ordering a NY cheesecake.

We returned to the bakery—still calm, still polite—to see if they’d make it right. Nope. “Email the company,” they said. No refund, no exchange, no effort. Just a shrug and “sorry.”

At this point, it wasn’t even about the cake. It was about principle. It was about justice. It was about warning future generations of this culinary bait-and-switch.

Let me be clear: lemon and orange slices have no place in a New York cheesecake. That’s not an opinion. That’s dessert law. Ask anyone—your grandma, a pastry chef, a man on the street. NY cheesecake is rich, creamy, vanilla-forward, maybe with a graham cracker crust. That’s it. Not a citrus fruit in sight.

We ended up favoring a $10 Harris Teeter gluten-free cheesecake sampler over this $70 boutique disappointment. And honestly? That store-bought cheesecake won the popular vote. By a landslide.

So here’s my suggestion to the bakery: Call your cake what it is—Lemon Citrus Cheesecake. Don’t gaslight your customers. When someone orders a classic dessert, then politely calls to ask why it tastes like a citrus grove, the answer shouldn’t be a casual “That’s how we make it.” Consider that some people have citrus allergies and you’ve made no effort to disclose this bold creative decision.

I hate leaving 1-star reviews, actually this is my first ever, but I felt it was my duty. For the next unsuspecting soul who just wants a real birthday cheesecake without a...

We happened to be down in Charlotte for an event and we came across this little bakery. From the outside it's very unassuming but we decided to give it a try. We walked in at the same time as the owners. A very nice couple. He held the door for us and thanked us for coming. They have two cases, both brimming with delicious looking treats. The young man behind the counter was very friendly and happy to help. They had, what I think was every flavor of macrons. Well pretty close to it anyway. The young man named them off for us. We usually get a bunch of things and then split them between the family that way we can taste more of what they have. Ok, having said that here goes. The Good, at least what we liked. The lemon bars; very yummy. Good lemon flavor and just the right consistency. Brownies; thick, fudgey and also very yummy. The macrons had the right amount of crispy/chewiness. The pumpkin one was good, the Citron one needs more flavor. The cream horn was delish. Cream horns are one of my favorites. We had a German restaurant/bakery back home and I've been trying to find something that measures up. Alot of places here fill theirs with buttercream frosting and it's just too heavy and way too sweet. They should be light and creamy with a whipped cream consistency. Villani's nailed it. Now for the so so, at least what we thought could be better. The turnovers. They were ok. The apple had better flavor than the blueberry. The dough wasn't flakey, it was more bready than we like. Other than that, not bad. We had one more thing. I'm sorry I don't remember what it was called but it was in the case closest to the door in the upper left hand corner. He said it was filled with a baker's cream and something else. If that helps. The pasty was very tough. I tried to tear off a piece for my daughter and I had a really hard time. I know I'm getting old but I never thought a pastry would get the better of me. 😁 All in all, I gave Villani's five stars for customer service and most everything we had was scrumptious. We're definitely looking forward to visiting again when we're...

I'm so disappointed at their customer service. I had other friends tell me of their bad experiences but I never had anything bad to say about this place. I still think their desserts are great but if the customers are being treated so horribly for asking a question and placing an order, who will buy those delicious desserts? I'm so horrified by my experience and the way I was treated by one of their employees that I am so hesitant to go back to buy a piece of cake! If you can look pass that and ignore the rudeness of others, please try it out! Following is my comment on their Instagram:

Delicious desserts! Any time we have family over, we always order from this bakery. My kids love their cheesecake and almost every week, we get desserts from here. Unfortunately, their employees are extremely rude and have 0 idea of what customer service is. My family and Ive been loyal customers since last year and really want this local bakery to succeed during these hard times, but I was shocked the way I was treated by one of their employees (can't remember the name, either Cory or Jacob) on Saturday evening when I took my guests to get some dessert. The owners are good people and they care so much about their employees, and I know this because I had a conversation with Paul Villani regarding a special order I placed in December and how he was so genuine and caring towards his employees. I hope their employees would care just as much about them. Honestly, I care so much about their business and truly love this place, I still tipped the guy 15% after his disgraceful and humiliating comments. I wish you all the best Paul & Amanda Villani but I will not be coming to your bakery any more until you show the same care and genuineness to your customers as you do for your employees. You lost a...