Bagel Gourmet — Restaurant in Absecon

I’ve been coming here since I moved here 1.5 years ago, the service used to be great and fast, multiple employees working at once but now it’s only 1. I feel bad for the poor employees, they’re so understaffed there’s only ever 1 person in there on weekdays, MAYBE 2 on the weekends. they never answer the phone anymore for call in orders and if they do they don’t even start making it until u get there and get up to the counter. Yesterday I waited 30 minutes for a bacon egg and cheese. And I called it in before hand, I waited the 30 minutes once I got there. There was 1 woman working like crazy with a line out the door. It would’ve been easier to drive to mays landing and back. I know they aren’t short staffed due to lack of people wanting jobs cause I’ve heard multiple people say they were looking and being told they weren’t hiring. If u can’t afford to put more then 1 person on at a time then u honestly shouldn’t be open. All the employees are so nice and really trying their hardest and it’s ridiculous that a line should even be 30 minutes at a bagel place on a Wednesday morning. The food is good but I’ve only ever gotten a bacon egg and cheese. The cream cheese has mold on it in the display case for all to see, it’s been growing the last few days I went in there. Shows nobody even bothers to look at it or anything. Definitely wouldn’t order anything with cream cheese or butter. Employees also do wear gloves but Handle money and food and everything else with the same paid of gloves, defeats the purpose of wearing them. Ridiculous what your employees have...

The prices shown in the pictures online don’t match what they charge in-store—they’ve doubled. When I called to place my order, they gave me the price, and less than a minute later, I called back to remove one of the sandwiches. The employee got an attitude and said, “the food is already on the grill.”

When I went to the restaurant, I explained that I didn’t want to pay for the other sandwich because $8 for a breakfast sandwich is outrageous and not worth it. They got upset, and we exchanged some words. I told them they need to update their online menu because it’s unfair for people not from South Jersey to be blindsided by these high prices.

Being from North Jersey, I’m used to getting bigger, more filling sandwiches at a lower price. After paying $16 for two breakfast sandwiches, I looked at the food—it was burnt, had almost no meat or cheese, and was honestly the worst sandwich I’ve ever had, even just by looking and smelling it. We took photos and a video. I wouldn’t recommend anyone eat there.

1 sandwich was a Turkey bacon egg & cheese w/ hot sauce ketchup and mayo. Turkey bacon was burnt and dry. The other sandwich was a sausage egg & cheese w/hot sauce...

I have been coming here every summer. Always the best bagels in town and I'm a tough customer when I comes to bagels. Growing up Jewish in philly visiting NY and Miami we always had Sunday Bagels and Lox. Well the last 2 days the bagels and service have been horrible. Today the bagels tasted like I had put a frozen one in a microwave RUBBER. I bought 4 and all were toasted. No scallion creme cheese. Not that hard to run to Shop Rite and grab some scallions . Yesterday their was an argument the man was so upset he threw cookies. The woman out front was busy and overwhelmed and asked the young lady in the back to come and help.She came out and stood there LITERALLY. The man asked if his pickup order was ready he was told yes and then the counter woman took 3nother customers. The man just wanted to be acknowledged. U need someonethat know how to deal with the public. . Sad thing is my kids were upset as they look forward to their bagels...