Humble Wood Fire Bagel Shop — Restaurant in Gainesville

The first time I went to Humble Wood Fire Bagel Shop was a few years back. I was pleased with the pleasant neighborhood vibe that surrounded the plaza where it is located. I remember the service being slow but acceptable, the staff pleasant, the price high and the selection including unique and intriguing options. The bagels my wife and I received were quite good but not earth shaking. This morning, I decided rather than going to one of my local bagel shops I would swing by Humble Wood Fire again. I looked forward to sampling another of their unconventional spreads. The line was long for 9:15 on a Sunday morning, a good sign that the quality was being maintained. Once again, the service was slow, the staff pleasant, the price high ($6.25 for an Everything bagel with Lemon Dill spread) and the selection varied. It took about 10 minutes to place my order as I seemed to have caught rush hour. Then I waited with the crowd. And waited, and waited. At times I would glance at the Estimated Wait time above the delivery door. The wait times were color coded with white being 5 to 10 minutes. This morning the sign was white. After 50 minutes the woman at the front window called out that all future orders being placed would take 45 minutes. I understand that staffing is a problem but I did see several people beyond the window keeping busy. I would like to let you know how the bagel tasted but at 10:10 I finally left, no bagel and six dollars poorer. I know that they had not lost my order as when I was drove off 55 minutes after arriving the couple ahead of me was still there – waiting. I will not give this bagel shop a one-star rating, the staff was pleasant and I don’t know the details. I do know I will not go back. If they knew the wait was long, they should update their Estimated Wait sign to reflect this. Afterward: I stopped at another bagel shop on the way home. I ordered my bagel, paid my $3.75, and told a staff member the story while I waited. She called up the boss who also wanted to hear my tale. She was sympathetic to both me and Wood Fire. I got the impression they had heard this story before. They thanked me for coming by. I left five minutes...

We heard about this place on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives and decided to visit while in Gainesville. The food did not disappoint! I love lox and bagels but decided to give the carrot "lox" bagel a try. I got it with the rosemary salt bagel and 3 olive cream cheese. It was nothing short of amazing. First, it smelled like lox. Don't ask me how that is possible. The carrots did not taste like carrots but approximated the flavor of lox. It wasn't exact, of course, and the texture was slightly crunchy but much softer than I expected from a carrot. There was so much flavor everywhere that I only got maybe one bite where I could really taste the cream cheese, but it was quite good, and the olive flavor was just right. The bagel had great chew and was the perfect backdrop for the sandwich.

This is not, however, first date food. I'm not sure I can remember the last time I got that messy eating a meal. The spices are in oil and they stick everywhere. I had them all over my lips and even on my cheek. I am usually a very neat eater. So just be prepared for that!

Also, be prepared to pick up your food and eat somewhere else. The store is only walk-up with the inside for employees only. There are two picnic tables and three 2-person high-top tables outside, but you sit on the edge of a gravel parking lot in not the nicest area. I suggest taking your food with you to a nicer setting.

If you like bagels, this is a great place to try some unique...

I like their breakfast sandwiches, and am happy they now have a brick & mortar spot in 4th ave food park. But I ordered their biscuits and gravy yesterday and was both surprisingly and thoroughly disappointed.

I respect them for trying a different approach, and am giving three stars because of prior experiences. But that b&g needs to go.

It has a yeast smell, which piqued my interest. Gravy is a bit different looking, with some scallions and I think mushrooms in the mix. So I was interested and open minded when I took my first bite. I love new things, especially with classic dishes.

Nothing worked. It was overly salty. Gravy was bland. Biscuits were confusing, lacking a center of flavor. This either needs to go back to the drawing board or be removed from the menu. That’s my opinion at least, and I say this candidly only to be objective in my personal feedback.

Customer service was surprisingly lacking as well. Checkout girl didn’t seem to understand the fact that I had questions, and barely took me seriously when I was looking for helpful insight. Guy handing me my bagged order practically shoved the grease-stained bag in my hand, again lacking warmth. I would have returned to ask for the fork and napkin that they forgot to include, but I happened to have a spare in my car.

Not a good experience. I will still go back to give another chance, as one experience should rarely define a restaurant. But definitely...