PAN'E DOLCI Italian Bakery — Restaurant in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

I was around the corner at a church tag sale and decided to walk down to the beach after. As I made my way down I couldn't help but notice a large group of bicycle riders gathered at the entrance of this gorgeous Italian bakery. On my way back the crowd had cleared out and after glancing at the bakery cases I had to come in.

Pan'e Dolci specializes in gelato, baked goods, sandwiches, and coffee drinks. They have everything that makes up my dream breakfast and it all looked so good. After looking around I finally decided on the prosciutto panini, a small cannoli, and a cappuccino. You order at the counter and then you can eat in their elegant dining room or outside at a few tables on the sidewalk.

The toasted panini was so delicious with the salty prosciutto, creamy melty cheese, and meaty tomato served on a crusty bread. The cappuccino was also artfully made with a thick foam topping. The only thing I didn't care for was the cannoli with its soft shell. I think I will stick with my favorite place that pipes it fresh in front of you. The cases were filled with other treats like the fruit topped pastries that I would try next time. Also on my list for next time was the beautifully presented gelatos adorned with fresh fruit, nuts, and cookies.

I have since learned that Pan'e Dolci has another location on Las Olas Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale. The lady that helped me here was as sweet as their pastries. It was a real treat to stop in. Until...

I recently visited this establishment and was disappointed with the customer service as well, surprised by the quality of what I ordered. The staff seemed overly attentive, making me feel pressured to order quickly. When I asked for an espresso, it was prepared hastily, and the staff member seemed annoyed when I Was trying to decide exactly what I wanted because there was such a variety . There was a few things that popped up I wasn’t expecting and I was debating if I should get them or try them. Because of being pressured, I ordered some cookies. This was the quickest easiest thing to order. The cookies I ordered tasted subpar, and the staff's attitude was unfriendly, particularly when handing me my order and during payment. I would Be very surprised if the owners or management decided to do something about it. I wouldn’t expect any changes anytime soon. I guess all I could say is make sure you have your mind set up when you walk in exactly what you want to order and get in and get out. There was two people in the entire place sitting drinking coffee so it wasn’t like I was holding up a line. I’m sure there are a lot of people thinking that I was holding up this humongous line. No, not at all....

I love this place! The gelatos, panini, and pastries are amazing, and I go there all the time since I live close to it. Unfortunately, tonight I had a very bad customer with one of the service experience with one of the employees which is unexpected since the service is usually great. I didn’t ask for the name of the lady even though I should have. I can only say it was the blond girl who was on shift Saturday night. I ordered a panini, and she said that they couldn’t be heated up. I asked why, and she said that they couldn’t because they had cleaned the grill. That was surprising to me because I knew the place was closing in 2 hours. When I mentioned this, she agreed with me that the closing time was 2 hours later but that she had already cleaned the panini machine. She repeated this to me with a rude tone and spoke slowly as if I couldn’t understand what she was saying. I repeated to her that I did understand but that I usually go there and haven’t had that experience before. She was rude up until the last moment when I asked for a bag. As I said, this was surprising to me because generally everyone working there is very friendly and provides a service according to the standards...