La Colombe — Restaurant in Philadelphia

(Not our venerable) La Colombe, PHL You. Have got. To be kidding. Me.

The facts: Ordered: a. Large Corsica (Yes, large. I know: one size only at the stand alone cafes in town.) b. Toasted wheat bagel with plain. cream cheese. Inquired: Do you have any jam, jelly, or preserves? Response: "None." (Yup.) Received: Toasted Everything bagel with cream cheese. Large, below sub-standard coffee.

Questions before the house:

Whether this was such egregiously bad service, or such the lack of it as to throw the service scale indicator so far into the negative that it dropped into the abyss, never to be recovered, much less rescued, ever, ever again. What was more bitter, i.e., the attitude of the order taker or the coffee.

Full disclosure: I've been drinking, had been serving, am still bringing to party hosts and turning on so many people to La Columbe coffee since the only varieties they had, and I served, were Corsica and Nizza. (Even before Nizza actually.) NEVER, have I consumed such horrible coffee, obviously from large brewing/ serving devices in desperate need of an alkaline flush. We used DipIt at home and at least would throw some ice and salt into the pot and swirl it around a little to get the acid addled stains out, at catered affairs. So, of course, it's not done that way commercially, but your honor, what ARE they doing? the jury submits for additional instruction during a brief break in deliberations.

Additional disclosures: In all fairness, the pastries were laid out meticulously to standard and looked as fresh as could be. Grade: A+. Condiment station well stocked, if not just a bit sloppy. Grade: C+. Attitude of the gent from whom I received my toasted bagel, Grade: A (for amiable).

Final instruction:

Please, please, please go and experience La Columbe at one of their stand alones or fine restaurants at which it is served, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Then decide for yourself. If you find yourself at PHL,...

I was flying out from Philadelphia to Orlando when i remembered i had to bring home some bagels so i stopped at La Colombe located right before you get to terminal C. I went to the counter when i was greeted by this young lady while i was placing my order half way thru me ordering the young lady was approached by another coworker he said something to her in a different language.She then walked away and i had to reorder my food with no apology. So this is the second time now that I am placing this order. So i told him i want 2 everything bagel planes NO BUTTER NO CREAM CHEESE PLANE. He rang it up and charged me for the price if it had butter or cream cheese. So I asked him " are you charging me full price ( Cream cheese/ Butter) ? He told me " hold on " . He got a manager and in his language asked him about it and he just waved his hand like to charge me what's on the register. I shook my head in disbelief so he asked me again my order and I told him he went back and asked me if i wanted it cut i said "yes"he then started to put it in the toaster. I yelled out " I said plane no toasted nothing PLANE". He then had to cut 2 more bagels to finally after 5 times telling him I got my order right. $13.00 for 2...

I recently visited La Colombe, at Phili airport terminal and I must say, the coffee was absolutely perfect. It was rich, flavorful, and expertly crafted. The Peanut Crunch Sandwich I ordered was impeccable, and the staff accommodated my request for less honey exactly as I wanted. The taste and quality of the food and drinks were top-notch. However, the one aspect that concerned me was the pace at which the staff were operating. Despite it being early Saturday morning, it took a good 40 minutes to place my order and receive it. The service could definitely benefit from a faster turnaround time. Perhaps the high volume of airport traffic makes it challenging for the staff to keep up, but it did result in a frustratingly slow experience. The corporate office should consider implementing measures to motivate and support their staff in delivering faster service. Despite the slow service, La Colombe has the potential to serve more customers efficiently. During my visit, I observed over 15 people walk away from the long line due to the extended wait. Addressing the speed of service would undoubtedly enhance the overall customer experience and capitalize on their excellent food...