Paddy Cake Bakery — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

I don't know about the quality or taste of their baked goods, I haven't had them yet, don't know if I want to. This review is in reference to the customer service I experienced. Not only did I feel disrespected, but deeply saddened and maybe even angered by my experience at Paddy Cake Bakery. My younger cousin and I entered the Bakery already knowing what we wanted and we just needed someone to get it for us. We were the only customers in the bakery at the time and there were three women working. One woman was having a conversation with an older man (he wasn't buying anything and their conversation was unrelated to the bakery so I'm not counting him.) She didn't stop to see how she could be of assistance, nor did the other two women behind the counter. But not too long after we entered the bakery, a white woman and her daughter came in and instantanuosly one of the women came to their aid. I stopped and looked around feeling like I was invisible. The other customer was deciding on what she wanted so I approached the counter and said to the woman, "Is there someone who can help us?" She looked at me as if I were the one in the wrong and said, "After I help these customers," or something to that effect. Now I'm completely flabbergasted and reply, "We were here first." She replies, "Well I didn't see you," So I guess that means I am invisible. Me (and my cousin) being the only customer in the store at the time, right? That's when the third woman behind the counter steps in with an attitude and says to the second woman, "I'll help them." At that point I should have left, but I didn't. With a nasty attitude she asks me what cake I wanted and what I wanted written on it. Then the chatty woman decides to get up from her talk box just to ask if there's anything else we needed. As I'm waiting, watching the second worker who thinks me to be invisible helping and treating the other customer with respect, I can't help but wonder if racism is playing a part in this (yes I'm African American and the women working at the bakery are white). She passes me an evil look when she catches me looking at her. The third woman comes out of the back with the cake she has written on and boxes it up. Then my mother comes into the bakery wanting to get an additional cake. So she goes back into the back to write on the additional cake. While we wait, I explain the encounter I had to my mother and I notice that the second woman has a taunting smirk on her face. So I say to her, "Nothing is funny." She then reiterates that she didn't see me and apologizes. I tell her that I'm not in need of an apology and that I just want to be treated with respect and offered good customer service like the other customers. She then becomes combative and I inform her that I was having a conversation with my mother. She then says "Yeah, but you keep talking about it." So I say to her that I'm free to discuss whatever I want to discuss with my mother and that she should focus on being professional in a business setting. Then chatty Kathy comes over and says again, "She said she was sorry mam." Instead of intervening the other woman from budding into my conversation in the first place. My experience was despicable to say the least. I hate that I even spent my money there after it was all said and done. However, one thing is for certain, I will never go back to Paddy...

Honestly, if I could give this place zero stars, I would. I needed to order a large sheet cake for a party to celebrate a friend getting a wonderful new job. I called Paddy Cake several days in advance to place the order and inquire about special decorating, because I wanted the theme to be consistent with my friend's new job. The first time I called, on a Tuesday morning, around 10:30 a.m., I was told to call back in about ten minutes because they were "too busy." This should have been an immediate red flag about the quality of their customer service, but nevertheless I called back. The young woman who answered the phone took down all of the info about flavor and size of the cake, as well as my contact information, but couldn't answer any of my questions about decorations. Each time I asked her something, she would put down the phone, call out to someone in the background and then get back on the phone with me. After this happened three times, I asked if I could please speak to the decorator myself, instead of going back and forth like this. She told me that the decorator was "on break" and I'd have to call back in 15 minutes.

So I called back a THIRD time, and someone else answered the phone. I asked to speak to the decorator, and an extremely unfriendly woman informed me that I could NOT speak to the decorator, she was the manager and she would be able to help me. I proceeded to discuss what I wanted in the way of decorations, and was told that each "specialty decoration was an additional $ 20. These were not air brushed photo's, just images made out of icing. After agreeing to pay an extra $ 40 for two specialty decorations, she said they could do the border in flowers. I asked if they could do a combo of balloons AND flowers around the border, since these were both standard decorations, and was told NO, its going to be an extra $ 20 for that. At which point, I said I was going to have to think about it and call them back. The manager then said to me, "Ma'am, you just can't keep calling back here." To which I replied, "No problem, I won't be calling back at all, because I'm calling a different bakery." She then hung up on me. I then called The Party Cake store in Brookline, where they were extremely nice and accommodating and were able to do the cake EXACTLY as I wanted it for no additional costs. I don't understand how a place with such poor customer service like Paddy Cake has managed to stay in business all these years, but I know I will never be buying...

I went to the bakery in May, I was looking for a simple wedding cake. They do not tell the full truth. I was told they do air brush. Just got a phone call from Susan, she was very rude, telling me how to decorate my cake. Telling me now they don't do all the details that she consulted me with. And, the portfolio is out dated!! They are cakes that look like they were cut out of magazines from the 1970s, it was the worst service I encountered!! Had I put a down payment like Susan wanted me to? I would be out hundreds of dollars. But, she would be in breech of her own contract by refusing to make the cake which in turn you can ask for your money back! After the atrocious manner that I have expireenced?! I will not recommend this place even to a dog! Save your money and go somewhere else!! Do not pay upfront! The quality is poor. The White Almond butter cream is excellent, but the service is a zero!! Letting under age kids have smoke breaks I do believe is against the law as well!? Talking about your plans for the weekend should be done on your break, not while you have customers!!! If they wish to remain a business? There needs to be some serious changes!! I would give them zero stars if it were an option. And, you should disclose that the details in your portfolio are not what you really offer. I do believe the work in the portfolio are by another bakery, I have seen the...