Bagel Joy — Restaurant in Centreville

I see from the reviews that it's difficult for a business to gain traction at Fair Lakes, unlees they're Target or Walmart.

Anyways, the bagels are good. Fresh and delicious, although somewhat smaller than I expected. They make up for it with a legit schmear -- not like the dainty little .5 oz. spreads at Dunkin. The price reduction on bagels baked yesterday is obviously a much better, fresher deal than buying ultra-processed Pepperidge Farm bagels across the street. The staff were kind and courteous when I was there on Sunday, 8/2/2024.

The problem is customer experience--you have to wait quite a while for your order and the seating is nice but somewhat cramped. Their constraint is space.

They should consider having more of an assembly-line model, like Starbucks or H&H Bagels at Penn Station, NY. I think it should take the average customer no more than 5 minutes to order and grab their bagel. I would also cut back on sandwich options beyond what people can select right there in front of them. I think they should cut back on seating to make it more accessible.

They have a good location conducive to routine, repeat traffic from commuters who want a local experience in the morning before they jump on 286 and 66. They should be able to get the same clientele that the great Tony's New York Pizza gets in the evening.

Last but not least, the cashier shouldn't have to walk all the way to the other side of the counter for anything.

Still, this young, local business deserves a 5 because it has been a long road for the owners...

Today, 7/21/24 was opening day and it was awesome! This store was so inviting with the natural light from the windows, the cozy corner to the right when you walk in the door, and a good amount of tables and chairs. Even though there was a line out the door and so many people inside, I didn't mind at all because of the atmosphere and the friendiness of the staff. I was standing at one point and one of the very nice staff members brought me a chair and even cleaned it off for me from the last person that used it. We didn't have to wait long to get our food. They had a great system running. I got a cold brew black coffee to drink which was just what I needed to wake up and it tasted wonderful. I purchased a sausage, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich on a rosemary salt bagel and it was one of the best bagel sandwiches I've ever tasted. The bagel was perfectly seasoned so that the rosemary hits you and you see it throughout the bagel, but then you get a chunk of salt and the comingling of ingredients elevates the flavor so much more. The american cheese was the just the right amount of melty and clung on to the egg which was fluffy, but not overcooked or artificial tasting like some breakfast sandwiches. The sausage was delightful and had a little bit of crispiness and slight crust around the edge with so much meaty goodness. Bite after bite was a flavor sensation to the palate. Everything tasted so fresh! Will 100% be back and will definitely order this again. Bagel Joy thank you and welcome to the...

More Like Bagel Annoy…

I walked into Bagel Joy expecting, you know… joy. Instead, I got a bagel that tasted like it had been personally handcrafted by someone who resents both me and the concept of breakfast. It was so dry that I had to do breathing exercises just to swallow it. Pretty sure I chipped a tooth.

The cream cheese? More like dream cheese, because they must have DREAMED about putting a decent amount on there instead of the sad, transparent smear I got. I think they used a single molecule of cream cheese per square inch of bagel. And let’s talk about service—because they sure didn’t. The staff stared at me like I had personally wronged their ancestors just by existing. When I asked if they had whole wheat bagels, the guy behind the counter sighed so loudly I thought he was trying to communicate with whales.

Also, the coffee? It tasted like betrayal. Just burnt sadness in a cup. I wouldn’t be surprised if they used actual tears instead of water. Overall, if you enjoy overpriced disappointment served with a side of attitude, this is the place for you! Otherwise, run. Fast. Preferably to a...