Tripoli Pizza & Bakery - Lawrence — Restaurant in Lawrence

As a chef I understand the rigors of working in the hospitality industry. It isn’t always easy dealing with people, especially an influx during the Christmas season, but customer service is the backbone of any establishment. I cannot ever recall writing a google review but this experience with my family triggered this review.

My 70 year old plus parents drive 30+ minutes to Tripoli’s from New Hampshire because they really like this place and have been doing so for at least 7 or 8 years. I don’t live in the area and understand it is a very popular place and I can see why as I do enjoy their baked goods whenever I visit my parents from out of town. My older brother and I ordered a $21.75 cake on Dec. 8th for pickup on Christmas Eve from the Lawrence location. My mom (who has stage 4 cancer) wanted to go with my 12 year old niece and spend time with her. My father joined them so they all went to go pick up the cake in our place. We forgot to give them the receipt nor did we realize how important the supposed cake number is as we figured the order would be in the bakery’s system regardless.

On arrival they were asked to produced the cake number, but no one in my family can recall it nor was it written down on the receipt after they had called us to inquire about it. This is apparently right after a customer served in front of them also did not have a receipt nor an order number for their pie I think it was and was served promptly without question. It seemed the bakery didn’t have a cake for us nor could they do anything about it. After trying to get a resolution to the problem because all we wanted was a cake for Christmas dinner, there was an implication that we were trying to get a free cake from them. My niece said the employees were very rude, hostile, and mean to them (and this is coming from a 12 year old).

Long story short, my parents ended up buying another cake because we wanted one and I told them to forget it becuase we wanted a cake for the holiday and a $20 cake wasn’t worth this much hassle. They bought a chocolate cake w/vanilla icing from the front counter and asked the staff if they could write ‘Merry Christmas’ on it. When we opened the cake there was chocolate icing meant to look like feces on top of the vanilla icing next to the written ‘Merry Christmas.’

This ruined the dessert portion of the night not because of the decoration, but what was implied by it as no one wanted to eat the cake because the integrity of the establishment was niw questioned. Who knows what else they did to the cake when they brought it out to the back. Did someone spit on it? We just didn’t want to take that chance.

The funny thing is we were accused of trying to steal a cake yet we were the ones who paid almost $50 for 2 cakes that we weren’t able to eat.

I find it appaling that my sick mother, my father, and my niece had to experience that on Christmas Eve no less. My brother and I do take blame for not having the receipt, but apparently that would not have done anything because there was no cake order number. But my family should not have gone through that nor should we have had our dinner ruined. I’ve seen far worse in the industry unfortunately, but this was a huge disappoint as elderly and children were involved in this.

The employees dont’t seem to care that they could ruin other people’s holiday. This is a poor reflection on the owner of this establishment. Either the owner hired employees with this kind of disrespect towards their own establishment or it’s a systemic problem that is encouraged by management. I’m not the only person to complain about customer service judging from other numerous reviews.

My father did complain, but all he got from the owner was basically “Sorry for your inconvenience.” I guess personally insulting the integrity of my family, making my niece and mother go through this, and ruining our dinner was an “inconvenience.”

The place has good food. I’m not disputing that, but they have no integrity and respect for their products, establishment, and above all their...

What more can I say about the bakery, but OMG, Everything is Simply Delish!! For Those of Us Lucky Enough to Have Grown Up, In the Greater Lawrence, Mass. Area, and at Salisbury Beach, MA. (For Generations in the Summer, Tripoli Pizza Was Always a Treat!!! Tho I’ve Heard People, Who Have Not Grown Up Here the “Merrimack Valley” or Not VacationingI n Salisbury, (Basically), Say, “This is Just Sauce on Dough w/A Little Mozzarella!” But We Who Were Born Here, of Have Lived Here for These Many Generations, LOVE OUR Tripoli Pizza!! (😏) I May Not Be of Italian Dissent, (😉 Tho, I Should Have Been!!), But Have Wonderful Memories Growing Up Around Many Wonderful, Welcoming, and Loving Italian Families, and OH, THE FOOOD, 🍝 And OH, THE DINNERS, Most Times w/A DELICIOUS “Tripoli”s Baked Treat!! Also, I LOVE Most (Italian) Pizza,.... ...But Sicilian Pizza,...Is Definitely My FAVE!!! So Every Time I Have A Slice of “Tripoli,” The Wonderfully Sentimental Memories Still Bring Me Back to All Those Awesome Times, w/Friends & Family!! Either A Day Trip, or Vacationing At Salisbury/“The Center,” or at “The Italian Feast,” (Right At the Common St., Lawrence, MA. Location!), or Watching Our Boston/New England Hometown Teams At Home!’ Usually Pretty Quick Pick-Ups In any of Their 5 Stores; in Lawrence, North Andover, Methuen, (@ Howe Street Superette-Plus Bakery), In Seabrook, NH (Rte. 286, or @ “The Center” (Year Round-Salisbury Beach, MA)!!! i Mag Be A Little “Long in the Tooth,” But “Better to Eat Tripoli Pizza With, My...

What't to like about Tripoli Bakery! Lawrence is the original location of Tripoli's Bakery, thought it's not in the best of areas it was also open almost a century ago when times were a little different. If your looking for some fresh bread or tasty Italian treats look no further, Tripoli's has a great selection of almost anything your looking for. My personal favorite of Tripoli's is their pizza. In my personal opinion they have the best pizza around, theirs nothing like it, it's square slices with sauce thats on the sweeter side and the crust is thin and crispy. They cook their pizza's buy laying the dough on large baking sheets then covering it with a thin layer of sauce. They then place it in the oven for a few mins, then take it out to layer it with a thin layer of cheese and place it back in the oven for another few mins while the cheese melts. I would recommend Tripoli's Bakery to anyone looking for some great Italian pastries or...