De Lucia Bakery Buon Pane Italiano — Restaurant in Miami Beach

I recently visited this place while in town and unfortunately, the quality of the food did not meet my expectations. The bakery appeared different, and I assumed they had undergone some renovations. Upon entering, I noticed the lady at the register was busy with her own tasks and didn't acknowledge me. Similarly, a gentleman came out from the back but didn't offer a greeting either. Finally, a friendly boy, who appeared to be of Hispanic descent, greeted me with a smile. His service was the only reason I am giving a higher rating.

I ordered what I thought was a focaccia, but it turned out to be a stuffed variation. I also opted for a vanilla eclair, hoping to give the place a chance despite the lingering smell of stale pastries. I received my order after the boy heated up the focaccia, paid for it, and headed to my car to eat while on my way home. Unfortunately, the focaccia bread was hard even though it was warmed up, indicating it wasn't fresh. Additionally, the eclair had separated filling, tasted old, and had a stale flavor. I considered going back to the restaurant to let them know, but given the disappointing atmosphere earlier, I decided to simply discard the food and move on.

I am writing this review not to harm the business but to bring attention to the issue. If nobody informs them about the current situation, they may continue without understanding why things aren't going well (assuming it's due to the sad atmosphere inside the store). Responding with spiteful answers to negative reviews, including mine, doesn't improve the situation and discourages others from trying the place. I am willing to give it a second chance, but I hope this review prompts a reevaluation of the freshness of the...

My husband and I went there today for the first time. It was heavily raining so we were waiting in the back parking space inside the car waiting for the rain to stop. My husband is disabled with Parkinson and a lady was cleaning the back of the store I believe and therefore I guess she needed to open the door right when we saw her and begged her to enter through that door. She kindly allowed us to enter. We walked straight to the young lady at the counter whereas she immediately greeted us by saying “oh no, you can not enter through that door”. I was in shock. My husband walks with a cane and not only she wasn’t careful at all and delicate seeing there was a person with a condition but her attitude was not amicable at all and never made us feel welcomed at all even while I was telling her what we wanted. We loved our pastries and coffee but definitely not the energy of that young lady, she needs to learn about being nice and sensitive towards customers particularly under special circumstances. We will go back because of the kindness of the lady that allowed us in through the back...

I have been coming here for years and always recommend this place to my customers visiting in town. The doughnuts and croissants have always been amazing. Before today, I would give this place 5 stars. However, I tried the butterfly pastry (like an elephant ear, aka Palmier) and it was terrible!!! Not made with real butter like the other pastries I’ve tried. Didn’t taste very fresh either… Had to throw it away.

The woman at the register told me I had to “purchase” something else. They could not offer me anything in exchange; even if I didn’t like it. What a waste $8.03 plus tip. What’s worse is, I do not feel like a valued customer; as they do not care about recitative business. Good customer service is hard to find. I won’t be recommending this establishment anymore....