Bernie's Foreside — Restaurant in Falmouth

I was on my way to Walmart this morning with a close friend. We decided to get bagels w CC and smoked salmon for breakfast.

We are BOTH serious 'foodies'.... I am a classically trained chef and baker, with certification in SANITATION, HYGIENE and CUSTOMER SERVICE.

To our surprise and shock.... not only was the African-American guy at the order counter rude, almost nasty, with no personality..., he was handling bagels and food without gloves!

This was exacerbated by the fact that he was handling paper, a pen that he had behind his ear and answering the phone, etc.... with absolutely no regard for cleanliness. These objects carry germs, viruses and can seriously infect any and every customer.

Worst of all, I saw him blow/wipe his nose, put the spent tissue in his pocket, not wash his hands, and then continue to slice bagels. Ugh!!

UPON SEEING THIS LACKLUSTER BEHAVIOR.... I LEFT THE SHOP ASAP..., I WAS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED!!

HOW CAN YOU MAKE EXCUSES FOR FOOD SAFETY AND SANITATION VIOLATIONS!?

I DON'T CARE WHAT RESPONSE AND COMMENTARY THE OWNER COMES UP WITH...OR, WHAT HIS NASTY VERBIAGE WILL BE... BUT A COPY OF THIS IS GOING TO BE REGISTERED WITH BOTH PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH DEPTS OF HEALTH.

I WOUND UP HAVING BREAKFAST AT McDONALDS... at least food safety is a priority there, with employee sanitation being paramount.

I WILL NEVER FREQUENT THIS BUSINESS AGAIN......

Bagel hard and luke warm. Fried potatoes had random avocado and ham/bacon piece mixed in. Pancake did not come with syrup of any kind. Ordered to go in person. Prices ok and flavor ok but overall disappointed. I couldn't tell if the bagel was old, stale, over toasted, re-toasted, made from thick batter or otherwise what was the cause of the overly chewy hard texture. For a business specializing in bagels I was expecting a softer bagel made fresh today, not the seemingly day old chewy-hard texture I received. The extra unexpected bits in my potatoes made me wary to continue eating; who knows what else I couldn't see that might have been there. The lack of syrup with the pancakes made me wish I'd asked about it; no it wasn't listed and yes I see it's extra for real maple syrup, but who eats them totally plain and dry? It didn't even have butter or fake syrup. Basically if I were to visit again I'd know if it isn't explicitly written on the menu, don't assume otherwise (it doesn't say fresh bagels, it didn't say butter or syrup came with it, it didn't say food would be prepared to avoid contamination). Thankfully I'm no longer a vegetarian; I would not recommend Mr.Bagel for anyone with allergies or who needs food prepared as described. Also recommend customers clarify precise expectations for anything not in writing on menu until business...

Ate there for brunch this morning and literally experienced the worst customer service in my life. We sat down at a table and it took 20 plus minutes for anyone to acknowledge us. When they did they smacked down two menus like we were a serious inconvenience. We were never checked on once the meal arrived and we had to chase someone down for 25 minutes when we were done eating to get a check. When we finally walked up to the counter to pay because no one would come to our table they turned their back to us and pretended not to see us. So rude. The only reason they deserve one star is because the kitchen staff is on point. Front of house staff is harsh and rude and I will never be bringing business there again...