Review of Bubby Rose's Bakery & Cafe

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