Weddingbee boards

Hello! I wanted to post my story about Carlos Bakery so that other brides-to-be do not end up with the horrible ordeal I had to deal with!!! I paid for my wedding cake + 20 lbs of dessert 1 month in advance.  Two days before the wedding, the bakery calls me telling me that in order to tier my cake with the roses in btwn each layer, he needed to charge me ANOTHER $200 "labor" (ie a guy needed to be AT my wedding to put the cake together) to tier up the cake.  Having no choice and since it was two days before the wedding, I agreed.

The day of the wedding, the "labor" help was nowhere in sight.  Not only did my wedding planners have to tier the cake themselves, but this "elaborate" structure consisted of 2 peices of STYROFOAM!! My 1/2 sheet cake was also ONLY in white icing, instead of the chocolate fondant w/ design like the rest of the cake as we had contracted. When I confronted the bakery, they made all sorts of excuses and did NOT even apologize for their mistakes.

PLEASE BEWARE that this bakery is NOT as ethical as people say.  While they do have good tasting cakes, their service was SO RIDICULOUSLY POOR that it is completly not worth it! What vendor "pads" a bill two days before a wedding just to upset the bride - its DISGUSTING! very poor execution by the bakery!!

http://www.carlosbakery.com/

I just a terrible customer service exprience at this bakery. Yesterday I ordered a simples sheet cake for my son's birthday which is in a week. They asked me for $126. A moment after I left the store I realized that was an ridiculous amount of money for a simple cake. I called Carlos Bakery and asked if they would refund my money. The woman who answered the phone said "sure just come in the morning and someone will refund your credit card. I ordered the same exact cake from a different place for $40. And this morning I showed up at Carlos Bakery to get my refund. They absolutely refused to do it. I tried explaining that one of their employees had told me they would and if they hadn't I wouldn't have ordered a second cake yesterday. I stayed calm and never raised my voice, I just pleaded my case. I tried to explain that I don't buy cakes that often and they wouldn't lose anything since my son's birthday is still a week away. The manager at Carlos Bakery said that if I didn't leave the store with my credit immediately she would have to call someone to have me escorted out. I couldn't believe it. I have never been treated so badly. I've been their customer for over 16 years since I purchased my wedding cake. Please be careful when dealing with them.

Hello, I am a current intern at Carlo's Bakery and completly would have to completly disagree with the post that was made.  There is so much work that goes into making a cake.  Its not like your normal box cake mix everything is made from scrach with the best recipes. A single gunpaste rose takes making the gumpaste.. coloring it. cutting hundreds of preps.. making centers.. forming the flowers dusting them..and on top of its pure art to get it right.  If you wanted to get a cheaper cake then go to costco.. but i garrentee that the quality would be no where as close.  I know how hard it is to be a bride to be and have to deal with all the aspects of having a wedding but don't give up the quality for the price.

I learned about Carlo's bakery from a family member. We live over an hour from the bakery. Im legally blind so need my husband to drive me that distance. He hates the drive but does it because I LOVE the bakery.  People ask me why I drive so far for the baked goods and my response has always been the things are AMAZING and the people are great. My response has changed after my experience yesterday.

A few weeks ago I went into the bakery and ordered 3 vanilla cake and 3 chocolate cake cupcakes with plain icing. After driving an hour and a half home I opened the box and to my suprise was 6 totally different cupcakes.  The next morning I called and spoke to someone in charge. Her response was great. She told me she was sorry for the mix up and to keep the wrong cupcakes and when I came back in they would give me the right ones free. I explained to her that I wasnt sure when I'd get back in because we lived so far. Her response was It wont expire. I asked if she wanted wanted my name and she replied no, my name is Mary and I remember ALL promises I make so you'll be fine.

I went into the bakery yesterday to get my cupcakes and a few other things. I had been smart and called ahead for the cupcakes so I was sure to get what I wanted.  When it came time for the guy behind the counter to get my cupcakes it was total confusion.  The lady at the register gave me a hard time right away. After asking if she was Mary and explaining my story her response was I'm Mary and I NEVER spoke to you! I then asked her what the price difference was between the cupcakes I wanted and the original ones I had paid for. She didnt want to hear any of that and just told me she was doing me a favor by giving me the free cupcakes. She also went on to tell me I shouldnt get any kind of refund because we got to keep the wrong cupcakes. I explained to her that I DIDNT enjoy them and gave them away because they werent ones we liked. 

Overall Mary was VERY rude to me. She spoke to me like I was some bum off the street trying to get free stuff.  She blamed one of the workers for using her "name" when people call to complain. I understand they are very busy due to their tv show BUT you cant speak to people the way Mary did. I WONT go back and WONT be telling people its worth the hour plus drive.  The sad part is I didnt know they had a tv show until I had visited it once. I would have gone there even if they didnt have the show.

I am Nervous now, my daughter is turning 12 in 2 weeks she loves show we wanted to take her there on the way into nyc for the day thought it would be a nice surprise for her to stop and get a treat ... But not if they going to be rude what fun is that.. If we decide to do so do they have chairs or sell coffee??? I tried emailing them but I guess they are to popular now to respond.

I disagree with these posts- I first contact Carlo's via the website's e-mail address. I recieved a prompt response stating that I had to call the paper directly to place an order or to schedule a consultation.

When I arrived for my specialty cake consultation, the blonde girl assisting me was very helpful. There was a long line of people, but the staff was very pleasant while we waited. Most importantly, the cake was delicious!!!!

I think it is important to understand that the bakery is very busy due to the show's popularity, but the staff tries their hardest to accomodate the increase in customers. Overall, our experience was very good.

first of all if you watch the show, just stop and think a min. I know the price is high due to creativity, how ever why does more creativity mean LESS sanitation.. these people do not wear gloves when baking or any part of the process of their creations...this should be a problem for someone other than me in this world.... i mean really

I totally agree with dustysworld.  I can't say anything bad about the taste of their cakes or service because i've never been there but watching the show makes me not want anything from there.  I watched an episode where they made a tiki cake for a guys birthday.  He wanted real fire to come out of it.  So they hired a fire breather.  The guy spit this liquid stuff out of his mouth thru a hole in the cake letting all that spit go on the cake.  That's just GROSS!!!  Their cakes are amazing but they definitely have a sanitary issue going on.

what is it with this guy Buddy - as I see it on the shows, he keeps talking about what 'he 'did - he needs to mention his team more and I agree - they don't seem very clean - hands all over the place - no masks or gloves - someone needs to mention that to them when they fo into the shop to order something - I would never order from there - plus - Buddy seems to be such a jerk

I agree. I had went there almost 2 years ago for a Baby shower cake only to find that they would charge us $700 for a two teired blue cake with a Duck. So we bought a simple sheet cake. THEY CHARGED US $360! They create nice work but they are seriously overpriced and inefficant. Akthough, Buddy and his crew are very talented, Just because you have a show, People should come first.

The whole experiance made me want to become a cake decorator- so I could make people happy with the cake they WANT and not require your first born as payment...

(My Best Friend's daughter is now a Cake Decorator- One of the youngest in the Country at 18! She probably inadvertently stole my goal. www.thesweettreatleap.com)

I cannot believe some of the isotic comments made in the above posts. Have you ever tried to cook bake or decorate anything wearing gloves? It is completely impossible! My daughter has been a cake decorator for 27 years in various bakeries and restuarants and has never seen anyone wear masks or gloves while working.

As to the price--- Any speciality cake decorating shop charges prices like quoted above. Acutally there are a couple on the West Coast who would carge double the amount that Carlos does. Sure you can get a sheet cake for forty or fifty dollars just like you can get commercial grade steaks for three or four dollars a pount. Then you can order them from specialty steak houses and pay up to $300 (Kobe) a pound. Your pay for what you get. If you want somethig special you have to pay for it!

I cannoty answer the people who have had bad personal experiences but usually when you order and pay for a food item it is understood that who cannot just decide to cancel any more than a airplane just allows you to change flights.

Okay people... To all the haters out there, go drink some HATERAID!!!!! Lol jk but are you kidding me? It takes a long to to make a cake. I am a cake decorater and let me tell you, its not easy. It takes alot of time and energy. And have you tried making a gumpaste rose in gloved and a mask? Its hard and turns out bad. And the cakes are lots of money because it takes 30-45 min. just to make 1 gumpaste rose. And how would you like to be stuck in a small crowded bakery for 11-12 hours a day.. How happy and friendly would you be? Im just saying, if you where in his shoes, how stressed you would be. And for the cakes, they are ART. I would like to see everyone of you haters make a cake as good as he can. Its like a 5th grader painting the Mona Lisa. think about it

My Daughter recently apraoched me and informed me that when the time comes for her to marry, she wanted a cake made by Buddy at Carlos Bake Shop in Hoboken. She's only 16 so I would have plenty of time to save up LOL. Her Grandmother was a professional Cake Consultant and decorator for most of her life, and is trained by The owner of Wilton cakes himself (Before his passing) Since Grandma can no longer decorate as she has developed severe arthritis in both hands (Squeezing the icing bags will do that to ya). My daughter wanted a cake by "Buddy" instead. I had honestly never heard of him or his bakery so My mother and I watched the "show". My mother pointed out the fact that the cakes seem mass produced (Notice how he can just throw them around and they dont break? And, Mom never pre made cakes and froze them. (I understand that in a bakery that does the kind of buisiness his does that it is nessisary to pre bake and refridgerate and freeze them. I think his creations are beautiful, artistic and creative, but the fact that he can throw one together in an hour (IE The LEXI birthday cake) goes to say just how easy it is to do when your just draping Fondant on everything. I don't understand though how he can create a "cake" almost completely out of Rice Krispy treats and Fondant and still call it a cake. Wouldn't that be a REALLY  big, REALLY expensive RICE KRISPY TREAT?.........Haven't eaten there, wont give negative reviews of service or quality since I haven't, but from watching the show, and growing up with a pro I won't be spending thousands of dollars in Hoboken when the big day comes

@TheCakeBoss101:  As for your comment about a fifth grader painting the mona lisa? More like a fifth grader draping fondant on a rice crispy treat.from what I see, its his female sculptors who are the real artists. Anyone with half a brain can cut paterns out of Fondant with a cookie cutter..The Blonde who did the topper for the Jewelry themed bridal shower cake for Buddy's sister in law? NOW THATS TALENT!

would also like to point out that the Cake supposedly destroyed on TV by the "Bridezilla" in Season one is on thier website on page five of the cakes.... Who wants a cake that is the same every time? either this cake is mass produced, or...... its the same cake and I think every cake should be different not point click and repeat

Let's answer your post as simply as possible ... YES you can wear gloves! MANY other bakeries choose sanitation over ease when working.  To address the issue with "have you ever attempted to..." is extremely condescending! Exactly what the problem is with Carlos Bakery! Act like other people are stupid and you are the king of baking! As if! Get over yourselves!