Asa's Bakery — Restaurant in Minneapolis

Found Asa's through an Eater search for "best breakfast in the Twin Cities" (they're also featured on the list of "best bakeries"). Have to say, the "please mask" sign kind of knocked me back, but in a positive way - they're literally the only establishment I've been to in my two and a half years in the Twins so far that does this.

You can feel however you want to feel about it (staff appreciated my positive feedback but did mention sentiments like mine were few and far between) and I don't really know what they would do if someone were to come in and refuse to wear a mask, but in a post-COVID world, I'd rather be safe than sorry, even though I may personally feel like a mask mandate of any kind is a bit overkill when N95s are freely available for those who would like to continue to protect themselves. (And to all those who say the pandemic is over - check the published numbers of infections and get back to me. The "pandemic", as defined by the health authorities that change their opinions more often than I change masks, might be over, but the virus is with us forever.)

Service is pleasant and friendly. I've read some reviews that have noted a lack of smiles, which I guess is fair enough - when staff is masked, as they are, you're not going to see them smile, but on my visit their attitude was cheerful and positive.

It feels harsh to give the food only three stars, but this is where I have to talk about value for money and try to do so as objectively as I can. Personally, I'm happy to overpay slightly for a meal at an establishment whose values I support. Call it virtue signaling with my wallet, if you'd like. But... My bagel with lox was advertised as costing $13 on their chalkboard. I ended up leaving the shop about $18 lighter, as the initial total came out to over $15 (after tax and what I can only assume is a service fee of some kind - I didn't ask for the receipt), plus I tipped at the screen. Again - while I'm fine with that, I know some might not be and for the benefit of those, it's worth mentioning. But even if it was just the $13, the bagels themselves are not so much better than Bruegger's that it's worth the almost 50% premium. Don't get me wrong - this is more a compliment to Bruegger's, whose bagels are pretty decent, than a dig at Asa's. I've seen some reviews that say there wasn't enough cream cheese in their sandwiches - I didn't get that impression, but then again, I tend to be OK with my bagel not having half a tub's worth. And the flavors (of both cream cheese and bagels) could also use some diversification. I get that their throughput isn't the same as a chain's and it might be a risk-mitigator to only have four (or is it six, I forget) flavors, but if you're going to charge this hefty a premium, I'd like a little more variety. That said, even at 9 a.m., they were already sold out of the white fish (hopefully, for their own sake, for the day and not on a more long-term basis), so they've got to be doing something right if it's truly that popular.

TL;DR: friendly atmosphere, 2020 masking time capsule, decent, if unspectacular and a bit...

I have been to Asa's twice, and as much as it pains me to say this, today was my last time.

The good: Asa's bagels are coated well and have great flavor. I've had several, but by far the everything bagel is the best because it is generously coated and well balanced between the garlic, poppyseed, etc. Also, the cream cheeses are great! Fresh and mixed in house. Staff is nice.

The bad: Closed dining room. Like many people, I have taken covid precautions very seriously over the last few years. Vaccines, masks, social distancing, and all the rest. BUT, let's be real folks...It's 2024.. The public health authority says that masks are no longer needed in the Twin Cities. So, I do find it a bit inconvenient that they require masks, do not have good seating space, or any sit down service. That kind of leads me into another gripe; Why the tipping screen? During covid times when restaurants transitioned to take-out only, many kept their tip options to help pay staff. Which I totally understood such temporary measures. However, it has been 4 years guys; Autotipping should not be expected for counter service, which your restaurant now falls into. Please pay your employees a fair wage and charge the customers accordingly.

Now, the UGLY: All of what I've written above I would ordinarily dismiss as not a big deal. I would not even consider any of these aforementioned problems if not for this one issue... This restaurant does not use enough cream cheese in their bagels. Simply, not enough cheese. FOLKS, look at my photo and judge for yourself.

It is 8:30 pm and I sit here, hours later, reeling internally at the bagel I got this morning. What could have been an absolute masterpiece of a bagel, capable of rivaling NYC, was resigned to just another sad attempt at gourmet. Asa's bakery, why are you going to invest so much effort into your bagels, your flavors, your staff, etc. but to skimp on something so basic? Laughable. I've read other people's reviews, and your lack of cream cheese seems to be an ongoing issue.

Please for the love of God, respect the schmear! I've been told the owner is from NYC, but apparently they forgot how to apply cream cheese.

Some will say this review is too brutal, but many will say your respect for the schmear is absent. ($8...

I love bagels and supporting local businesses! This shop came up on many “must try bagel places” in the MPLS area and had many positive reviews so thought I’d give it a shot.

Ambiance It looked very cute from the outside but as I walked it, I noticed that lack of warmth in the space. Right off the bat things didn’t seem that welcoming. Though there were only 3 of us in there, the cashier seemed disinterested in engaging with us or greeting us. I felt as if I had done something wrong by giving my order.

Lastly, I want to say that I’m all for masks! People do what they have to do to protect themselves, especially given that some folks are immunocompromised. But this place made me feel like someone was twisting my arm to wear a mask by the staffs’ demeanor and signs.

Menu This is probably very individualistic to me but Asa’s bakery just lacked variety. I showed up right at open and the only spreads available were plain, butter, and dill scallion. Then there were only 4 types of bagels: plain, everything, salted, sesame. As someone who has been to other bagel joints, I wished there were more options. I was looking for a Classic Asiago bagel with Garden Veggie/Jalapeño cream cheese. Even adding a sweeter bagel can go a long way.

Bagel and Operations The bagel itself was decent (3.5 out of 5). I think the issue I had is that THERES NO TOASTER! How can you be a bagel joint and not have a toaster? If I’m paying $4 for a bagel with cream cheese, I’d hope my bagel was toasted; I felt as if I overpaid since this wasn’t toasted. Then, the bagels that I took to go weren’t sliced and I wasn’t given an option to do so.

I really wanted to like Asa’s Bakery but it just fell a little short for me. This place has SO MUCH POTENTIAL! Hopefully with a few tweaks, they’ll be able sway my review to be 5 stars but today, I’m giving it 2 stars.

I’m rooting for you...