Poppy's Bagel and Bakery — Restaurant in Waterloo

I would strongly advise against visiting this bagel shop; it was truly the epitome of a culinary disaster. My recent visit left me not only with a distasteful experience but also suffering from horrifying food poisoning and salmonella. Let me share the details of my appalling encounter.

First and foremost, the bagels themselves were stale and seemed to have been sitting out for days, if not weeks. The texture was dry and unappealing, resembling rubber more than a fresh, fluffy bagel. The taste was equally disappointing, lacking any hint of flavors that a good bagel should possess. It felt more like biting into cardboard than indulging in a well-crafted treat.

If that wasn't bad enough, the cream cheese was a breeding ground for bacteria. As I later discovered, the shop's negligence towards proper food storage and hygiene led to a severe case of food poisoning and salmonella infection. Trust me when I say that the endless hours spent in the bathroom were a testament to my poor choice of dining establishments.

The overall cleanliness of the place was questionable at best. The tables were not properly cleaned, and the floor seemed to have never seen the touch of a mop or a broom. It was not only unattractive but also served as a breeding ground for pests and unsanitary conditions. The staff appeared equally uninterested in maintaining even basic cleanliness.

Perhaps the most indescribably distasteful aspect of my visit were the employees themselves. Their attitudes were rude, and they displayed a complete disregard for customer satisfaction. One would expect a level of politeness and courtesy when dealing with a paying customer, but sadly, these basic principles were nonexistent.

To make matters worse, when I attempted to address my concerns about the food poisoning incident, the management was unresponsive and attempted to dismiss my grievances. The lack of accountability was deeply concerning and made it evident that customer welfare and safety are of little importance to them.

Ultimately, I want to caution anybody considering a visit to this establishment. The combination of stale bagels, unsanitary conditions, and a complete lack of care for customer well-being makes this place an absolute no-go. Spare yourself the agony of food poisoning and salmonella infection and find a bagel shop where quality and hygiene...

I visited this bagel shop in Waterloo for a delivery pickup and had an incredibly disheartening experience that I feel compelled to share.

From the moment I walked in, I felt unwelcome. The front attendant, a young woman at the counter, clearly noticed me when I entered but gave off an unfriendly and cold attitude—very different from how she interacted warmly with other customers, all of whom happened to be white. As a brown person, this contrast in treatment was hard to ignore.

The store was busy, so I waited patiently in line. While waiting, I browsed their menu and decided to order a tea for myself. When it was my turn, I asked for a cardamom tea. Without hesitation, she responded dismissively, “We don’t have that. Do you want chai tea?” I said yes, and she processed the order, which came to $3.11—I paid $5.11 including a tip.

She then made the tea, placed it on the counter without a word, and gave no indication of where to find the lid, sugar, or cream. When I tried to inquire about the delivery order, she simply moved on to the next customer. I had to speak up again to give her the order number, which she asked to see on my phone. After that, she retrieved the order and carelessly placed it on the counter without so much as a “Here you go” or even eye contact—just immediately turned her attention to the next person.

There was no courtesy, no greeting, no thank-you—just a complete lack of professionalism and respect. The whole interaction felt dismissive and racially charged, which left me feeling humiliated and disrespected.

I sincerely urge the management to train their staff to treat all customers with dignity, regardless of their race or background. Everyone deserves basic courtesy, especially in a service setting.

Until this place takes accountability and makes meaningful changes, I won’t be returning—and I wouldn’t recommend it to others who value respectful and inclusive customer service.

Update: Changing my rating from 1 star to 5 stars solely based on the owner Ashley’s kind and thoughtful follow-up — her professionalism and empathy...

I honestly can not understand the stellar reviews for this place. I get that everyone is excited for a new bagel place in uptown Waterloo, but “100/10” and “12/10”. You are doing the people in Waterloo a disservice with these reviews. With the utmost respect, either the people writing these reviews have never had authentic and good Montreal or New York style bagels, or they are writing fake or biased reviews.

First, there is a 10 minute wait in line to buy a bagel. Then you have to wait another 20 minutes after ordering to get your bagel. It does not matter if you order a simple bagel and cream cheese or a sandwich…you’re waiting in line in accordance with when you ordered. My advice to the owners: have someone separately spread cream cheese on bagels and/or work on the simple orders. This will alleviate your heavy line ups and wait times.

Second, you can’t order a bagel/bagels on its/their own, and have to order some sort of bagel sandwich. Give people the option to order bagels on their own. This is a basic option that all bagel shops offer.

Third, it costs $6 for a simple bagel and cream cheese, and as high as $16.50 for a lox bagel, with no side. That is an astonishingly high price for any big city, let alone a small city like Waterloo.

Fourth, the bagels are just ok, and definitely not worth the crazy high prices. They say they sell Montreal “inspired” bagels…what on earth is that…overpriced mediocre bagels? I’ve definitely had better Montreal and New York style bagels at other places, for much less money. Example, it costs $2.50 at City Cafe, and at Woodfired Cafe Bakecurry, for good bagel and cream cheese sandwiches…less than half of what it...