Red Pipes Cafe — Restaurant in New York

Server (counter person?) couldn't remember my order and so when she brought things to our table she forgot a corn muffin. After we ate and I was paying, I remembered the muffin and asked about it. She said she didn't remember but would "trust me" and went to hand me the cold muffin. I said actually since we've already eaten, I'd rather just have a refund. (Especially since it was a plain corn muffin that wasn't baked on site and it cost FIVE dollars!) She refused, and I asked to look at a breakdown of my receipt so we could see if I was charged for a muffin I never ate. She couldn't figure out how to get the square reader to show a full breakdown of my receipt, only the total. She then said that she had only been working there 2 days, and the manager was out but I could wait for him to come back if I still wanted to push for a refund. She also accused me of changing my mind too many times during ordering, and that's why she couldn't remember my order fully. (Because I switched from tomato to spinach quiche).

I said no thanks, but I'll definitely never be returning here. Not only did she not try to help me, she was rude about it the whole time. She used the fact that she was a new employee as an excuse not to help me.

Finally, this is NOT even a good cafe!!! Nothing is hand made on site, except maybe the coffee. The matcha latte was underwhelming, and the quiche we got were sitting in the mini fridge next to the counter and she just heated them up. Also when i tried to order a a scone from the chalkboard menu, the counter person didn't even know what one was, and had to look all around until she found it. She gave me one flavor and I found out afterwards that there were about 3 to choose from that she didn't offer. Anything you get here that is a baked good, like muffins, brownies, scones, etc, are NOT baked on premises and are wrapped in plastic. I don't know if they give you the option to toast and butter your baked good for you, since it was not offered to us.

In my opinion, skip this place unless you're just stopping in for a coffee. Forest Hills Station House around the corner do an amazing brunch, and there are also a couple of tea houses nearby if you want to sit down somewhere...

The last few experiences I have had with this cafe have been pleasant so I'm giving it a 3/5 but I have to say, it's a hit or miss with the staff, particularly the younger ones. I was waiting in line and the younger male cashier who was wearing a beanie and Hispanic completely bypassed me and addressed the older gentleman behind me . I'm not sure if he was doing this deliberately or because I'm a female who looks young and somehow needs to be accompanied by an older male behind me . I was slightly ticked off . Then he forgot to ask me what I wanted for my base for the smoothie, how can you be a cashier if you're not knowledgeable about the menu or what to ask customers , I had to go up myself and tell the guy who was making it . Then the vegan cheese incident . I am vegan and don't like cheese of any kind so I had no idea this place replaces cheese with Vegan cheese . I'll admit I was disgusted and when I went up to explain my grievances to the person in charge they said it was Vegan cheese lol but I don't like cheese of any kind and instead of being respectful , the three boys behind the counter acted defensive and a little like bullies . Only the African American one offered to help me and make another sandwich . I regret even ordering this . Not worth the 8 bucks and the staff def need to learn to be more courteous to their customers. I'm not sure if this person was sexist or just having an off day but it was uncalled for and they need to be more professional about it and more mature. . I love this cafe regardless but now I know to be wary of...

I want Red Pipe to succeed - I’ve been coming to this spot on and off for three years now. It’s a great location and the interior is awesome. The drinks are honestly hit or miss with me - there’s a bit of inconsistency in their preparation, and I think it has to do with the revolving door of staff / training new baristas. Today I’m enjoying a really delicious latte - I just wish there wasn’t a risk that when I come back tomorrow, that same latte might be bleh. But the biggest issue with Red Pipe by far is with their customer service, their queue management, and the way they manage their pricing. The customer service is hit or miss, but most of the time feels a bit cold / distant. Their queue management is definitely the worst issue because it feels like they’re perpetually understaffed. I’ve been in a line with 5 customers that took almost 10 minutes to get through - and I’ve been in a line with zero customers that took a minute to get my order taken. Finally, their pricing model is silly - specifically, there’s a $10 minimum on cards. That’s crazy - a lot of people don’t keep cash on them. The money you think you’re saving with that strategy is very likely actually losing you customers! I’d challenge management to do a little more holistic analysis on that - maybe I’m wrong but I really think you’d be shocked at the number of people put off by that. I want Red Pipe to succeed because it’s truly a great spot with a very relaxed atmosphere, but I don’t think I’ll be back...