Gotta have it Bagel — Restaurant in Jacksonville

A coworker of mine went here the other day and said how amazing the owner was and how great the bagels were, so I knew I had to try it. I always enjoy ordering online, so I can customize my meal and not get flustered during ordering in person. I ordered my food hours prior and set pick up for lunch time. When I got there, the girl at the counter said her tablet had died, so she didn't know she had any orders. She took down my order from my doordash receipt and I had to wait 20 minutes. A bit inconvenient, especially when I had to get back to work. The lady behind me had the same issue and placed an order and also had to wait. I got a few things to try. The smoked turkey pesto on an everything bagel. The girl asked me if they could do swiss instead of mozzarella, which was a bummer, but it was fine. And they toasted it, which was nice. I didn't enjoy the lettuce, I would do without it next time. The pesto was extremely flavorful and delicious, same with the smoked turkey. It was so packed with flavor, I would do a plain bagel next time. I also got an asiago bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese, a garlic bagel with jalapeno and chive cream cheese and a cinnamon raisin bagel with French toast cream cheese, since they were out of cinnamon bun cream cheese. The cream cheeses are PACKED full of flavor. I've never had flavored cream cheese where I could taste all the ingredients intensely. They were all absolutely delicious. The bagels are chewy and light and the toppings are also packed with flavor. The bagels themselves are good. I enjoy the texture and they toast very well, they just don't have that nostalgic 'bagel flavor'. The flavor is coming from the toppings and cream cheese, which is fine with me. Parking is extremely limited. And by limited I mean 1 car spot and a handicap spot. They're next to a bunch of motorcycles, so be extra careful when navigating. Other than that, I can't wait to try other sandwiches...

I really want to like this place but its hard. I’ve been here twice, both times dissapointed.

They say they bake the bagels on the premises. If this is true, I don’t think they are baking daily. The bagels I’ve got don’t seem fresh. Hard outside, dry inside. Usually when you walk into a bagel shop, you can smell the aroma of freshly baked bagels, but yet to experience that here. My assumption is they might be baking a couple of times a week and using that inventory to sell throughout the week. I could be wrong about that but based on the bagels I’ve gotten here, I don’t think they are selling bagles made the same day.

They are so slow! I don’t understand why it take 20 minutes to bag up a dozen bagels! It might make sense if they were waiting on a bake to come out the oven, cutting cold cuts or making sandwiches, but not the case.

They are always out of one flavor bagel or another (Another reason I don’t think they bake every day).

Advice to owners from a Brooklyn born and raised guy who worked in a Brooklyn bagel shop for a few years::

A. You are a bagel shop, your bagels have to look, feel and taste fresher than what people can buy at food lion. Hard bagles suck, dry bagles suck more. Bake daily, bake more than once a day. You guys are open four hours a day. Two small bake cycles a day would ensure you are selling fresh bagels without making too many bagels. Start simple, plain, everything, sesamie, onion. Bake em daily and watch customers return again and again.

B. Use paper, not plastic bags to bag bagels.

C. Faster service.

D. Put your fresh bagels out where customers can see them.

E. I assume you understand the basics of proofing, kettle cooking and spritzing? If not, learn it.

Above advice is given with love. Really want you guys to succeed, cause this town needs a...

We drove past this place and decided to try it for the first time. We walked in, I greeted the servers. I proceeded to say it was our first time in hoping they will guide us through their menu but all we got was “You’ve never been here before?”… No? That’s why I said we have never been here before. Blank stares all around. Anyways, my husband and I look through the menu. I start ordering. Of course when I do and ask some questions I feel dumb because I obviously should have been here before, right?? Whatever. I never usually leave these kind of reviews but the customer service sucks. There were 3 young ladies up front at the desk on their phones and not one of them seemed interested to help out which made it so uncomfortable for me personally, just awkward, especially with other customers being there. After we order, we sit down at the table and the nicest gentleman came up to ask more questions about how I wanted my order to be prepared. Props to him because I’m sure he’s doing the most there!

The food WAS good! My husband got the crab cream cheese on a cheddar jalapeño, amazing!! I got jalapeño cream cheese on an everything; Cream cheese was great but the bagel seemed a little stale but I still ate the whole thing.

I would have to be desperate for a bagel to order here again and it would be online only. Honestly customer service can make or break a business. I understand people have bad days but leave it at the door… (Coming from someone who has been in customer service for 8 years and has personally seen businesses die which I’d hate to see to this place and...