Kaminsky's Dessert Cafe — Restaurant in Columbia

I had to take a moment and struggle with how I would present this. I was just going to ignore it and not post a review but the overwhelming feeling of highway robbery and poor quality just sits there as a poor taste in my mouth. It was my wife’s birthday and she wanted a Coconut Cream Pie instead of a birthday cake. Having spent many years of my life in the Great Lakes and Midwest, I have had the pleasure of experiencing world class pies. One such place is Mama Joe’s Pies in Amherst, Ohio. They have been making pies for more than 35 years and continually expand their shop to accommodate the demand. On any given day they offer more than 20 varieties of pieces and sell hundreds per day but I digress.

I found the Kaminsky website and was floored to see them asking $30 for a single 9” pie. That is more money than I have ever seen any place ask for a single pie but after reading reviews and ratings, I figured this must be one world class pie. By was of comparison, the same Mama Joe’s Pies currently offers her 9” Coconut Cream Pie (a full 9” pie that stands no less than 4” tall) for just $15.50. While I wasn’t excited about spending $30 for a single pie, it was my wife’s birthday and I would do anything to ensure she was happy. I called and placed the order only to find out that the $30 prices they were advertising on their website had been raised 10% due to inflation making it now $33. Because I knew my grandkids would not appreciate the Coconut Cream I went ahead and ordered their signature “Tollhouse” Pie for a total of $66 for 2 pies.

I placed the order for pickup on the Saturday before Easter. The person told me pickup was after 4PM. I went to collect the pies. The pleasant counter person asked my name and asked me to repeat my order. She left and returned with 2 typical pie boxes, 10”x6”. I walked to my car and let my wife see a peak of the pies. We were both completely mortified. Instead of nice full 9” pieces, they had taken a typical 9” aluminum pie tin and instead of filling the tin and using the rim for the crust, they had actually crimped a crust fully within the tin itself ending up with a pie less than 8” outer crust to outer crust. Because they had forced the entire crust down in to the pan, it also resulted in a very short pie. The total pie was less than 8” across and with filling and whipped topping it measured less than 2” high.

The pie itself, outside of being underside as previously described, the crust looked as though it had been done by a 6 year old. It was very, very thick and dense. It was very, very blonde and undercooked. The filling was very sparse. It was highway robbery at best and outright fraud. I have absolutely no clue how anyone would have ever warded a 5 star review with a product such as this. The filling was edible and that was the only saving grace. I could have done much better with an $8.99 Marie Callender’s thaw and serve pie from Publix.

My wife immediately asked why I didn’t reject the pies and ask for my money back. As previously mentioned, it was then Saturday evening before Easter Sunday and I just didn’t feel I would be able to get a satisfactory replacement in time to celebrate my wife’s birthday. I can assure you, I will never return for another desert. I really have no idea how these criminals masquerading as bakers even stay in business. Note that I didn’t specify which pie I was describing. It didn’t matter. Both of them were similar in size and presentation. Even their signature pie was no better.

Here’s the pics. You decide for yourself if this is...

I LOVE KAMINSKY'S! 🥰😍🤗 I'VE BEEN COMING HERE SINCE BEFORE I WAS PREGNANT AND MY SON IS 5 NOW. I come every once in a while. Kaminsky's is expensive but worth it. I LOVE SWEETS AND I used to eat sweets a lot but I've cut back on them. I've brought my son in when he was a baby a few times and this is our second time here with him being a big boy. He did good. He's excited to see the restaurant and the people. The people are ALWAYS nice to my son which means a lot to me. The staff and customers. We came a few months ago and got the birthday cake and brownie and icecream scoop. It was VERY GOOD AND DELICIOUS. We came on Friday (September 13) and the experience was GOOD! My server was ABBY and she was good. We got the brownie sundae. It was good. I eat a lot and I looked at it and was like this is small. I'm gonna need another dessert. I was WRONG 😭 me and my baby shared it and I was struggling to eat the last bit. It had a warm brownie, vanilla ice-cream scoops, pecans, caramel, chocolate sauce and whip cream. I had water too. I LOVE THE ATMOSPHERE AND IT'S IN A GREAT SPOT. They have a variety of desserts. Cake, pie, cobbler, etc. They rotate the desserts out too. I've had the red velvet cake, blueberry cake, birthday cake, cookies, brownies and etc. The slices used to be bigger back then. Their smaller now. It can be very noisy too. Those are the only things I don't like. I'm so happy I go here because it's definitely an experience everytime. I've NEVER had a BAD EXPERIENCE here. This is one of the best places in Columbia, SC. 🍪🍰🥧 (PS: For the chocolate lover people, they have pretty tall chocolate cakes. I don't like all that chocolate so I've never had them but they have popular chocolate...

When we googled "Best Dessert Near Me" and stumbled upon Kaminsky's (which appeared at the top of the list), my fellow Google reviewers did NOT disappoint. If it was possible to rate a review 10 stars, this would be the place that earned it.

From the incredible selection of cakes and pies to the uniquely crafted beverages which include both kid-friendly and adult-infused options, everything we tried (which included mousse pie, milkshakes, cake AND coffee) was top notch. Our waitress (who I regretfully did not catch the name of, though I know she told us) and every member of the staff we encountered during our "date night" (with our 6-week old baby) welcomed us in and were the reflection of true Southern hospitality. The decor, from the Topper's Rum bottles used for both water at your table (and those of us who ask for 10 refills during a visit "thank you") and as funky, creative lighting, the coolest statue of Bacchus (to accompany the wine found on tap), and the coffee pictogram wall which breaks down the difference between all the -ccino's, -ato's and -cito's (for those of us who didn't grow up in a Starbucks), the eclectic ambience and hip music only serve as the metaphorical cherry on top to the most delectable dessert and beverage selection found this side of the Mason-Dixon.

The ONLY downfall we could find is that there isn't a Kaminsky's (or anything like it) in Central Florida where we live. Thinking we will have to stop by again before we head home, and already planning our order for our next trip...