Bubby Rose's Bakery & Cafe

Inquired about GF breakfast sandwich and they do have. But if you have an allergy to Gluten they do tell not to bother as CROSS-CONTACT is an issue. They are truly honest. Thank you

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked
• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

Other Characteristics

• Good for breakfast/brunch
• Good for dairy-free
• Good for dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout

CELIACS BEWARE

I stumbled upon Bubby’s shortly before catching a bus out of town, and was delighted to see they had a great selection of individually wrapped gluten free baked goods and breakfast options, including a gluten free breakfast sandwich, which I ordered. It’s important to note that the cafe is not a dedicated gluten free facility, and I understand there is always a risk of cross contamination when regular baked goods are present, however I am shocked by the lack of care the employee took in this case. When my sandwich was served at the front, I was immediately a bit skeptical that perhaps the barista might have prepared a regular breakfast sandwich, because he didn’t specify it was gluten free when he called my order. Before grabbing the plate, I double checked with him that it was in fact gluten free, and he reassured me that it was, although his body language suggested he didn’t care either way. Trusting him, I took my order and ate the sandwich , still uneasy about the situation but allowing my hunger to get the best of me. Before leaving, I went back to the counter and saw that a pile of regular breakfast sandwiches (with a white sticker) were shoved where the gluten free ones should have been, with two only two gluten free sandwiches (with a yellow sticker) remaining at the front of the display case, which looked slightly different than the others and the one I had been served, and immediately realized my suspicion was correct and they had served me the wrong sandwich. While I recognize I am ultimately at fault for not continuing to follow up, the lack of respect and poor management of gluten free offerings suggests that the risk of cross contamination is high, and the staff clearly don’t care, either.

While I realize that mistakes happen and I am ultimately at fault for eating the sandwich and not following up further, the negligence I experienced not only in my interaction with the staff member who prepared the sandwich, but also seeing how little care was taken with the mix between regular and gluten free sandwiches proves this is absolutely not a safe place for celiacs, or even those who are simply following a gluten free diet.

If you are travelling through town and looking for gluten free or celiac friendly baking or breakfast items, DO NOT visit Bubby’s Cafe and Bakery. There are plenty of fantastic establishments in the Victoria downtown area with accommodating staff who do their best to ensure a safe dining experience, even if they can’t guarantee it. Bubby’s is not one of them.

The owners should really reconsider their false advertising regarding gluten free menu options, or at the very least train their staff on best practices when handling gluten free products. Otherwise, they would be better off removing them from their shelves altogether.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Safety Feature Ratings

• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

GF sandwich options, coffee and drinks

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked
• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for breakfast/brunch
• Good for dairy-free
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for soy-free
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Good with other allergies
• Offers outdoor seating

Despite extensive advertising of gluten free options, I do not think any items in this bakery should be considered celiac safe. There seems to be little to no protocols in place for cross contamination during production or when the food is being served. I would not eat here as a celiac.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

Nothing here for celiacs. The window signs claims GF, but all the nonGF items are mixed in with the “GF” items.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Poor

Tried the gf lasagna. Not celiac safe. Very tasty though. The coffee was really good too.

Celiac friendly?

No

great date squares and cookies. they also have frozen gf pizza dough