El Fenix Bakery — Restaurant in Union City

Worst bakery experience, NEVER going back because:

1 - I had an order for pickup at 10am. The two ladies working there asked for my name and told me they don’t have anything for me. They were arguing that I could get a cake from their refrigerator but they don’t have anything for me. I ordered the cake over the phone two days ago and paid for it. They were rushing to help other customers. I told them to wait, I’ll show my credit card statement, but they were rushing me to leave. I showed them the statement and that the transaction went through, and only then did they take me seriously and go check their inventory. They got the cake and asked if that was my number. I said yes. They said they got the pick up name wrong and that’s why they said they don’t have anything for me🤦‍♀️. My pick up name was Jennifer, but they thought it was Genevieve. I don’t understand why they couldn’t check their 10am cake pick ups when I first asked, versus hearing my name and immediately assuming that I was in the wrong. Why did I have to pull up my credit card statement to get things moving?? They didn’t even have a receipt for me. & I understand they have a lot of customers to go through, but I paid and I either want my cake or my money back.

2 - I also bought 2 empanadas con queso, and it wasn’t even good. The least they could do after all of that trouble was either offer it on the house (it was $3) or make it good.

3 - They spelled the name wrong on the birthday cake. I told them so many times over the phone that the first letter is “F.” I even said, “F like fish, F like phone.” They still wrote the first letter as “S.” And of course, the cake didn’t even taste good. Get the order right. I want my money back.

Suggestions:

1 - Have an online ordering system OR only accept payment at pickup OR provide a receipt amongst payment over phone OR all of the above.

2 - Own up to your mistakes. If you make a mistake and cause your customer a lot of time and stress, then offer something small on the house or a coupon or do something to make them want to come back. I had a terrible time and terrible product (cake was so dry) - I am NEVER going back, and making sure to tell...

UPDATE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2024, 6:19PM: I visited a few hours ago, but on my previous visit, I learned El Fenix now accepts credit and debit cards. The bakery adds a surcharge of 3% to your purchase, so you may want to have some cash, just in case. I have not seen the small empanadas with guava and cheese, and hope they return, at some point. There is a round, ball-shaped pastry with guava and cheese, but the small empanada version tasted so much better.

UPDATE: SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2023, 10:07PM: I visited this wonderful Cuban bakery a few hours ago. It seems they no longer have the small empanadas with guava and cheese, the ones with the scalloped edges. They have a round one, and they have the large triangle-shaped ones. Also, it was refreshing to see at least one employee wearing a face mask.

I love this Cuban bakery! The cafe con leche is muy delicioso, and the pastries are delicious, too. No bathroom, but there are some stools and a counter where you can sit and...

El Fenix Bakery is still by far one of my favorite local bakeries. Very nice and comfortable bakery with limited seating but still sufficient, keeping a cozy atmosphere. The ladies waiting on customers are kind and work diligently to complete your order. There are traditional pastries such as bread pudding, flan, rice pudding and more, all are very well prepared. The "pan con mantequilla" (bread with butter) is also very nice to have with a cup of coffee "cafe con leche".

It is a very busy location so don't expect to park your car out front, you may need to park in the neighboring side streets. But if you're a pedestrian, do...