The Alternative Baker — Restaurant in Town of Rosendale

Stopped in for a sandwich. First time here. Not much to choose from as the bakery items in the cases were very low. Unsure if it was due to selling out fast or not producing enough product . Sandwich was just ok. I guess I was expecting a knock your socks off egg sandwich since it was bread from a bakery but the bread did not impress me and in my opinion should have been fresher. I also would have preferred the person preparing my food , the owner, to wear a mask but what surprised me more was the way the shop looked. Rather sloppy, unorganized and dishelved and in desperate need of a deep cleaning. Even the Coffee area is messy, unkept and sloppy. It resembled a truck stop coffee area rather than a bakery. I have gone to gas convenience stations with neater coffee areas. It is a shame because the shop can be cute if a little more attention is put into basic cleaning and organizing. The owner seemed ok and I did not get the vibe of some of the other reviewers stating he was rude, at least he wasn't on this day . I think it comes down to the owner running the business alone. Unsure if this is by choice but a frontend person would be helpful to keep the shop looking better. I did not try any of the sweets so unsure how they are but there was not much available. I have never been in a bakery so early in the morning without seeing an overflow of wonderful breads and treats or when walking in having that wonderful aroma of fresh baked goods. None of which occurs when entering The Alternative Baker. Fitting name I guess. Needs major improvement. Definitely will not go back . Not...

I went here today to find a tasty treat with my mother, my daughter, and 2 of my friends. I was greeted at the door by a long haired little dog. A dog in a food establishment??!! OK move on to the owner who ignored my handicapped mother and then when he finally answered it was a barked response. When she sat down he asked if she wanted what she was inquiring about but after being yelled at she declined. He then said to himself...fine, sit and pout then. Very adult of you. We all heard him and my mother got up to leave as to not fuel the fire. When he saw that he asked my friend if he wanted his food to go and he responded yes and he muttered thank god. I then got up and was in the process to leave and told him he was rude. He walked around the counter to ask me who the f#!k I thought I was talking to him like that. He called me a c&^t....the dirtiest word there is and continued saying mean and rude and tasteless things. Never have I ever been treated in such a manner at any business as a prospective customer. I cannot understand why anyone would go here. It was dirty and had animals inside on top of the miserable old grouch who owns it. The food was out unwrapped on the counter as well. He has to be breaking health code requirements. I'll be calling them and the Better Business Bureau on Monday. Buyer beware! ! He also put his hands on my friend to try to grab his money from him before he left because after that treatment he was not going to patronize this place. That is not...

My seven year old daughter and I came into the bakery one year ago and she has been asking questions about the traumatic experience since then, which is why we are finally writing a review together.

Here is what she would like me to communicate to potential customers of this establishment: “We came in and wanted to order two breakfast sandwiches, one for me and one for my brother. The alternative baker said that he thought that we should order one because they’re pretty big. My dad said, ‘no, we actually want two’. The baker started yelling at us and trying to tell us what we wanted to order. He said, ‘you have no idea what you want’. At this point, he started to yell and curse. We began to walk out of the store and he cursed and yelled more as his little dog started barking. I’ve never seen anyone yell at my dad like that. It was kind of scary. If I could give it zero stars, I would.”

She sums it up well. I would only suggest taking your children to the alternative baker if you want them to learn a lesson about how to interact with belligerent and...