Ess-a-Bagel Reviews Summary

Bagel Quality

Pros:

• "The ratio of cream cheese to bagel at Ess-a is something dreams are made out of."
• "The bagel had a slightly crunchy exterior with a perfectly chewy inside."
• "One of the best NYC bagels."
• "Absolutely loved these bagels. Wow. The best I had so far in NYC."
• "The bagels are fresh, well made and a generous size."
• "Absolutely amazing bagels!!"
• "These are some of the best bagels I've had in New York."

Cons:

• "What bagel place these days doesn’t have a gluten free option or any food at all that is gluten free?"
• "The bagels were chewy and dense."
• "The bagels are dry, cold and flavourless."
• "It was cold, dry and hard as a rock."
• "Everything bagel's bottom was either overcooked or over-toasted: it was hard. Not chewy. HARD."
• "I’ve had bagels throughout NYC and this one wins on crunchy outside but loses on flavor (almost non-existent) and chewy almost undercooked tasting insides."
• "The bagels were disappointingly dry, lacking sufficient cream cheese."

Service

Pros:

• "The people behind the counter are efficient and if the customer knows what they are want— they will produce and get what you want quickly."
• "The service was awesome and everyone was friendly."
• "The staff are very fast and the line moves quickly."
• "The service was fast and staff respectful."
• "The staff were super friendly and happy to give recommendations."
• "The service was great. The staff move quick since the demand is there."
• "The staff is friendly and helpful."

Cons:

• "No system, total chaos."
• "They also got my order wrong the first time."
• "Bad customer service from the employees is really not cool."
• "I've never encountered ruder people working a counter, particularly when your customers are courteous."
• "Cashier was sooooo rude."
• "However, worth noting that the staff working there are very unfriendly and sometimes rude."
• "Unfortunately, the cashier was extremely rude, borderline hostile, hence the rating."

Price

Pros:

• "Don't be intimidated by the price, the food is very filling and very worth it."
• "The bagels are quite big and the chocolate cream cheese was so delicious."
• "A bit on the expensive side, but nice to indulge in every now and then."
• "The amount of the toppings was generous and I think it's worth the cost."
• "The bagels are always hot and fresh, the cream cheese is creamy and delicious."
• "The egg & cheese is an awesome bargain."
• "The food is worth the weight everything is always extremely fresh and the service is phenomenal."

Cons:

• "However, it was about $18 just for two bagel breakfast sandwiches."
• "The prices were pretty high though (mine $13 and the other $17)."
• "Too expensive. Signature is $18.95."
• "20 bucks for a bagel sandwich is insane even by NY standards to me."
• "Got scammed!!! 4 bagels and 4 quarter lb flavored cream cheese cost $42.xx!!!"
• "Price wise, $20 bucks for 2 bagel with cream cheese?"
• "Pretty pricey though."

Ambiance

Pros:

• "Visited Ess-a-Bagel with a few friends on a Saturday morning... Aesthetics were really nice."
• "Love this place, highly recommend!"
• "Truly recommend eating here if you go to the city."
• "The atmosphere is sweet and homey."
• "Lovely spot that maintains its homely vibe despite the huge crowd."
• "While you may be tempted to order delivery, I would strongly recommend visiting in-person in order to experience the ambience."
• "The customer service was great, they moved quickly & the space is clean & organized."

Cons:

• "The queue was quite long though. And it moves really slow."
• "The whole process takes two hours to buy and sit down and eat a bagel! They really need to move to a bigger shop."
• "The line is super long, an hour+ wait and there’s very minimal seating."
• "The line is literally 2 hours long."
• "After the pandemic they have closed off the extended upstairs and downstairs seating for fear of covid spread."
• "Also the place smells like pee."
• "And it's not the kind of place you want to sit for a long time. It's really loud, with the big line, and not really comfy."