LaSalle Bakery — Restaurant in Providence

I’ve never written a negative review before, and it pains me to write this one. I’ve been coming to this bakery for 10 years, and my wife and her family have been loyal customers for over 30 years. Unfortunately, this is no longer the same bakery we fell in love with. I understand times have been tough for many businesses, but ever since the ownership changed both the quality of the products and the service have steadily declined. The bread, once the highlight of the bakery, has become disappointing. The mini Italian loaves now resemble oversized baguettes, and the large Sicilian loaves — which cost $8 — often have giant holes running through the middle because the dough wasn’t properly punched down. That’s if you’re even lucky enough to find a large Sicilian loaf in stock when you visit, often sold out before 12.

I don’t mind paying a little more to support local businesses and get quality food. But I can’t justify the prices anymore given the customer service I’ve experienced over the past six months. The staff often seem irritated that customers are even there. Small touches that used to be standard, like oil and vinegar on sandwiches, are gone. And heaven forbid you ask them to cut your bread or sandwich — you’ll get a glare that makes you feel unwelcome. This isn't just from one experience which is why I feel the need to write the review.

Today was the final straw. My wife and I went in, as we often do two or three times a week, planning to buy loaves of bread, a sandwich, and some pastries. There were only two other customers in the store, yet it took the young woman behind the counter on Smith Street a ridiculous amount of time to cut our bread and prepare our order. When we politely asked for a bag to carry our many items, she glared at us and THREW the bag on the counter and walked away clearly annoyed. My wife was taken aback by how unpleasant she was throughout the entire transaction. Clearly bothered that she had customers to help.

I’ve tried both locations recently, hoping it might just be an issue with one store, but sadly the poor service and declining quality are consistent. After seeing how far things have gone downhill, I can no longer support this business. I hope the owners consider retraining their staff as we have heard from other customers they feel similarly. For now, I’ll be going to other small bakeries in the city — even if it means driving instead of walking.

The bakery we once loved is simply not the same anymore. I hope the owners realize how much they’re losing by letting their service...

Well 400+ reviews can not be wrong right??? I usually do not write reviews, but when I do I make sure we all get the most out of it. I went into this bakery on July 30th 2018 at 7:07pm as I wanted to buy something apart from a cake to celebrate my friends birthday. As I enter, the ambiance was up to the mark and I walked up to the place where I can place an order. The person who helped me and my girlfriend was a lady, she was polite and gave us our time to choose what we wanted to. Thats when my girlfriend said "Shall we take the Danish over there on your right". I walked towards my right to have a look and I saw 2 fruit flies.. I thought it was outside the cooler. But on a closer look it was inside the cooler or fridge or what ever you call it. And I called up the lady and asked "are those flies in there?". While she walked towards the cooler and slided the cooler door I saw about 10-15 fruit flies raise up from the baked items around Danish. I thought, Oh.. this bakery already has its own special customers and I stepped back while I holded my girlfriends hand and I said "Thank you" to the lady and we were gone. Food here is not really as hygienic as the ambiance looks. The people who own this brand should make sure they maintains good condition all the time. I do not want to buy something which was already tasted by fruit flies! DO NOT CHOOSE THIS PLACE, its really unhygienic than it appears to be. Open your eyes before you make a choice and look for any sort of Flies inside cooler. I will NOT recommend this place to anyone at anycost! Take care, stay healthy and thank you for...

I used to love this place. I've been coming here for as long as l've lived here and have been very pleased with their products up until now. The unhelpful staff, non-responsive owners/managers, and low standards for customer service and food quality turned me off. Do yourself a favor avoid the “fresh fruit”flan/tart and go to Pastiche on Fed Hill.

Below is the email I sent to them that they never responded to. I also made several call and left contact info and did not get a call back…

Hello, I wanted to give you some honest feedback on a recent experience I had at your bakery. I came in a few days ago and bought a large fruit flan for my son's birthday. I regret to inform you that the quality was not what I have grown to expect from your bakery. I was disappointed in several qualities of this dessert. The use of canned (peaches and pineapple) fruit when you advertise "fresh fruit" on your site. There was also an odd almost chemical/ artificial after taste to the cake.

Lastly, I was not expecting actual "cake" but that was my miss understanding. Your site does say" yellow cake". I was not expecting the yellow cake".I was expecting the traditional tart "crust" similar to a shortbread cookie/pie crust.

We ended up not eating the 2 slices we cut or the remainder of the dessert because of the taste was so bad and ended up buying one somewhere else...