New York City Bagel & Coffee House — Restaurant in New York

Substandard service at best.

Pros - Wide variety of food and drinks with well-stocked fridge.

Ample seating for WFH, etc.

Cons - Long lines.

Bland drinks. They do not offer premium coffee, tea, and apple/pumpkin spice products.

Food is so-so; the portions are large, but not what one would expect from a specialty coffee shop.

Music is too loud for meetings, calls, and general WFH tasks.

The baristas seem indifferent and like they can't wait for everyone to finish ordering so they can go back to their phones. Cashiers are harried - either because they're roaming back and forth the prepare bagels and drinks or because they're understaffed.

The shop is wide open, which leaves one vulnerable to the petty theft and acts of crime now rife in Astoria. A couple of laptops and some jewelry have already been snatched in the area.

• note: FOOD SAFETY * Staff are not well-trained in food prep safety and cross-contamination.

I ordered a tofu bagel specific to my dietary needs (allergies, lactose-intolerance, etc). The bagel prep messed up my order using dairy cream cheese.

He proceeded to SCRAPE the dairy cc off the bagel and then apply tofu, which WILL MAKE ANYONE SICK, as a lactose-intolerant.

When I explained and insisted on a mew bagel, he refused and was confused by the issue. The manager had to step in and prepared the bagel himself. I really appreciate his focus on customer satisfaction, and can't help but wonder how the team is trained.

Not sure how they handle celiac needs or allergies (ie: everything bagels, soy, peanut butter, etc). Hopefully...

The space is big and spaceous with lots of choices in food and drink. This spot is well maintained with lots of seating.

I like the huge Everything Bagel toasted with butter. I like the coffee always served hot and strong. Both items are affordable. I've discovered it all depends on the Time you place the order.

For example, if its after like 2pm when I get my bagel toasted with butter. I can't explain the surplus of butter on my bagel which never quite melts down. You know like if it were early morning. And I noticed in the afternoon the toasted bagel is served warm not hot yet toasted??? Coupled with the flexible price points. I'll pay with a debit card but sometimes a surcharge is added and sometimes its not Y???

I'm happy a cafe is opened for business and I can sit inside and do some work on my Ipad.

If Everything was consistent then all Five Stars would of been used for a rating. But I noticed in terms of Brand Ambassadorship Im waving a Fedora in the direction of the women behind the counter They seem to have a better handle on leadership vs. the men who literally wear their funky flaws on...

Sooooooo, I love the decor. Awesome vibe. The avocado toast was ... different. I'm still not sure I like it... it was heavy on minced olives so it was weird salty, then had feta cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes. I know it's a bagel place, but it didn't occur to me the toast would be a bagel, so I was completely unprepared for the avocado and quasi-greek salad falling through the hole in the middle. I mean, the top was totally smoothed over. I didn't see that one coming. So, it is pretty inelegant to eat in public. The presentation, however, was impressive.

My friend had a problem being overcharged...twice... on the same order. The manager made it right and responded immediately, but COME ON!

Finally, it might be a good idea to ask for a schmear of cream cheese. It was really good, but there was enough cream cheese for 3 bagels. So it was a little wasteful. Which I don't like.

The prices are still reasonable, and an overall decent value for Astoria. Just check your receipt, and remember your avocado toast is a really pretty -and really messy- Greek...